Sticky Notes and Index Card Sketches
By day I work in a design shop as a motion graphics artist and like many people I know I spend a lot of time in meetings. I’ve always found that doodling during meetings actually helps me to stay focused on the conversation and surprisingly, a recent Time magazine article suggests that it’s not just my imagination.
A study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology magazine found that;
“Doodling… requires very few executive resources but just enough cognitive effort to keep you from daydreaming, which — if unchecked — will jump-start activity in cortical networks that will keep you from remembering what’s going on. Doodling forces your brain to expend just enough energy to stop it from daydreaming but not so much that you don’t pay attention.”
Dropping some science on the boss man though can be a whole ‘nother story. At least I’m doodling in a creative meeting I guess. It’s not exactly executives that I’m dealing with.
—-
Over time I’ve developed a fondness for drawing with a fine point sharpie pen on sticky notes as opposed to my small sketchbook. It’s a perfect size for thumbnailing quick ideas and playing with form, shadows and shapes. It’s easy to quickly flip through a stack sketching out idea after idea for gestures and atmospheric shadow patterns. The yellow of the paper actually makes for a nice ground and when you’re done you can stick them up side by side in a giant grid for future reference.
Working with the square format can be difficult at times as it’s a strange shape to use for many compositions. Not everything works well within it but when you find something that does it’s an interesting format to work within. I’ve found that my sticky notes habit has helped me more easily recognize and discover ideas which would be perfect for it as opposed to the rectangle or letterbox spaces.
—-
Below are a couple examples that I’ve scanned in. These are posted on my studio wall near my easel and a few of them have actually become reference for finished paintings.
This last one in particular was used in reference to the following painting when I pulled it out to set a pose with the model.
I also like to use little index cards sometimes and here are a few where I just let my hand move around on it’s own accord without any real intention.
I draw from life, I draw from imagination and on the canvas it all comes together in various ways.
