Reconnecting with my Art Journal

This just in: local girl misses her art journal!

I've been spending my time, as of late, coloring in mandalas, doodling, & painting. Which is awesome and so amazing and full of magic! 

But I realized I missing living in a sketchbook/art journal. Carrying a book around and gluing in paper scraps, drawing dreams, and writing - poetry, yearnings, or whatever other words are aching to come out. I pulled out my old issues of Play & Art & Life, paging through all the art...the raw pages, the scribbled words, the photos glued into painted spreads. 

In my yearning to paint more, I'd lost touch with what brought me here, to this point in my life.  

And so, when I was able to get to the studio, I immediately pulled out my Neocolor II crayons, spray inks, white paint, and neon color and just started playing around. No need for balance or perfect or thought - just a girl pouring out her heart on paper. 

I love, love the pages I created​! The colors and textures and mistakes. All of them. All I made. And I want to make more! 

I'm thinking of giving myself a 30 day challenge to get back to myself & my art journal. A way to be accountable. And maybe this will turn into something different because of my new knowledge and techniques and favorite supplies. I don't know. But I'm super psyched to find out. ​

Would you like to participate? I'm going to give myself a prompt list, & blog each day, even if I don't finish or only make a few marks. I have a lot going on, lots of moving, but I know I can make time for my art.  

I'm thinking I'd post each day, but have a separate blog for progress pics and tips that would be a $5-$10 donation thing (more for energy exchange than anything else). Thoughts?  

I'm off to draw my own mandalas...I think after all the coloring and embellishing I've done, it's finally time to branch out on my own.  

PS. I've been updating my Etsy shop with new work twice a week. Here's my newest piece! Don't forget - I do commissions!

Fandom Inspired...

On Friday, Tangie hosted a fangirl art journal slumber party, and I just HAD to pick the Avengers, right? Like, no contest. 

I've never done a themed art journal before, or prepped all the pages beforehand, so all I have to show of that journal are vaguely-related painted spreads for my favorite characters. But I did carve some stamps while I was waiting for paint to dry. From the top, we have Captain America, then Iron Man next to the wing for Bucky Barnes (from the arm of his WWII era jacket, and I love him so!), then Thor's hammer, Black Widow's symbol from her belt, and crossed arrows for Hawkeye. 

Sorry, Bruce...I ran out of stamp carving material before I could make yours. Please don't get angry? 

(This has been a report from Samie is a Huge Fangirl Who Loves Comic Books. Yay for art + fandom! The other ladies did journals for Scandal, Charmed, Downton Abbey, The Voice, & Sherlock.)

we're all works in progress

I went into the studio the other night to work on a commission and a few other paintings for people, and ended up letting loose on a couple vaguely in-progress canvases, AKA pieces where the first few layers didn't work out so I paint over them until I like them. 

I think there are lessons in every stroke of the brush or line of the pencil. I've always been aware of the difficult point in every page and painting - I compare it to growing out your hair; it's great short, and you can't wait until it's long, but there's a middle point where it looks all wrong and you can't put it up but it's in your face that makes you want to give up. But if you stick with it, and let it grow, there are so many beautiful things you can do with it. 

Every day I go into the studio and pour myself into the paint, I engage in deeper conversation, one that is conducted without words - instead, it is all color and movement. Think of that time in Ratatouille when food is compared to music and color; that is what paint and crayons and paper are to me. Translations of those raw, vulnerable thoughts and emotions that are as tangled as a headphone cord in your pocket.

I love the wild spontaneity, the thrill of colors brushing up against each other. There is so much magic in the wild, heart-opening bravery of truly letting loose. Letting go of good and bad and just letting things be. 

I thought I knew what all this meant, but as I continue to grow, and open, and find a me that God has always seen, deep inside, I learn how tightly my bravery was, and how very much longer and wider I have to bloom. 

PS. I think only the last one is near being finished. There's just a bit more to be done. But I want to show all my imperfections and things-at-work because we're never really finished, just hit save at different moments. 

Plus, I love seeing color and texture and paintings & journal pages in progress, so that's what I share!  

PPS. Art Journal Summer Camp is coming up! Grab the bundle pack so you can play now while you wait for the bus to come and bring us to the virtual shore. I'd really love it if you came. I'll be sharing this lesson, & many more! 

