You can't discuss Diela Maharanie's art without praising her prismatic, high-gloss, candy-like use of color. But, it's the colored noses of her women - a mere dab on the face - that somehow command my attention even amidst a wild assortment of patterns and animals. It's as if their skin has saturated the vibrant world they inhabit.

You now have the chance to color her work yourself - Diela is one of the 60 artists featured in our new coloring book!

There is something so polite and pretty about Emmeline's finished work, that it makes me want to don white gloves.

Much of her sketchbook, on the contrary, is her test kitchen - where she can make a mess practicing and playing in her character studies with expression, perspective and layout. Here are a few of my favorites.

I remember seeing Anika's work back in 2010 when she participated in a giveaway we were doing here on the site. It's been a long time since then, but now she's captured my attention again with her pattern a day series on flickr.

The quick and simple doodles loosely repeat themselves in bright colors on the pages of her sketchbook. She claims there's no theme, but look how complementary and developed they appear when presented in the context of a set. Join me in encouraging her to keep it going over the coming months. YAY Anika!

I don't have a patient hand when it comes to drawing. I tend to move the pen quickly and skip the details. My perspective is off, my lines are crooked and the drawing is typically made on something ephemeral, like a random scrap of something. And then I move on.

The sketchbook of Mattias Adolfsson is the opposite of mine in every which way. There's tons of detail, patient lines, and incredible depth and perspective. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how this is all done within the confines of a Moleskine sketchbook. Below is a selection of my favorite and it goes without saying that you should visit his site and see them in even greater detail.

BONUS time-lapse video after the fold »

Do you have pasta boiling on the stove right now? If yes, stop reading this and come back later. Really! Same with any half-sleeping baby that might need your attention soon, or that thing scribbled in your diary to do in ten-minutes. Come back when your schedule is wide open, because this is my favourite sketchbook find so far! Ever!

Bryce Wymer is an artist (and creative director) based in Brooklyn NY. He has two hands (I'm making assumptions) that can do very cool things with paint and scissors, and here's the best bit. We all score front-row seats to watch him work! Yep, he made a bunch of time-lapse videos that start with a blank sketchbook page, and finish with... well, go see. Trust me, it's worth delaying dinner for.

Watch the videos after the fold »

You'd normally be offended if someone insulted you, and you'd probably be doubly offended if you'd had to pay for the privilege. But if Mr Bingo insults you, you're one of the lucky ones. Every time Mr Bingo advertises new slots for his Hate Mail project they sell out in a few minutes. I've tried to get myself some Hate Mail 3 or 4 times now with no joy.

The idea is simple. You pay Mr Bingo a tiny sum (I can't remember how much off hand) and he sends you an original… hand-drawn… one of a kind… insult!



Which means the purchaser gets a signed original drawing, the postman gets a laugh and a story to tell his mates, and the whole world is a little happier. It definitely makes me a little happier to see new Hate Mail examples pop up around the internet.

And if you're unlucky in your quest for Hate, like me, you are now IN luck. Because some of Mr Bingo's favourite Hate Mail has been collected in his new book which is imaginatively titled, Hate Mail. The book will be available October 11th, and if you follow Mr Bingo on twitter he's been announcing a bunch of (UK) dates where he will be doing book signings and things like that.

I've been drawing my whole life, but often I find myself stuck staring at a blank page wishing for some kind of push to get me going. As a creative, momentum is everything. Once I settle in, I feel like I can draw for hours and never stop, but getting there is always the challenge.

If you can relate, then you need to be friends with Lisa Currie. Lisa is the queen of drawing prompts, a muse in a way. She has this incredible ability of presenting you with a guided challenge (and constraint) from just a few simple black lines and a short phrase, but don't mistake that for meaning there's a lack of sophistication to the task. It's specifically that simplicity that encourages the most creative and aesthetic responses.



She'll posts prompts and submissions weekly over at the Scribble Project's blog, but now there's something way better. The folks at Perigee (a division of Penguin) have published 192 pages of her quirky and imaginative doodle sheets, and they've declared it: The Scribble Diary. I love this book because I can carry it with me anywhere and find that it's constantly the spark I need to put my pen to paper.






(Sample Pages drawn in by Jaimeks, Lisa Davies and Takatoshi Sano)

We are lucky at Doodlers Anonymous, because Lisa is on staff here as one of our favorite contributors. We'd like to congratulate her on this book and encourage all of you to get your hands on it and play along. You'll find it to be a gem in your collection.