Colored pencils are great in an art journal. With just a few of the right colors you can get a lot of colors. Layering is easy with GOOD colored pencils. Though I've included a video with crayola colored pencils, I do not recomend them. They will only leave you frustrated. Get a 12 pack of colors in a good brand.

If you have issues viewing the videos here on my blog please click the title of the video on the upper left of the video and it will open up in YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

 
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Glenda Slann on facebook recently posted a picture of an ingenious pen loop, one made of a binder clip and leather, something i’ve been thinking of for a long time. I just couldn't figure out how to do it. Seeing the pic I figured it out. Here are instructions on how to make your own.

To make this you will need the following:

leather, knife, small binder clip, ruler, pencil

To make a clip sized for a slim pen, like a cheap ballpoint click pen or a Retro 51 Hex-o-matic. First you’ll need to cut a piece of leather 1.5 inches (4cm) high by an 1.75 inches (45mm) wide. Depending on how thick your pen is you might want to cut the strip longer.

Mark off 6mm along each of the short ends. At the center of each of the short ends, cut a slot in the middle of each of the short ends. The slot should be cut so that it is 1mm wider than your binder clip. For mine I cut a 15mm slot. After you cut a slot in each end. After you have cut the slot you need to wedge the binder clip through each slot.

After you wedge each side of the binder clip into a slot, all you need to do is attach it to your journal or notebook cover. I like to remove the handles of the binder clip so it slips in and out of my pocket smoothly. The clip holds to the cover of my simple notebook cover very securely. I can pick the journal up and shake it with considerable force, and the clip stays put.

Watersoluble crayons are a staple in any art journaler's toolbox. You can use them like a regular crayon or you can add water for fun effects. I think it's important for people to explore their tools, so I'm opening this series with JournalArtista's awesome couple of videos on Watercolor crayons. In these 2 videos she really shows you all about how they can be used, explores what they look like on a variety of surfaces, and really shows you have to explore your media. You should really test out all your supplies the Paula does in these 2 videos.

If you have issues viewing the videos here on my blog please click the title of the video on the upper left of the video and it will open up in YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

 
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Crayons are awesome. They smell nice and can be layered. Love me some crayons.

If you have issues viewing the videos here on my blog please click the title of the video on the upper left of the video and it will open up in YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

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Rubber and foam stamps are awesome, especially when you carve them yourself.

If you have issues viewing the videos here on my blog please click the title of the video on the upper left of the video and it will open up in YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

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Gouache is one of those things no one talks about, or isn't talked about often for art journals. Some of us love our gouache, I'm one of them. Gouache is a watercolor-like paint that is opaque and can be layered like oil or acrylic to achieve a different sort of look from watercolors. It has a chalky finish that distinguishes it from watercolor.

It's often used (or was often used, before the advent of computers) by graphic designers to lay down a swatch of color that photographed well for ads. It's lovely matte finish lends itself to being photographed. When artists use it, the look can be totally changed.

It's a great tool for use in the art journal, and one of my favorites.

If you have issues viewing the videos here on my blog please click the title of the video on the upper left of the video and it will open up in YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

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Oil pastels are inexpensive and loaded in color. They are a quick way to get bright, intense color onto your page fast. Eventually they will dry but it does take a long time.

If you have issues viewing the videos here on my blog please click the title of the video on the upper left of the video and it will open up in YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

With the above video, if you put acrylic over oil pastel, it will scratch off, or peel. It will stick better if you use watersoluble oil pastel. Just a word of caution. A very neat effect though. (You could do it with water colors in place of the oil pastels.)

(More videos after the break, having all the videos load at once was making the page load slow.)

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Watercolor is one of my favorite thigns to use in my art journal. They are capable of brilliant or dark colors and are able to adapt to just about anything. Watercolors are simply a great tool to have in your art journal kit. They can open up a simplicity that can break open your practice and allow you to explore a different type of art journaling- faster and looser. Free in a way that acrylics and huge layers can't be.

If you have issues viewing the videos here on my blog please click the title of the video on the upper left of the video and it will open up in YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

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