Going BIG

Some days, I go to the studio and have a plan in mind. There's something I want to try, or finish, or a combinations of colors I want to explore (lately, it's been color palettes from Doctor Who I found on Pinterest). 

Other days, I just go and doodle or mess around. Draw for a bit or clean my tools. I've been known to sit there and look at Instagram or read. Not all creative work is done on the surface; the atmosphere in the studio is so amazing, I like to soak it in and let it guide me. 

Recently, I noticed that I was liking the pages created in my journal better than the ones on canvas, where Wireframe Girlsw were concerned. I just liked the look, or the way the pencil and inks worked on paper rather than canvas. I adore my garden series on canvas, but these girls...they work on paper so much better.

So I thought I'd step up my game and pull out my GIANT pad of Strathmore mixed media paper (18"x24") and start exploring this new vein - if I like the a Wireframe Girls on paper, but only in my art journal, could I translate the experience to bigger pieces?

To answer: yes, so far. 

I did the top one last week, but went in and added subtle shading with a Conté crayon and a paper blending stump, which was a great way to warm up. 

The second is still a WIP - I had a bunch of paint left on my palette from some other work I did, so instead of collaging and stamping and grabbing a reference image, I just started doodling and throwing down paint. There wasn't a full range of colors, since I just wanted to use up what was left, but I think it came out kind of amazing. 

And I think it serves as a reminder to how I got into doing these abstract girls in the first place - as a way to use up paint, or make a mess. I think I've gotten so concerned with adding texture that I've gone a bit overboard...you can kinda see it in the first one...all that texture added with each layer. It's magic and practice that keeps it all from mixing together (I don't wait for layers to dry...I just keep working!). 

I want to know what these women are thinking. What's going on in their lives? What is surrounding them? Do they need to escape, or are they content where they are? I feel like there's so much emotion, despite being faceless. Someone asked me if I was going to be adding faces later, and I honestly don't know. I'm leaning towards not, and here's why: 

The less detailed a face/illustration, the easier it is for the reader/viewer to put themselves into the story. The more detailed, the more we see it as 'other.' I'm terribly paraphrasing a book on creating comics, but this is the general idea. I felt like we all got super obsessed with making face, we forgot about everything else. 

What do you think? 

Also, if you're local, I'll be teaching this method of brushless painting on May 17th! Link to info and to sign up on the sidebar.  

a hand made alphabet

Remember me? 

I wanted to leave the gouache post up for a bit, since I've gotten so many questions about it; I also had a busy weekend, which means I was knocked down with a flare up Sunday night (it's cleared up, btw, which means studio time tomorrow!).  

Last week, I decided to tackle carving my own alphabet stamp set. I'm teaching a stamp carving class here in Phoenix later this month, and wanted to have a nice spread of different things you can create. Plus, my skills were a bit...rusty! And of course, this is one of those crafts that you just can't stop once you start up again, so I've been carving up a storm! 

I threw down some watercolor on a spread in my art journal and decided to keep a little record of what I've carved. Some of these need to be cleaned up - I have a feeling I'll clean them up until there's nothing left! - but love the little set. I kinda want to tackle a cursive one, next...

I also had the crazy idea of carving Captain American's shield (I'm a touch consumed at the moment, but am a life-long comics fan). I did those little arrows in the corner as well, so I'm thinking I may make a complete Avenger's set. Not that I can use them in artwork, but a lot of the fun of carving is in carving...cutting away the letters or shapes and creating something from your hands, a cheap cutter, and erasers (the alphabet is from cheap white erasers, the rest from some speedy cut I've had since my last Stamp Making Obsession). 

I use a lot of these in my art, as I don't have to worry about copyright issues...plus, I love having pages and paintings that are ALL MINE...from the stamps to handmade papers to the figures I draw. It's a certain kind of magic, to hold a finished thing in your hands. You took raw materials and made it with hard work and perseverance. 

(Notice I didn't say talent. That's because we can all do it, make stamps or draw or paint...just takes lots of practice, commitment, & enthusiasm!)

Gouache 101 (for art journaling)

This is a LONG post. But there's tons of info/pictures in here! 

Last year, I picked up a new medium to play with in my art journal - gouache. 

