Art Journal Basics
What Is An Art Journal?
An art journal is a book where you can express your most inner thoughts and soul. It is a diary of pictures, artwork and journal about the things that you see and feel. The nice thing about art journals is that there are no rules to follow. That certainly frees your creativity in a way that you may not have thought was possible.
I had started to do acrylic painting. At the time, I thought that I would like to make something truly creative from my heart. The problem in painting, is that there are rules that must be applied. I found myself frustrated by these rules. They were difficult to learn and follow. And my brain was so busy thinking about the rules, that my creativity was blocked, The door has essentially shut. And there was guilt when I realized the money that I had spent on supplies.
When I found art journals, a new door opened for me. I did not have to spend a great deal of money to get started. I could use a lot of what I already had. And best of all, there were no rules ! I could create as I chose ! I could go back and add more to a page ! I could create without guilt ! I did not need to share my art unless I chose to do so. The feeling were open and I was free. I never turned back !
I had started to do acrylic painting. At the time, I thought that I would like to make something truly creative from my heart. The problem in painting, is that there are rules that must be applied. I found myself frustrated by these rules. They were difficult to learn and follow. And my brain was so busy thinking about the rules, that my creativity was blocked, The door has essentially shut. And there was guilt when I realized the money that I had spent on supplies.
When I found art journals, a new door opened for me. I did not have to spend a great deal of money to get started. I could use a lot of what I already had. And best of all, there were no rules ! I could create as I chose ! I could go back and add more to a page ! I could create without guilt ! I did not need to share my art unless I chose to do so. The feeling were open and I was free. I never turned back !
Choosing A Journal
There are endless possibilities when choosing a journal. Start by thinking about the types of supplies that you are planning to use. If you play with watercolors a lot, then you will want a journal that has watercolor paper. If you are planning to use dry media like crayons, colored pencils and markers, thinner paper will work just fine. Go with mixed media paper if you are planning to use all of the above. Having said all that, you can still use whatever you have laying around with some alterations.
Heavier journals come with a heavier price, but take less time to prep and convert, So it comes down to time vs money.
Moleskin Journals
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| Moleskin journal come in different colors and sizes |
These journals are very popular for sketch artists and art journal fans alike, They come in a variety of papers. They look terrific when they are filled. They have durable and rigid covers. If you are planning to use any type of wet mediums, get the sketch artist or watercolor paper,
Spiral Bound Journals
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| These journals come with plain covers or decorated ones |
These book have been a favorite of art journal folks for years. They come in a variety of different kinds of papers. The pages in this journal always flat. You can remove them if you are careful to work on the pages. They go back together easily. The only thing is that with these journals, the paper may rip easily and it is difficult to do a two page spread.
Handmade Journals
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| Create your own art journal |
These hand-stitched books are always sturdy and a favorite of many journal artists. They are sturdy paper that have a super-strong binding, They can be purchased online or you can make them yourself.
Composition Notebooks
Easily found and relatively inexpensive, composition notebooks can be found just about anywhere. The only problem is that the pages are thin, so you will have to do a lot of prep work, especially if you are going to use heavier mediums. However, the prep work is not difficult and will often allow you to have a free and easy feel with these kinds of books
You can find these books almost anywhere and they are very inexpensive, so this may be a good way to start. Check out the office supply stores. They often have good buys, especially in the fall when school starts.
You will need to glue a few pages together to get the weight that you need. I like to spread Modge Podge an old gift card to glue pages together, Use paper clips to hold them together while they dry. Add some gesso to the page and you are ready to create.
Old Hardcover Books
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| Recycle an old book into an art journal |
Found in thrift stores, rummage sales and garage sales, hardcover books can be a creative alternative to your art journal experience. They are durable and have some interesting possibilities. You will have to do some prep work, and may have to remove some pages, but they make an alternative that will get your creative juices flowing.
Kinds Of Art Journals
There are unlimited subjects that your art journal can cover. Here are just a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
- Garden journal- Your thoughts, ideas, pictures, and plans for your gardens. Include seed packets, pictures of what you have planted and your thoughts about them.
- A book of lists- Lists can be about anything-use post-it notes, staples, and all things office
- Your love of books- Write about the books that you love, your reviews of books you have read, your favorite authors.
- A gratitude journal-a journal of all your blessings
- A mandala journal- People love to create these designs
- A tribute to a family member or friend
- A journal about your love of coffee, tea, or other favorite beverage
- A dream journal talks about what you dream and what they may mean
- Food and recipe journal- your favorite foods
- A home journal-what your home has developed over the years
- A poetry journal-you favorite poems and sayings
- A love/romance journal- a special journal that tells of your love and relationships
- Special event journal- your thoughts on a special event in your life
- Travel journal-the places you have been and how they have affected you
- Holiday journal-tells your thoughts, ideas, and memories of special holidays
- Pets and animal journal-all about your furry friends
Supplies
You can use almost anything you have on hand to create your art journals. Look at your stash before you start making purchases. Here are a few things that you might want to have on hand.
