Hello, hello! Happy Day to You!
For today's Mark Making Monday post, I will share one of my favorite journals to work in, along with an idea for combining supplies.
First, let's talk about journals, shall we?
I love journals of all kinds, notebooks, art journals, sketchbooks, you name it! A journal that is handmade and of the utmost quality is my favorite to work in. Allow me to introduce you to Rag & Bone Bindery! This small business created by Jason Thompson and his wife Ilira Steinman has a great story. Read more about it here. I recommend their Artist Journals, which have smooth, vellum finish, bright white paper inside. These journals are great for pen, pencil, light washes, and acrylic paint. To see the range of cover designs and sizes of the Artist Journals, go here. (PS They are 30% off for Cyber Monday).
Also, one of my favorite art journal books is written by Jason Thompson, and it's called Making Journals by Hand. This book never gets old. (PS This is available used on Amazon.com for about $4 USD).
Now, let's take a look at this edition of Mark Making Monday-Chalk & Crayon, where I am working in one of the Artist Journals from Rag & Bone Bindery.
Supplies:
Crayola Sidewalk Chalks
a journal
a wax crayon
Let's Get Started
Choose a piece of chalk, any chalk that grabs your attention. Scribble across the page in one horizontal section.
Choose a second color and color another horizontal section, butting it up to your previous color. Maybe even go a little inside the peaks of your first colored marks.
Choose a third color of chalk to color on the bottom and the top of the other two colors. Again, go into the peaks and valleys a bit, but not all over the page.
Choose a darker, contrasting color to make small marks, dots, or dashes all over your page spread.
Finally, continue a similar dot or dashed pattern all over the page using a wax crayon.
Side Note: Often times you might feel afraid to try mixing art supplies. I'm not sure why this happens, but this fear rises up in all of us. Unless you are thinking of trying your favorite marker on top of wet paint, it's usually not a problem to mix materials. When you do mix art materials, it can be quite fun and rewarding to see the mixed media results that occur.
Just that touch of brighter wax crayon, with that opposing texture, makes the marks pop through the chalk. I find that quite satisfying.
You might have questions about chalk. Is it dusty? Does it smear? Does it get all over your hands?
The answer is yes, yes, and yes.
Here are some simple solutions:
Blow the dust off of your pages, directly into a trash can.
It's actually fun to take your finger and smear some of the chalks on your journal page. Just ask my 3 year old son!
Wash your hands right after you are done, or keep a damp paper towel nearby. Crayola art supplies are usually quite easy to wash up.
I hope you have fun trying out this idea of using chalk and crayon in your art journal!
Have a beautiful day!
Blessings to you,
Briana