It’s a magical kind of paint, shrouded in mystery and a decided lack-of-books or blogs devoted to it. I’ve always been the kind of girl who experiments with a material, but I like to know a bit of starting information before I begin playing around, a jumping-off point so I don’t waste materials by using them wrong. 

But once I have a bit of a feel for it, I simply use it, and keep using it, becoming comfortable through application. You can read all the info you want on the web, collect books, and watch vids. None will teach you as well as your own experience. 

I found a lot of this at the forums of Wet Canvas, where there’s a devoted monthly gouache thread and a bunch of beginning tutorials. However, the type of art they create, while amazing and beautiful, doesn’t really align with the kind of art I want to create. For that, I found inspiration in Becca Stadtlander and Lisa Congdon and that dynamic dream team of Mary Ann Moss and Pam Garrison. There are also a bunch of artists who use gouache in new and exciting ways, such as JAW Cooper and Amy Sol. And if you want a daily infusion, hit up the tumblr blog Gouache Collective. 

And perhaps the biggest advocate of the awesomeness of gouache in an art journal is Roz from Roz Wound Up. Here’s her gouache compendium post that is, possibly, the holy grail of art journal gouache questions. 

That’s all just to give you an idea of what other people are doing with this awesome medium. I’m going to approach this as the student-me, and answer all the questions I had when I was getting started. If you have any that haven’t been covered, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email & I’ll be happy to clarify things for you. 

What is gouache, exactly?

Gouache is, at it’s core, an opaque watercolor. Traditional gouache is bound with gum arabic, just like watercolors. However, gouache has way more pigment in it, which gives it its covering power and matte, flat finish. Yep, there’s no shine to gouache…it dries flat, which is what makes it excellent for illustrations, as you can photograph or scan it and the colors will be captured brilliantly. 

Because traditional gouache is bound with gum arabic, it can be mixed with watercolors. 

The second type of gouache is acrylic gouache. This is what I use because it is amazing. The difference is the binder, or what holds the pigment together…this gouache is the love child of traditional gouache and acrylics, and boy do I love it. 

You see, regular gouache can be re-wet, just like watercolors. So you have to be careful when layering because you can pick up previous layers. But acrylic gouache can be layered much like acrylic paint, with the added awesomeness of concentrated pigments and matte finish. 

What is it used for? 

Gouache is a favorite of illustrators and plein air painters. It dries fast & can really produce striking colors. It can also be used for larger format pieces, but if applied in too thick a layer, can crack & flake. It’s best for smaller pieces and in an average sized art journal. Sometimes, artists will do a piece in watercolor or acrylic, and then go back in to add details and final elements with gouache. 

How do you use it? 

A little can go a long way. I start with a small, dime-sized amount on my palette & add a brush full of water. That means I just dip my #6 round into my water dish, tap it a little on the side, and mix that into the gouache. You want it to be a nice, creamy consistency that is easy to spread (this is also why hand-lettering artists love using it!). 

PS. These aren't the same colors...just as close as I have in each kind. 

If you want to do a glaze or thinner layer, you can mix traditional gouache with gum arabic, or acrylic gouache with any acrylic glazing medium you have. All those fancy mediums you use with your acrylics can be mixed with the acrylic gouache! 

Because it’s opaque, you have to mix colors with white to create lighter tints, and mix in black or a neighboring shade to create, well, darker colors. This takes a little learning, color mixing & theory, but I say just start playing around and you’ll soon get the hang of it. I can’t tell you how to mix many of my favorite colors just because I do it instinctually these days! 

Many lines of gouache carry lots of colors so you don’t have to do much mixing at all. 

What kind of brushes do you use?

Personally, I’ve found that round brushes for watercolor work the best. The bristles hold the water and paint really well, and the size and type of painting I’m doing works best with round brushes. I do have one wash brush for larger areas (mostly backgrounds), but that’s it! 

Because gouache is so velvety smooth (seriously, run your hands over a painted page and yuuuum!), synthetic brushes are best, since you aren’t looking for the texture that comes with using natural bristles. I use Blick studio, Windsor & Newton Cotman, & Simply Simmons brushes. 

Can you put it in pans like watercolors?

Yep! Traditional gouache can go in little pans — here’s a post by Mary Ann where she explains her method — but the acrylic gouache can’t. :( Because it’s acrylic, when it dries, it’s DRY. This is why you need to kinda know what you’re doing before you get started. 

