While I write about art journaling and mixed media because it’s the current path on my unexpected journey, that passion has revealed itself in my digital art products, too.
Mixed Media Say Hello to the Digital World
The digital scrapbooking world has evolved to include related types of art and customers are expanding their own artful journeys. For a couple of years, digital art journaling kits were everywhere. It was a new art form (to the digi community) which spread rapidly and appealed to those who wanted to explore it’s promise of “no rules.” There were some (and still are a few) online classes and forums devoted to it and today digi art journaling is much more mainstream. Well, it’s more accurate to say the kits are more mainstream.
While there are lots of digital designers making art journaling kits, there’s not much discussion about art journaling itself and what that means in the digital world. There are lots (and lots) of websites and instructors on physical art journaling and mixed media. But, from my perspective, there’s something missing – how to translate those concepts into digital art. That’s what I’m asked about most. On the surface, its confusing that there are so many styles of art journaling. And how do mixed media techniques come into the picture? How do you go about using the various products out there to create mixed media art journaling with a digital framework?
My Bad
In thinking through this, I had a look through my shop, I found that I’m part of that problem. I’ve got all sorts of products which aren’t sold as part of a kit, but which work really well for creating an art journaling or mixed media look. However, I haven’t really explained how to accomplish that goal. In my own defense, most of those products are Photoshop brushes or ephemera packs, or overlays, originally intended for other digi designers who loved the look of, but couldn’t (or didn’t want to), get into physical art making. Those same products, though, really are the “tools” a mixed media artist would use to make a page.
Bridging the Mixed Media to Digital Gap
I started my Facebook Art Journaling Community to help fill that gap. The gap between having digital products (such as “art journaling” kits which usually, but not always) have a theme around some sort of emotion or point of view, and knowing what to do with those products. Once you understand just how broad a category “art journaling” really is; once you understand how brush sets and gesso packs and ephemera sets can give you a mixed media look – along with some basic techniques, you’ll be able to create a page that is meaningful to you (even if no one else “gets it”) in a style that appeals to you. And you’ll be able to do that with almost any kit – not just those specifically labelled ‘”art journaling”.
I’m the first to admit I’m not an expert on this topic. There are many artists who have been doing this a heck of a lot longer (and with WAY more experience) than I have. Let’s face it, I’m a 63 year old who didn’t even realize I had an iota of creativity until I was 50! I’ve never been to art school. But that is  exactly my unexpected journey – finding a creative outlet I’d never considered possible. You can even say it’s my unique perspective. I’ve had a long, successive business life wearing lots of different hats. I’m technically and detailed and deadline oriented. Yet art is totally the opposite. My kids now have kids of their own and now I have the time to explore me. I started totally clueless and … well now I have more clues! I can share my mixed media adventures with you and then endeavor to show you how that translates to the digital world.
If that interests you, I’d love for you to join the group!
P.S. The AJ page I created on this page was the start of my Miss Ella kit! You just never know where inspiration will strike!
you write so well Vicki, you are so helpful and I’ve learned a lot from you … thank you
Oh, thank you so much, Evelyn! You made my day!
Will be looking for these great brushes!
Lol – I’m paddling as fast as I can, Rita!
I like having a tiny shadow on stamped items (like your flowers) because when I do mixed media projects I often use baby powder to “un”sticky portions of my stickers so that they float above the paper a bit and not so one dimensional. Miss Ella is so cute. Thanks for the deconstruction of your layout and your thought processes.
You’re SO welcome! I do that baby powder thing too! Great minds!! 🙂
Love love love! So cool that Ella and Elliot are so close in age and doing mostly the same things! Really like the kit too.
Thanks, Annette! I was just saying to the kids how fascinating it was that I know of at least three babies born within about a week of Ella and they are all developing so similarly!!
Love the kit, and thank you for the coupon. I’ve downloaded it and can’t wait to use it for an art journal page. All the while I will be thinking about cute little Ella, and how her photo makes me smile. (It’s not like me to be this smitten with someone else’s grandchild since I have a dozen of my own!)
Awww Shar! That’s so sweet! I’m jealous of your dozen! Now that I have one, I can’t WAIT for more!!
I’m so happy you decided to turn your lovely layout into a kit! This is just so darned cute!! This will be in my supplies tomorrow!
I wanted to say something about ‘reversing’ the handwriting script. If you write something that is rather personal, reversing it makes it hard for anyone to see what you wrote, providing that is your point.
This is absolutely stupendous – a kit, a tutorial, a chance to see what products you create for sale and a chance to hear your lovely voice, telling us how you do things in your layouts! The art-journaling aficionados will love it! That is so invaluable!
Thank you ever so much!
Hugs!
Su
Thank you, Su! You’re absolutely correcting about reversing the journaling too! The next time I do a video that talks about journaling I’ll mention that! And, as always, thank you for such kind words! You’ll never know how much they mean to me! xoxo