I have wanted to write a post on this for a while because I think so many of us just love our journal!! I feel a bit vulnerable sharing these (very private) pages but in the spirit of..
we are all learning, sharing and growing together...here goes! My journals are part diary, part art, part letters to the universe plus everything else thrown in!!! Journals have been very therapeutic for me and have seen me through some very rough patches. In my teens when I wasn't able to have a physical space for my art...my journals became my portable studio! I still have them and they hold some of my most turbulent and creative times. They are also where I store all my ideas in words, colors, drawings...It's where all my paintings take root in words and thoughts.Journals are so freeing because they are private, creative, personal and just plain...
fun! Besides...
They are also an autobiography of our souls.
I prepare my pages with all sorts of things...I love scrapbook papers or other ephemera (ticket stubs, calendars, old day planners, newspaper,cards...), bubble wrap and sharpies. One of my fave products is gesso. I either apply it straight to the page or water it down and then apply it. It produces the most interesting depth and texture. Wait until it dries completely and then add paints or oil pastels or...pretty much whatever you want!
Another fave technique is using a paper towel on damp paint...it produces such interesting texture and color variations. I love rich juicy colors ...a few fave color combinations...
* alizarin crimson and burnt sienna produces rich dark reds
* burnt sienna and paynes' grey =lush moody grays
* ultramarine blue and burnt sienna = rich rich darks
This is a photocopy of an actual key. Then I just cut it out and glued it on. I photocopy all sorts of things (fabric, buttons, pics, flowers, leaves...) to use on my pages. Looks so real huh?
I love love love using white pen on rich dark colors. It is difficult to find one that actually works consistently though! Usually they work a few times and then zonk out! If anyone can recommend a great white gel pen...I would love to try it out! This is a Sakura pen (I think!) and I just doodled some patterns over dark paint.
Anything is fair game...this is from the packaging of one of Tara's toys. I love the simple yet profound message...B. you!! Sometimes when I am super stressed I will just prepare pages. Looking through papers and applying paint to paper just soothes me...there is a very meditative quality to painting without purpose. And nothing is ever lost on this journey...it comes back to me later when I paint on canvas!
One of the reasons I love journaling so much is that in here, I paint and draw in a way I normally don't. I really love the rhythm and energy of her hair + the expression on her face. This really grows and stretches me and lately...since I have been making a concerted effort to refine my style...I find myself looking through pages and pages of my journal. Usually I will see recurring themes...like color choices/combinations, texture or elements such as text and pattern. Oh! And there are no mistakes in your journal pages...only happy discoveries!!
This is the lower half of the page above...half of her dress is patterned paper and the other half paint. Then I used a black Sharpie to draw over both parts to unify the whole dress. I cut the flower out from patterned paper and the "ART" letters are chipboard . I use a lot of scrapbook supplies in my journal...there are such amazing things out there now. I love
Tim Holtz products!!
I love using sheet music and drawing over patterned paper (like I did on the heart above). The white is gesso (watered down) that I applied over dried paint...I sometimes add more paint (burned sienna watercolor mottles really well over gesso) over the white (after it dries) for rich texture and depth or ...just leave it as is.
A few amazing sites I go to for serious journal inspiration! I am such a newbie...these ladies are the experts.
*
Teesha's Circus
*
30 Journals 30 days
*
Soul Journaling (I
sooooo want to take a workshop over here!!!)
*
D.J. Petit (I love how she alters her book covers!!) Plus she has
awesome links in her sidebar!!
*
Kelly Kilmer (I am
so going to take a class with her!)
A few great books I use for ideas:
*
True Vision: Authentic Art Journaling
*Collage Unleashed
*Collage Journeys
*Wide Open
*
Taking Flight: Inspiration And Techniques To Give Your Creative Spirit Wings
A few books I want to get!
*
Journal Spilling
*Creative Wildfire:An Introduction to Art Journaling
*
The Art Journal Workshop: Break Through, Explore, and Make it Your Own
*Sorry-I tried to put links for all these books but it kept on getting all wonky:( You can google them!
A few fave products:
gesso
patterned paper/newpaper/old book pages
Portfolio Oil Pastels-they go on like butter!
Mixed Media sketchbook-I use one by Canson.
watercolors
Golden fluid acrylics
black Sharpies
Stabillo pens (they have a really fine point and come in awesome colors!)
white gel pens...Sakura is the one I am using right now
glue stick
scissors
bubble wrap/stamps/plastic forks etc...to create texture/pattern
*If you would like to share some of your fave tips/techniques...boy, would I love to know!! Always looking for new things to try out...
