In this mindful squiggly lines exercise, we’ll relax by creating some squiggly lines combined with mindful coloring and patterns.
As I always say, art doesn’t need to be complex to be enjoyable. Everyone can enjoy creating; you don’t need to be a professional artist.
In this exercise, we’ll draw some squiggly lines. Curved forms are calming for our minds as they make us feel safe and comfortable.
We need to create two parallel lines. For your first line, you can let go and see where your hand takes you. However, as your second line needs to be parallel to the first, you need focus and concentration. This will help you get in a nice flow and forget about everything around you for a while.
We’ll combine it with mindful coloring and patterns to make it even more calming.
I hope you have some well-deserved creative me-time with this exercise!
Have fun with this mindful squiggly lines exercise! Please let me know if you’ve tried this one; I would love to see it.
You can find a small video of this exercise on my Instagram @thecreativecooldown
Supplies used:
Bristol paper (Hahnemuhle) (not pictured), alcohol markers (ohuhu), fineliner 1.0 (Copic), white gelly roll pen (uni-ball signo) (not shown), 2b pencil (Bruynzeel), tortillon, washi tape.
Alternative supply suggestions:
You can use whatever material you have for this exercise, such as colored pencils, crayons, watercolors, etc.
If you don’t have any colors, use a pencil. With different shades of gray, you can create the same effect.
Instead of a tortillon, you can use a cotton swab.
Instructions:
Step 1
Before you start, slowly breathe in and out a few times to clear your head. Then, add washi tape around the borders to create a frame around your drawing if you like.
Draw a curved or squiggly line on your page. Next, draw a line parallel to the first to create a thick squiggly line. Then, keep adding thick lines to your page that overlap each other.
Step 2
Choose colors that calm you or you like and color your lines. By making the sides a bit darker and the middle a bit lighter, you can create some depth and make your lines seem more like round tubes. Go slow and try to color in one direction. This will help you concentrate and relax.
Step 3
Now, pick a contrasting color to the ones you’ve used for your lines and color your background. Color in one direction. Focus on how your hand feels and get lost in the motion.
Step 4
In this next step, we’ll add some depth to our drawing. First, trace all the parts where your lines overlap with a soft pencil. Then, grab a tortillon or cotton swab and slowly go over your pencil lines to blend them. This creates the effect that your lines cross each other by adding shade to the lines below them.
Step 5
Lastly, you can add some patterns to your background if you like. I’ve chosen some simple vertical lines, but you can make them as complicated as you want.
Slowly remove your washi tape. Keep your tape parallel to your page when you remove it to prevent tearing.
Now this mindful squiggly lines exercise is done! I hope you had fun.
You might also like my mindful multicolored lines exercise if you liked this exercise.