This chameleon pattern exercise was inspired by a picture I saw in a WWF magazine. I’d never realized how beautifully detailed a chameleon’s skin is.
Their skin has a mesmerizing pattern, which I immediately want to draw. And don’t forget their gorgeous colors. My fingers were just itching to start recreating those colors.
This chameleon pattern exercise combines pattern drawing and coloring. They are both mindful activities, because of the repetitive motion, which is almost meditative.
It will help you focus on the present and distracts you from worries and the list of things you still have to do that day. A little moment just for you.
Please let me know if this exercise helped you relax, I’d love to know.
You can find a small video of this exercise on my Instagram @thecreativecooldown
Supplies used:
Bristol paper (Winsor & Newton), alcohol markers (Winsor & Newton), fineliner no. 1.0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.05 (Copic).
Alternative supply suggestions:
For this exercise, you can use a regular pen or a pencil to draw the chameleon and its pattern as well. If you want to add color, use whatever you have, such as crayons, markers, watercolor. You can even use a pencil to color your chameleon and just add various shades of grey.
Instructions
1. Draw a simple outline of a chameleon. You can make this as detailed as you’d like. Even a small circle as a head and a long oval shape with a rolled-up tail as its body will suffice.
2. Now it’s time to start drawing its pattern. When you look closely at its skin, you’ll see that it consists of small circles (its scales). These circles have different sizes. So start drawing small circles and try to alternate between tiny, small, and slightly bigger circles. Take your time and don’t rush. Just enjoy the repetitive motion of drawing these circles. It can get you in a nice little flow.
3. I noticed that even their tail and legs are covered in this pattern. So, continue with this pattern until your entire chameleon is filled.
4. Now it’s time to add color. Choose whatever colors fit your mood or speak to you. There is no wrong choice here. If you’re feeling uninspired, just google some pictures of chameleons and I’m sure you will get a ton of ideas. Try to color each circle separately and not a large part at once. Yes, this takes a lot of time, but this will help you focus more on the exercise and you will create a skin where the colors are spread like little dots, just as with a real chameleon. Again, just take your time. This focused activity can really help you relax.
When you’re satisfied with your colors, you’ve completed the mindful chameleon pattern exercise!
If you liked this exercise, you might like my Mindful snake drawing exercise as well.
