Tutorials

To live our ordinary life artfully is to have this sensibility about the things in daily life, to live more intuively and to be willing to surrender a measure of our rationality and control in return for the gifts of the soul. 

~Thomas Moore~

Don't know where to start? Don't fear! 

Here you can see the process step by step to create these  pages. Very ordinary, easy and doesn't take a lot of time. Remember enjoy the process and do not let your own inner critic spoil your fun! You don't have to finish your pages in one sitting. 
Have fun!

• Page through magazines and find images you want to use. 
• I usually do this step without having an idea what I am going to do with these images but I discovered that when I work instinctively it will always tell me something once I have chosen them.

• Decide where you want to place them on your page.
• Lay them out testing and trying different layouts until you feel comfortable about your design.
• Use a glue-stick and apply glue all over the back of your images. You don't want any air bubbles underneath. Use a brayer or old credit card to make sure you get rid of all the air bubbles. 

Add colour to your pages. I used Jabtex Craft Acrylic in colours carnation, hot pink, lemon and sunflower and applied the layer with a brush.

Now the fun begins! 

• Using my Jabtex Craft Acrylic I painted the roses in the women's hand and gave the teapot a tray to stand on. 
• While working on these pages I suddenly had a Deja Vu experience. The universe gave me a title to write onto my page and showed me how to continue. I turned the teapot into a wishing kettle and wrote the words 'What do you wish for?' coming out of the spout. 

• Above you can see the finished page. 
• I completed it with stamping, writing, pen work and added more cut-out words. 
• I am happy with this page. It has meaning to me.   

You don't have to follow the same rules when you create in your journal. I work in different stages all the time

Here is another step by step tutorial. This is how I completed these pages.

Enjoy! :o)

• Start by creating a collage on your page. I used magazine clippings, an old pharmacy receipt, newspaper, typed words and small pieces of scraps from my  scrapbooking papers.  
• I used a solvent free, non toxic glue stick called Stiki Stik to glue everything onto the page. Make sure you cover the back of your collage papers completely with glue. Use an old credit card and with a hard scrape action move the card from the middle of image outwards. Repeat until you are sure there are no air bubbles.
• At this stage of the process I usually work instinctively. I do what feels right to me. I don't have an idea at this stage of exactly what the page will look like once it's done but glue my pieces in an arrangement that is pleasing to me. When you work instinctively you will also pick images that convey the way you feel. Just work with images and words that feels right to you. It will all come together. Trust the process and have fun. 

Are you having fun? Get ready to add a bit of colour to your pages! :)

• Paint a thin layer of white acrylic craft paint in some areas in the background as well as over the images to soften the look and feel of the page. This will bring all the elements on your page together. (You don't have to do this step at all or you may choose to soften only certain areas.)            
• Use acrylic craft paint diluted with water to paint certain areas. Splash and splatter it around. I used blue and green and allow the paint to mix in some areas.
• Allow some of the paint to dribble and run from the top of the page by lifting the journal and also opening and closing the journal completely. This will create interesting patterns and shapes on both pages.
• Allow the paint to dry completely before moving on to the next step.                                                

Don't forget to smile! Listen to some music and sing out loud, dance around the table if you want to! :)

• Use stamps to add extra interest where you want it.
• Time to do some penwork!
• Use your permanent marker to add interest by outlining the images and draw some doodles. 
• The white dog received a brown coat! I used Copic Markers but you can use anything to colour with.
• With the white gel pen I  added some high lights where needed.
• Alphabet stamps and black ink pad to stamp the words "I don't have to be perfect"
• With the black fine liner I wrote the words "I am only human" around the image of the woman. 

The last  but very important thing I did was I wrote the date.

And my page is done!  

I am only human ©Ansota

Feel proud, Feel happy, Feel alive! There is only one you!  

Tip

When you play in your art journal you don't have to say too much if you don't feel like it. A simple phrase, quote, sentence or some words that have meaning to you are all you need. You don't even have to write anything at all and you don't need to explain what your page is about either because you will know what it means. It is however important to date your page. A few years from now you will page through your journal and you will remember where you were when you did a specific page. It will trigger your memories and you will be able to see how far you have come since that day. 

Why do I art journal?

For further information and reading you can read more here. You will see why I keep an art journal and there are questions you can ask yourself which may be able to help you to find you own creative expression. 

How to organize your collage papers.

And for those of you who are struggling to get organized with all those collage papers filling up your space. Here is a post where I talk about how I organize my collage papers.