Art Journal Catalysts

2. Grow

Making Moveable Collages by e bond

Making Moveable Collages by e bond

HeartYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Explore how to make moveable collages in your art journal. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take what you need, and know that more...

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Lovingly Stitched by Alyssa Griese

Lovingly Stitched by Alyssa Griese

HeartYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Stitch a love note or kind word to yourself or to someone you love. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take what you need, and know...

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Grungy Papers by Melanie Theriault

Grungy Papers by Melanie Theriault

MessYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create grungy tissue papers with a gel plate and acrylic paints to use as a quick background. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take...

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Floral Sister Pages by Camila Garcia

Floral Sister Pages by Camila Garcia

EnoughYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create a double-page spread in which one flower is explored in two different ways using the same colour pallet.  Work with your favourite media...

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Mindfulness Through Art

Mindfulness Through Art

Mindfulness#gmseasonofmindfulnessMindfulness. Turning towards ourselves and listening. Being patient and curious and open. Imagine how much our...

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The Library – Find Your Creative Catalyst

The Library – Find Your Creative Catalyst

At Get Messy, be kind to yourself. Cheer others on. Create with abandon. Dance naked in perfectionism’s face. Get Messy is the catalyst, but ultimately, your Messy experience is what you make of it.

In this lesson, we’ll chat about the different areas of the best art journaling resource on the internet.

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How to make a zine

How to make a zine

A zine is a handmade magazine or mini-comic about anything you can imagine: favorite bands, personal stories, subcultures, or collections. They contain diary entries, rants, interviews, and stories. They can be by one person or many, found in stores, traded at comic conventions, exchanged with friends, or given away for free.

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Envelope Pocket Journal

Envelope Pocket Journal

Finishing#gmseasonoffinishingLet's set ourselves up to finish strong this year. I'll be showing you how to create and easy envelop pocket journal that can be accommodated into...

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Choose Your Companion

Choose Your Companion

Free Lesson - Choose Your CompanionThe Inner Heroine class is all about documenting a journey that we have undertaken and that has allowed us to grow. In telling our story through the lens of a heroine embarking on a grand adventure, we can be free of self-censorship...

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Messy Recipes

Messy Recipes

Sometimes, your creativity needs a catalyst, and Messy Recipes includes a bunch of catalysts for creating an endless amount of art journal pages. Get Messy Fairy Artmother Caylee Grey has designed 12 recipes that include a list of “ingredients” (or supplies), a method with step-by-step directions, and pictures for guidance and inspiration. Guests artists have shared their favourite recipes too. Following the recipes exactly or using them as a guide, you can create endless variations. Perfect for beginners and experienced artists alike, Messy Recipes provides the catalysts for creativity that you can return to again and again.

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Bonus – How to Use Sketched Faces in Your Art Journal

Bonus – How to Use Sketched Faces in Your Art Journal

In the class I teach you how to draw faces from start to finish, but for this free lesson, I wanted to share a printable with y’all and demonstrate how you can use faces in your art journal. So I’ve created 4 different printable faces for you to use (whether or not you take the class!) in your work.

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Lettering

Lettering

Belonging#gmseasonofbelongingTurn your monoprinted pages into lettering with Mou's technique.Transcript (this transcript is automatically generated and is sure to contain...

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Monoprinting

Monoprinting

Belonging#gmseasonofbelongingIn this workshop, Mou walks you through the supplies she uses for monoprinting, and guides you through her process for creating a monoprinted...

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Bonus: Going large in an A3 sketchbook

Bonus: Going large in an A3 sketchbook

Less#gmseasonoflessTaking everything we've learned in the first tutorial, we are now going to take the same colours and techniques and go large. When you open up an A3 sketchbook...

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Colour Mixing

Colour Mixing

Season#gmseasonoflessIn this tutorial learn how to explore the full possible range of a limited colour palette, and experiment with mark making. In the next lesson, we'll pull it...

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Lesson 1 – Pamphlet Stitch

Lesson 1 – Pamphlet Stitch

We are going to start with a simple, but versatile stitch that will enable you to quickly start creating your own beautiful, handmade art journals.

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Lesson 2 – Long Stitch

Lesson 2 – Long Stitch

The long stitch is a beautiful yet simple way to bind your signatures into a cover. You will be attaching the paper to the spine of your book. The width of the spine and its strength will determine how many signatures you can add into your book.

