Step-by-Step

Inspired by Nature in my Art Journal

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I love the peeling bark of sycamore trees. After a recent storm, the ground in my local park was covered with cast-off bark pieces.

I brought 2 pieces home to inspire an art journal spread. Aren’t the shapes great?

I started out by tracing the bark shapes with my favorite jagged outlines.

Next, it was time to pick a color palette. I chose Permanent Green Olive, Purple Violet, Terracotta, and May Green Pitt Artist Pens

I used the bright May Green to fill in the outline of the shapes.

Then, I added vertical stripes across the page.

I colored in the background stripes with the purple, orange, & green markers.

I chose paler versions of the background colors, Beige Red, Earth Green, and Lilac to color in the stripes in the bark shapes. I love how it gives a transparent effect to the layout.

Concentric Doodles in my Art Journal

I love combining collage and doodles with fun colors in my art journal.

I cut one of my printed patterns into curving shapes.

I then cut those curving shapes into strips and glued them into my art journal.

Then, I chose some coordinating and contrasting colors to add doodled details.

Next, I started drawing doodles and concentric lines in the shapes created by the paper strips.

I added color with my Pitt Artist Pens.

More color!

To complete the design, I added patterns of connected circles. I left some white space in the design to give your eye a place to rest.

I used this art journal spread as the inspiration for one of my surface pattern designs.

Supplies used in this journal spread (These are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and buy certain items, I will receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) to help keep the lights on in the studio.)

Positive & Negative Circles in my Art Journal

I love to use the color tests of my pattern s I print as collage material in my art journal.

This is my Waves & Triangles print and the coordinating color markers I chose for this spread.

First, I cut circles out of the collage paper. Then, I glued the circles and their negative space into my journal. Next, I drew squiggly lines emanating from the circles. Then, I colored in the negative circles.

I drew tiny circles on the ends of the squiggly lines and wide lines between them. Then, I drew more lines coming out of the circles and across the spread.

I drew concentric shapes in some of the areas created by the lines, and started coloring them in.

To finish the design, I colored in the rest of the shapes and added dots to the inside if the large circles.

Full Circle in my Art Journal

I used an art journal spread to inspire my Bohemian Patchwork pattern. While creating that pattern, I printed out many color variations before I decided on the final one.

I took one of those color tests and cut it up and glued it in my art journal, coming full circle.

Then I got out my Pitt Artist Pens and went to town with doodles.

Sometimes when I work in my art journal, I create each “layer” separately, and sometimes I work back and forth between them. For this spread, I did the latter.

And here is the finished spread, going from art journal to pattern, and back to art journal again.

This is another spread I made with the color tests from my Bohemian Patchwork pattern.

Bird Series in my Art Journal: Part 3

In part 1 of this series, I glued photos of birds in my art journal. In part 2, I added doodles. Now in part 3, I add color to the doodles. I tried to choose colors that coordinated with the colors of the birds. I had a lot of fun with this series and hope to do another one soon.

Chickadee with doodles in my art journal

Heron & waxwing with doodles in my art journal