I have been tossing around a way to combine all the things I love and put them into one journal. I don’t know about you but I have a bullet journal, a journal or diary to keep my thoughts and ideas, and I have numerous sketchbooks, drawing books, and watercolor travel journals. I guess the problem lies with the type of paper is in the journal, how many pages and what kind of media you would like to put in it.
Like I said it’s all about the paper. Paper is complicated. There are so many kinds of paper, different weights of paper, what fibers were used to make the paper and so on. I took a class in papermaking and I fell in love. It is labor intensive, but it is so rewarding. The paper I made I used in making books, I used a cotton pulp to make relief sculptures. There is so much to learn about paper and its uses.
That being said, I am back to my dilemma. My intention is to keep a travel-like journal in my backpack. I have a set of travel watercolors, a brush and various pencils and pens that I keep in my pack as well. I am also a photographer and I love taking random snapshots that are “In the moment” that I would like to keep in the journal, which is probably why I like to scrapbook so much. This seems like a lot of visual information to put into one journal, but I think I can come up with a plan that will accommodate various media, including wet media that will stand the test of time.
So in my trail journal, I thought I’d start with an idea for my next drawing mini-lesson on Emphasis with Texture and Movement. I want to address and focus on Emphasis and what it means visually. I thought I’d also demonstrate this element by using different media. One thumbnail watercolor painting, a pencil sketch and pen and ink drawing. It would be nice to compare the different mediums side-by-side. Also, I am going to use this photo and put it in the journal as a reference photograph.
Ok, so far so good. I need to add some more elements and then I will be through. The test journal is made with heavyweight watercolor paper, by the way, is amazing! The paper is very responsive to water and the paint looks phenomenal. I added a little swatch list of the colors I used which will come in handy if I ever need to recreate this painting. I used a micron pen and well, the paper is rough and bumpy so detailed drawings may not be a good idea. But I will try some drawings and get back to you.
I went to the Steadleter Fineliner and that worked, however, they are not waterproof. With that being said, I used I tiny wet brush and the ink started to bleed and act like watercolor. It made an interesting pattern around the lettering. Using pencil is a little tricky. I was not getting fine lines and the lead smudges quite a bit with a 2B pencil. However, I could make drawings and paste them in. Problem solved. I love when I can brainstorm and figure out a solution to my creative problems. I must agree with my favorite childhood artist, Bob Ross, “There are no mistakes in art, just happy accidents. However, I say that “There are no mistakes in art, just opportunities waiting to be explored.” And yes you can quote me on that!
Well, that’s my creative rant for the day. (Artist problems!) If you’d like to join me in this creative endeavor leave a comment or photo of your work. I know we can conquer this dilemma together!
Artfully yours,
Andi
Artful-Living 