Do you doodle? The V&A Museum of Childhood Doodle Club has been a weekly feature in our social channels for a couple of months, and we’ve had a number of responses from our friends and followers, which you can see at #MoCPicks. Doodle Club is an activity for everyone, whatever your age, and shared weekly on the Museum of Childhood’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
And we want you to join our club!
At MoC, our teams always bring creativity into our practice. Our Exhibitions Manager, Sophie Sage, came up with the idea as a daily fun activity for all of the Museum of Childhood staff to do during lockdown. She would give us a subject, say ‘fingerboard’, and we would send our doodles to the group. It was so much fun to sketch and to see the results of our colleagues. Every time a challenge was set, in my old ‘book of drawings’, I squiggled and scribbled, trying to make the drawing topical. My caterpillar, for example, was holding a red egg to celebrate the Orthodox Easter. I loved doodling because it was different to everything else, I did during the day, and because I loved seeing my colleagues’ versions. Doodling is fun and develops observation and concentration. It also supports imagining new ideas and developing fine motor skills, essential for children growing up.
Our doodle club grew, and we realised how much fun it would be to have you join us as well. Half the fun of doodle club is seeing everyone’s different drawings. That’s why every Sunday we will post the weekly inspiration based on an object from the collections.
Sophie Sage was also the first to do a public doodle starting with a unicorn from Buddhist mythology. The audience responded.
More collection doodles followed and, always, the best part was seeing your creativity. Thank you for sharing your efforts, beautiful and funny, with us.
Since the middle of May, Alan McGregor, Operations Manager during the day, has been our regular ‘doodleist’. Since art school, Alan has been drawing as a way expressing himself and relaxing. When asked, he happily took on the challenge. These are Alan’s thoughts about doodles.
What is the most enjoyable thing about doodling?
Alan McGregor – Doodling has been a great way for me to continue to look at and enjoy the collections during museum closure. The drawings have all been done at the end of my workday, usually while drinking a cup of tea and eating a piece of toast. It’s been fun seeing if a doodle works out. By that I mean, whether my drawing captures something of the object. But the most enjoyable part has been seeing what everyone else has been up to, with their own doodles.
How have you been choosing the collection items?
A couple of the doodles are favourite objects from the collection, for example the South African wire toys (helicopter), which I have always admired for their inventiveness and economy. The Javanese Shadow Puppet was suggested by a colleague. The hand puppet of the sheep just made me smile.
Do you have a favourite doodle?
The doodles have all been fun, so picking a favourite is difficult. However, the marionette of a Circus Horse was a quite tricky to draw, being an object I had not looked at before. I feel my doodle has a sense of movement, the puppet horse kicking-out as part of a play or drama.
What tips would you give our followers?
- Set yourself a time with no distractions. I give myself half an hour at the end of the day.
- Enjoy looking at the object, maybe things about it you hadn’t noticed before?
- Get some lines on the paper – and see where they lead you.
- Get your colours out! Pencils, pens, paints, have fun mixing them together.
- Share your doodle with family and friends, it will make them happy.
Anything else to add?
If you enjoy your doodling start to look around and see what else, you can draw.
So how do you join MoC Doodle Club? Congratulations, you are already a member! Just look around you to see what you can sketch and colour. It doesn’t have to be an exact replica – we’d love to see your creativity. Watch out for doodle club objects every Sunday on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Next up is our much beloved local TV celebrity: Pumpie
Can you draw Pumpie? Here is Alan’s watercolour version.
Share your drawings at #MoCPicks. Doodle away!
