Art Journal Page

This is one of my recent Bible "art" journal entries.  I just use a small coil notebook with lines.  Normally I just draw something - sometimes a full page (which aren't all that big), sometimes just a little picture somewhere on the page, and write a verse. I also usually just colour my drawings in with pencil crayons.

I should start off by explaining that I really am not an artist. I'm just learning.  I have taken painting lessons in the past, but that was about 11 years ago.  I don't really know much about art, but was told by a coworker who has a degree in art that "art is just whatever you make".

I've always wanted to be able to draw and paint well, but I never really sat down and practiced. How else can I do these things (or anything, really), if I don't practice and try.  So, here I am trying my hand at art journals. 

I've been pinning a lot of ideas on my art journal board on Pinterest. Some of the pins I'd like to duplicate because I really like them, others there might be a quote or part of a picture, or colour combination that I like and would like to experiment with myself.  I've also recently been watching some videos watching artists creating art journal pages, and have been feeling inspired.

I don't have a lot of supplies, so for now I have to work with what I have.  There are a few items I'd like to get soon though, because the techniques I watched on some of the videos requires certain supplies.

As I said, my journal is in a small coil notebook and it has lines.  I wanted to use my watercolour paints on this page, after watching a demonstration of how one of the videos showed how they created their background, so I had to use some gesso to cover the page.  I think I should have used more because I can still see the lines.  I'll try using more the next time and see if that helps.  I then just applied various colours of paint around the page and let it dry.  Once that was done I wrote the verse on the page (I have a habit of writing and drawing in pencil first, and then going over it with a black marker pen. I don't have the confidence to do anything in pen alone yet), and took inspiration off two of the many art journal pages I have have pinned on Pinterest.

So far I am enjoying doing art journals (I have this one where I record Bible verses and thoughts about the verse in, as well as a smaller one I use for general quotes that I like).  Hopefully it's something I will keep up with and improve in!

Peek-A-Boo! Here I Am!

I know, I know, it's been EONS since I've updated this poor blog.

To be honest, ever since I moved out west, I seem to have lost my knitting mojo. I'll knit a little bit - a few rows, part of something - and put it down because I just don't feel like knitting. I know some day I'll get it back. It still calls to me from time to time, and I do have yarn and needles...and items on the go.

I've started something new, though.

About eleven years ago, I took a painting class for about a year. I had to quit because I had enrolled in university and since I wouldn't be working while going to classes, I had to give up the painting class. I always promised myself that when I started working and bringing in some money, I would take another one because I enjoyed painting and found it relaxing.

I've been looking around here for classes, but haven't found anything - other than enrolling in one at the local college. I'm basically a beginner and I think (though I'd have to check it out) this class is more for people who have some artistic ability - which I lack at the moment.

A week or so ago, I was surfing Pinterest and somehow happened upon a website which offers online tutorial type classes. I signed up for a couple (you have access 24/7) and ordered a few supplies. I'm waiting for the brushes and markers needed for these classes to come in before I really sit down and practice.

One of the classes is on lettering - a form of calligraphy that uses brush markers instead of pen and ink. I watched the first couple of lessons (which are done by video) to get an idea of what she does. It looks so cool and neat, and I can't wait to get my brush markers so I can start practicing!

The other class is on drop flowers (I think that's what it's called...it's escaping my mind at the moment). It's watercolour - which I really like the looks of - and you make the flowers and then "drop" paint into the wet center, which results in a darker colour. After you finish painting, you outline it in black. They look so cool!

I guess when scrolling through Pinterest, what led me to this website was looking at various art journal and Scripture journal pages people have made. I've always thought those (or most of them) looked amazing and I always wished that I could do that. So, I decided that if I ever want to learn something I would need to try it and practice it. Otherwise I'll spend the rest of my life wishing I could do that sort of thing, and regretting not having tried it.

Here are a couple of my first samples. This first one I was more or less just practicing trying to get a background and using more of the paint on the dry paper around the edges, then wetting the middle and adding some yellow and blending the paint in. I don't think it quite worked out the way I had envisioned it, but I kind of like it anyway...even though the orange ended up overpowering the yellow.  I also normally don't gravitate towards these two colours (I'm more of a cool colour sort of girl), so I wanted to try using something I normally wouldn't.

For the drawing and writing, I just started with pencil and then traced over with a black gel pen. As I've said, I can't really draw. I have to look at something and then try to "copy" it...which is what I did here. I think it turned out OK. I definitely need more practice with my drawing as well.  For the verse, I saw it on a photo over on Pinterest (it isn't credited to any particular author, so I have no idea where the quote comes from, or who said it) and liked it so I used it. This is not a quote from me. I would give proper credit if someone knows who said this.



First attempt at drop flowers



The next photo is my first attempt at the drop flowers. I don't have the brushes that are recommended for this course yet (they're on the way and I should get them this week), so I was just working with what I have on hand.

The painting is somewhat on the small side, but I zoomed in so it looks much bigger than it really is.  I painted the flowers, dropped the colour in, did the stems and leaves, and added the middles (I used watercolour paint, but it didn't really work out right, and I don't have a white paint marker yet to add white dots to the middle to help it pop out, but I will add them when my order comes in). After I let it dry, I used my black gel pen to outline it. 

I actually did another couple of samples like this one, but I thought this first one turned out to look the best out of the three. So that's the one that got photographed.  I think it turned out pretty good.

So, as I continue practicing my drawing and painting (I also want to learn to do other watercolour painting - not just these pretty drop flowers), I will hopefully remember to share them here and document my progress.

And hopefully, the knitting mojo will kick in again and I will be able to add photos of those items as well!

Would love to hear what you think of my first attempts at the painting (don't be mean and cruel, though). Leave a note in the comments!

What have you been working on lately?