What’s the best way to work? 

Gouache, like watercolors, is a medium that lends itself to planning rather than spontaneous expression. While you don’t have to have everything drawn out before you start to paint, it pays off to do everything of each color and shades/tints at a time, even if that means there are holes. You can’t squeeze out five colors and work all over the place for a half hour/hour like you do with acrylics — having an idea of what you want to paint beforehand really helps cut down on wasted paint. 

I also have an airtight palette that can help extend the life of my paints, in case I get interrupted…I just close it up and the paints keep for awhile. Of course, if you’re working with traditional gouache, such as the cheap Reeves set, you can re-wet things. I once squeezed some of that into my palette, and it kept tacky/wet for about three days! 

It works to layer things. Put down a mid-tone everywhere and start layering the highlights and shadows over that. Looking at the progress pictures of those artists I linked, or going through the Wet Canvas forums will give you an idea of how others work. I recommend sitting and working with the gouache on your own for a couple of weeks to develop your own plan of attack. 

Because of the matte finish, you can layer colored pencils, crayons, pencil, and more over it easily once it’s dry. 

Can I use water brushes with it? 

I’ve used mine with both types of gouache…just as long as you keep the bristles clean, I don’t see a problem. 

Why do you love it so much? 

Hrmm. There are a couple of reasons. I love the rich, velvety texture and the matte finish. Like, a lot. It makes me giddy and happy to look at and feel. 

Because of the matte finish, my journal pages don’t stick together at all. 

It is opaque, which means I can layer colors and have total coverage. I used to use a lot of paint markers, but now I can use paint! When I say it’s opaque, I mean it’s really opaque. 

It’s really easy to draw with and do lettering. Once you mix it with water and get the right consistency, it’s a dream to practice pretty handwriting or draw. I love doing the first layer with a magenta color, then adding layers over that. I mean, I love my fluid acrylics, but the acrylic gouache has the coverage I love and seems to flow a bit better. 

The tubes are MUCH smaller and easier to transport. I have about 20 in my tackle box, meaning I can carry one box and journal anywhere. When I started using it, I balked at the cost — about $5.89 each at Blick (I use the Holbein Acryla Gouache). That’s pretty expensive for a little tube! But you really do get a lot from it and if you plan things out, don’t have to worry about mixing or wasting any. And by plan things out, I mean I do a fast, loose sketch and have a general idea (and the opaque thing covers both pencil and INK lines!). 

As for brands and such: 

Reeve’s has a great starter gouache set that you can get for under $10 at most big box hobby stores. The paint isn’t the best, but it’s a great way to start playing and see if you like it. I did the cover of this journal with it, and it worked wonderfully. 

Personally, I use Holbein Acryla Gouache. I’ve tried the other brand, Turner Acryl Gouache, but found it isn’t nearly as creamy as the Holbein stuff. You have to mix in a little more water to get it to the right consistency, and I’m willing to pay $.10 more for the yummy stuff. 

My set of traditional gouache is the Utrecht Designer set. I got it on sale for Christmas, so keep an eye out for the next time it hits $30. It has both warm and cool versions of basic mixing colors, and is really smooth and lovely. 

Roz recommends either M. Graham or Schmincke. Since I don’t use traditional gouache much, I haven’t tried either of these brands, but I trust Roz’s judgement. 

It can be scary to start using a new medium! We want to know all the rules, and have demos, and make sure we’re doing it right. But learning comes from doing, and the way I’ve learned so much is through research and nearly daily application of the stuff. I decided to do all the drawings in the Red Storybook with it since it doesn’t bleed through the page and can be used on thin sketch paper. Yep! Because of how dense the pigment is, you don’t need watercolor paper for it to work right. Anything you can color with paint pens, you can color with gouache. 

I really hope this answered your questions! Phew! 4 pages! If you have more questions, feel free to ask. I’m thinking if there’s an interest, I may do a mini-less on it! 

Just…don’t be afraid to take something out of the box and mess around with it. Unused art supplies are sad because they want to help you express yourself, so take them out, make a mess, and learn something new!

A magical application of messy

Despite not feeling too well in the morning, I crawled out of bed around noon and got ready for the day before heading down to the studio. Tangie is back in town and opened it up for an open studio day, and i knew there was a high probability I'd see people I haven't in awhile. 

