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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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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I have been asked again and again about drawing face. How to do it, what to do, what media, etc… I wrote a post with tips on faces and while that holds true, this post is about solid techniques you can use to draw faces.

If you ahve a problem viewing the videos here on my blog, click the titel at the top left of any of the videos to open it up in YouTube.

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One of the best things I ever decided to do in my art journal was to devote myself to drawing. For about a year I devoted 20 to 30 minutes a night to drawing in my journal. I drew ewverything and anything from stacks of bottle caps to used tea bags to every piece of fresh fruit that came into the house. Sometimes in the 20 to 30 minutes I'd make 5 or 6 quick drawings othertimes I'd work on one. Anyway, contour line drawing does something in the brain (we aren't sure what yet) but it's been linked to all kinds of good things. (Check out Grandma Layton.) Take a moment when you are watching TV to go draw something. *

If you are having problems viewing the video here on my blog, click the title on the top left of the video and it will open in youtube.

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I love compostion books for all things note taking. I use them in school for class notes, ideas, and doodles. Their sturdy stitching lets them live in my bag and survive. These make great art journals. Here are a few videos to give you some ideas on what you can do with them.

If you are having problems viewing the video here on my blog, click the title on the top left of the video and it will open in youtube.