ART TIPS FOR ART JOURNALING

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I always get asked a lot of questions about my mixed media art work and art journaling and see a lot of posts on social media asking for tips, art techniques and what tools they need to buy in order to start art journaling.

​When I started out I was asking the same questions myself, so thought I would do a mini series on art journaling tips and tricks. This article goes through my favourite tips and  equipment and resources you need to get started. 

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Do I need to use Gesso?

​The simple answer NO you don't. I have never used it and have never seen the need. An art teacher at the school I teach told me it's a waste of money and time and I agree.​ You might need to use gesso if using overly thin paper such as Moleskine Cahier when there is a chance of bleed through, but a coat of white acrylic might be all you need to use as a base.

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Mixed media ideas: I covered a Marilyn Monroe canvas with acrylic paint, tissue, paper & printed collage sheets. I finished it all off with watercolour, stamps and gloss medium.

Should I buy Mod Podge?

Again the answer is NO, you can make your own very easily. You can search on You Tube and you will find several videos showing you how to make mod podge, all you need is a cheap pva glue and mix it with a little water, that's it. This can be used as glue to attach newspaper/tissue by applying a layer on the page, then another layer on top of the tissue paper.
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Alternatively you can use matt gel, which also can be used for creating texture with stencils then painting over it. I use matt/gloss gel for all sorts of decoupage on paper and canvas as well as giving texture to a page. I got mine cheaply off Amazon, no need for expensive ones.

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What paper should I use for Art Journaling?

I am a bit hit and miss when it comes to paper. I started out journaling in a Moleskine Cahier insert for a Travelers Notebook (Midori style tn), this paper seems fine for thicker paint such as acrylic, but is not very good for watercolour as the paper wrinkles. Watercolour paper is the best for any watercolour work (or canvas) and mixed media paper or sketch pad paper for acrylics, or again an art canvas.

​You can make your own inserts for tn's using a mix of paper. All these papers can bought cheaply from The Works or Hobbycraft and even the Poundshop for sketch paper. Mrs Brimbles has an excellent tutorial here Making Mixed Media Inserts for Travelers Notebooks.

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What other art equipment should I buy?

I have used a credit card to scrape paint to create a rainbow effect. I also have used chalkpens for the text and pentel gel pens for detailing.

​Obviously you need some paint brushes. I get mine from The Works or Hobbycraft online, I have found that the Poundshop ones are not as good, so you do need to pay more for brushes, but sets can be picked up for less than £5. A watercolour brush is a must as it is much easier than having to keep topping up the water.

​I bought a 3 pack of  Pentel Aquash Water Brush Pens from Amazon UK. Or if in the US these Water color brushes.
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Other tools to have are old credit cards for scraping the paint, excellent when you want a rainbow effect (see image). An old hairdryer is useful too so that you can speed up the drying time before moving on to your next layer.

​In the Eye of the Beholder Image I have used chalkpens from Amazon, they give a really vivid colour when writing over acrylic and are easy to write with. 

​Good paint pens are a good investment for mixed media, the Posca Paint Pens are great and they have different nib widths and are great for writing over paint. I also couldn't live without my Pentel Hybrid uniball gel pen in white and gold for extra detailing.

​Stamps and ink pads are also great for distressing pages and adding a bit of detailing such as in the image below.  Check out the Tom Holtz range of Distress Inks:

• Tim Holtz distress ink pad in Antique Linen
• Tim Holtz Distress Inks

More on this in my next tutorial.

On to the next in the mini series - CREATING DIFFERENT ART EFFECTS:
Click above for the next blog post in the series which gives you hands on tips to try in your art work and art journaling with video tutorials on:

• ​ADDING SALT TO WATERCOLOUR
• ADDING TALC TO ACRYLIC PAINT
• ​ADDING RUBBING ALCOHOL TO WATERCOLOUR
• ​CREATING YOUR OWN SPRAY INKS
• USING MAKE UP SPONGES TO DISTRESS A PAGE WITH INK PADS
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If you still want more ideas, then check out my Art Ideas Boards on Pinterest:
Art Journal Inspiration
Art Techniques and Tutorials

​Join my Facebook Art Journaling group: 
​Kerrymay._.Makes a Mess

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