Mixed Media Art Journal Project “Grow”
Do you ever struggle with bringing different mixed media products together on a page? In this week’s tutorial I will be demonstrating how to do so in this mixed media art journal project “Grow”. In this project we will be using watercolor, Brusho Crystal Colours and pastes through stencils to make a colorful and dynamic art journal page.
The Intention
I usually start every art journal project with an intention for the project. Sometimes, it is something as simple as trying out a new art product or image. Other times it is a thought, word, or idea to work through as I create. Sometimes it is hard to know where to start.
It can be so easy to get bogged down before we even start creating. We can be distracted by the products that we are using. Staying focused on what we are trying to say or express can be challenging.
Often, I start with one question or one word when I start my page. The question for myself when I started this page was “What is my word for this year?” This then led to other questions. “What do I want this year to look like? What is my intention and what is my dream for this year?”
Choosing a Word
I chose the word “grow”, which is meaningful to me and a challenge to myself this year. I did not want to miss putting this in my art journal, because the art journal is more than just beautiful art. It reflects our thoughts, our hopes, and dreams. It does not always have to be profound, but by having intention with every page, I believe it can help us guide our art and expression in a meaningful way.
Why Grow?
So why choose the word grow? I believe in a year where things are still uncertain with the pandemic, focusing on growth is more important than ever. It is about not staying stuck but moving forward despite our circumstances.
It is easy to get sidetracked. To get lost in the rhythm of life and get distracted from working on the things that are most important. As Craig Groeschel often says, “No one has ever drifted to a destination they would have chosen.”
Growing requires us to retain our focus. What we focus on will grow in our lives. I often think of a garden when I think of growth. Not only because plants always grow. For them to grow well, they need the right amount of sunlight, of nutrients, of water. Plants do not grow strong and beautiful by chance. It is the right conditions and the right care that lets them grow.
Mixed Media Art Journal Project “Grow”
In this mixed media art journal project “Grow” I will show you how you can mix a few different mediums to get a bright and fun art journal page.
Adding Brusho Crystal Colours
The first step to creating a vibrant background for this journal page is to add Brusho Crystal Colours to your art journal page. My journal has Bristol paper pages that are removable, so I removed the page and taped it to a board before adding Brushos. This is not totally necessary, I have done Brusho backgrounds in a bound book, just make sure to add parchment paper or a craft sheet underneath your piece of paper to protect the rest of your book from water and color.
Add the Brusho Crystal Colours and spritz with water. To get the color all the way to the edges, use a watercolor brush instead of adding more water to prevent pooling on your page. If you do get pooling on your page, you can pick up the excess liquid carefully with your watercolor brush or paper towel.
Once you have the desired effect, let the page dry completely before moving on. If you have never used Brusho Crystal Colours before, please check out this article, where I go into more details on how to use these powders.
Adding Paste Through a Stencil
Once the background is dry, you can choose to seal the Brusho background with a workable fixative or leave it as is. Lay a stencil flat over your background paper. Using a palette knife, add paste through the stencil in a thin layer. You can use many different types of paste through the stencil. I was using a paste with glitter for this example, but there are a variety of pastes that will work with this technique.
If you choose to seal the background with fixative, the paste will stay white. If you chose not to seal the background, the Brushos will reactivate and a bit of the color will seep into the paste. It is a personal choice depending on how much contrast you want between the two layers. Set it aside to dry completely.
Stamping Images
Stamp the Tim Holtz Illustrated Garden images onto mixed media paper using archival ink. Stamp your word using Wild Whisper Designs Capital Letter stamp set.
Watercolor Images
Watercolor the images using a wet-on-wet watercolor technique. To see more about how to use watercolors, please check out this article. Once you have colored all your images and they have dried completely, cut the images out of the paper.
Assembling the Page
When assembling the page, if you have used masking tape around the image, remove it now. Be gentle when you are removing the tape to make sure that the paste and paper is not damaged.
Add the flower images to the bottom right-hand side of the page adhering with Zots glue dots. Trim off any of the flower images that go past the edge of the page. Once these are attached, add the word with glue dots on top.
Altering the Word Band
I used a Tim Holtz Ideology Word Band for my quote for this page. To alter it, rub white paint across the surface and let it sit for a minute. Rub off excess paint so that the paint remains in the crevices but not on the surface of the quote. Attach to the page using brads.
Add Journaling
The final step to this page is to add journaling. I chose to use a white pen to add journaling on the Brusho background in the areas that do not have paste. This way, the journaling is there and readable, but is not the focal point of this page.
What Do You Think?
What do you think of this page and did you enjoy the process? I would love to hear what you think of this project and if you had any questions about the techniques. I would also love to hear about if you chose a word for yourself for this year. Please leave a comment below or contact me directly, I would love to start a conversation with you!
Project Supply List
- Koh-I-Noor Bristol Board Journal
- Brusho Crystal Colours: Rose red, vermillion, lemon, cobalt blue, purple, yellow ochre, ultramarine
- The Crafter’s Workshop Flower Frenzy Stencil
- Aleene’s Glitter Snow
- Bee Stamping Company Mixed Media 92lb paper
- Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
- Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Illustrated Garden Stamp Set
- Wild Whisper Designs Capital Letter Stamps
- Winsor and Newton Cotman Watercolors: Cadmium Yellow Hue, Cadmium Red Pale Hue, Hooker’s Green, Viridian Hue
- Mission Watercolor Lemon Yellow
- DaVinci Cosmotop Spin Watercolor Brushes Size 2, 4 and 6
- Thermoweb Zots Clear Adhesive Dots Small and Large
- Sakura Gelli Roll Glaze Pens Turquoise and Black
- Sakura Gelli Roll Pen White
- Tim Holtz Ideology Word Bands and Brads
- Other materials: Board, masking tape, paper towel, spray bottle, water container, water, palette knife, scissors