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Lesson 4 – French Link Stitch

Lesson 4 – French Link Stitch

This stitch is very decorative one and is at the top of our list for difficulty. Just like the Coptic stitch, it allows your journals to lie very flat. Because the open spine is so pretty to look at, I tend to bind thicker journals with this stitch.

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2.2 Art: Taking In / Letting Out

2.2 Art: Taking In / Letting Out

2.2 ArtTaking In / Letting Out • How to dip dye paper • Art application: Resistance HOW TO DIP DYE PAPER Watercolour dyeing is something that I have been in love with for years. In the video below, I show you how easy it can be. ART APPLICATION: RESISTANCE Put...

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3. CALMER LOOK

3. CALMER LOOK

3. Calmer Look Brain DumpReduce the NoiseA Journal as a WholeMonochrome BackgroundLayered Minimalism

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2.3 Art: Botany

2.3 Art: Botany

2.3 ArtBotany • The Minimalist’s Paint Pour: Acrylic Smoosh • The Minimalist’s Paint Pour: Flow • Art Application: Botany • Art Application: She Had a Feeling THE MINIMALIST’S PAINT POUR Paint pouring is a beautiful technique, but it gets very overwhelming and busy....

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3.1 Catalyst: Brain Dump

3.1 Catalyst: Brain Dump

3.1 CatalystBrain Dump • How to use the Brain Dump Creative Catalyst • Art Application: Kaylee • Art Application: When We Have Less • Art Application: Freedom HOW TO USE THE BRAIN DUMP Morning pages are something incredible that I took from a meh book. A short while...

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3.2 Art: Reduce the Noise

3.2 Art: Reduce the Noise

3.2 ArtReduce the Noise • Process your ephemera • Morning Pages in the Morning PROCESS YOUR EPHEMERA Ephemera is one of those things that can get seriously out of control. Watch this video showing tips for maintaining a collection of ephemera that you truly love,...

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3.3 Art: A Journal as a Whole

3.3 Art: A Journal as a Whole

3.3 ArtA Journal as a Whole • A Journal as a WholeA JOURNAL AS A WHOLE I had a whole bunch of real life ephemera that I wanted to use and let go of. I bound a small, A6 journal, and put it all in there. I put my music on loud and got everything down onto the page....

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I. Catalyst: The MAJ Manifesto

I. Catalyst: The MAJ Manifesto

I. CatalystThe Minimalist Art Journal Manifesto • How to Use the Catalysts • Eight Principles of Minimalist Art Journaling • You As An Artist • Art Application: Although you WorkHOW TO USE THE CATALYSTS Firstly, have you downloaded the catalysts yet? Download them....

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II. Art: Anti-Supply List

II. Art: Anti-Supply List

II. ArtAnti-Supply List • Swatches • Swatch Table • Colour TableThe Required Supplies list is: whatever you already own Nothing is required. In fact, while you go through this lesson I actively encourage you to give away any supplies that you don’t actively love....

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III. Journal: Handbound

III. Journal: Handbound

III. JournalHandbound Journal for Less Stuff • Handbound journal inspiration • How to Hand Bind a JournalThis journal uses up your supplies. It provides you with a base made out of paper that you already love. It removes the fear of the blank page. If you put in the...

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IV. Journal: Plain

IV. Journal: Plain

IV. JournalPlain journal for a simpler process • Plain journals are awesome too You have permission to use a plain journal. I use pretty much exclusively Moleskine – this isn’t the perfect journal. It does not enjoy paint even a little bit. Do not go out and buy a...

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V. Journal: Found

V. Journal: Found

V. JournalFound journal for a calmer look • Ideas for your Found Journal • Found Catalogue Art Journal in One SittingSee things not as they are, but as opportunities. A found journal is something that you can really play with. I tend to find a lot of calmer looking...

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1. LESS STUFF

1. LESS STUFF

1. Less stuffMood BoardWatercolour SmooshInner LandscapesRecycled PaperMultimedia Collage

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1.1 Catalyst: Mood Board

1.1 Catalyst: Mood Board

1.1 Mood BoardCreative Catalyst for Intentional Creating • How to use the Mood Board Creative Catalyst • Art Application: Always be Kinder • Art Application: Am I Good Enough?HOW TO USE THE CREATIVE CATALYST This is one of my favourites for ensuring that a page has a...

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1.2 Art: Watercolour Smoosh

1.2 Art: Watercolour Smoosh

1.2 ArtWatercolour Smooshes • How to create watercolour smooshes • Art Application: Germany / Love • Art Application: t / eReady for the easiest art lesson you’ll ever receive? HOW TO CREATE WATERCOLOUR SMOOSHES Told you it was easy! One supply. One colour. Loads of...

