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How to Collage with Dried Leaves in Your Journal
Have you ever tried collage with dried leaves in your art journal? Dried leaves can be a hard medium to use because they can crack and disintegrate in your project. But by using a few simple techniques, you can preserve your leaves and create a beautiful, layered autumn art journal project. Hop-A-Long Studio is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. How to Prevent Dried Leaves from Falling Apart The hardest thing about using dried leaves in your art journal is preventing them from falling apart. Especially with collage, if you use a thick gel medium…
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Textured Background Techniques for the Art Journal
I love adding interest to my projects with art journal textured background techniques. These beautiful techniques work for both my art journal projects and canvas projects. Adding texture as part of the initial layer before adding color lends to unique and beautiful results. Textures enhance the final look of your project and can help with design cohesion. Preparing the Surface Before adding background textures make sure to add a layer of gesso, especially on stretched canvas surfaces. This will strengthen the surface, add tooth, and allow you to add texture easily to the surface. Art Journal Textured Background Techniques There are many art journal texture techniques out there, but here…
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Mixed Media Art Journal Page – Hot Summer Days
Do you ever struggle with adding layers to your mixed media art journal page? Adding layers and still ending up with a cohesive page can be challenging. In today’s project, we will be exploring how to create a mixed media art journal page using inks, acrylic paint, stencils, and mediums in many layers that work well together. Art Journal Page Inspiration This mixed media art journal page was inspired by the paper collection Pour Decisions by Jenn Aguilar. When I saw this paper collection it made me smile. Between the puns, colorful imagery, and the feeling of summer it evokes, I just had to add it to a journal page.…
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Mixed Media Found Object Art Panel
Have you ever had objects that you wish you could incorporate in your art? Today we will be creating a mixed media found object art panel which includes these found objects into your art. By adding dimension to your projects, it can be very inspiring and is a great way of mixing up your creative practice. Found Object Art and Assemblage If you are new to found object art, it often goes by another name, assemblage. The dictionary definition of assemblage is “a work of art made by grouping found or unrelated objects.” This is exactly what found object art is. Where to Find Found Objects Found objects can be…
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How to Decoupage in an Art Journal
Have you ever tried decoupage in an art journal? If you have ever felt blocked trying to figure out where to start a new project or page, decoupage is a great technique to try. Today we will be discussing how to decoupage in an art journal and some of the techniques to get consistent results. Decoupage in an art journal is a very simple technique but it does require a few materials to get started. For years I did not try decoupage because I was uncertain of the materials to use and how to apply them. Today we will be touching on the paper, gels and mediums that can be…
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Monochromatic Art Journal Project
Have you ever tried using a color wheel when designing an art journal layout? This week we will be learning how to create a monochromatic art journal project and talk about the color theory behind this concept. What Does Monochromatic Mean? Monochromatic means “containing or using only one color.” When applying this to an artistic application, it is choosing one color as the basis of our project. It can be challenging only using one color in a project, but by understanding how color values work, we can create a very dynamic layout using only one color. What are Color Values? Color values refers to the lightness or darkness…
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Gelli Printing with Die Cuts
Have you ever wondered how to make those lovely Gelli print backgrounds and how to incorporate them into your projects? This week I was playing with combining Gelli printing with die cuts and Pan Pastels and had some fantastic results! Gelli Printing with Die Cuts Gelli printing with die cuts is a great way to combine and duplicate images in your art pieces, cards, and journal pages. I love using die cuts in my prints and then cutting these same images for use as focal images on my page. I find that using a repetitive pattern in my pieces bring cohesion to my art. What to do with Gelli Prints?…
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How to Paint a Night Sky
This week we will be learning how to paint a night sky using watercolor paint. This is one of my favorite self-care exercises as it is simple and so relaxing. What makes learning how to paint a night sky so fun is this technique can be used with other colors and other applications. This provides practice and an understanding on what colors you can create from blending watercolor paints. The Inspiration The inspiration for this project was thinking about the warm summer days when I can get out of the city and see the stars. I love the night sky, there is something about the expanse of it that is…
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Valentine’s Day Slimline Card
As Valentine’s Day is just days away, I wanted to share with you how to make a Valentine’s Day slimline card. Valentine’s Day cards are fun to make, but what if you want to move away from more conventional colors for these cards? In this tutorial we will be creating a card that does not use red or pink, but the more muted greys and greens. Slimline Cards Slimline cards seem to be everywhere. The style and dimension of these cards lead to some great creative possibilities. The panoramic style of them allows you to approach creativity and cardmaking in a different way. When used in an upright format, the…
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Altering Paper on a Journal Page
Have you ever had paper that you wanted to use in an art journaling project but were uncertain how to add it to your page? In this week’s project, we will be altering paper on a journal page. We will be focusing on two different ways that you can use a piece of paper on one journal page. For this week’s project I wanted to share with you one of my new favorite paper lines by Wild Whisper Designs called Carefree. I love this paper because it is so bright and cheery. In my city, we are experiencing a typical Canadian winter. With the snow and gray days, I often…
The Art of Self-Care
