Art Journaling Prompt

Hello Creatives,

It's art journaling prompt/ sketchbook time!

This project is in a mixed media art style and pretty easy, so it could be tried with kids in an art class as well. I created this as an example for my art class in the small group of kids that I teach, I will let you know if it's a success!

I think sometimes all you need to get going in your art journal is some instructions or a few prompts to follow.

So, I have created this for you today. Let me know if you try it, I'd love to see what you come up with!

You will need:

-Art journal/sketchbook
-Scrapbook papers
-Mod Podge
-Back & white print out of yourself or a loved one
-Acrylic paints
-Matte painting medium (I love to use gloss but I find it makes the pages stick in a sketchbook)
-Paint Pens

I began by sticking various pieces of scrapbook papers onto the pages. I had some scrappy bits that my art-class-kids had messed up. But not to worry, that adds to all the layering and textural effects! Tear or cut them up. Torn edges look good. Don't get precious :)

I paste the back of the papers with mod podge first, press them down, then paste more mod podge over the top. This helps to minimise wrinkling.

Cut around your black and white figure print out and paste onto the pages where you'd like it to be.

Then using medium & paint, add washes over the top varying from transparent to opaque. In some places the scrapbook paper gets completely covered. I added some petals around the 'love you more' piece, then painted in some dots and splodges.

Next up, take a small paintbrush and add some detail with a darker colour. I added outlines of a flower, but you could do anything here. You could add words, or shells, or toadstool for example. If you look at the last photo, I have added 4 points of interest with some visual space in between around the figure. 

I also added a wash of pale yellow over the cardigan, and painted some pink cheek circles in :)

Add more paint and washes if desired. I used a white paint pen to bring some texture back into the clothing.

Add some more medium-paint-mix here using darker colours thinned out quite a bit, and rub back, manipulate and push the medium around using a tissue. This creates some extra depth and texture.

Last of all, when it's completely dry (don't be impatient like me and ruin your paint pens), take some paint pens and doodle over the top however you would like.

All done! What I love about a set of "instructions" for art journaling/ sketchbook work, is that you can take some of the decisions and fear away from what to do, take the cues and just enjoy the creative process.

Enjoy!

Jules :)

Some Sketch Book/ Art Journal Images

This post may contain affiliate links (see bottom of post for explanation).

I have been making more of an effort lately to do regular artwork in my sketch book. Thought I would show a few pages that I've been working on recently. You may have seen some of these already if you follow me on instagram or facebook.

These pages are still in progress

The above art journal pages are a work in progress. I used the book Botanicum as the inspiration. If I see photos or images that inspire me I use the colours and shapes as rough guides for my line work or style of painting. I don't directly copy, but I find elements within the image to inspire the direction I take. I may use some shapes, patterns or colours to influence my work.

Botanicum has really nice colour palettes and interesting shapes to explore

Processes I like to use when working in my art journal or sketch book are colour washes (using them like watercolours) with acrylic paints, using my prismacolor pencils, collage with decorative papers or previously painted paper or sketches (even failed prints can become material for collaging), thick paint overlaying thin washes, and also the use of different mediums mixed in with acrylic paint. Paint pens are also a new found love and are lots of fun.

I also like playing with hand drawn & painted type in my sketch books.

I can get as strange as I want in my sketch book. The beauty (I've said it before and I'll say it again) of the sketch book/ art journal is that there is no pressure. It doesn't matter if the work doesn't turn out how you want it too. You're creating this for no one and no one has to see it if you don't want them to!

A lot of spots and dashes and repetitive lines are making their way into my art lately

I love sketch books/ art journals as they are so portable. You can make up a bag of supplies and take them with you when you go out. I usually just take my coloured pencils and my sketch book; although I'm working out how to make my acrylic paints more portable! I'm thinking a small sealable jar (for water), a paint palette with a lid (possibly a small flat plastic container) and some extra smaller tubes of my favourite colours that can live in a devoted bag, a couple of brushes in a tin and a rag or tissue for drying them. I need to get organised! I really miss my acrylics when I take my sketch book out. 

My favourite all time sketch books are the Moleskine brand. Not because they seem to be the 'in thing'... but because of their paper quality, the way the pages lay out flat to create in, and the way the pages hold up to layers of paint without buckling too much. I love the smooth surface too, I don't really like paper texture when I'm creating, or paper that is too absorbent, but that is just my personal preference.

I hope you enjoyed my sketch book round up! I really do want to make more of an effort to be more regular with creating art in my art journals. 

Jules :)

*Affiliate Information: Affliliate links help me earn small commissions on products (at no extra cost to you), which helps support my love of blogging and sharing creative things. I only ever recommend or link to products that I'm genuinely into.

Testing Out My New Prismacolor Pencils

As I mentioned in a recent post I have newly acquired some Prismacolor pencils. (Affiliate link- see end of post.)

I seriously feel like a kid at Christmas with these new art supplies in my hot little hands!

I bought the 36 pack. I also made my husband go out to his car at 11pm at night as he picked them up for me. No, I couldn't wait until the morning!

The colours are vivid, and being the colour lover that I am, this is a must. They feel soft and buttery, and I was surprised as I was drawing with them because I was expecting them to be smudging on my work and my palm that was dragging across the page in my sketch book, but they didn't do that. Hardly any colour was on the side of my palm.

Playing with my new art supplies :)

They draw over a lot of surfaces. They even had a go at drawing over some gloss medium! Not fantastically, but to make a mark over a gloss surface is the sign of a great pencil. I don't know how they got them to do that without being smudgy!

This is my sketch book where I used a mix of pencil & acrylic. I love the way they draw over the acrylic paints and the colour is still intense. I'm really getting into art journalling lately.

Close up. Paint & pencil.

