Art Journaling 101

Thoughts on How to Get Started

1. Learn about art journaling. Art journaling is not all about the art, it's about the creative process of pulling together color, words and images as you wish on a page. Good starting points are What Should I Write in My Journal? from Quinn Creative and the abundant information about art journaling at Aisling D'Art.

2. Get some art materials. Each art journalist has a different list of core art supplies. You'll find my list at Art Materials for Art Journaling, Doodling & Beyond.

a. Paper. A blank journal filled, watercolor paper pad, an old hardback book, or a sheet of watercolor paper. You don't have to pick just one, you can have lots of journals and pages in process. 

b. Paint. Get a good quality set of watercolors, plus several colors of tube or fluid acrylics . If you are choosing between quality and quantity, go with quality. Better 5 colors in good quality paint than 50 colors of mediocre paint.

c. Something to write and doodle with. Faber-Castell PITT Pens are my favorites. They dry quickly, don't tax my hand, and are permanent. The journaling in Do Something is in black PITT pen. Details on nib sizes are in Art Materials. Try alphabet stamps to add quotes and thoughts to your pages... as in Adjectives and Happy Life

d. An adhesive. I use Mod Podge matte gel medium.

e. Brushes. Junky/cheap brushes for adhesive and gesso; better brushes for watercolor and acrylic paint.

f. Gesso. See Gesso - what it is and how to use it at Aisling.net. It's basically a primer. I use both black and white gesso. See Black Gesso & Stamps and Black Gesso & Neocolors. To see what a white gesso does, see Art Journal: Faded Blue.

g. Neocolors. Caran d'Ache Neocolors are used to color images & paper; you can blend with fingers, wet with a brush, versatile,

3. Find or create stuff to put in your art journal, like images, quotes

Find stuff. Ephemera is a fancy word for stuff put in your journal... clippings from old textbooks, maps, receipts, recycled stuff from other art projects, product packaging, leftover cardstock.

Make stuff. Use your art; see Psychedelic Batik Cardstock and How to Make ATCs From Abstract Art. Carve handmade eraser stamps and stamp unique patterns or make FIMO stamps.

4. Spark your creativity

Kick-Start Your Art Journal
Carry a camera; info on my gear at Camera Talk
Start a Brainstorming Group
Lists: Journal Triggers
Inspiration: Doodling & Imagery
Color Series
Learn about creative experiments

5. Find 30 minutes

You have to decide where art fits into your world and your priorities. Creating art wasn't even on my list even 3 years ago (kids' art, but not my own) but now it is extremely important to my happiness. Find time in your schedule by doing art while waiting for someone or something, at kids' activities, while the baby naps. If you truly want to do art, I promise you will find a niche of time!

6. Do an art journal page

Take out a piece of heavy paper. Use an adhesive to add anything you wish in any way you wish! Images, words, doodles, quotes. Take a brush and paint here and there on your page. You can paint your page before or after you add stuff to the page. Use whatever color strikes you. Don't overthink it.

If you cannot get started, read Perfectionism and Creativity, Perfectionism vs. Art Journaling, Art Journaling Imperfection and It's Your Art. You can do this. It doesn't matter what you put on the page. Relax, get out of your analytical mind and explore with color and imagery.
 
7. Join Flickr

Flickr is fun and inspiring. Join groups and share your art, like Creativity {While Waiting}, Art Journal Pages {Unfinished}, The Creative Mom Podcast, Just Art Journals, Journal Junk and Visual Journals.

8. Bonus fun stuff ~ prompts & challenges

Creativity Prompts, a list of art journaling prompts from Colorfuldayz
Inspire Me Thursday, creativity prompts
Illustration Friday, weekly illustration challenge
Creative Every Day, a challenge to create something every day

9. Art journaling blogs for inspiration, ideas & techniques

Samantha Kira Harding's blog A Girl & Her Journal
Hanna Andersson's blog Create & Live Happy
Teesha Moore's blog Teesha's Circus

10. Books for creative inspiration, ideas & techniques

• Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself by Sabrina Ward Harrison
• Kaleidoscope by Suzanne Simanaitis
• The Decorated Page by Gwen Diehn
• Taking Flight: Inspiration and Techniques to Give Your Creative Spirit Wings by Kelly Rae Roberts
• Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention by Michael Csikszentmihalyi
• The Creative License: Giving Yourself Permission to be the Artist You Truly Are by Danny Gregory
• An Illustrated Life: Drawing Inspiration from the Private Sketchbooks of Artists, Illustrators and Designers by Danny Gregory
• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

11. Creative Podcasts for Ideas

The Creative Mom Podcast
CraftyPod
CraftSanity
Illustrated Life

Comments

[Zom]

This is a great article to introduce people to art journaling. I have posted a link on my blog for anyone interested.

[Janet]

I'm fairly new to art journaling and I love this tutorial. So many great ideas. Thanks so much for putting this together.

[QuinnCreative]

What a great inspirational spark! I've found great links on your site, and as a journaler myself, finding great links is like finding a vein of gold in a big rock mountain.

[Lisa]

I am just beginning to explore art journalling, and much of the material out there, both in print and on the web, seems to be aimed at those with more art experience than I have. Thanks so much for this great introduction, and for all the links and reading recommendations. It is so helpful for this true beginner.