10 comments:
Great post Soraya!! Thanks so much for sharing some of your techniques and your wonderful journal pages--great links too!!
Lots to inspire today Soraya (...and every day that you post, for that matter).
Have you tried masking tape, torn and overlapped. Paint over with burnt umber and then wipe off to leave an aged worn manuscript sort of effect. My aunt used to do this with great success.
These journals are all beautiful! A lovely piece of art all on its own. I wish mine were this nice. My sad little idea book only has pencil sketches and early morning writings which sometime I don't remember even doing. I have my best ideas right when I'm waking up. If I jump up and write them down I'm really surprise later when I read my thoughts cuz I don't remember having them. Very interesting. Glad to see you're studio is feeding your passionate soul.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful pages! My favorite white pen is the Sharpie poster paint pen with the extra fine point. Also a couple of older books that I find really inspiring - Artists Journals and Sketchbooks and Alphabetica both by Lynne Perella. Both books are packed with amazing juicy journals and cool techniques. Happy journaling!
Soraya, thank you for sharing this! Art journaling is something that I'd really like to do more of, so I am really grateful for the links too!! You rock!
Thank you so much for sharing your journal. I am a newbie at art journaling & so appreciate tips or ideas. I just recently bought the Mixed Media journal from Canson too. And, I'll let you know if I find a white pen that works really. I have that same problem with mine. Happy journaling! :)
Soraya, I have been watching the whole art journaling trend with interest.... I have long been a journaler. I get cheap spiral-bound notebooks at Big Lots and fill them up! While I love the IDEA of the art journals and I do use these techniques to create collages, I have not combined the two. I feel that the art journal would not give me the freedom to write a LOT like I sometimes do... Still interested tho... you will have to show me! Oh - I really like the distress inks. I had a couple of pads, but recently got the spray-on type too. Fun, fun! Your pages are bee-oo-tiful!!
Soraya, your pages are stunning! I'm just beginning to dig into art journaling - have journaled all my life, but not ART journaling - and I'm actually reading Journal Spilling - I love it! It's very inspiring already, and I just finished chapter 1. I like her way of writing and how she "talks" to us. This is going to be very exciting.
1. It is not so much about managing, but it is more like I designed my life to be like that by accident. 7 years back I only knew that I want to spend my life doing things I love. So little by little, after some great years of hustling, I somehow made my life this way.
It is no small feat for sure, as it can be incredibly stressful. I just take it 15 minutes at a time, not thinking about the future nor the past to the best of my ability.
2. The 3 words to describe me would be quirky, crazy, weird and adventurous. hahaha...that's an extra!
The 3 words that describe my artwork would be quirky, fun, whimsical and juicy. That's an extra again!
3. It's hard to say what inspires me, but I do know I like things that fascinate my ADD brain. It has to be shocking and out of the ordinary. Being colourfool, being whimsical, being poetic or even just down right mind blowing is really inspiring.
I seek a lot of my inspiration from other illustrators, designers and artist. They are from all over the world. Some are Peruvian, Brazilian, Spanish, Japan, Canadian. Some are from disney. I look for a whimsical, sensual, childlike qualities in their work. ;)
4. I use a lot of water color, clay, and acrylic paint. The only things I can paint with are Chinese brushes. I also use computer programs like Adobe Illustrator to do my work.
I am one of the artistes who like their living spaces clean. Mess is not really ideal for me. LOL!
5. Creativity to me really means a way of life, not just any life, my life. Therefore, I definitely use it in every area of my life, to express qualities and fun that can make me happy. Hopefully it can make other happy too.
6. To me their one, as I do art therapy a lot with my clients. They are literally one.
To be able to creatively express a problem, touching it, feeling it be it with clay or paints is a huge advantage of truly interpreting the problem.
And then being able to creatively express a solution makes the solution much more solid and wonderful. This makes healing much more permanent, as the solution came from the painter's mind. If they can come up with the solution once, they can do it for any other problem.
Dear Soraya, This is a fantastic and informative post! Love the colours and inspiration that you've shared. I also love how you've beautifully called it "the autobiography of our souls." I have a journal too, but I haven't shared it online. Thank you for sharing your great list of products and books! As well as some of the items on your list, I like to use Prismacolour colour pencils and watercolour pencils. An inspiring book I have at home is called 1000 Artist Journal Pages.
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