Folk Art Reference Materials 

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Folk art, much of which is doodle sized, may be small, but its impact is big.

Doodles (small images) are the foundation of fabric prints, surface designs, jewelry, and all kinds of decorative details. Because they’re quick to sketch and easy to visualize, doodling is a perfect creative outlet, even for beginners. And when doodles are repeated or combined with other doodles, they become the decorative language behind countless objects we love.

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If you’re looking for inspiration upon which to base your own folk art doodling habit, check out what's available from booksellers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and secondhand shops like AbeBooks. Of course, websites like Pinterest are full of ideas, but browsing printed books might spark different, and sometimes better, creative directions.

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Some designs, such as Scandinavian, Ukrainian Easter Eggs, and Zentangle (a doodling system) are extremely popular and are published in numerous books. Fortunately for people getting started in folk art, many books on ethnic/folk designs are coloring books, which provide insight into the line art you need to understand the illustrations.

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Note that you can find a trove of folk art, historical illustrations, and doodles in one place at Dover Press Archive (Dover Press Publications).

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​Want more reference material? Click on any image below to search Amazon for more resources on that topic. The URL provided is for your convenience and is not associated with an Amazon partnership.​