Bible Journaling for the Fine Artist: Inspiring Bible Journaling Techniques and Projects to Create Beautiful Faith-Based Fine Art
144
Bible Journaling for the Fine Artist: Inspiring Bible Journaling Techniques and Projects to Create Beautiful Faith-Based Fine Art
144eBook
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Overview
Explore your faith artistically with Bible Journaling for the Fine Artist—a guide that goes beyond doodling and lettering to teach you to make fine art prayer journals, daily devotionals, and more.
Beginning with a brief introduction to Bible journaling, this valuable guide explores various media, including colored pencils, pen and ink, brush pens, and watercolor paint, and how to use them. You will find dozens of step-by-step tutorials for drawing and painting beautiful artwork related to meaningful Bible passages, as well as plenty of ideas and techniques for applying lettering, flourishes, icons, and embellishments to your artwork for maximum impact.
There are tips for creating compelling layouts, reworking and embracing mistakes, and several step-by-step projects for you to incorporate into your own Bible or prayer journal. Two talented and dynamic artists, Melissa Fischer and Kate Peiffer, show how they integrate their own style and artistry with their faith through a variety of art journaling projects, from full-page masterpieces to smaller artwork in the margins and on the covers of their journals.
From simple doodled designs to elaborate full-page artwork, creating in the pages of your Bible is a beautiful and meaningful way to express and explore your faith. With just a few art tools of your choosing, you can turn the pages of your Bible into personal and special works of art that reflect your God-given creativity and your relationship with Him.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781633226036 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Quarto Publishing Group USA |
| Publication date: | 07/27/2022 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 144 |
| Sales rank: | 981,202 |
| File size: | 48 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Kate Peiffer is an engineering student at the University of Missouri with an undeniable passion for all things creative. Kate is best known for her Bible Journaling artwork, which she shares through her Instagram page called Beautiful Bible. She is also the owner of an Etsy shop, where she sells a variety of hand-painted items, including journals, vintage hymns, and Bibles.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
A Guide to
BIBLE JOURNALING SUPPLIES withwith Melissa Fischer
There are few things better than new art supplies and a Bible to create in! But I try to never forget why I started Bible journaling. I love to create every day, but the point is to connect deeper with God. To celebrate the journey He is taking me down, and maybe along that road I will get to share my heart with others. Maybe your gift just happens to be like mine, and you feel led to worship with color, but never feel like you need all these supplies to have a growing relationship with God. You can start with just a pencil and your Bible. All other supplies are just extra!
Journaling Bibles
There are many journaling Bibles available — and in all kinds of translations and versions. Choose the journaling Bible that will work best for you. Some have wide margins for journaling on the side, in some every other page is blank, some include line art to color in, and some are partly illustrated already with beautiful imagery that can inspire you. These are the two that I use the most:
DOUBLE-COLUMN JOURNALING BIBLE
The double-column journaling Bible lays the text out in two columns on each page, with a blank column to the side for lettering or, in this case, artwork.
INTERLEAVED BIBLE
The Interleaved Edition Bible is unique because every other page is completely blank. As you can imagine, this makes it rather big, but great for really getting your artistic expression going.
MECHANICAL PENCIL
Before anything else on my list, this is my go-to item. I don't leave home without it, and it really is the only tool I need to create in my Bible. A mechanical pencil is always sharp and ready for good detail, and you never need a pencil sharpener. Just remember to keep extra lead in your bag!
WHITE ERASER
A white eraser has to be the second must-have item in my bag. I love to use a high-quality white eraser because it doesn't create the bad smudging that other erasers can — especially the pink ones at the end of your traditional pencils!
COLORED PENCILS
Let's face it — colored pencils are one of the easiest supplies to keep on hand. If you have kids, like me, you probably have buckets of them. You can also invest in higher-quality colored pencils by the set or individually I prefer to buy my colored pencils a few at a time, investing in better pencils, and creating my own personal color collection that I know I will love.
ARCHIVAL INK PENS
Archival ink pens are great tools for Bible journaling. They are available in a variety of nib tips and sizes, as well as an array of colors, depending on the brand. Archival ink pens are resistant to fading or discoloration.
BRUSH PENS
There are many types of brush pens available. Some have small nibs, and some have large nibs. The nib on a brush pen behaves like a paintbrush and produces thick strokes when you apply heavy pressure and thin strokes when you apply light pressure. Brush pens work great for lettering, as well as coloring.
