Every blot’s an inspiration, every line is free, unlock your imagination and draw what you see! Try your hand at Hirameki - ink blot doodling where you draw what you see
If you’ve ever doodled, then you can turn your hand to a bit of Hirameki. The word means ‘brainwave’ or ‘flash of inspiration’ in Japanese and it is the art of turning a seemingly random paint blot into a picture by adding a few dots and lines. Artists Peng and Hu realised that the tiniest blot could be easily turned into something amazing; even the most inexperienced doodlers can make something from a blot.
“It is simply about drawing what you see,” says Peng. “All you need is a pen and a dash of imagination.”
On the subject of pens, they recommend the following: “A Hirameki pen should be no longer than your arm and no shorter than your little finger. The ink should be coal black or midnight blue, never shrieky yellow or shrinking violet. Calligraphy brushes, quills and charcoal are all acceptable. Best of all, though, is a fine-tipped felt pen.”
This new take on doodling is a fun version of the famous Rorschach inkblot test, created to reveal unconscious thinking.
Peng says: “It’s creative and a little bit anarchic for those who are bored of drawing inside the lines. And it’s a delight for hand, eye and mind, giving you an unexpected sense of satisfaction.”
Have a play with the blots on our Hirameki download PDFs or splatter your own. Just enter your email below and we'll email you with the Hirameki sheets and our fortnightly newsletter.
About Peng & Hu
Artists Peng, from Austria, and Hu, from Germany, discovered Hirameki when they saw a cow with a splotch that looked just like a film star
Taken from Hirameki and Hirameki Cats & Dogs (Thames & Hudson) by Peng & Hu