I just finished my red Moleskine Sketchbook. It always feels like an accomplishment when an art journal gets full. So I’m happy to show a couple of photos and a flip-through video of all the pages!
Moleskine Sketchbook as an Art Journal
Moleskine Sketchbooks are one of my favorite books for art journaling. The paper is sturdy, and it can be used with a variety of supplies. I use mostly watercolors, acrylic paints, colored pencils and PITT artist pens. But I also use inks, gel pens, hand-decorated papers for collages, etc. The small size is handy for quick pages and easy to put in a bag. However, sometimes the size is a little bit too small, especially for acrylic paintings. So I also use other journals, especially large Dylusions Creative Journals. The paper is very smooth, so it’s not ideal for watercolors. But I don’t mind that too much, I use a little less water to make watercolors work with the paper. Some prefer coarser paper for colored pencils but I love how effortless it is to color the pages in Moleskine Sketchbook.
The Purpose of an Art Journal
For me, art journals are little more than just sketchbooks. I like to call them “idea books” as I often process my ideas further when I am working on the page. I don’t always make one page on the same go, but work with it several times, adding more ideas as the page progresses. However, I have quite low expectations on how my pages will look. They are not pieces of art but more like collections of ideas to me.
As you can see from the flip-through video, my ideas are often connected to art history and different styles. The first photo of this blog post shows a spread inspired by Rococo. The second photo shows a spread that I made after browsing designs from the 1960s. Even if I sometimes write short stories or make notes about my current thoughts, I mostly write about beautiful things that I have seen and visualize the ideas I have gotten from it.
My art journals are not chronological diaries but random visual notes that I process to full images. I can make a quick sketch of a rose one day and then continue the page with painting on the other day. When I am working with a new art class, I use art journals to record my visual ideas and practice the techniques. I also see creating art journal pages a route to bigger paintings. When I paint on canvas, I use the ideas that I have come up with when making the pages. Every artist should also be an art journaler!
Flip-Through Video
Create Step by Step!
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Beautiful works! Full of inspiration! Thanks for sharing.
So so Beautiful ?
Breathtaking — please do a video of just one step by step process as you do a complete page in your journal – one that includes as many mediums as possible….I realize it might be long but maybe you could break it up into 2 or 3 shorter videos — I’d love to see your complete process. Love your work
Her classes are amazing, and she takes you through the whole process on video. 🙂
A wonderful body of work!
Awesome and so inspirational! I will need to really plan to take some of you classes soon!
I know I have said to you that I am not a big fan of art journaling, but with this you are beginning to convince me! I, too, love that deliciousness of finishing the last page in a journal!
It ‘s so beautifull, thanks for sharing
Beautiful journal. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Every page is delightful and provides so much inspiration. Also, I adore the piano music you play and would love it if you could share some of the music you find so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us.
I left a comment/question on youtube but will say again here:
as the pages in this sketchbook journal are so thin, did you glue 2 pages together throughout the journal and did you gesso the pages? I loved this whole book with lots of designs and colours. Thank you for sharing. Jane
Thanks, Jane! This is Moleskine (Art +) Sketchbook, not a regular notebook so the pages are pretty thick. I didn’t glue any pages and I didn’t use gesso as a primer. Some of the pages might have gesso as I use it to replace white acrylics sometimes.
I enjoyed looking through your book so much. You have given me wonderful inspiration for getting going on my own experimental art journal. And you turned the pages perfectly. As Goldilocks would say, “not too fast and not too slow, but Just Right!” I really love your use of colors. Your pages always pop out at me and I recognize your style no matter where I see it. Thanks for sharing and inspiring others to produce exciting art.
Stunningly goegeous! You have given me many new ideas! Thank you for the video, Paivi!
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.