SKETCHBOOK
A sketchbook is a must-have item! They become my brain on paper — from recording favorite verses, to sketching down quick ideas, to keeping color swatches ... the possibilities are endless. They come in so many different forms, and I suggest thinking about what your needs are when starting one. I have several different sketchbooks, and I work in them all at the same time. I use small handheld sketchbooks that I can throw in my purse, watercolor sketchbooks, and three-ring notebooks with protective plastic sleeves. Ninety percent of my work is done in some kind of sketchbook, so I truly believe they are important in an artist's life.
Watercolors
Watercolor paint comes in a variety of formats, and you can buy them in pan sets or by the tube. I personally use both.
PAN SETS: Pan sets are a great way, besides pencils, to get started in watercolors. I always suggest investing in good-quality paint. You can find very affordable starter sets. I keep a small spray water bottle nearby so I can spritz my dry pans to quickly activate the paint and get it moving faster. Watercolors are wonderful because you can reactivate them with water after they dry which keeps waste to a minimum. Pan sets are good for creating on the go, making it convenient to always find time to paint.
TUBE WATERCOLORS: These are my personal favorite, but they can be an investment. I suggest taking your time — don't feel like you need to buy all the colors at once. Pick out a few at a time, slowly building your own color collection. Tube watercolors are more vibrant and richer than pan paints. To keep down on waste, remember a little goes a long way and it's great to have a way to store your paints once they have left the tube. You can use a white reusable paint palette to mix your paints or create your
Brushes
Picking out a brush can be overwhelming, because there are so many different types and sizes. It's really about trial and error until you find what works for you. I personally look for a watercolor brush with a round tip. I usually buy three, each in a different size, so I can have a variety of brushes to work with. Keep in mind that you will need a small brush for fine detail work, a medium brush for larger detail, and a large brush for washing in background areas. You can also purchase water brushes, which hold water in the barrel of the brush and are great for travel. The only downside to a water brush is that you have less control of how much water you use.
Watercolor Pencils
Watercolor pencils are unique in that you can use them as a colored pencil or add water for a soft watercolor effect. They are also a great way to get your feet wet with using watercolors, and I highly recommend having them in your "go-to" art bag.
Acrylic Paints
Acrylic paints are more opaque than watercolors and will cover up words on the page. However, they can still be a great medium for creating artwork in the margins and on open pages. Acrylic paints are water-based, which means you can also dilute them with water to thin the paint and achieve some transparency
Additional Supplies
• Pencil sharpener. I prefer a good-quality, handheld metal sharpener.
• Two containers for water — one for clean water and one for rinse water.
• Paper towels for cleaning brushes and cleaning up messes — a must-have!
• White china marker. This is a fun tool to have but not necessary. It's very similar to using a white waxy crayon that resists watercolor washes. You can use it before you paint to protect the white areas of your paper, or you can use it afterward to add white highlights after the paint dries.
• Paint palette for mixing watercolors and creating washes.
• Artist color wheel. This is a quick reference to have on hand for color planning, but not necessary.
Applying WET MEDIA
Watercolors are my favorite medium for creating in my Bible, but it took some time to work up the courage to use them. Actually, the first time I ever used paint in my Bible was to try and cover up a mistake I had made. That mistake opened a whole new world for me. I started out with acrylic paint and used that for a while, but I got very discouraged by how opaque the paint was. It would easily cover up words that I wanted to be able to read, and acrylic paint is not very forgiving when you make a mistake. I decided to invest in a few tubes of watercolor paint and fell in love immediately. Watercolor paint is easier to control and correct if I apply too much on the page. It also has a transparent quality, so I can easily read the verses through it, and it isn't as thick and heavy on the page.
Watercolar Media
I keep three types of watercolors in my bag of supplies, and I have used all three to create in my Bible!
PANS
These watercolors are a cake-like consistency and usually come in a set. They are great when you're starting out or for use when traveling. To reactivate them, just add a bit of water with your brush. I also keep a small spray bottle on hand to spritz down my palette to get the color moving faster.
TUBES
These watercolors come out of the tube in a more liquid consistency ready to go. Be careful though — a little goes a long way They are usually more vibrant and concentrated in color. I keep my watercolors in a palette that I can close and store for later. Just like pan watercolors, after you squeeze a small amount out of the tube, it can be reactivated with water after it dries. Tube watercolors are more of an investment, and storing them in some kind of closed palette will ensure you don't waste any of
WATERCOLOR PENCILS
These are a great way to start with watercolors. You can use them like a colored pencil or add water to create a watercolor look. You can color with the pencil straight on the page and then add water to the page with your brush, or you can pull the color off the tip of your pencil with your wet brush and then apply it to the page. Try both techniques and see which one is more comfortable for you!
