One of the questions that I see most often with art journaling is "What do I need to get started?" The lists of supplies can be extensive and pricey, which isn't resonable to just try something out. I decided to challenge myself and create a starter kit on a budget. He are my recommendations and justifications:
1. Acrylic Paints
I'm choosing acrylic paints because they are the most versatile. You can create mists, washes, or build colors. Clean up is easy with acrylic. This Golden Try Color set is a mixing set that is based on printer's colors. At $6, it is a great starter set. You could also pick up small tubes individually, just look for these types of colors so that they mix well.
To be cost-effective, you might start with a watercolor set. This Crayola set is under $3. To get the most out of watercolors, mist the pan with water and let it sit for 5 minutes. This allows the pigment to soften, and it allows you to get a richer color from inexpensive paints.
For free, you can ask someone who uses liquid watercolors to share a few dabs. Let the dabs dry in a tray, and you have created an custom dry watercolor set.
2. Paper
Spend your money here. In mixed media, light paper will warp and buckle. I abuse my art journals. I have run pages under the kitchen sink with the water on full blast. I love Bee Paper Super Journals.
3. Adhesive
A collage adhesive is helpful. Start with a small bottle to see if you like the brand. A 4oz bottle of Mod Podge is under $3. Personally, I prefer Collage Pauge. An 8 oz bottle lasts me months, and a sealant is not required.
4. Pens
These Uni-Balls write on everything. I have used them on many mixed media surfaces and they write beautifully. They also do not discolor when wet, which is important if you want to paint or mix over your ink. You can use any pen, but test it with the technique you are using first, to make sure the Pen won't bleed.
5. Brushes
I like synthetic brushes with acrylic and watercolor. I also use them for collage. Pick a set with a variety of brushes. A sponge brush is also helpful.
Paint Set: $5.99
Bee Paper: $6.65
Adhesive: $2.89
Pens: $2.25
Brush Set: $5.99
Total: $23.77
I hope this helps those of you looking to try Art Journaling.
~Venetia
Hi! I'm Venetia. I do a ton of stuff here at Atomic Venetia.
I make altered items like this
I make art like this.
I share my sketchbook like this.
I share scrapbook sketches like this.
I art journal like this.
I review products and books like this.
I make tutorials like this.
This is me. I make stuff and write about stuff.
I like to think I am pretty cool, but I have a couple of minis that keep me in my place. See how unimpressive I am to her? She knows I am goofy, clumsy, and silly. If you aren't a follower of my blog, please join. I'd love the company.
~Take Care
Venetia
Art Journal Page- Joy, Venetia Holbrook 2013
I created this using Derwent Inktense Watercolor Ink Pencils. Right now, they are my new favorite fun tool. I love the vibrant color they create. I was having so much fun that I stepped outside of a self-imposed boundary.
I have disliked rainbows and rainbow colors for quite a while. Living in the Pacific Northwest, rainbows have long held a deep connection to LGBT (Gay Rights) issues. The rainbow here is a political statement, and I keep my politics close to my chest. I've avoided them for this reason. Don't confuse my avoidance with disdain for the issue, I just don't like advertisement for anything in general.
One thing I have learned, art is partially owned by the artist, but largely owned by the viewer. I see an exploration of color, but if you see a political statement, or joy, or something else, great! I put these things into the world so that others may enjoy them, and whatever you see is your activity in the process.
Much love on a Friday.
~Venetia
I just finished reading Art Journal Freedom by Dina Wakley. The book is a thorough introduction to art journaling. She begins by sharing her favorite supplies, and then explores an art concept each chapter with examples, challenges, and technique how to's.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I found it to be a useful resource and I learned about some new techniques I have not tried.
Her writing style is accessible, and she is detailed in her explanations and instructions. If you are familiar with the elements of design and the principles of design, there isn't anything groundbreaking in the book, however Wakley does a great job of constructing and deconstructing the concepts to give the reader an idea of how they work. If you are interested in learning some design concepts, this is a well presented introduction.
She shares her techniques and offers step-by-step instructions on how she created pages. There are a variety of techniques shared, and a person who feels like they cannot draw would be able to create art journal pages inspired by the book.
The book is loaded with full color images, and is beautiful. Overall, I think it was a good read. This is a great starting point for people interested in Art Journaling. If you are more familiar with it, you may find this to be a helpful inspiration piece, with challenges in each chapter.
~Venetia
Escape Fear- Mixed Media 2013 Venetia Holbrook. Art journal entry.
I am having a lot of fun with art journaling, mostly because there are not really rules, so I can play with ideas and techniques that I have been wanting to try.
Again, this was created with stuff I already had about:
Paper (Authentique)
Acrylics (Daniel Smith)
Stamps and Ink
Pencil (Blackwing)
Glue (Beacon 3 in 1)
Colored Pencil (Prismacolor)
Marker (Sakura Pigment Sensei)
Mists
The journal I am using is the Dylusions Journal, which I picked up at Artco Crafts. The book pages measure 11 3/8" x 8 1/4", and the cover is sturdy kraft, with an elastic closure. There is also a manila envelope on the front to store ephemera. The paper is a cardstock weight white/off white mix, which reminds me of file folders. The book is bound, and lays flat nicely, creating a good work space. The journal is holding up to glue/wet media well, so far I am impressed.
~Venetia
I've been meaning to play with art journaling for a while, and I finally made myself sit down and finish a page. What is an art journal? Read this great post about how to make one at Daisy Yellow. One of my 2013 goals is to finish an art journal.
If you are interested in Art Journaling, and you are a mixed media artist, or a scrapbooker, you will find you don't need much to start. Yes, I know that it is more fun to enable purchasing, and believe me, I plan to review more artsy supplies to enable your purchasing.
What do you need to start?
~A journal (you could use a box, or a sketchbook, or a used book.)
~Paper of some sort
~Acrylic Paints, stamps/stamp pads, ink, alcohol ink, watercolor, crayons, markers, colored pencils (ANY of these)
~Adhesive
~Junk from around the house
I am going to share the creative process I used for this project. Since I play with hearts often, I decided to start with a heart theme. I have a crate of Authentique paper from Scrapbooksteals.com. I dug out papers I liked, then I freehand cut the heart. I've sewn around hearts before and liked the look, so I hand stitched the edge and recut the heart to reshape it a little. Holding it against the background I decided it looked dull so I colored the heart with colored pencil. I wanted the grey background more colorful, but was feeling too lazy to pull out my acrylics, so I misted it pink. It looked like I over-misted, and I didn't like the result. So I added blue mist which blended into purple (a counter intuitive fix to over misting, but it works). I drew the corner motif on the bottom, used bubble wrap painted with acrylic to make the dots. To fill the extra space of the background, I tore paper to fill in the edges, glued it down, then tacked down the large piece of background paper. Once the background was ready, I placed the heart and decided it needed wings. I sketched the wings, and fussy cut them. Then, I decided on the title. Once that was all down the doodling looked lonely, so I added more black, and finished with the white because it needed something else.
The result was this journal page. Have you tried Art journaling?
~Venetia
