Leaving My Comfort Zone

Every now and then I go on the hunt for new ideas and new techniques.  I've found plenty of both at Milliande.ning.com.  I decided to continue the Journal January prompts this past weekend, and boy, did I ever step out of my comfort zone!

I had already used her Day 4 prompt when I created this page.  It wasn't really out of my comfort zone, but it did set me on the zebra stripe thought process.

I went back to Day 1, which required using a zebra as part of the image.  Hmmmm....me? Draw a zebra?  (downloading her zebra printout just wasn't an option for my artist)  So, after sketching out 3 animals that looked like everything from pigs to new species, I finally came up with a zebra that I liked.  I kept the original and scanned and cut out the zebra from those.  The original has some "goof" lines, so I'll have to always cut it out to use in my artwork.

I wanted to use more than one zebra for my page, so I used 3.  I have a thing about using even numbers of images in my work, so I always use an odd number of like images.  I used Prismacolor pencils to add color.  (You KNOW I couldn't leave it black and white!)

Having completed Day 1 (and Day 4), I moved on to the prompt for Day 2 which required a "zendoodle".  A what?  A zendoodle.  I had noticed zendoodle displays in my craft store, but I hadn't really paid much attention to them.  Doodling little areas in black and white - NOT my thing.  But what the heck, I decided to give it a try and it was really a lot of fun.  I began with the head of a zebra and began drawing in areas to doodle from there. 

I like the resulting image, but honestly, it's a fussy method that I probably won't be prone to revisiting.  (I still have a tedious, colored pencil drawing class to get through!)  When I finished this zebra mandala, I scanned and copied the image in a couple different sizes.  I cut the zebra head from a couple of the mandalas and used some of the pieces in my page design.  And of course, I had to add some color.  I just couldn't leave the black and white design as it was - it was screaming for some red at the very least!

I like the way this page turned out, and I will probably continue using some of her journal prompts.  It's not that I don't have enough journaling ideas of my own - I have more than I have time to create.  What I like about using others' journal prompts is that it gets me to see things in different ways and it prompts me to try new things.

If you're interested in checking out the journaling prompts, there's a blog button for Journal January on my sidebar, and a link to Milliande's ning site at the top of this post.  I have also included a blog button for "Inspired By?", the new Milliande prompt for February.  February's Inspired By? is Miro - right up my alley! I can't wait to explore him.  "Messin' with the Masters" is something you know I like to do!  Whatever medium or prompts you enjoy using, remember: "Celebrate, LOVE and Create!"