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1.3 Guest: Inner Landscapes

1.3 Guest: Inner Landscapes

Vanessa Oliver-LloydInner LandscapesI am so proud to know Vanessa Oliver-Lloyd as both a fellow artist, a collaborator, and a friend. I am just as proud to introduce you to her as our first guest artist. Now, if you already know V, you will know that she is not the...

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2.1 Catalyst: Mind Travel Kit

2.1 Catalyst: Mind Travel Kit

2.1 CatalystMind Travel Kit • How to use the Mind Travel Kit Creative Catalyst • Art Application: Do You • Art Application: Wait / Great Things Take Time • Art Application: PruneHOW TO USE THE MIND TRAVEL KIT CREATIVE CATALYST Watch the video below to see how I...

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The Minimalist Art Journal 1

The Minimalist Art Journal 1

Minimalist art journaling is art journaling that strips away the excess, takes away the non-essentials, and focuses on what’s important. The Minimalist Art Journal is all about finding your calm and putting your emotions on a page. Including 16 lessons and 7 guest artists, you will learn to not fear the blank page and embrace it. Get away from the clutter and overload of normal life and focus on what makes this moment, this hour, this day important. No overload of extras and stuff. Just you, a blank page, and the basics. Take time, do less, and create more art where you are with what you have.

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The Minimalist Art Journal 2

The Minimalist Art Journal 2

Minimalist art journaling is art journaling that strips away the excess, takes away the non-essentials, and focuses on what’s important. Get Messy Fairy Artmother Caylee Grey builds on the first Minimalist Art Journal class and takes you on a deeper dive in this premium class. MAJ2 Includes 20 lessons with 48 videos and a 37 page workbook filled with creative catalysts, as well as a wealth of guest artists who share their insights and methods. MAJ2 is not about “making time for art,” but about fitting art into the life you already have: the one with commitments and responsibilities. MAJ2 is for those who have less time, less room, and less brain-space to devote to art journaling, but whose need to create still burns.

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Loving Mama

Loving Mama

When you have kids, you can become so absorbed in the daily work of caring for them that you become disconnected from your personal stories. In existing for others, you can lose yourself. This class is designed to help you take the stories of your mother-self, weave them into the self that existed before you became a mother, and move forward with both of them intertwined. You’ll record the process in a creative journal, and when it’s done, it will be a beautiful love letter to yourself that honours all the parts of who you are and tells the story of how you came to be the amazing woman you are right now. This class comes with the Camellia digital kit, extra journal cards, and a printable workbook to get you creating as quickly and easily as possible.

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Lesson 5 – Prompts

Lesson 5 – Prompts

How I interpret prompts and how I utilise the techniques I have demonstrated so far to make my pages. The goal is to give you a starting point for using prompts in your own pages. It will include a run-through of my interpretation of four prompts, with hopefully four very different spreads at the end.

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Lesson 4 – Journaling and Scripting

Lesson 4 – Journaling and Scripting

In this lesson we will cover different ways you can use journaling in your art journal spreads. We will be thinking a bit outside of the box as I am a big believer that the journaling you include in your spread does not need to be a huge story. It can simply be one or two words about how you are feeling or it can be a quote or song lyrics that represent your thoughts. Or you can let the art itself tell the story and skip the journaling part all together.

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Lesson 11 – Creating Independently

Lesson 11 – Creating Independently

For our final lesson, we will be creating freely! Take all that you have learned in this course and put your favourite techniques into one page. Be inspired by the pages I am sharing in this lesson as well as your own discoveries along the way. We all are drawn to different things so take stock of what you have been more drawn to throughout the course and think of how you can combine your favourite parts into one (or more!) art journal pages.

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Lesson 9 – Replacing Water with ink

Lesson 9 – Replacing Water with ink

For our first lesson that uses both felt tips and inks together, we are re-visiting lesson 1. Lesson 1 taught us how to blend out our felt tips with water – this time though we are replacing the water with ink, or a mix of water and ink. This will give you a more pigmented finish and also allow you to mix colours and opacities.

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Lesson 8 – Resisting Ink

Lesson 8 – Resisting Ink

In this lesson, we are looking at how to resist ink. Since ink is such a fluid and water like medium, it can be fun and interesting to pair it with something opposite. We will work with elements that are basic for any artist – nothing fancy, not even masking fluid!

