Art Journal Catalysts

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Lesson 4 – Layering Image Transfers

Lesson 4 – Layering Image Transfers

For this final lesson, I will demonstrate how you can create a really cool art journal spread by layering multiple image transfers on top of one another. This particular process does take time to complete, only because you have to wait until each transfer is completely dry before you add another transfer over it. But the outcome is so worth the time and wait.

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How to make an envelope journal

How to make an envelope journal

Connections Hey y'all! It's Katie here with my tutorial for the Season of Connections! Have you ever had a penpal? I used to have half a dozen of them when I was a...

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It’s Happening Now: Making Art Fast and Slow to Create a Page of Opposites

It’s Happening Now: Making Art Fast and Slow to Create a Page of Opposites

First we will work as fast as we possibly can, going wild on the page without stopping to think about what we are doing. Next, we will move to the opposite extreme and work incredibly slow, slower than we might have imagined possible. Lastly, we will bring these two extremes together to create a page of opposites, inspired by the principles of yin and yang.

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Creating a mixed media self portrait

Creating a mixed media self portrait

Connections "A portrait affirms; it gives the gift of self to its subject. It says, 'Yes, you are worth spending this time over, your story deserves to be told, you should...

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How to combine contrasting media

How to combine contrasting media

Contrast Hi again messians!In this post, I will share with you quick tutorials on contrasting mediums. These are the tools and products you wouldn't necessarily think about...

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Lesson 4 – Lines, Lines, Lines

Lesson 4 – Lines, Lines, Lines

Lines can be utilized in many different ways to create visual interest in your artwork. Lines can be used as a graphic element to create drama, help draw the viewers eye across the page to a point of interest, create backgrounds with controlled line work and more.

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The paintbrush of power: Using comics and cartoons to turn yourself into a superhero

The paintbrush of power: Using comics and cartoons to turn yourself into a superhero

When I read all our posts and conversations on the Facebook group or on the forums, I am continually blown away by the incredible human beings that make up this community. I see courage, creativity, friendliness, and love. I see artists making the world a better place each and every day. Lets play at being superheroes, celebrating these incredible qualities and bringing them to life in our art.

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How to paint intuitively

How to paint intuitively

Contrast "The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.” – Elizabeth GilbertHello my favorite artists! It’s Riet here...

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How to create a collage of hands

How to create a collage of hands

Hey Messians. It's Nina here with a fun and simple idea for your next art journal spread. Since we're in the season of Gifts I thought it only appropriate to make this piece about...

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Storyboard Sunday: Using comic book panels to tell your tale

Storyboard Sunday: Using comic book panels to tell your tale

Comic book panels are a great way to focus in on the small moments while, at the same time, building up a bigger picture of the story we want to tell. In this tutorial, we’re going to be telling our stories by combining a comic book page layout with a mixed media, art journaling style.

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How to journal with leaves

How to journal with leaves

Nature Hi Messians! Today I am going to share with you some ideas on how to get nature directly into our art journals. I have used different types of leaves for all of my...

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How to make an accordion folded journal

How to make an accordion folded journal

Fairy Tales Surprise! It's Misty! Normally Vanessa kicks off our seasons but she was kind enough to switch with me for Season of Fairy Tales so I could show y'all how to make...

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How to give your figures colourful hair

How to give your figures colourful hair

Colour Hey Y'all, Katie here today to share a tutorial with you! As you know I love drawing and painting, and with it being the Season of Color, I wanted to share with you how I...

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How to use lines expressively

How to use lines expressively

Art 101 Hello Messians! I'm so excited to be back on the creative team this year and today I am sharing a very simple how-to guide for creating expressive lines in your pages....

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10 Songs 10 Minutes 10 Pages

10 Songs 10 Minutes 10 Pages

When I’m staring at a blank sketchbook or art journal page, feeling the call to create but at a loss for where to start, I often turn to music. A good song can evoke so much. I draw from...

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A beginner’s guide to drawing faces

A beginner’s guide to drawing faces

Hey friends, it's Katie here today! Your resident doodler! I'm the girl that always has ink on her hands! Really. This year I'm doing a challenge to  draw or paint something...

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Writing letters to your past self

Writing letters to your past self

Hello everyone, Nina here. One of the most humbling experiences in life is learning just how much we don’t know. As we get older we realize that the things we used to be one hundred...

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A guide to hand lettering

A guide to hand lettering

Hand lettering is something that everyone can do. I think it’s really important to embrace your writing, it’s part of you and your personality. I love to use my handwriting on my journal...

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Lesson 9 – Replacing Water with ink

Lesson 9 – Replacing Water with ink

For our first lesson that uses both felt tips and inks together, we are re-visiting lesson 1. Lesson 1 taught us how to blend out our felt tips with water – this time though we are replacing the water with ink, or a mix of water and ink. This will give you a more pigmented finish and also allow you to mix colours and opacities.

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Lesson 3 – Felt Tips + Magazines

Lesson 3 – Felt Tips + Magazines

In this lesson, we are using magazine pages instead of our art journal. Try and gather 5-6 different pages to try out these techniques. I always gravitate towards black and white imagery – or pages with a lot of blank space on them. This way, your felt tip marks are the star of the show with their bright colours and the images don’t steal focus.

