Thread and ink alien monster tutorial

A lovely alien right? How did I create it,  now that was a fun process. The unpredictability in creating stuff like these is really interesting. Kids do it, they see things in weird ways grown ups fail to. You can have endless amount of fun if you just let the kid in you imagine alien creatures and make up stories. 

I just found this little monster on my sketchbook today. While I was doing it, till the end I was not aware that this guy is going to show up in the end. Look at him. What an adorable monster :) 

The basic thing i did was this thread ink craft kids used to do all the time.
I used to spend hours doing this as a kid. It was such fun.
Doing this is still fun.

Here is how you do it.

Just the humble thread and normal fountain pen ink. A pencil to assist you in dipping and filling the thread with ink. Any notebook. Even typed pages or already written surfaces. The layers it can create will be amazing.

So first step is to wind thread on to the tip of your pencil. A thicker twine will be nicer. This is what I found today, so I used this.

Next step is to dip the thread in ink. Leave it there for a couple of minutes for the thread to soak all the ink in.

Next step is to take a notebook and make a pattern with the ink soaked thread. You will spill some ink in the process. Don't worry about that. It will all add to the effect. This is messy fun! Make the most out of the mess!

Now close the book, press down firmly and pull the thread while pressing the page down!

You will have this beauty in your hands in a matter of seconds! Dip in ink again and make a different pattern, you will get a different picture. Fair warning: This can be addictive. Do not try it if you have any deadlines to meet.

The best part of it all is you get an identical picture on both sides of the page. You can just keep admiring what you just did, or enter more interesting worlds like I did.

The childhood craft ends here. I tried to do more with the sketch I got. I continued to do different things until I got a satisfying effect. If someone else did it, they would have created something completely different from it, I am sure.

First I doodled all over with regular wax crayons.

Then I gave a light wash with watercolour paint. I am a big fan of what water does to ink. I loved the smudge it created. 

And some outlines later, a terrible monster of adorable features was born! 

The thought behind sharing this is to inspire people to embrace the fun side of life. You know, grab some cheap paint and go wild with it. :) Unleash the monsters within you! 

PS: Corporate people who are constantly in search of de-stressing can try this out. Name your monsters according to the names of your Managers, or irritating customers. Create a story in which the wicked monster undergoes transformation and becomes all good and understanding and all. Even create a story in which the wicked monster meets a terrible end. Whatever makes you happy!