Inspired by vintage doodle books, our challenge gives you a fragment of a drawing to complete any way you’d like. Alison Bechdel, the noted cartoonist and winner of the MacArthur Fellowship (a.k.a. the genius grant), provided this doodle as a starting point; the rest is up to you.
UPDATE 11/22: Carolita Johnson is the winner of our challenge!
See the winning submission and the runners up. Thanks to everyone who shared their work with us!
→ Return to the challenge page
Sheila D.
Fox
The title of this drawing/collage is "Those Damn Voices: Of the Cliff They Go." I have tried to visualize the many negative voices, here shown wrapped up in a garbage bag, that artists and others face from people, the media and of course the inner voices as well. At some point it takes courage and determination, although sometimes a bit scary, to get rid of these inhibiting, negative messages and allow for a new beginning of openness and innocence.
Sheila D. Fox
South Huntington, New York
Allen
Philadelphia

A snowman seemed to fit the angles of her hands. After that, I just kind of winged it. And used up a marker.
Brian
Billerica MA

It's Just a spoof on trying to be the perfect parent. I enjoyed the challenge and wished I had noticed it sooner.
Brian
Michelle
Canton, NY

I asked my students in my advanced studio art class to draw this entry. I began drawing with a tool that is not comfortable to me, a pen.
I started and just could not stop. I added multiple sheets of paper to continue this drawing in pen. This girl is hanging from a dragonfly while being haunted by someone.
MaryJo
Bethlehem, PA

This is called Carb Craving. I am a very healthy eater -- gluten and dairy free....but sometimes you just want some pancakes!
Alfred and Krystal
Santa Fe and Acoma

This is a color version of a black and white version that I submitted earlier. The color was added with the collaboration of a NMSU Grants student by the name of Krystal Miller.
I wanted to add color to the original image to increase the sense of an awe inspiring vista being recorded with a camera, but not completely being appreciated in the moment as the fear of losing one's precious device interrupts the experience of life. My thanks to Krystal Miller for her addition to this original image.
Thomas
Shelton, CT

There was something about the doodle that said to me this is a Mom. BUT she couldn't be hanging from a cliff! Then it came to me. She was, as all Moms do watching secretly her children play. The title goes with the boy's words. Mommy kept the secret too.
Tom Anderson
elias
baltimore,md

when I see her big wide open eyes she looks like adventurous little girl always searching for something new ....this time she got two huge dinosaur egg wow!
Ian
Woodside, NY

Granted, Albrecht Dürer did most of the heavy-lifting, doodle-wise, but maybe that's OK.
Dennis
Minneapolis, MN

Because I only learned of the Doodle Dare on November 8th, it seemed appropriate to submit Alison's Doodle helping creatie a Doodle Dare at the last minute.
Lisa
Brooklyn, NY

I was trying to find iconic film images that would go with the doodle, but none of them passed the Bechdel test.
Kamahina
Hawaii

Mind association while reading about A-rod's testimony.
rachel
Richmond Hill, nN Y
"Gus,don't hide in there, it's dangerous!"
Nick
Hoboken, NJ

Like Laurie Anderson's parrot said, "I love contests," but I, however, don't really like cartoons, but I do like abstraction, so I erased it to improve the composition. It took me only a fraction of the time required to erase a De Kooning. Imagine that. De Kooning never got a Mac Arthur Fellowship, and I would have needed an actual eraser for one of his drawings. Everything should be a contest! There, now I'll click the "Submit Survey" button. Not much of a survey, though.
Phil
Brooklyn, NY

As much as I like a lot of performers from decades ago, I wish some would hang it up and stop trying to fool us, and themselves, that they are still that young artist. I liked the idea of using Alison's doodle as some crazed fan launching themselves onto their star crush only to discover it's not who they thought it was.
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