Let's Journal! Pt II

How did you make out with your scraps and glue stick yesterday? I hope you're having a fun time making your page...remember there is no right or wrong way to make the page, and these instructions should be used for your inspiration purposes. Enough said...let's get on with step 2; paint.

A lot of people tell me they can't paint. I don't think I can paint either. Ha! When I make these pages, they are filled with layers and layers of paint, with a lot of water and a lot of wiping off paint here and there to reveal paint colors underneath the top layer. I never know where I am going to end up...sometimes I start with a specific idea in mind and get it...most of the time I change my mind half way through!

A couple of terms to start:

Wash: paint with water added. This essentially makes your acrylic paints watercolors. It provides lighter saturation to the page. I start with a wash in order to make all of the scraps tie in together.

Dry Brush: Using a dry paint brush, dry brushing involves taking a little bit of paint, brushing it off the brush onto your pallet and then applying it to the page. This provides a worn paint look. (See below)

In the picture above, I used a yellow ochre wash and then started to add in heavier saturated streaks of pinks. (Editor's note: This page made me sick when I started. The colors were awful and I considered starting with a fresh page. I am not sure what I was thinking. It happens.)

As I continued to paint, I added dry brush strokes of white paint (not gesso- gesso is difficult to write over in my opinion. I like the texture of paint better.) and then went back in with more pink. If I applied too much paint, I used my rag to wipe it off. It the paint was still too heavy, I used my spray bottle of water to lighten it up. Just keep painting, and rubbing until you like the look of your page.

This process took several minutes. In between paint layers, I used my heat gun to speed up the drying process. If your layers are not dry before you add the next layer, you will not have layers; you will have a solid colored page. Make sure your layers are dry before you add your next layer. Here is what my finished painted page looks like:

I am looking at the page now and it already looks like nothing compared to the picture above! Tomorrow we'll add some more layers and age it up. (Somehow we need to get rid of that pink!)

Please don't forget to let me know how you're doing! See you tomorrow!

Comments

[Kim H]

WOW it is amazing, how different the page looks now! Off to do my page...

[Thanh]

Oh boy! I wish I had a journal and some acrylic paints so I can join in on the fun tonight... but alas, no journal and no paints... Hey Julie, for someone who is a beginner like me, is it ok to use the cheapie $2-3 bottles of acrylic paints?

[Julie Prichard]

Yes! You can use whatever paint you want! I don't recommend Golden paints for someone just starting out- they are too expensive! Pick up some of the 50cent craft bottles of paint at the craft store and start there. If you like what you come up with, you can invest in professional paints later! Also, don't forget to look for paint on ebay!

[Kate]

Julie, thanks so much for these "how to" posts. I'm really grateful for them as I haven't done much with acrylics and was desperate to know how everyone gets these fabulous backgrounds on their journal pages. I'm not able to do anything with it at the moment but will be back home from holidays on the weekend and intend to play around with your instructions!

Thanks again for sharing your techniques with us Julie!

[Dymphie]

Love your tutorials Julie. Thanks for all the effort you put in this!

[Lise]

Hi Julie !
First of all : THANK YOU SO MUCH for the mail-art ! I am really honored .... and also very lucky that you explain us your technique. I will definitely try it this week-end !

Take care.
Lise

[Tami Bayer]

I love going through the journey with you on this page. I did not realize you are working in a notebook, not on single pages. That amazes me...no do-overs. I have plenty of that cheap-o paint. I think I'll work in green. I'm green obsessed lately.

[Carmen]

This tutorial is fantastic! I used it for inspiration and am loving my journal so far! Thank you!!!

[Nette]

Ah-ha! Okay, so gesso is hard to write on. Got that...I'll try using white paint instead...the writing part can be so very frustrating...AND a heat gun...Hey, would a blow dryer work? I had a heat gun, once. I gave it away! WAAH!

[Seth]

Okay. I've completed Part II. And like you, there were points I said to myself...what was I thinking?!?

[anita]

Just one question...do you use the front and back of pages in your journal..or just the front? i just started a journal and didn't want to use front/back, but the backs always seem to have splatters, etc and look so yucky. but it seems like they would be way too thick if i used both sides...