Visual Journal Techniques

Watercolors, Digital Photography, Glitter Stamps and Drawing Come Together in This Visual Journal Page

I tried some long-forgotten and new (to me) techniques on this visual journal page which centers around my word for 2011, "Calm".

Instead of a list of New Year's resolutions for the year, I chose a single word that I'm striving for. I want to attain a calmer approach to my work, to my life and in my soul.

In this journal page, I used the words of the hymn "Be Still My Soul" which I absolutely love. You can listen to a beautiful rendition in this YouTube video. My journal page includes just the first verse.

Visual Journal Page Step 1

First, stripes of watercolor on wet watercolor paper.

I need to buy better quality paper to play with this technique some more. I was just using pages in my already-bound art journal.

That's another thing I won't do again. You really should have free sheets for this technique.

Tilt page as desired to get the colors to run softly together. I was going for a Caribbean look: beach sand, aqua followed by deeper and deeper blue to the horizon, and finally a grayish blue for the sky.

While still wet, sprinkle a little coarse salt in some areas. Watch the salt suck up more intense color in spots.

When almost dry, go in with a brush and paint some definition lines. Use white acrylic paint to lay in some clouds over the gray-blue sky.

Visual Journal Page Step 2

Crop a square from a photo of the Caribbean I took in Cancun. This view is the epitome of calm to me.

Type my word in the center.

Size the image so I can layer it over my watercolor background. Print.

Using a metal ruler, tear the image into a crude rectangle.

Glue image onto the background using tacky gel glue.

Visual Journal Page Step 3

Use black Pitt Pens to draw the hands "giving it up to God" and then journal in the words from "Be Still My Soul" with special emphasis given to certain words (Lord, God, Friend and Joyful End).

Visual Journal Page Step 4

With 20/20 hindsight, I wish I had stopped right there. But I wanted some sparkle, as well as to better balance the design.

Sooo, I jumped right in with my Martha Stewart Glitter Stamping Starter Kit. I figured it would be very simple. I'd stamped before (though not with glitter) and this is a beginner's kit. I should have practiced on scrap paper first.

The directions in the package are practically non-existent. I found I got the cleanest image if I applied glue to the stamp and then smooshed it around on the "inking" pad. See the butterfly in the upper left corner.

The bottom butterfly and the gingko leaf were done following the directions to soak the pad with glue and stamp away. I don't recommend that.