If you are familiar with this blog, then you know we love to do posts about art journal ideas! This time we have another fantastic list of art journal ideas for you to take inspiration from for your own art journaling.
You may be wondering, what is art journaling? Art journaling is a freeing concept, it’s a diverse and fun way to journal. There are no rules in art journaling and you can do as you please, with how little or how over the top as you want! It’s all about putting different materials to the paper and letting your mind run free.
Different techniques are used in art journaling, such as collaging, acrylic painting and watercolor wash, drawing, sketching, writing. Anything you feel like. Put your thoughts onto paper by mixing different art supplies and colors together, go as bright or as dark as you want. Every outcome is different.
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supplies
Before we get into our art journal inspiration, below is a list of art supplies which you might find useful for your art journaling.
Sketchbook – This Moleskin Art sketchbook, is hardcover 5”x8.25 and has 104 pages. This is what all the ‘artists’ use and is great because the paper isn’t too thin, it can handle ink and sketches.
This black spiral soft cover sketchbook, has 100 pages and 100gsm weight paper, slightly more thicker paper and durable for more.
Paints – These Dr Ph Martins Bombay Ink, 12 bottles has gorgeous to use. They have the most vibrant colors and won’t wear out to sunlight.
Ph Martin’s Hydrus Watercolor Set, pack of 6 are also one of the finest watercolor sets out there. They blend easily together and make the most beautiful art.
If you prefer acrylics then try these Pheobe Fine Studio Acrylics, set of 30 paints. This set has a lot of colors so you won’t have to do much mixing.
Other art supplies –
If your looking for brushes, then this set of 15 Brushes with a palette knife and sponges will be great to get all those lovely textures in your art journal.
This set of 96 Sheets of Textured and Patterned scrapbook paper will be great for all the lovely collages and mixed media.
We all need a good paint palette, and this large paint palette with 20 wells is great for your art needs.
Let’s dive in to the art journal ideas!
Number one
Source: korinsnss
Starting off with this scenic art journal spread which looks like it has been created on brown kraft paper. Create something like this by using different acrylic paints, the artist has ‘splattered’ paint onto the page too. There are also subtle stamping used in the back and I love the scribbles of writing, it’s a good way to add your thoughts in a decorative way.
number two
Source: juicy.s.art
A colorful and energetic art journal spread with this one. The color palette is bright, however the colors have been chosen in a way to compliment each other. This art journal spread is working in layers, with the base color and then adding lots of mark making on-top. There is also some collaging and stencilling add the extra edge in black.
number three
Source: supermamadesvosges
This art journal spread is minimal but at the same time not. The main technique used for this art journal spread is collaging with different art pieces shaped as circles. If you have scraps of paper lying around which you don’t use, this is a good way to put it into used by making shapes and forming patterns in your journal.
number four
Source: fmddesigns
A very painterly spread we have here. Sometimes art journaling doesn’t have to be about using all the different techniques, but you can use one technique and go with it. This artist has chosen to only use paint as her technique of choice, making a beautiful abstract piece of art on her journal spread.
number five
Source: little_ammy_arts
A beautiful spread with lots of little details, this art journal page is constructed using inks on handmade khadi paper. Khadi paper gives a really good texture and has rough edges. Loose watercolor has been put down onto paper and then little patterns have been drawn on the paint. This can be very therapeutic and relaxing to do!
number six
Source: supermamadesvosges
This artist has let her imagination run free with a whole array of techniques and mediums used for this page. Paints and collage as well as oil pastels have been added to this art journal spread. Oil pastels and pastels in general can be good to add some lovely texture onto your page, they mix and blend really well.
number seven
Source: amandaswork
Another painterly spread but this time, it almost looks like graffiti style art, which is something totally different from what we have seen so far. There is no rhyme or rhythm to this page, but lots of acrylic paint has been used to paint out the artist’s imagination and inner thoughts. Get your medium of choice and just flow with it!
number eight
Source: craftysheri
A stunning spread with lots going on and it looks so aesthetically messy! But isn’t that the whole point of art journaling?? Brown paper has been used on one side of this art journal spread, using different colored paper helps to give some contrast, also paint can look different on brown paper.
