Step by Step Instructions to a Journal Page.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008 Posted In mixed media collage artist Edit This 46 Comments »
I get so many questions on journal pages--I thought that I would do a step-by-step for those of you who are interested. First, I painted the pages with Folk Art paint in bright yellow. (Straight out of the bottle, no water added, and with a dry brush). I let that dry, and glued various papers around the edges.
Then I added some things that I found interesting, bits of paper, and pictures. No thought as to where this is going at this point. Just some patterns and things.
When that is done to my liking, I add a circle stamp to opposite corners, and a few more elements. Topped the nose and mouth piece with eyes, and covered the man's head with a little boys head, and put eyes on that.
Added some stronger images for contrast--
Circled the white bubbles with a black pen. Also started working on the main figure. Cut out a little girl's legs and dress, made a neck out of white paper, cut out a little boys head. I glue all of these pieces together, but they are not glued to the main journal page yet. It's like making a paper doll.
Cut out a model's eyes, and added to the little boy's face, added a bird in her hands, made her a simple hat, just moving things around to see where I want them at this point. I made her legs and neck striped at this point. Using a Sharpie black marker.
Decided where to place the "doll", put her hat on..and with a black magic marker, drew her some hair. Also, put a little hat on the bird. At this point, I accidently smeared her hair, and made a huge mess of things. Messed up her face, hair and surrounding areas with black. So..to correct it all...I also glued her foot that I had cut off to the side there. I just liked it at that spot.
I gave her a new face, and another set of eyes, and repainted the yellow in that area, and redrew lines on her neck.
Now comes the fun part. I started to outline everything in pink (any contrasting color will do), and also lining everything in black (on top of the pink). This is where you can scribble, and loosen up and you hit the LALALALAL mode of the picture. To do the pink, I used a Crayola Colored pencil. I also used the black pen and accented the checks on her dress, and the highlighter pen to do her cheeks.
Switched to a pink highlighter, and outlined everything. Then took a green colored pencil, and went over some of the outlines, and scribbled a little here and there. Scribbling, scribbling...
So, I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial. This isn't one of my best pages, but I like it, and it's ok. It was fun. Hope you try it out, and hope you have fun doing it, if you do.
Then I added some things that I found interesting, bits of paper, and pictures. No thought as to where this is going at this point. Just some patterns and things.
When that is done to my liking, I add a circle stamp to opposite corners, and a few more elements. Topped the nose and mouth piece with eyes, and covered the man's head with a little boys head, and put eyes on that.
Added some stronger images for contrast--
Circled the white bubbles with a black pen. Also started working on the main figure. Cut out a little girl's legs and dress, made a neck out of white paper, cut out a little boys head. I glue all of these pieces together, but they are not glued to the main journal page yet. It's like making a paper doll.
Cut out a model's eyes, and added to the little boy's face, added a bird in her hands, made her a simple hat, just moving things around to see where I want them at this point. I made her legs and neck striped at this point. Using a Sharpie black marker.
Decided where to place the "doll", put her hat on..and with a black magic marker, drew her some hair. Also, put a little hat on the bird. At this point, I accidently smeared her hair, and made a huge mess of things. Messed up her face, hair and surrounding areas with black. So..to correct it all...I also glued her foot that I had cut off to the side there. I just liked it at that spot.I gave her a new face, and another set of eyes, and repainted the yellow in that area, and redrew lines on her neck. Now comes the fun part. I started to outline everything in pink (any contrasting color will do), and also lining everything in black (on top of the pink). This is where you can scribble, and loosen up and you hit the LALALALAL mode of the picture. To do the pink, I used a Crayola Colored pencil. I also used the black pen and accented the checks on her dress, and the highlighter pen to do her cheeks.
Switched to a pink highlighter, and outlined everything. Then took a green colored pencil, and went over some of the outlines, and scribbled a little here and there. Scribbling, scribbling...Took a blue colored pencil and shaded somethings. Added white circles around, and outlined them in black pen, added highlights here and there with the white paint pen. Added lines with the black pen, then colored over them with the pink colored pencils. Gave her freckles, scribbled some more around the edges (lightly) with the black pen.
Then, I journaled... Here's the end result.
So, I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial. This isn't one of my best pages, but I like it, and it's ok. It was fun. Hope you try it out, and hope you have fun doing it, if you do.So..have a happy, creative, arty day!!!!! till next time....
If you like this tutorial, check out the classes at Adult Learn. Creativity is a terrible thing to waste.
46 comments to make me smile:
great tutorial!!! i bookmarked this page for future reference!!! some day i am going to try this:)
WOW!!!! I know it isn't rocket science (?, :-)) but seeing this piece come together like this is so inspiring. I have seen your work before, elsewhere ( I recognise some from Flickr)and liked it. but when I come to do this sort of thing I never know where to start. thank you so much for helping. I am going to go straight to my craft room and put something together. Hope to put it on my own blog and reference this post.
thanks again, John
Suzan - Kudos for providing such a valuable insight into the work behind your journals. They, and you, are a constant source of inspiration.
Keep up the great work and thank you from my heart for making the world a slightly more colourful place.
