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Peony and Parakeet

Fly to Your Inner World and Color the Emotion

Filling an Art Journal

One of my projects this summer is to fill one of my art journals – Dylusions Creative Journal Square. I hope that these pics from my current in-progress journal, inspire you to start filling your art journal!

Beautiful art journal spread with handpainted elements. Ideas for filling an art journal.
First a messy background, then added pictures from Decodashery, and then painted some more.

Reaching Saturation Point in Filling Art Journal

I think art journals have a saturation point. When most of the pages are full, you have to give the book a little more attention than usual. This journal was started in 2020, and I have filled it here and there over the years.

A detail of an art journal page. Colored pencils and watercolors.
Colored pencils change to watercolors in the middle of the spread.

One spread can have things done in many different years. So the book is full of temporal layers, and I think they make the best art journal.

Art journal spread made from pieces that have been created over the years. One art journal can have many temporal layers.
Old scribbles on the right, then later painted some in the same spirit,
and finally added a zebra made in the style of Animal Inkdom.
Magical Inkdom also has fun projects for these kind of small drawings.

Practicing in an Art Journal

My courses appear a lot in my art journal, because I often practice on the pages or later glue pictures I made for the courses into it. I hope my course participants do the same!

Delicious cream cakes and flowers. Inspiration for beautiful paintings.
Glued flowers and cakes made for Decodashery on the painted background
and then added some more painted petals in acrylic.
Journaled “Sweet” with watercolors.

Part of being an artist is to be happy with your own development, and also to be interested in what you have done before.

This and That Will Magically Come Together

When my art journal is full, I will make a video of it, where I go through it and talk about each spread. I also know that when the journal is finished, the flow of the spreads feels much more coherent than when I was filling them.

Derwent Artbars on an art journal. Flowery art journal spread.
Used old crayons – Derwent Artbars – with water to practice watercolor flowers.
In the style of Freely Grown.

One thing that applies to all art journals, sketchbooks, and notebooks is that they are most beautiful when full. When you purchase one, it looks too beautiful to fill, but once you hold a full one, it feels much more valuable. I am looking forward to that!

Summer Sale!

Ready to start filling your art journal? Remember the annual summer sale! All classes are 20% off.

The sale ends on July 20, 2025, at midnight PDT. >> Buy Now!

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