- Old Gift Cards Or Credit Cards-these can smooth glue or paint over a surface, Can also be used to create texture,
- Spray bottles-pray water directly onto your wet paint to make it drip, or fill the spray bottle with watered down paint.
- Palette knife- You can use these to mix your paints, stir your mediums, apply paint to your surface area, etc.
- Heat Gun-Use a dryer to dry your layers of paint faster!
- Waxed paper-You can use waxed paper as a paint palette, to protect your work surface, or to separate pages if they’re sticky.
- Binder Clips-can be used to keep a page open while you are working on it or when the page is drying.
- Exacto knife
- Scissors-Having three basic scissors is a perfect way to get started. A large, medium and detailed scissors make cutting images easier. A pair of pinking shears gives you some fun edges. There are also decorative scissors to create edges for pages and embellishments.
- Heat Gun-used to dry paint faster
- White Glue-great to glue pages together to make them stronger. You can also use it to glue other things on your paper,
- Gesso-white paint that is used as a base for other media and to strengthen pages.
- Fine line pens-used to draw, create letters and words, and to doodle with.
- Brayers- is a printmaking tool with a handle and a roller. It is fun to use to apply paint, or it can also be used to ensure a good seal when gluing down ephemera.
- Erasers- You will want a few different erasers to correct pencil and other media
- Pencils-Used to draw outlines and designs. A simple #2 pencil works fine or you can use a set of drawing pencils.
- Pencil Sharpeners-Start with a simple sharpener. There are lots of options
- Sealants- It's always a good idea to seal mediums that are water-soluble or mediums that may rub off onto the facing page when your book is closed. You can use gel medium, but I prefer to use a workable fixative spray. It seals the page, but you can still work on top of it after it dries if you need to.
- Words cut from magazines, flyers, junk mail, catalogs and newspapers-these are free for the taking. Save words and pictures that call to you. I like to seal over words from newspapers with Modge Podge to seal them.
Media Supplies
The nice thing about art journals is that, unlike other art projects, there are no rules. That makes it easy especially for beginners. You do not have to go out and load a card full of art supplies, especially as you begin your art journal journey.
You can start out with some inexpensive supplies and then gradually add new supplies and techniques as you go along. If you are a crafter, you may already have some of these supplies in your stash.
- Gesso-Gesso is used as a primer to strengthen your pages and enable other media to be used. You can buy gesso in a jar or a bottle. There is transparent, white, and black gesso, Start out with a decent white gesso.
- Brushes- Start out with a bag of brushes and then build on that. You will want three decent watercolor brushes to start with watercolors. Try to get a round, flat, and detailed brush to get started
- Watercolors-Start with a simple pan set of watercolors. Your local craft store will have a set. I started out with a simple watercolor set from Michaels that I still have in use. There are also watercolor markers that are a nice media to work with. There are also watercolor pencils to enjoy and use. You can get a set of these very reasonably.
- Acrylics- You can often find acrylic paint that is very reasonable. Starting with inexpensive paint, buying them is sets is usually a better option
- Markers- There are so many markers available. You have many options when it comes to these. Start out with a simple set of markers and build on that. There are alcohol markers that come in sets that are really fun to use and experiment with.
- Colored Pencils- Starting out with colored pencils makes a whole lot of sense, You can get a set very reasonably and you will have them for a long time.
- Stencils-Used to create all kinds of effects on your pages. Once you get started with these, you will find they become something you will use over and over again,
- Inks-There are so many ways and different types of inks that can be used for art journaling. Start out with some basic colors and add on as you go. Inks are used to create images, as backgrounds for art journal pages, and to give dimension to images.
- Stamps- There are so many things that you can do with stamp sets, You can stamp on your journal page, Create embellishments by stamping, coloring, and cutting out the image, You can create a stamped background, Having some stamps and a few ink pads takes you to a new place in your art journal experience.
Art Journal Prompts
Here are a few ideas to give you some ideas for your own art journal pages
- What made you happy as a child and still makes you happy? It could be a book. a tv program, a special toy, or a memory
- Did you or do you now have a special name or nickname? Talk about it.
- What smell makes you think of home?
- What is your warning label? if someone was to think about where your line in the sand is, what would it be?
- What is the one song that has personal meaning to you?
- Create a page about your pet whether past or present
- Create a page about each of your kids. Discuss something special about each of them.
- What makes you different than someone else?
- Make lists
- Write a poem
- Record a quote that you love
- Write what you are feeling inside at that moment
Staring Down The Blank Page
Here are some tips for when that blank page is staring at you and your soul feels no creativity. We all have that blank page syndrome, You are looking at that page and nothing comes to you.
- When you are feeling as blank as that page you are looking at, just go ahead and prep some pages. Get messy. Gesso some pages. Splat some pages with inks and sprays, Mess with paints. Do some backgrounds.
- Do not overthink the process. Even if you create something that you do not like, you can go back over it later.
- Create an ugly page with intent. You could challenge yourself to create something to speak about the things that you do not like.
- Just think about a word that comes to mind. What color would be associated with that word in your mind? Build on the word with your thoughts and feelings.
Adding Book Corners To Your Art Journals