Extra Tips
• Try not to overwork the page with water and paint; it can tear easily once saturated with water. If need be, you can always let it dry and revisit it later. Fresh eyes can help solve a problem.
• Water control is important — you want to avoid pools of water on the page. You want to balance the amount of water on your page, in your brush, and in your paint. It can be a little tricky to get the hang of, but it just takes practice. Keep paper towels on hand to soak up excess water if it gets too heavy on the page — be sure to lightly dab the page, not rub.
• I have found it's best to cover the entire page, edge to edge, with at least a light wash of paint. The paper doesn't wrinkle or "buckle" as much if you paint the entire page, instead of just a section.
• Tuck a clean sheet of paper behind your Bible page to protect the rest of the pages from excess water and paint.
• Work in layers, start light, and add more color as you go. As the page dries, you can go back and add more paint as needed. It's easier to darken the art than to try to pull color off if it's too dark.
• If you make a mistake or apply the paint too heavily in an area, use a clean, damp brush to pull the excess paint off the page. Make sure you rinse out your brush between strokes — that way you remove the paint and not just spread it around.
• I like to have two jars of water on hand: one for rinsing my brush and one of clean water. This way I don't mix dirty water back into my paints or on the page.
Washes
There are two main washes I use when painting in my Bible. Each wash has a different job, and both can make creating in your Bible easier when using watercolors.
WET-ON-DRY WASH
For this wash, the page is dry and you add wet paint with your brush. You have more control over the paint with this wash, and you can use a clean, wet brush to pull the color across the page or blend with another color. This wash is good for smaller areas and adding details.
WET-ON-WET WASH
For this technique, wet the page with a light coat of clean water, and then brush on the wet paint. Don't add too much water, just enough to make the page shiny. Keep paper towels on hand to blot excess moisture. Try to only wet the page where you want your paint to move to; watercolor paint loves to travel within its wet borders. With this wash, you have less control over how the paint behaves, but it can produce a very nice effect. I like to use this wash when painting large areas on the page quickly and evenly.
'Make Your Work "Pop"
A china marker comes in handy to protect the places on the page that you want to stay white or highlighted. A china marker is a waxy type of pencil that will repel watercolor wherever you add it to the page — but you must add it before the paint! Another great trick is to use white ink to add highlights and a pop of white to your painting. You can find white ink in pen-form or buy it by the bottle and add to your page with a brush. It can really add an extra "pop" to your page!
I love to add a little more color with colored pencils or watercolor pencils. After the page dries, you can use colored pencils or watercolor pencils to darken and shade areas. With pencils, you have a little more control over those little extra pops of color.
After the page dries, I trace back over any outlines or wording that I may have painted over. Going back over those lines makes them "pop" off the page better. I always outline with colored pencil, but if you use ink, always test it out beforehand to make sure it can be used with watercolors. Some inks will run when you add water to them.
Drawing TIPS & TRICKS
with Melissa Fischer
Let's start with the truth — drawing is the number one stumbling block for people wanting to create in their Bible! I hear it daily, but I truly believe anyone can do it. Never let that fear stop you from doing something you think you would love and truly benefit from. In this section, we'll explore some basic tips and tricks to get you drawing in your Bible.
If you're completely new to drawing, here are a few things to keep in mind:
• Start with very light pencil marks. The lighter the marks, the easier it is to erase mistakes — and we all make them.
• Try to keep your lines fluid, not choppy, even if it means making several light lines to get an idea of where your final line will be.
• You aren't going to get it on your first go. Practice, practice, and then practice some more! This is a great reason to keep a sketchbook (or tracing paper) handy.
Another option for beginners: Fake it 'til you make it! There is nothing wrong with copying or tracing something you love onto the page of your Bible. Collect inspirational images from anywhere — greeting cards, coloring books, magazines, scrapbook paper, etc. You can even pull sketches out of your own sketchbook to transfer to your Bible!
Tracing Ideas
• Bible pages are so thin you can usually see through them easily. Slip an image behind the page and trace it onto your Bible page. Use washi tape to secure the item you are copying so there is no movement, and use light pencil marks that are easy to erase if needed. If you're having trouble seeing your image, a great trick is to use a screen light app on your phone as a light box to light up the page from behind.