number nine
Source: nabi_journaling
A lovely nature inspired page with foliage for the main attraction. Different shades of dark ink has been used for the background of this page along with different sizes of ripped paper to give more texture to the page. White paint has been used for the foliage painting on-top.
number ten
Source: sandhya.art_
If you are good at illustration, then try out a self portrait in your art journal spread like this artist has done on two different spreads. A very thought out spread because the colors go well together and I love the paper used at the edges, giving the page more depth and character. Old stamps have also been added as accents to the page, something which we wouldn’t think to use!
number eleven
Source: janechipp
This artist has chosen ‘wintery’ colors for this spread, making it look like a snow themed page with lots of 3D texture on-top. Some embroidery has also been stuck on-to the page and this is something that is so overlooked with art journaling, adding stitching. You can even embroider right on to paper or even draw with a sewing machine.
number twelve
Source: daria_ulelele
A colorful interpretation of nature and the outdoors, with just a few coloring materials. Working with what you have at hand can be enough to create something wonderful. Choose a scenic picture or even take your journal outside with you and draw or paint your own interpretation of what you see in front of you. Art is all about your own version of what you see!
number thirteen
Source: carolyn.sn
This artist has used book pages for her background and worked on top. If you find backgrounds hard to do and are stuck for ideas, this is a good way to tackle that creative block and go in head first with creating.
number fourteen
Source: wingsofjournal
A simple art journal spread with just a few elements yet it looks very complete. The brown paper is a great contrast to the white paper and enhances the page. With just a few simple shapes and crayons, you can create a masterpiece for yourself.
number fifteen
Source: soul_positive
A page focused on ‘positivity’, because for this artists, these colors represent positivity. This can be a good exercise to do in your art journal, choose an emotion and let the colors be the representation for that emotion. You can even do this for a favourite quote or song, use it as an art journal prompt.
number sixteen
Source: abshanghai
I love this art journal entry because it has so much going on and it’s all composed on a journal! Real foliage and flowers have been glued on-to the page, as well as textured fabric pieces for some more depth. The vibrant butterfly at the back of the page is really the showstopper. Creating a journal entry like this would be great if you are travelling and collecting elements on your journey.
number seventeen
Source: juliehamiltoncreative
A very cohesive color palette with this spread, shades of blues and the added green gives it a pop of contrast. Mainly bits of collage has been used to create this abstract art journal spread. This is a good way to use up scraps of old art paper and put it into good use.
number eighteen
Source: carolyn.sn
I couldn’t resist but add another journal spread from this artist. Here the artist plays with lots of layers on book paper but simply adds some mark making on the top with some acrylic paint and markers. The colors are just so joyous!
number nineteen
Source: getmessyartjournal
For this piece, the artist has painted over a scenic background and created her own peaceful version with the ocean and kraft paper to represent sand. That’s the beauty of art, something completely new can be created from a picture.
number twenty
Source: susanne_rose_art
If you are familiar with this art journal artist, then you will see she has a very distinctive style and really stands out. She uses bright colors and bits of collage to create something eccentric and very flowing. I love her add of black elements to stand out against the color, this is something we see quite often in art journaling.
number twenty-one
Source: everythingartuk
This art journal spread feels very raw and unfiltered, like the artist hasn’t thought too much about the end picture but just jotted paint and scribbles down where she feels like. The spontaneity really shows on the spread. Even though it feels spontaneous, the colors are still quite limited but work well together.
This comes up to the end of our 21 art journaling ideas and I hope you have gained lots of inspiration for your own art journaling journey. As you can see, you don’t need much to create something beautiful and aesthetic.
If you loved this post, be sure to check out some of our other art journaling posts below:
23 Colorful And Creative Art Journal Ideas For Artists To Admire.
From Dreams to Reality: Exploring 25 Unique and Inspiring Art Journal Pages.
Artistic Pages: 19 Creative Art Journal Ideas to Spark Your Imagination.
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