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Lesson 2 – Felt Tips + Water

Lesson 2 – Felt Tips + Water

Taking what we have learned from our first lesson, we are repeating some of the same layering techniques but this time, adding water. The inclusion of water changes the aspect of felt tips so much and there is a lot of different ways to approach this method. Grab your supplies and let’s make a splash.

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Lesson 1 – Layering Felt Tips

Lesson 1 – Layering Felt Tips

We will be learning how to layer felt tips on a page. Using multiple colours to create new blends for backgrounds and patterns. Playing with warm colours, cool colours, light and dark colours together.

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Playful Printmaking

Playful Printmaking

Kindness Hello Get Messy Family! I am thrilled to share one of my favorite art journaling techniques with you. This is one that I find easy to do, inexpensive, great for all...

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Journaling in monochrome

Journaling in monochrome

Colour Hello all, it's EmK again, and I'm here to talk to you about using color! I know that you’re probably not surprised that I'm talking to you about color this season, but...

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Expressing yourself through colour

Expressing yourself through colour

Colour Welcome to the Season of Colour! Vanessa here to usher you in to this Season. As is always the case when we start a new theme, I need to find a way in. I need to figure...

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Masking and resist techniques

Masking and resist techniques

Contrast Hey Y’all, Katie here! For today's tutorial I wanted to share a few different techniques for doing watercolor resists and masking with with a variety of supplies....

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How to create flowing journaling

How to create flowing journaling

Art 101 Hi Get Messians! Jennifer (@stitchandletter) here. I'm so excited to show you one of my favorite lettering styles, what I'm calling "connected lettering." I've been...

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How to produce detailed layers

How to produce detailed layers

Art 101 This technique is an art journaling step by step that anyone can do, whether following the steps as I have done, or adding your own unique spin to the steps. There are...

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Including song lyrics in your art journal

Including song lyrics in your art journal

Music is such a powerful part of life and memory. You can hear a beat, a lyric, see an album cover and be immediately transported to another place and time. I have strong connections...

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Messy Mandalas

Messy Mandalas

Reflection In this Artist Date, Clare will guide us on how to make a ‘Torus’ mandala base using a compass, along with a freeform method which needs no equipment apart from a...

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Lesson 4 – Colouring In

Lesson 4 – Colouring In

For this lesson, we really are going back to kindergarten. Colouring in is one of life’s simplest joys. It is remarkable for calming your nerves as well as creating bold and fun pages.

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Lesson 5 – Simple Shapes

Lesson 5 – Simple Shapes

Often we see shapes as separate from the idea of mark making, but shapes are comprised of marks to create them. We use marks to build the shapes we want to see. Shapes can be used to portray all kinds of expression and emotion to a page.

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Make mandala magic

Make mandala magic

Kindness Hi fabulous messians, this is Clare and I am here to show you two ways to make a mandala.  Both are meditative and lovely to draw and create. Let's practice some self...

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How to keep an illustrated dream journal

How to keep an illustrated dream journal

Guys, it’s Julia here with the most exciting thing ever. Be prepared to put a journal under your pillow because we’re about to get early morning creative! Creating a dream journal is...

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Art journaling from a kit

Art journaling from a kit

This season, we've been sending and receiving art journal kits. For those who are struggling to get started with using your kits, Julia, Karen, and I (Caylee) thought we'd share what...

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Movable Idea Catchers by Kiala Givehand

Movable Idea Catchers by Kiala Givehand

IdeasYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create an interactive way to explore and discover the ideas that live inside you. Part 1Bonus Save this file to your computer, print it out, and...

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How to include yourself in your art

How to include yourself in your art

Documenting Sasha Zinevych Sasha is a memory keeper and mixed media artist from Ukraine who currently lives in Poland. She is mesmerized by other people's journals and...

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Document your Inner Landscape

Document your Inner Landscape

Documenting In this lesson Caroline shows you how she uses her everyday journaling practice as a resource for art projects and inspiration. She believes that our inner...

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Textured Reflections by Amanda Trought

Textured Reflections by Amanda Trought

ChaptersYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create a reflective texture-rich art journal page. Bonus Save this file to your computer, print it out, and allow it to accompany you on...

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Collage Relaxation

Collage Relaxation

Promise#gmseasonofpromiseYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Relax with your art and get into flow state with this easy art journaling technique. Repurpose scraps...

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Intuitive Collage & Paint by Tamara Egem

Intuitive Collage & Paint by Tamara Egem

Flow Your challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create your own flow moment. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take what you need, and know that more than zero is enough. Click here...

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4.1 Symbols of You

4.1 Symbols of You

Welcome to Symbols Of You. Together we will be exploring how the use of colors, words, and symbolism can be used to illustrate the positive energy we would like to celebrate and bring more...

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Flower Fever by Cathy Nichols

Flower Fever by Cathy Nichols

SlowYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create a field of flowers using warm and cool colors. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take what you need, and know that more than...

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Starting Points

Starting Points

Select one simple starting point from nature and recreate it several times in different ways in your sketchbook.

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