For the bored, locked-down and lonely

Activity Double Feature: Draw a portrait, write a haiku

I’m so sorry, Bowie

We’ve got a couple of quick and fun ideas for whiling away an hour or two today!

Flash portrait drawing

This is a pretty hysterical way to pass the time and get creative! You can do this with a live person, or even using a photo of someone as a reference. 

-Get a pencil, a pen, or a piece of charcoal, and sheet of paper. 

-Set a timer (1 minute is good, but it can be longer or shorter, just try it out). 

-Pick up the pencil, start the timer, stare deep into the eyes of your subject, and start drawing the portrait. BUT, you’re not allowed to look down at the sheet of paper for the duration of the timer.

– Once the timer rings, look down at your work of art. Your subject is bound to feel deeply flattered.

Try this with a friend taking it in turns to do the drawing, and see whether your art changes each time you create a new portrait! Do you get used to the time constraint? Do you find yourself focusing on specific features or techniques as you get more practice? How does your portrait differ when you change the time limit to 2 or 5 minutes?

Writing prompt: Write a haiku

Haiku poems are very simple: three lines of seven, five and seven syllables. They don’t even have to rhyme.

You can challenge yourself to try and express your mood in a haiku, or describe an activity you’ve done in the day.

It’s also a fun game with a friend, partner or family member. Pick a topic, like, for example: Corona. 

Then, you all write a haiku around that topic, and read the results out to each other:

Pandemic? Please don’t panic.

Instead, write Haiku.

That’s good shit to do. 

Activity: Make homemade ink with household stuff

make your own ink! an image of how it looks

Did you know you can make traditional-style black ink with stuff you’ve probably got in your kitchen?

It’s so satisfying spending time to make something this useful and basic. Bear in mind: this activity requires four days of waiting time between the prep phase and the finishing steps.

You will need
  • 2x empty glass jars (or similar containers)
  • Vinegar, enough to fill one of the jars (I’ve used white vinegar, but normal malt vinegar will work too)
  • Some water, to fill the other jar
  • A steel scouring sponge (the sort you might use for washing up)
  • 6x teabags (anything with black tea, not herbal ones)
  • A saucepan
  • A stove (or similar heat source)
  • A paintbrush or dip-pen (or other tool for writing/drawing with ink)
  • A small jar for the finished ink
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