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Lesson 7 – Mixing Ink Colours

Lesson 7 – Mixing Ink Colours

Using what we have learned from our first two ink lessons, we will now start to mix our own colours. Most ink sets are quite basic which gives us lots of blending and mixing possibilities. You can blend either directly on your page or on a palette. Depending on how much pigment (ink) and how much water you mix, your colours can differ immensely. Mixing ink colours is different to paint, as you don’t have the option of adding any white. I like to think of water as the white when mixing with ink.

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Lesson 3c – Collage

Lesson 3c – Collage

Collage is the best way to use those prints and backgrounds, and any other piece of paper or ephemera that you have in your stash.

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Lesson 5 – Ink + Water

Lesson 5 – Ink + Water

In our first ink dedicated lesson, we are simply mixing it with water. Super simple, but really cool and a perfect example of stretching your supplies. When you begin altering your materials, it gives you artist status for sure!

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Lesson 2 – Intricate Backgrounds

Lesson 2 – Intricate Backgrounds

In this lesson, I will show you how to create intricate backgrounds using paints, inks, and a series of image transfers. This is an easy way to make your pages pop and look like they took a great deal of work to create.

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Lesson 1 – Acrylic Gel Medium Transfers

Lesson 1 – Acrylic Gel Medium Transfers

In this lesson I will go over the basic steps you’ll take to create an image transfer. These will be the exact same steps you’ll do for every single acrylic medium image transfer you’ll ever make. Once you’ve got this technique down, you’ll be able to incorporate it into your spreads with other mediums like paints, inks, and various papers.

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Lesson 4 – Layering Image Transfers

Lesson 4 – Layering Image Transfers

For this final lesson, I will demonstrate how you can create a really cool art journal spread by layering multiple image transfers on top of one another. This particular process does take time to complete, only because you have to wait until each transfer is completely dry before you add another transfer over it. But the outcome is so worth the time and wait.

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Lesson 4 – Colouring In

Lesson 4 – Colouring In

For this lesson, we really are going back to kindergarten. Colouring in is one of life’s simplest joys. It is remarkable for calming your nerves as well as creating bold and fun pages.

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Lesson 2 – Facial Features

Lesson 2 – Facial Features

Hey everyone, Welcome to lesson 2! In this lesson I will be showing y’all how I sketch different facial features, such as eyes, mouths, etc. The important features that will make up your characters!

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Lesson 6 – Watercolouring a Face

Lesson 6 – Watercolouring a Face

It’s time for my absolute favorite lesson of this class! I really enjoy coloring in my sketched faces and I think it’s what really brings these drawings to life. So, in this lesson I’m spilling my watercolor secrets and I’m going to show you how I do it.

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Lesson 5 – Sketching a Face, Profile View

Lesson 5 – Sketching a Face, Profile View

Okay, in this lesson I am going to teach y’all how to sketch a face from a profile / side view. I used to be pretty intimidated by drawing a profile and every time I did it it would look wayyy weird. Like my girls would have a big forehead, or tiny nose, etc. How did I get better? Practice. I was determined I wanted to learn how to draw a girl in profile, so I started sketching girls in profile… a LOT.

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Lesson 1 – Supplies

Lesson 1 – Supplies

Let’s start by going over the supplies I will be using in these lessons! I will tell you what brands I use and prefer, but feel free to use whatever supplies you have on hand!

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Lesson 3 – Abstract Backgrounds

Lesson 3 – Abstract Backgrounds

This lesson is broken up into three parts: acrylic backgrounds, watercolour backgrounds and collaged backgrounds. I will very quickly take you through a selection of techniques using each medium/technique. At the end of the lesson you will have a vast array of tricks up your sleeve to make fast, abstract backgrounds for your art journal spreads.

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Lesson 4 – Sketching a Face, Front View

Lesson 4 – Sketching a Face, Front View

Guess what? In this lesson I’ll be showing you how to sketch a face from start to finish! You can sketch faces at many different angles, but the angle I’ve always found easiest was just a front view, which means the girl is facing directly towards you.

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Lesson 3 – Sketching Hair

Lesson 3 – Sketching Hair

In this lesson I’m going to show you how to draw a variety of different hairstyles you can use on your faces! In the video I show some different ways to draw both straight and curly hair, and how to use the lesson printable.

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Lesson 3 – Felt Tips + Magazines

Lesson 3 – Felt Tips + Magazines

In this lesson, we are using magazine pages instead of our art journal. Try and gather 5-6 different pages to try out these techniques. I always gravitate towards black and white imagery – or pages with a lot of blank space on them. This way, your felt tip marks are the star of the show with their bright colours and the images don’t steal focus.