This always makes for conversation and geeking-out over new/new to me supplies. We share our pages and how things are going and try each others' supplies. It's great fun. I learned that I'm not the only one behind on The Documented Life project, but turning it into a different kind of planner seems to be the way to go. Having a written record of my emotions and general health would be super helpful right about now.  

I did finally get to making a mess. I decide to try and save the canvas from Thursday and use my smaller journal as an overflow book. 

I told you I tweak something each time I sit down to create; today, I found some complex poses in a copy of In Style and drew them on these pages. Was I intimidated? Hell yeah! But I knew the only way I'd get better as to try...because a "bad" piece of art is loads better than the art you never made because you were too afraid to try. I also gave them cloths, and used the Distress Inks to layer the colors in their hair to create more depth. 

And here's a great tip, and how I stamp larger stamps. Grab some of the new high flow acrylics (or airbrush colors, if your local art store has them) by Golden and brayer it on a piece of wax paper. Then apply to the stamp! I used a foam stamp and the image comes off really crisp and even. Plus, the paint dries and is easier to work over! I'm sure you can use the Liquitex ink! But I have found the Golden to be better. Thinner is better than thick!

And here's some more mess...

and textures...

here's what the spread looked like when I left. I find myself quite pleased because I can see forward momentum...this little journal is filled with experiments. And I often page back to earlier pages to get paint and texture ideas for the current one! How nice and convient!

But what happened to the canvas, you say. How did it come out? Like this. For some reason, I really love it. Not in the gaga way I do, say, an abstract from last week, but just...feel so settled. Rather, calmed. I can look at this painting and calm down and realize that's a type of love, too. And I'd love for someone to look into a painting of mine and feel something...it may be new, but it is most welcome!

I haven't listed it yet, but will probably do so next week. I want to sit for I a little longer (don't you?). 

How was your Friday? What did you learn? Let go of so you could create something awesome? Also, thanks for the tips about the Dollar Store, ladies! I found some great tools there and can't wait to start cutting them up to make pattern shapes! Woohoo! 

Super awesome special newsletter coming out on Monday...make sure to join using the form on the sidebar to get in on this action! 

Scraps from the Studio Floor + extra sweet RAK

Yesterday's post - and my own self-issued challenge to share something small every day - came about in this way: I had bought Show Your Work a few days earlier to prepare for the author's visit to my local bookshop. The talk Austin Kleon gave was funny and insightful, and I loved how he didn't have all the answers....just knew where you could probably look.

One of my questions was this: if I am the kind of artist who has more than one interest or project going on, how will people follow the narrative thread? 

Answer: Watch Pulp Fiction to study disjointed narratives. But more so, that I am the thread that commnects everything I do. A woman in line offered this addition; that I show how the work I did yesterday influences today. How did I apply something I learn painted to how I do my calligraphy, etc. This feels like an amazing idea, and I can't wait to start exploring the interdependent existence of my handful of projects and growing list of interests. 

I got into the studio a bit late today, but found this note on my table of drying paintings: 

Tell me that wouldn't make your day more awesome (especially since she's one of my admired artists!). We got together to chat and brainstorm and work out the plan for the next few months...which all sounds amazing, btw. I have a new class coming out, a video series, and I'll be getting over my fears and teaching in person again! 

After we chatted the day away, I was only able to do a couple of things. One is that I wanted to find easy and cheap solutions to paint with since not everyone can get the Catalyst tools I use most. This is a first idea, made from a stick, Solo cup, and some packing tape. 

It actually works really well, and I'm super excited to hit the dollar store, then start constructing my own tools to paint with. I get to play inventor for a day! 

Since I didn't get to painting, I thought I'd just share random bits from my work area, like my collage pile and WIP pieces. All the "scraps from the studio floor."  

So that's what I was up to....collaboration, some of the Work, and sharing. What did you create today? Feel free to email me or tag your pics as #jgdailycreative so I can pop in and see you! And don't forget to follow me on Instagram, as I usually post there first!

PS. There's open studio today, Saturaday April 18th, from 10am-4pm. Comment with your email address if you want to come, or grab me on IG where more details are posted. Should be an awesome fun day of art journaling!