Step #10 - Types of Paper: Book Paper

In an art journal, many different types of paper can be used in the collage portion in addition to paint. In my journals, I always use a lot of techniques, and, on almost every page or spread, I collage. At least one layer. I use all different types of paper to do this - book paper, music paper, wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, ledger paper, notebook paper, tissue paper, the inside of business envelopes - all of them add fun interest in the page, even though they may or may not be covered with paint and more layers. In today's post, I'm going to discuss book paper. Book paper is one of my absolute favorite things to use in my art journals. It gives it a nice vintage look and is so fun to cover up with translucent layers, so that the words are just barely visible beneath the surface. It gives a beautiful, almost ghostly effect, but it is simply amazing to look out. There is no way to fully explain it - you must do it yourself to see and to understand the beauty. Whether using it in strips - torn or cut cleanly or punching into shapes, especially circles. The way that the circles of words look when placed into a page through collage is especially calling - it draws you in, explains what the page may or may not look like, and adds interest. Using different shapes in the collage portion of a page also adds interest. I get into the habit of almost always using strips of different paper in almost the the same places almost every time. All because I made one page with that arrangement and it looked good. In fact it was, and as a matter of fact, still is, my favorite page. But don't get caught in that trap. That's all it is. A trap. Of doing the same thing. Using the same design. The same colors. The same mindset. Change your mindset. It works. Trust me. I know.

Step #1: The Empty Journal

A fresh start. A new beginning. The story of a lifetime. All of this between the covers of a book. The blank pages stare at you menacingly. You stare back. No ideas come to you so you walk away. This repeats. Again and again. I challenge you to make something different. Make a mark in your journal. On a random page draw a doodle, paint a background, collage a few elements on - do something to make this page your own. Create a page background in your own way. When I start a page, I normally start out with a layer of acrylic paint. Any color you like. In any shade you prefer. Add more shades. More colors. Wipe some colors away with a baby wipe. Then add layers of stamping. Any color. Any pattern. Anything goes in an art journal. Add collage elements. Photographs, cutouts from magazines, quotes, phrases, words, tickets, ephemera of any kind - I add them with Mod Podge, but you could use anything you like as an adhesive. Add more paint on top of the Mod Podge, along with more stamping, collage images, glimmer mist, glitter and anything else you can think of. Stamp with ink. Stamp with acrylic paint. Use clear, rubber, and foam stamps. Carve your own stamps out of anything you can think of. Wood, foam, rubber blocks, and erasers all make excellent stamps. Carve with whatever you like. Whether it be a special carving tool or as simple as a craft knife, homemade stamps add the perfect touch to any art journal page. You don't have to wonder if anyone else has another like it. It's a fact that they don't. Personalizing your journal in such a way is fun and inexpensive. To finish off a page like this, add a quote, a title, a definition - anything that is special and meaningful to you. In my own pages, the most common thing for me to do is add phrases and quotes from my favorite animated series, Johnny Test or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This personalizes the page as well because this quote is meaningful to you - it made you laugh, gave you a smile, or helped you through your day. Recording such a thing is important. When you flip through your journal, you'll have a book of laughs and smiles. So I challenge you today. Make an art journal page. Make it your own. And most importantly. Have fun.