There are an abundance of different types of Doodles, ranging from retracing letters in a written or printed text to complex and three-dimensional drawings, via a variety of idle scribbling.

The process of doodling appears to only be a partially conscious one. Not once does it appear that the pen takes on a life of its own, and the "artist" himself is surprised by the results.

One generally indulges in doodling while one's mind is on something else, rather than on the actual matter of doodling. People doodle in various situations - for instance, in the course of telephone conversations, lectures, while compiling lists and making notes.