Neurographic Art Reimagined – A Hobby for the Mind and Soul

I chose to reinterpret neurographic art because, as an artist, I didn’t feel comfortable with the strict protocol established by Pavel Piskarez, its creator. Furthermore, since I haven’t received training from an expert in this art therapy method, I didn’t feel qualified to provide a thorough explanation of the therapeutic aspect of the approach. However, its basic principles provide an interesting visual language for creating unique works of art.

So, first, here are a few key points about neurographic art, and then I’ll discuss how it can be reinterpreted.

Creative Process

Step 1: Think of a challenge

Think of a source of stress, or a difficult emotion, and focus on that feeling. The goal of this activity is to experience a sense of calm as you focus solely on the movement of your hand and then on adding colors. To learn neurographic art with a certified teacher, you can follow Alina on YouTube.

Step 2: Create tension lines

Close your eyes for just a few seconds, then take your black marker and start drawing continuous lines. Create several intersecting lines across the entire page.

Extend the lines as needed so that they all reach the edge of the page.

Step 3: Round off the intersections

There should not be any sharp angles in this kind of creation. Angles are formed by the intersections, so you have to round off each angle to create smooth curves. The insides of these small rounded spaces are black.

Step 4: Add Shapes

You can add shapes here and there if certain spaces seem empty.

Step 5: Add color

Don’t spend too much time choosing the colors, work intuitively. You can also color entire sections without sticking to the individual cells, allowing the color to flow across the black lines.

Reinterpreting This Approach

Neurographic art can be reinterpreted in several ways.

It Can Be Combined with Other Techniques

Mixed media is currently in vogue, and it appeals to many because it breaks certain traditional rules. It combines painting, collage, and found objects (journaling, layered paintings, etc.). Neurographic art lends itself well to this approach when combined with the repetitive patterns of zentangle, watercolor, water-based and alcohol-based markers, etc. See how I’ve used this to create a unique sweatshirt print for cat lovers.

You Can Reveal More or Less Figurative Shapes

Use neural lines, fill in the intersections, and draw lines that touch the edge of the page to bring out recognizable shapes (animals, human faces, plants, etc.).

You Can Process the Artwork Digitally

I work extensively with the Pen tool (in Photoshop or Illustrator), but you can also use Procreate – which is very popular right now – or whichever digital drawing tool you’re most comfortable with. The key is to have access to line art created on a computer or drawn by hand and then digitized, so you can color it later using a digital tool.

In neurographic art, we do not seek visual perfection; the focus is not on the result but rather on the meditative and therapeutic process. However, those who practice it primarily as an artistic medium will likely be more interested in the result. Either way, I hope you achieve your goal, and I wish you wonderful discoveries!

Let’s Begin a Conversation:

Are you familiar with this kind of art? Do you follow all the rules? Do you use it as a therapeutic or meditative practice? We love seeing your creations, so don’t hesitate to share in the comments!