• A second option is the "carbon copy" trick that I use a lot. I don't actually use carbon paper, because it's not always easy to erase. Instead, I make my own by covering the back of the page that I want to transfer with pencil lead. The lead from a basic No. 2 pencil is much easier to erase if needed. Then I place the image, lead-side down, on the Bible page and trace over it. The pressure of your pencil transfers it onto the Bible page, and then you can go back over it with a colored pencil or another drawing tool.
Working with Shapes
Drawing can be overwhelming and takes years to master-I'm still learning! It's a skill that takes practice, and only practice will make it easier. I believe the foundation of drawing is to train your eye to break an object down into basic shapes.
Whenever I draw, I try to break the object into its basic shapes:
• squares
• circles
• triangles
• ovals
• rectangles
Or even:
• cubes
• cylinders
• spheres
• cones
• rectangular prisms
• egg shapes
I also use both straight and curved lines.
Below I have recreated some of the basic drawings I used in some of the tutorials in this book to show you how they break down into shapes. Using straight and curved lines, I can make my drawing cohesive, connecting the shapes that are guides in making the overall image. A basic shape, or shapes, can be transformed into a drawing that anyone can create.
As you get more confident, you can take those basic ideas and try something a little more complicated Always keep proportions in mind when you are drawing. The proportions are how one element of your drawing relates to another, in size, so they visually work together. For example, the head on a swan wouldn't be bigger than its body.
Shading
Shading helps bring life and character to your drawing. When you capture the highlights, midtones, and shadows, you give the drawing depth and contrast that makes it "pop" off the page. Shading can be tricky, and everyone has different techniques.
Hatching Draw parallel lines close together to create shading. The closer the lines are, the darker the shading appears.
Crosshatching Similar to hatching, draw lines in two different directions. Cross one set of parallel lines over the next in an "x" formation.
Scumbling Move your pencil in circular strokes that overlap each other in a random pattern. When you keep the lines light and in tight circles, it results in a smooth blending — one of my favorite techniques.
While shading, keep your light source in mind. If you are looking at a photograph, where is the light coming into the picture from? The top or the side? If you don't have a definite light source, create your own direction. I usually picture it coming in from the top right-hand side of my paper. Establishing the light source is important, because you want your image to visually make sense when determining the location of the shadows.
Let's use this flower as an example of where shadows usually lie.
• Shadows generally lie in the area furthest from the light source, or on the other side from where the light naturally hits. In this example, the light is coming from the top right.
• Under things. Notice how there is more shading in the areas where the petals connect to the center of the flower.
• Places that curve or dip, such as areas where the petals fold or curve.
• Behind layers that overlap, such as petals that tuck under each other.
Design Elements
When you have drawing down and are ready to lay out a page design, how do you do it? I learned a few tricks in design school that will help you lay out a page with lots of visual interest, and even movement! You don't have to use them all at the same time, but the example page shown here incorporates all of them so you can see how they work together to create a dynamic page.
Design Tips
Determine the Focal Point. Where do you want the eye to go first? It should be one of the largest and even brightest objects on the page.
Overlap Objects. You can add depth by overlapping objects and can even push your focal point towards the front by overlapping elements.
Cropping Elements. Make your design visually interesting by cropping something in the design or letting an object run off the page. Just be sure to leave enough of the drawing visible that the viewer can recognize it.
Repeating Pattern. Repeat a design or pattern throughout the page to help unify the overall design.
Stray from the Ordinary. Off-center something that you usually would put dead center. You can also tilt or rotate an element
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Bible Journaling for the Fine Artist"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc..
Excerpted by permission of The Quarto Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction, 4,
Getting Started, 6,
A Guide to Bible Journaling Supplies, 8,
Applying Wet Media, 12,
Drawing Tips & Tricks, 16,
Exploring Color, 22,
A Guide to Lettering, 30,
Inspired Journaling, 38,
Choosing Bible Passages, 40,
Embracing the Messy, 42,
Think Beyond the Page, 48,
Bible Journaling Techniques & Projects, 52,
Working in Colored Pencil, 54,
Creating a Chalkboard Look, 62,
Working in Watercolor Pencil, 68,
Simple Watercolor & Lettering, 76,
Floral Word Art, 80,
Creating Drama with Watercolor, 84,
Working in Pen, 94,
Working in Acrylic Paint, 98,
Working in Brush Pen, 102,
Stained Glass Bible Art, 108,
Filling the Page, 112,
Using Stippling, 118,
Colorful Two-Page Spread, 122,
Inspiration Gallery, 132,
About the Artists, 144,