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Lesson 2 – To Gesso or Not to Gesso

Lesson 2 – To Gesso or Not to Gesso

Gesso: A white paint mixture consisting of a binder mixed with chalk, gypsum, pigment, or any combination of these. It is used in artwork as a preparation for any number of substrates such as wood panels, canvas and sculpture as a base for paint and other materials that are applied over it.

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Lesson 2 – Felt Tips + Water

Lesson 2 – Felt Tips + Water

Taking what we have learned from our first lesson, we are repeating some of the same layering techniques but this time, adding water. The inclusion of water changes the aspect of felt tips so much and there is a lot of different ways to approach this method. Grab your supplies and let’s make a splash.

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Lesson 1 – Mixed Media Basics

Lesson 1 – Mixed Media Basics

Remember, there are no rules with art journaling, especially with supplies, so make the most of what you already have. A good understanding of what products are will help you make a more informed decision when you are standing in the craft aisle and feeling overwhelmed, so at least give each material a read through to better understand its function.

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Lesson 1 – Layering Felt Tips

Lesson 1 – Layering Felt Tips

We will be learning how to layer felt tips on a page. Using multiple colours to create new blends for backgrounds and patterns. Playing with warm colours, cool colours, light and dark colours together.

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Lesson 3 – Symbolism

Lesson 3 – Symbolism

Three focus points we can utilize for a more meaningful and eclectic journal and incorporating symbolism into our journal pages.

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Lesson 5 – Real Life Pieces

Lesson 5 – Real Life Pieces

Incorporating real life pieces into our journal pages – the things that accumulate in your life on their own accord; little mementos that come from events you attend, people you meet or places you visit.

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Lesson 5 – Acrylic Galaxy

Lesson 5 – Acrylic Galaxy

We’ve already made it to lesson 5 and in this lesson I am going to show you how I paint a galaxy using acrylic paint! This is a totally different medium than watercolors, and while watercolors are my personal favorite (I love how the flow and blend!), acrylics paint can make some really cool galaxies and they are often more vibrant and richer colors than watercolor paints

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Lesson 4 – Watercolor Milky Way

Lesson 4 – Watercolor Milky Way

Yay, welcome to lesson four! In this lesson I am showing you how to paint your very own Milky Way galaxy with watercolors! My process for this is pretty much the same as lesson 1, the abstract galaxy, however I work off of a reference photo so that it ends up looking like the Milky Way!

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Lesson 2 – Abstract Galaxy

Lesson 2 – Abstract Galaxy

In this lesson I am going to show you how to paint the easiest of watercolor galaxies! We won’t be using reference photos or anything, we’ll just be splashing watercolors around and experimenting to create a gorgeous, abstract starry scene.

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Lesson 3 – Watercolor Moon

Lesson 3 – Watercolor Moon

What goes well with galaxies? The moon! I love anything that has the moon on it, If I see a collage with the moon, I will instantly love it, or if I see any sort of moon accessory- it’s mine!

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How to Paint a Geometric Galaxy

How to Paint a Geometric Galaxy

I’ve gotten a bit of a reputation for including watercolor galaxies in my work, but I just can’t help it. I love painting galaxies and starry scenes, so now I am thrilled to be sharing my techniques with you.

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Messy Pages

Messy Pages

Perfect for beginning art journalers and experienced art journalers alike, Messy Pages includes 6 lessons with tips for choosing the right journal, how to choose the best supplies and mediums for you, simple explanations of art journaling terms, supplies, and how-to’s, plus examples and ideas for how to approach prompts for creating pages. Beginner art journalers will find instructor Tanylee Kahler’s overview of art journal lingo like mediums and gesso and what in the world a gelli plate is approachable and accessible. Experienced art journalers will find challenging fluid and experimental art techniques like painting galaxies, dreamy clouds, using inks, creating abstract backgrounds, and much more. Make a beautiful mess with Messy Pages.

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Lesson 5 – Simple Shapes

Lesson 5 – Simple Shapes

Often we see shapes as separate from the idea of mark making, but shapes are comprised of marks to create them. We use marks to build the shapes we want to see. Shapes can be used to portray all kinds of expression and emotion to a page.

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Bonus – Marks Imitate Art

Bonus – Marks Imitate Art

In this bonus lesson, we will create an art journal page transforming a found image with marks! This is a great technique to practice creating marks but also makes for a really lovely art journal page!

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