Art Journaling Supplies
A stack of my art journals
Art journaling is when people use text and images to create a visual diary. It’s a way to practice creative self-care and express yourself.
Art journaling can help us approach our creative process in a more intuitive and less judgmental way, giving us space to experiment with new materials, techniques, or imagery with low stakes. Art journaling can also help us overcome fear of the blank page and/or perfectionism and our inner art critic. It creates a place to consistently check in about what’s going on for us, can help us find relaxation and an embodied art practice, and can support our overall wellbeing.
Art journaling can be as simple as writing and drawing, or can incorporate painting, collage, stamping and stenciling.
Sounds like fun, right?
If you’re wondering what you need to get started with art journaling, here’s some information on what art materials you might want to have on hand.
You can really use anything you have or like! What I love about art journaling is how freeing it can be – and using what you already have is a great way to get started and can lower the pressure that sometimes comes when we buy sparkly, new, (potentially pricey) materials that we then worry about “ruining” or using up.
To get started all you need is a journal and a pen. FOR REAL. Adding some more basic materials to that goes a long way, including:
paint (acrylic, watercolor, or gouache are good all good options)
brushes (I usually get inexpensive bulk packs with a range of sizes)
glue (Mod Podge, Yes! Paste, glue sticks)
scissors
pens/pencils (I like Sharpies and Micron pens and refillable pencils like this one)
magazines (for collage)
If you want to keep adding materials for experimenting with, here are some additional supplies to consider:
pastels (oil or chalk)
colored pencils
markers
gesso
paper ephemera like junk mail, photocopied photos, paint swatches, patterned/printed papers, etc.
stamps and ink pads
stencils
I tend to keep a pretty limited amount of art journaling materials because I find that sometimes having TOO many options can be overwhelming and get in the way of my creative process.
Here are some of my favorite materials for art journaling:
Journals:
Spiral bound journals are great because the pages lay flat. Any size will work. I like to balance the need for a big enough space to experiment with the ease of having something small enough that I can bring it around with me wherever I go. Often I have several journals going at once. Here are the 3 I’m currently using:
This Canson Mixed Media journal is a great size and the paper is thick enough for using wet materials;
this Midori MD notebook in size A5 is small, portable, and also lays flat when open;
and this Moleskin Watercolor Album, which is great for traveling. It’s paper is strong enough for the use of wet materials and collaging on both sides of the page and I love to collect postcards, stickers, and other ephemera while traveling and use the expandable back pocket to store them.
If you plan to experiment with wet materials, including paints, then you’ll want to be sure your journal pages are thick enough to withstand getting wet. Look for “mixed media” or watercolor journals. Alternatively, you can use gesso to coat your pages so they won’t absorb water.
Collage materials
I collect magazines, junk mail, postcards, photocopies of photos, paint swatches and other paper ephemera for collaging. Starting with some imagery can really help and having something to respond to rather than creating something out of nothing helps me get going when I want to make something but am feeling a bit stuck.
Tempera paint sticks
Tempera paint sticks are affordable, provide vibrant colors, dry quickly, and can be fun to layer. And they’re less messy than other forms of painting, which make them great for quick journal entries or for journaling on the go. I like Kwik Stix, which dry very quickly.
Water-soluble crayons
These can be used for drawing or painting, and and used dry or wet. I often use Caran D’Ache crayons instead of paint. Although they’re a bit expensive, I find a set lasts me for years at a time, so they’re a great investment. Because they can be used wet or dry they can create strong, opaque colors or translucent washes that look more like watercolors.
Ink pencils
Similar to water soluble crayons, these can be used wet or dry and can create opaque coverage as well as translucent washes. I prefer them to watercolor paints because they have a more saturated color and are more portable for me. I’ve been using Derwent Inktense pencils for over a decade and find them very satisfying and adaptable.
Water brushes
Water brushes are a great way to use water-soluble crayons, watercolor pencils, or ink pencils. And they’re especially handy for bringing along if you take your journal out and about with you.
Brush Markers
I have a long-time love for brush markers. My favorite markers, made by Copic, have 2 nibs- a broad one on one side of the marker and a brush tip on the other side. They’re a little bit pricey so rather than whole sets I buy a few colors at a time, and have slowly built up my stash of these over the last decade or more.
Glues and adhesives
YES! Paste is an all-purpose adhesive that doesn’t buckle paper when it dries. Mod Podge is a glue and a sealer. It dries quickly but can buckle paper when it dries depending on what you’re using it on. I love the way tissue paper looks when I brush Mod Podge over it to adhere to a page as a background. Glue sticks are cheap and convenient, especially when bringing your journal around with you. I like to have some masking tape or painter’s tape around too.
As you can see, there are so many options for what art materials you can use for art journaling, and experimenting with them is a great way to get into the artmaking process and learn what works best for you.
Art materials have different characteristics, and they’ll impact you and your art-making process differently. Read my post about Materials for Therapeutic Art Making to learn more about this and to see some recommendations on where to get art supplies, including stores that sell second-hand/gently used art materials. And if you’re interested in taking an art journaling workshop with me, joining an art journaling group, or working with me for art therapy, reach out to me and let’s chat!