Art Journaling 101-Getting Started

For interesting backgrounds , divide the paper in halves or fourths, visually or with a ruler. Make sure to dry between colors to prevent muddiness. Add circles and other shapes. Write in, around, or outside of the shapes. Use magazines and cut out people or things to use as stencils. An X-acto knife works well for the fine details. I have used walnut ink in a spray bottle to accomplish this, but any spray method would work. The paper curls when it gets wet, so you may want to trace/cut the image on heavier paper or acetate for multiple uses.

Art Journaling 101-Basic Supplies

I want to share my findings with you about art journaling. Over the years I have done so much the hard way, purchasing supplies I don't need, only to discover someone else has already invented the wheel. The following will help you get started with minimal time and money.

SURFACE: Good quality paper, that will respond well to a variety of mediums. Choices include bound Moleskine (say: Mole-ay-skie-na) journals or 140lb. hot pressed water color paper. Some artists like this paper loose, so that they can bind it at a later date. The size is up to you.

PAINT: For backgrounds you may want to apply a wash of color and let dry. This can be accomplished with watercolors, gouache or acrylics. The more water you add to the paint, the more sheer (transparent) it will be. There is a balance, however. You don't want to saturate the paper too much. This will cause buckling when the paper dries. There is a process to stretch out watercolor paper prior to use, but that is probably more involved than you want to get with an art journal. A heat gun (the kind used with embossing powders) may be used to speed the drying process. Some acrylic brands to look for are Golden, Studio by Claudine Hellmuth (for Ranger), and Liquitex to name a few.

BACKGROUND OPTIONS: In addition to paint you may add magazine clippings, decorative papers, wallpapers, handmade paper, wrapping paper, doilies, and scrapbook papers. I challenge myself to use what I have, to be more economical. Another trip to the shops just creates another delay as well.

ADHESIVE: An acid free glue stick will work well, along with Herma type adhesive tape. There is a current cult following with the Coccoina glue sticks, of which I am a fan.

MARKERS: There are 2 marker brands that art journalist rave about. The first and most talked about are the Faber Castell PITT markers. They contain permanent india ink and are waterproof. The other brand are the Copic markers. They are refillable, come in 214 colors, and the nibs are replaceable. A good deal can be found on these at SamsClub.com. I purchased the PITT ones with my Michaels/JoAnne's coupons so they were quite affordable in comparison.

DETAILS: You may wish to define, colorize, or highlight your pages. I have come across many references to Portfolio oil pastels. They are very affordable, do a great job, and are made by the Crayola company. If you read the reviews, you'll see that artists stress that they are serious pastels, and not made for children. They rub into the surface quite well and are water soluable. The other favored brand is Caran D'ache Neocolor II. They are watersoluble crayons. A great product description is on Amazon.com. Watercolor pencils can also add detail and dimension to your pages.

This will be on your "Permanent Record"

We desire to document the things we want to remember. A journal is a record of a moment in time. It may chronicle poetry, emotions, memories, and situations be they fact or fantasy. Diaries are calendar and date specific. These tend to be a pen to paper, listing of events, hopes and dreams.
An art journal may differ by containing abridged versions of these elements, with the addition of some form of illustration. Unless destroyed by neglect, an art journal is a permanent testament to its author/artist.

After reading countless art journal books and blogs, I have discovered the many commonalities between accomplished art jounalists. In a future "Art Jounaling 101" post, I will list suggestions to get started.

Table Top Collage

A friend came over and we applied cutouts from 1950's women's magazines, leopard tissue paper, and handmade paper in a deep red. This was done by using the "cosmos" punch from Martha Stewart Crafts, a styrofoam cone, and straight pins with colored heads. I like the contrast of the magazine text, against the colored papers.

I can see using this idea for parties-just coordinate the colors to your theme. I doubled up on the layers for contrast, but this took sooo long. Next time I will alternate single punches. The focal point was a larger cutout that we glued on.

It has been raining here in Southern California for a week, so when the sun peeked out for five whole minutes, I grabbed the shot outside of the front of the cone.

Preparations

Maybe you are like me...lots of ideas and lots of distractions. In my studio, I have multiple supplies for many projects, but needed some order. I have an inexpensive Plano shelving unit (purchased at Lowe's,) that I have organized. It included another shelf, but that was too tall for my space. The unit was only around $25, so great value. The items may change frequently, but at least I have a home base. This coincides with the "If I see it, I'll use it" concept.

Shelf 1: Collage supplies. I selected Liquitex because thats what I used in college. I noticed many artists use Golden acrylics, but I can't find those locally, so I will use these to get started.

Shelf 2: For papercrafting I placed my glitters on a spice organizer. I also like to dispense them into salt and pepper shakers. I purchase those mostly from Ross for $8 a pair. The silver on top starts to tarnish, and everyone thinks they are vintage. They just look so fun that way, and I love using them.

Shelf 3: Aka the floor. Here I placed my vintage books purchased at a used bookstore. Many of them are pre-1922 so I don't have to worry about copyright issues. I asked a professional artist about this and have done some investigating. Basically the goal is to use images/text that are not recognizable, and to try your best to see if there are any copyright issues. This of course would be an issue if one is to sell their finished work and for purposes of licensing.

Formality vs. Whimsy

For my purposes, I will concentrate on two main genres of collage. There is an obvious difference between collages viewed in museums, and those seen in say, the Somerset Studio family of magazines. I like both genres and appreciate that both categories contain both self-taught and schooled learners. Both contain fragments of materials and a support. I would suggest the main difference between the two is the tone. One reads as "whimsical", the other as "formal". Depending on materials and mood, I will be exploring both.

Surface Options

I've been researching different options for surface. I can paint and collage on canvas of course, but am considering wood panels as an option. I'm guessing one could be more aggressive with wood, as I have noticed canvas can stretch slightly. I'm thinking ahead about this because I may want to reproduce the finished product.

About the Title

Why Jam and Talc? This was the rehearsed answer to the question "Do you have anything to declare?" by US Customs Officials. They would look at my friend and I incredulously, and wave us on. Driving away hysterically with laughter, this continued for years. Even though we did purchase jam and talcum powder, it sounded ridiculous to travel out of the States for it.

Hello 2010

New year...
New decade...
New blog...