National Doodle Day has caught the public’s imagination with celebrities and illustrators such as Raymond Briggs, Harry Hill and Turner-prize winning cross-dressing artist Grayson Perry.
In the past Mary Berry, Steven Gerrard, Rita Ora and Eddie Redmayne have taken part in the charity drive, donating doodles to be auctioned.
Set up by charity Epilepsy Action, Doodle Day aims to raise money for the 600,000 people living with epilepsy in the UK.
This year Lambeth-born former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone will be joining fifth incarnation of Doctor Who Peter Davison and comedian and self-styled ‘Night Mayor of Balham’ Arthur Smith in scribbling for charity.
A ten day eBay auction starts today and more than 150 celebrity’s sketches will be sold for the charity.
HARMONIOUS: Grayson Perry’s doodle donation shows his emotional side
“Every year we’re overwhelmed by support from celebrities and always look forward to seeing the variety and creativity of the doodles they send in,” said Philippa Cartwright, fundraising manager at Epilepsy Action.
“National Doodle Day is always a terrific success, raising thousands of pounds for Epilepsy Action. The highest-grossing doodle ever sold for over £1,600, but each one makes a huge difference to people with epilepsy and their families.”
DARK: Emmerdale actor Jason Merrell’s sketch suggests a sombre mood
According to the handwriting expert Ruth Rostron, your doodle reveals more about than you than you might expect.
“Everything in a doodle relates in some way to the person who has drawn it,” she said.
In doodling, as with everything in life, size matters.
A large object reveals an outgoing confident person with a busy life, while a small one suggests a more solitary person, more likely to observe than participate.
Where you doodle seems also to matter, the top of the page is associated with dreams and aspirations.
The bottom with security and material concerns, the right with the future and the outside world, and the left with past and family.
FAMILY FIRST: Bill Nighy’s sketch shows he values close relations
Those who draw straight lines tend to have strong willpower and self-control and like facts, emotional people who want harmony tend to draw more circular or rounded shapes.
Dark colours or heavily shaded areas in a doodle convey a sombre mood where light colours show sensitivity.
STRAIGHT AND STRONG: Not so much wibbly wobbly for this Time Lord
This year for the first time participants can submit their doodles online for prizes here.
Epilepsy Action helps one million people, the disease affects around one in every 100 people in the UK.
