This month’s ‘hope and promise’ Bible journaling theme felt particularly apt for Advent. The verses follow a thread of expectation and fulfilment, and I’ve carried that through the illustrations with a shared palette and gentle contrasts of light and dark. I’ve tried to avoid the usual seasonal motifs, though a few still crept in…
Artistic intent
I’ve made a couple of attempts to emphasise light – I’m not sure how well I have done so. Take a look at the highlights on the hills in the first one, and the reflected light on the tops of letters in the passages from Luke. The two verses from Luke are on facing pages in my Bible, so they share largely the same colour palette. I also wanted the angels to look ethereal, so I chose not to outline them to leave a ‘lighter’ image.
I knew the verses would connect thematically, of course, but seeing them side by side — and colouring them with a similar palette — made those links feel much more immediate. Bringing together prophecies, promises, and the familiar Christmas narratives in one place highlighted connections that are easy to miss when you read them in their separate corners of the Bible.
Used for my hope and promise illustrations
- Faber-Castell Polychromos colouring pencils
- Unipin black pigment fineliners
- ChatGPT assistance for colour palettes and line art
