Squares

Not in the mood to read?
Jump straight to the doodle prompts ツ

Four sides. Four corners. Straight lines and angles form something very reassuring and seemingly stable. There is something grounding about a shape that appears to be sturdy and calm.

We tend to think of squares and rectangles as biproducts of human builds. Buildings, windows, doors and furniture. Paper, books and even screens. All make use of right or straight angles.

It is the natural forms which are the very foundation our constructions stand upon. Salt crystals form perfect cubes. Basalt columns cool into hexagonal prisms with rectangular faces. Honeycomb cells, turtle shell patterns, and the growth plates in plant stems all echo these angular forms. Pyrite crystals emerge from the earth in astonishingly precise cubes. Wombat droppings are interestingly cubic. The cell structure of cork, the pattern of a giraffe’s coat, the segments of a dragonfly’s wing ~ rectangles appear throughout the natural world, often where efficiency or structural strength matters most.

When we slow down to draw squares and rectangles deliberately, something shifts. The act becomes meditative, almost grounding — perhaps because we’re connecting with geometry that existed for ages, way before our familiar constructions.

Let’s explore these dependable shapes and see what surprises they hold.

Tips for drawing squares and rectangles

• Top line first. Start with a horizontal line, drop verticals from each end, connect at the bottom. This sequence keeps everything aligned.
• Try continuous motion. Draw all four sides without lifting the pen. Start and merely pause in the corners and go around to complete the shape.
• Experiment with an imperfect square. 
  Let it be wonky or uneven. Let it become a rectangle instead. Draw a rectangle and add a square inside.
• Vary proportions. Rectangles can take all sorts of different shapes. Play with creating tall and narrow, short and wide, almost-square, extremely elongated. It is fun to explore the different characters these variations will add.
• Rotate and overlap. Turned 45 degrees, we can create diamond shapes. Overlaps can result in square or rectangles and all can combine into a mesh of angularity.

The psychology of four equal sides

Circles might suggest warmth and triangles can suggest dynamism. And in contrast, squares can suggest structure, stability and trustworthiness. A square is perfectly balanced ~ if we rotate it by 90 degrees, it remains the same ~ it looks identical. All sides equal, all angles identical. This visual equilibrium translates into psychological comfort.

We might think of angles and squares to be human-made as they are so prominent in design for furniture, architecture and even digital interface. But there’s a deeper connection to nature, too. The four corner points might stand for the four elements (earth, air, fire, water), or the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter).

Symbolism of the square across cultures

Many indigenous cultures assign distinct meanings to geometric shapes. Native American tribes often use the four-fold division in their art and ritual objects. The Medicine Wheel (or Sacred Hoop) represents the four cardinal directions, the four seasons, and the balance of natural forces. Its quadrants embody the cyclical nature of existence: birth, youth, adulthood and elderhood.

Typically, the Medicine Wheel is a circular diagram divided into four quadrants, each associated with specific elements, directions, colors, and aspects of life. The most common associations are:

• East: Represents the beginning, birth, enlightenment, and the element of air. It is often associated with the color yellow or gold, the sun, and the spiritual realm.
• South: Represents growth, youth, and the element of fire. It is often associated with the color red, passion, and emotions.
• West: Represents introspection, death, and the element of water. It is often associated with the color black or blue, the subconscious, and the spiritual journey.
• North: Represents wisdom, elders, and the element of earth. It is often associated with the color white, knowledge, and physical strength.

Medicine wheel image and quote © medicinewheels.info

In West African traditions, geometric patterns carry deep symbolic weight. The Akan people of Ghana weave Kente cloth using intricate block patterns where each colour and shape conveys meaning. Rectangles can signify territorial power, while chequerboard designs represent the relationship between knowledge and ignorance. Adinkra symbols, stamped onto cloth and carved into objects, encode philosophical concepts and proverbs through simple geometric forms.
The following are 4 examples from adinkrasymbols.org:

Meanings and responses

While the circle often represents the spiritual or divine ~ the square shows physical reality. Studies on shape symbolism note that “the psychological response stems from the shape’s perfect symmetry and right angles, which our brains interpret as signs of balance and reliability.” The emotional response to squares is fundamentally different to how we respond to circles. Circles can stir warmth, suggesting friendship and community. Squares on the other hand appeal to our rational side, symbolising conformity, honesty and logic.

A square’s equal sides evoke a sense of equilibrium and fairness. This balance is not merely visual. It carries associations of mental and emotional steadiness. Feng shui draws on this quality, using squares to shape spaces that feel grounded and restorative.

But this stability can also have starker and even negative connotations. The square can also suggest rigidity, confinement, limitation. “Thinking outside the box” uses the shape as metaphor for moving past restricted thought and breaking away from limitations.

This tension between stability and restriction makes the square more psychologically complex than it might first appear. When we draw squares, we engage with both sides: the comfort of structure and the question of whether structure might become rigid cage.

For further reading on shape symbolism, see “Symbolic and Spiritual Meaning of the Square” on the Eyefather website.

Doodle ideas

A few ideas to get you started ツ

Checkerboard

When your mind’s overloaded, this is a perfect switch-off activity ツ Draw a grid, then fill alternate squares with black or colour, or even patterns. The repetition and simplicity can be very calming and help you switch off.

{ checkerboard example view }

Scattered squares

For a more varied doodle – break the grid. Scatter squares randomly across the page ~ different sizes, some overlapping, some rotated into diamonds. Order and chaos in conversation. You could create a wave of squares tumbling from top to bottom with less squares at the top and many more collecting at the bottom ~ motion of the wave created by density.

{ scattered squares example view #1 view #2 }

Stacks & rows

Play with skinny rectangles and set them side-by-side to create a fun overall shape. This could be a vertical stacking of shapes, like a tower of books. Or you could line them up horizontally and create a sort of abstract city skyline.

{ stacks & rows example view #1 view #2 }

Ladder

Two long parallel vertical rectangles and add connecting horizontal lines. Vary the spacing as well as the height of the lines. Adding variations is both fun and surprisingly satisfying to draw.

{ ladder example view }

Windows

Think of windows and the frames they are. Draw a few different’ly proportioned rectangles and start adding in smaller shapes. This might be two slim panes, or several.

{ windows example view }