Visual journals can open up a whole new realm of creativity for artists because they combine your feelings and thoughts in text and pictorial form. Unlike most journals, artist's journals are made from sturdy art paper that allows you to draw, paint and sketch your ideas, as well as write them. Even when not used to inspire creativity, art journaling can be a good way to release tension and vent emotions. Here is how to get started.
Where Can I Get A Visual Journal
For years, artists have used sketchbooks full of watercolor or other durable paper for their visual journals. Today, art supply companies are making sketchbooks/journals that especially made for art journaling.
For example, Strathmore's Visual Journal line contains journals made from a medium weight vellum finished paper for mixed media, smooth Bristol paper for drawing media and cold press watercolor paper for wet and dry media. These journals are spiral bound so that they lay flat while you work.
Hand Book Artist Journals are another sketchbook line that is targeted toward multimedia journaling. Their journals contain a wide array of paper choices and their covers are bound like books.
These art journals and others can be found in most art supply stores and online. For more on choosing the right one read: How to Choose a Sketchbook.
How Do I Start a Visual Journal
The first step to starting a visual journal is to not get too hung up in how it will look. You don't have to show the results to anyone. Just write down a few thoughts and then start doodling images that come to mind when you think about the subject. Before you know it the page will be filled.
Filling up that first page is the hardest part. Once you've gotten past it, play with different mediums as you record your thoughts. Here are some ideas:
- Sketch out your image in ink, then cover it with a wash of watercolor. Choose a wash color that matches your mood. See this article for more ink and watercolor ideas: Pen and Ink Techniques for Fine Art Drawing.
- Get vivid with some markers. You can trace the illustrations that you drew or color the whole thing in.
- Cut images or words from magazines, paste them to the page and paint and draw on them to integrate them into your idea. Collages can also be done with ticket stubs, pictures, restaurant menus, calendar pages and more.
- Write your text on wet pages using ink pens to create a bleeding effect.
- Get creative with your text. Turn the letters of your words into pictures.
For more visual journaling ideas read the article Books and Tutorials For Visual Journaling.
Using a mixture of techniques and your own thoughts, you can make your visual journal a work of art that may spur your creativity to create even larger works of art.
Alina Bradford - Alina Bradford is an artist with around 20 years of experience and 12 years experience as a professional writer.
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