Did you know you could use art to be a secret agent? Well you can! With the right combination of supplies, you can make hidden messages and codes. You don’t need any training or fancy gadgets or powerful connections. All you need is white paper, a white crayon, and watercolor paints. Sounds pretty easy, huh?

Take your white crayon and write a secret message or draw a picture on the paper. Make sure to press firmly or go over it so that it really stands out. Can’t see it on the white paper, can you? Good. Now grab your watercolor paints and a brush and paint over your words or drawing. You can paint a picture, or one solid color, or a lovely abstract design. See how the crayon shows through the paint? Your hidden message is now visible… and beautiful, might I add!

Now, if you’re not in the mood to be a super secret spy but like the technique of using white crayon and watercolors, just make a pretty drawing or design for the fun of it! This simple trick creates a beautiful and unexpected look for a greeting card, wall art, or sketchbook page.

Never underestimate how far you can go with your basic art supplies. Many people find the white crayon to be useless, but these fun creations wouldn’t be possible without it! Give it a whirl and see what exciting pictures you come up with.

Photo: A Little Artsy

Photo: Alisa Burke

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Who’s ready for another dose of Scribblinspiration (get it?)?! Last time, we looked at some jellyfish to get the creativity flowing. Now for a change of pace, let’s try something a little more open-ended to prove inspiration can truly come from anything! Even something as simple as a pattern or type of fabric. Try brocade for example.

Brocade is a kind of fabric that dates back as far as the Early Middle Ages. It’s woven on a shuttle and is generally made with silk and gold or silver thread (it doesn’t technically have to have gold or silver, but it often does). What’s fun about brocade is it doesn’t always look the same as it’s managed to make its way around the world.  You can trace it all the way back to Byzantium and it was originally worn only by nobility, but many parts of the world put their spin on it, from China and Japan to Greece, France, and Italy.

Today, brocade is used for upholstery and drapes, formal clothing and costumes. Let your imagination run and see what this pattern inspires for you. Maybe the gorgeous flourishes take you somewhere abstract. Perhaps it brings to mind royalty from another time or a lavish ball with everyone dressed in their finest. Maybe all the silver and gold or rich jewel tones get you going—remember, even just the color scheme can serve as inspiration. I see flowers in many of the designs and that makes me thing of a fabulous garden. Since it’s a fabric, maybe it makes you want design your own costumes or modern outfits or even rooms inspired by brocade. For those of you crafty sewers out there, feel free to take the inspiration literally and try using brocade or something similar like damask or brocatelle to actually create something.

See? There really are a lot of possibilities, even with something as simple as fabric. Give your imagination the royal treatment and see what happens!

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I really like a cartoon called Adventure Time so I draw a lot of that.

Adventure Time drawing by Chase, 12 years old

This is one of my recent realistic ones.

Realistic Drawing from Life by Chase, 12 years old

My realistic drawings usually take awhile. This one maybe took thirty minutes. I really like drawing little cute colorful drawings because that’s really what my personality is.

I’ll be drawing more realistic drawings soon and I’ll be sure to send some pictures to Scribble Town, so maybe you’ll see them here.

A few of my drawings are on the Scribble Town Facebook page.  You can share your drawings there too!

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Happy Friday, Scribblers! Can you believe that on Monday it will be October already? I sure can’t. September really flew by. Now’s a perfect time to pause for a moment and think about what you’ve done so far this season, and what you’d still like to do. There’s still plenty of time! Any good plans this weekend? Maybe a little scribbling? Here’s a nice dose of creative inspiration—autumn edition!—to get those hands drawing!

-Draw a beautiful tree in autumn. Are its leaves changing color? Are they still on the branches or have they fallen to the ground.
-Make a birthday card for Johnny Appleseed
-What are your goals for this school year? Show them in a picture!
-Draw a scarecrow fashion show
-Create your ultimate Halloween costume. The sky is the limit!
-Draw the spookiest house you can imagine!
-Draw a family of Jack-o-Lanterns. If they had a pet, what would it be?
-What are you most thankful for this year?
-Design your dream tree house
-Draw a comic strip about a day of apple picking

Have a fabulous, creative, fall-filled weekend!

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Hi Scribblers,

Do you like to color? Coloring, scribbling, drawing….these are all great ways to explore your creativity. Sometimes you can sit down with a pen or pencil with an exact thought in mind and try to draw it, but if you aren’t an “artist” you can still exercise your creative skills!

Simply sit down with a blank piece of paper and a crayon, pencil, marker or pen and simply start to color. Where do the squiggly lines take you? What will you draw? You may not konw at first, but as you continue to squiggle and scribble all of a sudden you may realize that your mind is starting to draw something!

See…

At first I simply started with the orange marker at the center and started to scribble on the paper. Before I knew it, I was drawing a rose!

What will you create? Share your drawings, scribbles and sketches with us on our Scribble Shop Facebook page!

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Hi Scribblers!

I hope you are enjoying Zoo & Aquarium Month! Keeping with the theme, today we made an elephant friend!

Do you encourage your kids’ creativity? Drawing and crafting is a great way to inspire their minds and a fun way for them to express themselves. Not only for the kids,  these benefits apply to moms, dads, teachers and caretakers too!

Would you like to make your own Elephant Friend with the kids?

Just click on the image, download and print!

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We’re almost half way through Zoo & Aquarium Month! Have you taken your  kids to visit a local zoo or aquarium? Taking your children to zoos, aquariums, planetariums and museums is a great way to educate and broaden the kids understanding of the world and culture. It is also a great way to inspire creativity!

Just click on the image, download and print!

As the kids come across new sights, new creatures and revelations, their minds will soar with questions, curiosity and a desire to share those experiences with others! Coloring and drawing is a great way to do this!

To relive the memories, encourage your kids to draw what they saw!

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Hi Scribblers!

As you know, I love seeing the art of fellow scribblers! This weekend I got a special treat!

A Scribble by Charlotte!

This scribble was a drawn by Charlotte (5 yrs, New York) who made this for her grandparents.  Her grandfather sent this beautiful scribble in for her and describes Charlotte as a happy and creative young lady. He says this drawing is showing a little girl who is welcoming people with open arms! Thank you, Charlotte! This scribble is beautiful!

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