Here's a list of art journaling supplies...
Journal of your choice: such as:
- Moleskine (or similar) bound journal- these come in different paper types...thin, writing type paper can be found in the ruled, squared, plain styles so if you plan to use wet media (paint, watercolors, inks, sprays, etc.), these wouldn't be your best bet. If one of them is what you already have, go with it (we'll cover how to thicken up those pages later on.) Moleskine also has the sketchbook and watercolor journals. Both are great choices for wet media with no real prep-work. (The Moleskine sketchbook is one of the first art journals I used.)
- Handmade Journal- depending on the type of paper, these can be a great choice. (*See paper types under the Moleskine journals.) Also, the binding of your handmade journal is something to consider...copic bound and comb/spiral bound journals will lay flat while you work in them. Others bound in different ways may not be as easy to work in if they constantly pop-up or have to be held open.
- Loose pages- Some of my favorite art journalists use loose pages and bind them later (check out Roben-Marie Smith.) This can be a great option, if you are sure you can keep them together. You can choose the paper type (watercolor paper, cardstock or even file folders which hold up great for journaling) which is a huge plus.
- Composition notebooks- this is what my first art journal was. The paper in these is regular notebook paper so it's thin and won't hold any wet media on it's own. You can gesso/glue 3-5 pages together and then gesso the thicker ones in order to get them to stand up to wet applications. Not a horrible choice but definitely one that will take more time and work.
- Altering an old Book- (my thanks to Zuzu for reminding me of this option) this is probably one of the cheapest ways to art journal. It will to make your art journal a really individual journal of your art and your life. Hard back books are really cheap at thrift stores and your library book store. As with Composition notebooks, you can gesso/glue 3-5 pages together and then gesso the thicker ones in order to get them to stand up to wet applications.
- Etc.- Some of the less thought of art journal ideas are: index cards, rolodexes, calendars and datebooks. You may think of some place to journal that I haven't covered and that's awesome. Go with it. You are only limited by your own imagination.
Mark making tools- this can
include any (or all) of these: pens, gel pens, ball point pens, fountain pens,
any and all kinds of pens. Markers, sharpies, paint pens, calligraphy pens,
charcoal, pencil, graphite,…anything that you can make your mark (journal) with
is good. What are you comfortable with?
Images- magazine clippings,
computer printouts, personal photos, copies of photos, your own art or copies
of it, junk mail, fliers, take-out menus, weekly coupon inserts, and anywhere
else you can think of to obtain images.
Ephemera-I had never heard this
word until I started in mixed media art. Ephemera is basically scraps from your
everyday life. The definition from dictionary.com is: items designed to be
useful or important for only a short time, especially pamphlets, notices,
tickets, etc. So just start saving and collecting things from your life that
you find interesting.
Adhesive…you can take your pick
of how you want to stick your images and/or ephemera to the page. There are
glue sticks, tape, staples, glue (beware, some kinds can wrinkle your images
and paper), gel medium. adhesive runners, glue dots.
Paint (if you decide to add
paint), including craft paints, acrylics, watercolors, tempera paints, gouache,
casein, spray paint, or pastels.
Color – There are other ways to add
color besides paint. Such as beautiful papers, cardstock, colored pencils,
watercolor pencils, inks, pastels, watercolor crayons, regular crayons, gesso,
spray inks, gelatos, fabric, ribbon, colored masking or washi tapes. Use your
imagination and see what other ways to add color you can think of?
Extras – This list could get
long so I’m just going to name a few for now. Stencils, stamps, masks, paper
scraps, rub-ons, chipboard letters or other elements, buttons, charms,
stickers, yarn, embroidery floss, beads, words/letters cut from magazines,
flowers, sequins, stick on jewels, ribbon, tapes (washi, masking, etc.), there
really is no end to the things you can use in your journal. Use what speaks to
your soul.
If you can think of any supplies that I haven't mentioned here, please leave a note so I can be sure to add it to this list.
Peace & Love,
~Barb~