This is just pure pencil. Of course I couldn't help to put a couple of strange creatures in there. How can you blame me? I was listening to Beck sing about silver foxes looking for romance. (Weird music is very cool to get the creativity flowing, if you ask me!) I love Beck!

This is again a mix of pencil & acrylic paints. I can't help introducing paints early when I'm drawing. But as I'm loving the intensity of these colours so much I'm happy just drawing with them for longer than normal before I pick up the paint brush.

So, the verdict is that I am in love! If I was stranded on a desert island, these pencils would be a no brainer!

Jules :)

*Affiliate Information: Affliliate links help me earn small commissions on products (at no extra cost to you), which helps support my love of blogging and sharing creative things. I only ever recommend or link to products that I'm genuinely into.

New Art Material: Testing Out Montana Paint Pens

Recently I purchased some new art supplies to trial: Montana Paint Pens through Hobby Hoppers, which is an Etsy shop in Australia.

For years & years & years I've used the same supplies. A matte flow (as apposed to a structured) acrylic paint in a few select colours (just 4 different tubes can you believe!?) and a gloss medium. For years. Did I mention that already!? It's just that I feel a little sad that all that time I could have been hanging around with some exciting new studio buddies!

Recently, (in the last couple of years) I started experimenting and branching out to try other colours, mediums, techniques and media, and I'm so glad I did. You never know when you're going to fall in love with a new colour or medium, and what effect it will have on your work. I have branched out to use turquoise colours, deep red (cool) hues (I only used to use warm reds), stencils, printing techniques... I have always tried lots of different crafts, but within painting I seemed to just stick to the same limited tool box. Too safe!

I was reading an art book recently where it talked about using paint pens. I was intrigued and just had to try. These opaque acrylic pens that go over just about any surface, including gloss paint/ medium! Which is super great because I love my gloss medium.

The Montana brand was one of the brands that was recommended in the book due to their lightfastness, their quick drying ability, and their ease of use. You can write over the top of your artwork or block in some colour. You could use them to draw a picture over the top and then paint it in. Polka dots, lines; the options are limitless. I bought three pens in the fine 2mm size.

Before I used the paint pens here, I started with my sketch book and started quickly filling in the page with colour and texture using a 7B pencil (I love those pencils, they are more like a soft black pencil than graphite) and acrylic paint. 

I used thin washes of acrylic paint & scungy thick brush strokes coupled with the pencil. You can see from my strokes this was quickly done. I also used a bit of matte medium to thin down some paint and do some quick washes.

I usually like to fill in all my background, whether I'm working in my sketch book or a wood panel or canvas. Even if none of the colour or marks will appear in the final, it always adds more interest and depth to the finished works in my opinion. It's like adding a bit of history.

I also love to use acrylics watered down instead of watercolours. Because I usually work in multiple layers, I would get annoyed with the underneath watercolour layer shifting underneath, hence the reason I use my acrylics.

Time to experiment with a paint pen. I bought a bright pink, a lime green, and white. Apparently the pens are refillable too, which is great to know.

I added some geometric shapes.

Then some cactus-y shapes

Here we go, the finished (for now anyway!) art journal entry. The green wasn't as opaque as the white and pink, you can see a few scribbles there, I think it still works well.

I've also started incorporating the paint pens into some of my other works as you can see in these snippets of artwork. (This is a section of a unicorn print in my shop.)

The white is quite opaque, which is fantastic. I love the white.

Testing the white out again on this small canvas. I think I went too far, and added too much. (Yes, that happens whilst creating artwork.)

The pink really stands out here in this section of a painting. It's quite opaque too.

So if you're wanting to try out the Montana paint pens I found a few colours available in Australia from Hobby Hoppers. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. Any techniques you'd like me to show you how to do on the blog? I'm all ears, just let me know in the comments.

Jules :)

30 Minute Sketch Book/ Art Journal Activity

Creating art in my sketch book/ Art Journaling; whatever you like to call it is one of my favourite things to do. I really should do it more often! It's a place to be free. You don't have to show anyone your results. It's a place to have fun and play. Try it, if you want to, even if you don't consider yourself to be arty or the creative sort.

My Sister in law was over recently and we all painted pictures together. She doesn't paint or consider herself creative, but has dabbled in a few crafty projects here and there. She had a really good time painting, because it's just plain fun.

So grab a sketch book or art journal and get going!

You need: Sketch Book/ Art Journal, Acrylic Paints, Medium (optional; I use gloss medium), Golden Acrylic Ground for Pastels, Coloured Pencil, and of course some paintbrushes, and a hairdryer if you want to speed things up and keep to that half hour.

First, I covered the whole page. Just use colour here, no white or black. Use your favourites or whatever you are drawn to use. I like to add a bit of medium to my paint, but you can add water, or just straight paint. Keep it mid tones, so not too light; not too dark.

Cover, cover, cover that paper! Yay!

Then I dried it with a hair dryer, then coated it with Golden Acrylic Ground for Pastels. This gives the surface a nice grip so you can draw over the top with pencil. If your paints are very matte (I find Jo Sonja's colours to be matte and I'm happy with the quality of this paint) or you have used water to thin your paint, then you may be able to skip this step. Dry with hairdryer.

Next, draw some shapes. I just quickly drew some flowers. But, draw anything you like here. Crystals, a tiger, a paper boat...

Then I started focussing in on the negative space. I coloured a bit in using the same pencil I drew my shapes with. You could use a different colour, or a mix of colours. I'm all about individuality, play and experimenting... :)

I then washed down some white paint and painted in the rest of the negative space. Some parts are thicker than others and I think that's the beauty of it. 

And there you have it, fun! I'd love to see if you use this prompt to create something in your sketch book or journal.

Jules :)