Art & Design
Overview
This art challenge is a quick solution to finding your creativity and exploring the depths of your imagination. It’s important to exercise your imagination and take a creative break. Studies have shown that expressing yourself through art can have many benefits to your health and wellness
You might have difficulty finding inspiration for what to create—blank-pages can be frustrating! Have no fear, the blob-art challenge is a drawing exercise that will help you draw freely from your imagination. You will create unique characters and works of art from simple blobs. The goal is to have fun. You never know what will happen when you let your creative spirit run wild!
Background Information
This challenge appeared on social media platforms and engaged a whole community of artists to share each of their own unique and silly characters and art styles.
Materials
- Pencil crayons, markers or paints
- Pens
- Paper
I used a watercolor paint set and brush for my blobs and a black pen for the outline and designs.
How To Video
Step by Step
Step 1 → Clear out your workspace, assemble your materials, take a deep breath and remember this moment when you have a boring, blank canvas.
Step 2 → Put some random blobs on the page. Follow your heart and let the scribbles guide your drawing. Take this as an opportunity to explore color, shape, textures, layers. Don’t hold back or think about it too much. Remember to just have fun.
Tip: Look outside at the world around you. What kind of animals or insects do you see? What kind of plants? What shape/colours do you see?
In character design, the shape can communicate a lot about your character! For example, soft round shapes make your character look soft and friendly. Triangles can make your character look evil and edgy. Square shapes can make your character look strong. Try mixing and matching shapes to make unique characters!
Step 3 → Once you’re satisfied with your blobs, you’re now ready to start filling them in with details. Maybe you see some happy, little clouds or try drawing a face! Maybe they’ve got some accessories! Do you see an animal? A plant? A character from a movie or video game? If you’re still stumped, just be patient with yourself. Sometimes, you just need to look from a different angle, try rotating your page.
Here’s what I came up with!
Follow Up
Try recreating your favourite characters in pixel art style! I used GraphicsGale to make the planet sprite.
Before
After
Resources
- Elise Gravel-children’s books author and illustrator for inspiration
- Inuk artist Dayle Kubluitok has some creative illustrations of original characters
More about pixel art techniques in this lesson plan series
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