Thanks SO SO much for this how to! I want to go and try immediately....but need to get to work soon. At least you given me a little daydream to get me through a boring Tuesday.
Wow! It was so neat to see your page come together in stages! Your journal pages always make me smile-they are warm and so much fun to look at.
fantastic tute! im so in awe of your stuff
That's a great tutorial! Love it!
Thanks so much for sharing your technique. I always wonder how artists get a particular look and what supplies they used. This is great - a lot of work. I love how you "fixed" your "mistake". There is always a way, huh?
She turned out terrific!
Thanks Suzan! It's great to see your process. And I love this journal spread as well!
Thank you for your tutorial!! I'm gonna try it tomorrow!
thank you so much for the step by step. your style is wowza and i just love all the bright colors. keep doing what you are doing. i am going to try bits and pieces. i spied your pages on flickr and i am totally in love!!!
Thanks, it was really interesting seeing your process like that. Isn't it cool to see it for yourself? :-)
take care!
Wow, wow, wow! Thanks SO much for doing this! What a lot of work, to describe in such exhaustive detail all the little bits and pieces that go into your journals. I have learned a ton, and I'll be back to refer to this post many times, I am sure!
So I'm floating along in the ether, feeling sorta BLAH (if you could see out our windows, you would TOTALLY see why, dark and dismal and snowed in) and not inspired to do much of anything. So, I go to my old standby, YOUR ART BLOG and of course, my eyes and brain and heart are tickled and suddenly i'm inspired to go make something! THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SHARING. No matter what you may think of this peice, as always it's even better than the last! YOU SO ROCK!!!!
Thanks for this how to do. That's a fabulous tutorial. Your page is absolutely stunning!
Wow. This is exactly what I've been looking for! Thank you! Are your cutouts glossy or matte?
Hey Suzan, I´m glad to have found your blog after admiring your lovely pages at Flickr for a while - this is a great tutorial, no worse than the best ones I´ve found in books!
Thanks I am going to try!!!
Love your blog!!
Great tutorial, full of inspiration, I love it !
Cecile, in France
Oh my Golly!!! Can't wait to try that...thank you for showing me how...just too much fun...I hope I can sleep now...
Hi. i have a question...where do you get all those lovely pictures for your journals??
Love your work!!
Thank you for sharing your process. I can't wait to get to my studio and try out some of your techniques! Dayna
Thank you for sharing, it's really beautiful!
I've put photo directions together for classes, and I know how long they take! Thank you so much for such an excellent tutorial. Your work is outstanding!
Suzan - this is a fabulous tutorial. Your journal pages are eye-candy. Thank you for sharing your instructions.
nearly every day I want to make a little collage but I have never an idea how to start - thank you for your help - now I will try it again :o)
have a very nice day
greetings from by-geisslein
very inspiring - thanks so much for sharing!!
Just to say your work is fantastic!! Thanks for the inspiration - I am currently working on an A-Z journal (Book of Me) and have used your tutorial to create my 'F' page. I'm trying out different techniques for the pages and loved doing this collage one. You can see it here!
http://www.ukscrappers.co.uk/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=163385&ppuser=3901
Love the step by step -- will share it with my girls at the Creativity Club ...thanks for posting ...
... Milliande
http://www.milliande.com
This is EXACTLY what I needed! I cannot tell you how many times I have had an idea, glued it in place then realized that I had no "background"...I just cannot wrap my brain around what to put back there...Thanks for this tutorial, and a big thanks for making me spend lots of money at Porkchop's...Gina
Very cool! Thanks for the tutorial.
Cool! I love seeing pages being born. Beautiful journal page.
Don
hi, i just found ur site thru the page of 'two pixie dolls'. i luv this tutorial, thank u for showing ur wonderful technique. u do amazing work,i luv the colors.;} -veronica
OH my god suzan im sooooooooooo glad you have done this tutorial im amazed how it all come's together.
hope you and yours are well and petey.
crissi xx
WONDERFUL...WONDERFUL...WONDERFUL. Diane
Suzan, Just found this tutorial you did. Am going to have a go at trying a page in this style over the weekend. Wish me luck!
thank you!! I know I have seen this before, but didn't really READ it-I am going to try this on my next page it sounds like fun!!!
this is amazing!!! thank you for sharing!!
That is amazing and you make it look soooooooo easy! You have skills!! +D Such fun and thank you so much for sharing!
*Lori
What a great tutorial. I love it, I understand, and I hope that I can do it!
OMG, I think I love you!
One of the best tutorials I have seen!
Saludos, thanks for the inspiration!
Yoli
Awesome work and to watch it progress a lot of fun, found you from a link in an etsy forum and worth the trip!
Thank you for the Inspiration! I used it as my inspiration for a Mixed media painting.
http://martinerijnbeek.blogspot.com/2009/03/nieuwe-foto.html
Hugs Martine
thanks for taking time to post this--it's fabulous and sure to be helpful to TONS of people! inspires me to want to play more--
this was helpful for me because I am in need of a journal page or pages and I have not done it before.
So thank you.
I now follow you
I am doing an arty giveaway to end this weekend if your interested.
http://www.papermoonies.blogspot.com
These are so cute, I love this and your images.
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