It’s a new year (I’m sure you’ve noticed) and what better way to start than some joy and praise in the form of this month’s Bible journaling theme. Five new illustrations for verses from Old and New Testaments, full of excitement, colour and metaphor. Keep scrolling to the link to download the templates if you would like to add any to your own Bible, and for making notes.
For the first session of the new year, we are using a requested theme: ‘sunbeams’. I took a little while to work out what I’d like to do, then did a bit of browsing for inspiration and came up with this layout:
I selected my blue Renesans watercolour paint to lay down a blue wash, dabbing with a paper towel for a background cloud effect. Once the sunbeam panel was in place, I added another layer of paint around the edges to add contrast. A very dilute wash of the same colour worked well on the clouds in the panel.
The sunbeams were coloured using a blend of yellows, oranges, and reds, with small touches of chartreuse, magenta, and purple for added contrast. I worked with Winsor & Newton Aquamarkers on watercolour card, blending the ink using a clean water brush.
For the text, I used the same colours on the background card. Using scored lines (see below), I was able to place the colours precisely – multicoloured on the top three lines of text and the yellows for the ‘sun beams’ line. The original quote separated the ‘sun’ and ‘beams’ rather than using the more common compound word, so that’s what got cut out. I’ll triple check next time…
Both illustration and text were created digitally in Adobe Illustrator. I experimented with several techniques to make the outlines and tabs needed to prevent the pieces from falling out during laser cutting. My initial attempt (as pictured) turned out to have too many and too tough tabs. It was difficult to break apart the pieces to stick down to the page. My next iteration had wider ‘spokes’, fewer pieces and thinner tabs and worked much better (and took less time to glue in).
For the text, there are two panels: a base panel with a scored offset outline of the text (for colouring in) and then a top panel with the text cut out using a stencil font. Once the base is coloured and dry, the top can be stuck to it for a crisp finish.
I used my new xTool F2 Ultra UV laser to cut the watercolour paper. The UV laser doesn’t cut by burning so much as wobbling the molecular structure of the paper apart (so-called cold lasering). This meant I could cut the 300gsm paper with very little char on the edges and with much greater detail than my other laser options.
I attempted to use UV resin to add a glossy emboss to the coloured letters, by filling in the cutout areas. Unfortunately, before I hardened off the resin, it started soaking into the surrounding paper, turning it grey and ruining the contrast and crisp white overlay. I got around this by adding a second cutout layer over the top. I’m not sure what I could do to prevent this, but perhaps using a matte multimedium to seal the paper may work. I thought about using a waterbased dimensional gloss medium, but I reckon it would rewet and move the watercolour paint around (which I didn’t want to happen).
My art journaling sessions run at The Studio on the first Monday evening of each month, starting at 7:30pm. Spaces are limited, so let me know if you’d like to attend and I’ll get you booked in. You don’t need to be artistic, or even have a journal – one can be purchased on the night for just £2. The session remains at just £5 to attend, and all the materials are included. The theme is ‘strips and stripes’, postponed from October, and will feature distress inks, distress oxides, a dress, floorboards and a bit of rubber stamping too.
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…
In this, the last session of the year, it seemed appropriate to take on a Christmas theme. In common with previous December layouts, I’ve chosen some shiny finishes to bring a bit of light into the dark moments. There are several new techniques that I have tried for the first time: foil-on-toner, cut and design stickers and a laser-engraved piece of MDF. Here’s my take on a Christmas porch:
This month, we’re looking at verses related to strength and courage. I was lucky enough to have created the initial ideas on the seventeenth deck of a cruise ship in force 10 gales and 6 metre swell. It wasn’t pleasant, and gave an insight into having strength and courage! Of course, that pales into insignificance compared to the sort of strength and courage we are provided with by our trust in God. Here are five new illustrations for your Bible journaling. Don’t forget there is a free downloadable PDF link at the bottom of the post for you to print and include in your Bible.
If you’re UK-based, you’ll be well aware that it’s Bonfire Night on 5th November. For those in other places, you may not know that this is our way of commemorating Guy Fawkes plotting to blow up the Houses of Parliament back in 1605 during the State Opening, intending to kill King James I. Rooted in religious discontent which carried on for centuries, it’s now an excuse to let off ridiculously loud fireworks and compete for the biggest conflagration in the area.
So, it is with this inspiration that I have chosen the theme of ‘crackling campfire’. Blessedly silent, this layout incorporates crackle paint to add the appropriate texture to logs and flames, and aptly named distress oxide inks. A bit of sparkle brings the text to the fore and is a nod to firework displays up and down the country.
I’ve selected five verses on the theme of ‘peace and refuge’ from the huge number of possible choices from scripture. I tried out a few new tricks I have learnt on Adobe Illustrator whilst creating these, such as warping the shield with the dove on it to gain perspective and the ‘lean’. On the Psalm 91 verse, I also read ahead and incorporated elements from later in the verse in the illustration (the rampart and shield combo). As ever, the templates are available as a free download – scroll to the end of the post. And while you are there, check out what’s happening next month!
This month’s illustrations draw from a rich source of inspiration: light and guidance. There was a very real danger in the design process of repeating a predictable representation of light and darkness, one which I very much hope I have avoided. I’ll let you be the judge of that, let me know what you think in the comments below. Here are the five verses I have chosen:
We’ve not used watercolours in our art journal sessions for some time, so this month felt like the perfect opportunity. I combined fresh washes of colour with toner transfer art journaling techniques, using laser printouts to add layered imagery and texture to the page.. Here’s the sample layout I made for the session:
For this release of Bible journaling illustrations, I have used a theme of redemption and salvation to select my verses. Five new templates from both the Old and New Testaments assure us of God’s love through the ages, now, and into the future. And, for the first time, I have illustrated perhaps the most central and one of the most well-known verses: John 3:16.
