How to create new pages in your art journal

When you’re out of ideas and nothing seem to come together, it’s important to remember there are simple yet efficient ways to create new art pages in your journal. Sometimes you might find it hard to start a new page or don’t know how to finish one, so a little inspiration can be of real help.

Here are some ideas you can try when you don’t know what to do in your art journal. Just don’t over think it, it’s about the process of creating not the outcome.

1). Sketch something

The easiest way to create something real quick is to sketch. Using a graphite pencil or even a pen, like I did here, can create a starting point for a future page. Sketch whatever you want and feel at the moment, I usually stay with the whimsical faces because I love painting whimsical faces!

2). Create a background

Creating a background doesn’t have to be complicated. You can simply throw paint on the paper or scribble with watercolor wax crayons and then activate them with water or even better, with white gesso. Backgrounds are really creativity triggers for me, because – hmm- who wants to start with a blank page? Here is an acrylic background:

3). Stamp

Whether it’s a new page in your journal or sketchbook or maybe you have already a colorful background, stamping can create really interesting marks on the paper. Overlapping the stamps can again bring some really cool effects and a new approach to the page.

4). Scribble

More than ever, scribbling is not just “fooling around” and playing again like a child, it’s also a way of starting a new page, relaxing after a long day or even a mean by which you let go perfection and say hello to whatever shows on the paper. Letting go of perfect outcome is often the hardest thing for an artist, because you tend to wonder and wonder again and again if the result will be at the high of the expectations. But when it comes to art, the result is what makes the art itself.

5). Create color charts

Of course, we love to create those! Even if you already seen a color chart for that colored pencils set you just brought, you need to create one of your own, and one on every journal that you own. It’s that addictive, yes! And I have to admit, I don’t have color charts at the end of each journal, but in the journals I use the most, those are a must. Color charts can be structured by warm and cool colors, or even tans and greys, if you have that many colors. I miss some of the colors, but even though I don’t have them all, I still have created color charts like the ones below:

6). Create a collage

Oh, journal collages! They are soooo cool! Why? Because you don’t have to make them in any particular way, and the possibilities are endless. Just cut and paste! Cut faces, objects or any catchy text that you think you might use in your journal and stick it on the page. Mix the pieces in such a way to create visual interest and there you have it: a new page you can tweak later in any way you want.

7). I love stenciling!

Yes, stencils are great art supplies to have on your creative arsenal. One single stencil can create different marks and add interest on the page. Overlapping the stencils is even more fun because you never gonna get the same result again even if you use the same stencil. 

What is your favorite way of adding interest to a journal page? How do you begin the process of creating a new page? Do you prepare your pages in advance so that you have a page with an existing background to work on? Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Talk to you soon,

Cristina