Art Journal Pages: Testing A Potential Journal

Posted on 15th May 2016 by Neil

So you have grand plans to start art journaling, and you’re wondering what your first step should be? It’s important to find a journal that will take all that you throw at it. It has to be able to take wet media without the pages getting flimsy or buckling. It has to be able to lie flat so that you can work in it. You don’t want pages easily detaching, nor a wire-o spine stopping you getting to the middle of the spread. Pages shouldn’t be too absorbent, or too smooth – or be able to take a layer of gesso if they are. Hardback or soft cover – well that’s down to personal preference. Here’s a couple of pages I’ve done this afternoon whilst testing a new journal. Above – Dylusions Paints. Below – Distress Sprays/Inks and pigment inks.

Continue reading →

Art Journal Page: What I see in the mirror [Wanderlust Prompt #5]

Posted on 10th May 2016 by Neil

I decided yesterday that I would catch up with some of the Wanderlust 2016 class activities, and watched Birgit Koopsen’s class as she demonstrated her signature style. This is my response to the fifth journal prompt from the beginning of March (‘what I see in the mirror’) using her techniques, albeit in a slightly different order! And it’s probably more of a reminder of what I should be seeing in the mirror rather than what I do… Anyhow, I wanted the background to show through the white layer (given I’d spent so long working on it!), so used I used thinned gesso for its translucency. I think the colours certainly zing against the white mask.

Continue reading →

Colour Journal

Posted on 5th May 2016 by Neil

Avid readers may remember a week or so ago I made a couple of handmade journals. I’ve taken this one further, and created a ‘colour journal’. With an unashamed plug for all things DecoArt Media, I have used my own photos of their products as a page background, before adding glazes of colour fluid acrylics using various techniques including ragging, baby wipes, brushes and paper towel. Headings used the same colour, just undiluted. Add gesso, pen work and a smidge of gloss and the book is complete.

Continue reading →

Art Journal: Modelling Paste Cover [Wanderlust Wk18]

Posted on 2nd May 2016 by Neil

I’ve jumped a few weeks in my Wanderlust 2016 course – I do aim to go back and catch up, but Andy Skinner was the tutor for this week’s activity, and I just had to get grungy! I transformed the front cover of my latest (A5) journal using his techniques and I’m delighted with the results. I think it looks like embossed leather, and with the soft touch varnish from DecoArt, it even feels like leather. The trickiest thing I found was getting a uniform thickness of modelling paste, so I’ll be working on that the next time I try it.

Continue reading →

Handmade Art Journal III

Posted on 30th April 2016 by Neil

I came across this wallet-type 4×6″ journal when I was looking through my Silhouette cut files. I have just been given a pile of kraft card file dividers, and thought they would be a perfect place to start. The mini album design is by Lori Whitlock and available via the Silhouette design store. I’ve added the band for the closure, and rather than six pages, I’ve added five due to the thickness of the card. The journal card inserts are a smidge smaller than 4×6″ and I’ve used a corner rounder so they slide in more easily.

As for the decoration, this journal is a practice piece for one stroke folk art flowers. I watched how a friend’s mother painted her canal boat accessories when I was nine or ten, and the fascination with the way a shaded flower developed with so few brush strokes. These are my first attempts, with a little extra shading added with water-soluble pencils. The backgrounds are a mix of distress paints, whilst the flowers are painted with DecoArt Media fluid acrylics. I’ve edged the journaling cards with Frayed Burlap distress ink – and I’ve no idea at this stage what will go on them! There’s a few more pages to decorate, so stay tuned for updates 🙂

Continue reading →

Handmade Journal II: Part 2

Posted on 29th April 2016 by Neil

In my last post, I showed the start of my hand-bound art journal in response to Wanderlust Course Week 10. I promised some more pics of the inside pages… and here they are. The scrap pages allowed for some overlapping designs across spreads, and the different colour backgrounds inspired some of the colour choices.

I’ve had fun doing various different techniques and experiments, varying my style and choice of media – there is something about the informal scrappy pages that releases a more creative side than normal. Just two and a bit more signature bundles to go to complete this particular journal, but in the meantime, I have another two more formal ones on the go 🙂

Continue reading →

Handmade Art Journal II [Wanderlust Wk 10]

Posted on 22nd April 2016 by Neil

With one or two other things going on, I am not keeping up with my Wanderlust course! I did however catch up with Karen Michel’s class, where she showed how to make our own journals using the cover of an old book, some fabric and lots of scraps of paper and card. It’s a far more informal journal than I’m used to, and as a result, it invites creativity as some pages overlap others, and each page has a different colour and texture. The fabric I chose was one of Tim Holtz’s Eclectic Elements designs. I’ll post the inside pages at a later date.

Continue reading →

Handmade Art Journals I

Posted on 22nd April 2016 by Neil

Over the last two days I thought I’d construct my own art journals. I’ve adapted a slot-and-tab technique to make the inside pages from 160gsm white card. Each journal is A6 in size. The brown has a grungepaper cover with greyboard support behind, coloured with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Sprays and sealed with DecoArt Media Soft Touch Varnish. The grey has a wrap around cover in the same card, decorated with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics and with a grungepaper and baker’s twine closure. Now all I have to do is fill them 🙂

Continue reading →

Art Journal Page: Word Of The Day

Posted on 18th April 2016 by Neil

I have a new journal, a Toned Gray Strathmore art journal (5½ x 8″). I chose the grey background as I have previously enjoyed the mid-tone which allows both black and white work top. I wanted to explore the journaling side of the art journal and came up with a ‘word of the day’ theme – choosing a word that described either what I had done, or how I felt. The doodling on the facing page started to reflect the words and was completed a little at a time each day. Continue reading →

Art Journal Page: Pictures [Pick A Stick Challenge]

Posted on 15th April 2016 by Neil

I’ve taken the opportunity today to complete this month’s Pick A Stick Challenge. Ten steps, in order, mixing up the media and adding collage elements. There are more and more taking part in the challenge, and it’s the perfect way to journal when the artistic muse has wandered off.

Continue reading →