Painting On Your Journal Covers
Hello magical beings, nice to meet you! I am Cherlyn (@cherlynmark), here today to show you how I painted my journals. I love all things galaxy and ocean themed, and naturally gravitated toward them for my journal covers.
Materials
- Archer and Olive Signature Dot Grid Notebook
- Acrylic Paints
- Paintbrushes
- Pencil
One
I start off with lightly sketching on my designs. I am using a white chalk for visibility purpose here.
Two
Since the journal I am using here has a dark blue base, I painted a thin layer of white to prime the surface for a lighter colour later. This part can get tricky, you might need to do a few layers throughout your painting to get a full coverage as the linen cover is not prepped for painting.
I am using Holbein Acryla Gouache - if acrylic and gouache paints made a baby. I am a huge fan of their wide range of bright colours. I also prefer acryla gouache over regular acrylic paints as it has a matt finish compared to the latter's satin finish.
Tip: Do not dilute your paints too much with water.
Three
While waiting for the white to dry, I moved on to painting the background. I did not prime it since I know I am going for a pastel colour. I will go back to touch up after I am done with the jellyfish.
Four
For the jellyfish, I started with a flat colour and slowly built up the intensity. I let the paint dry slightly between layers.
Five
Add final details and stars with a fine tip brush.
Acrylic paints dry waterproof, however you may use a sealer if you want to further protect your artwork.
If you do not own any acrylic paints, any heavy body paints (like gouache) work too. Just remember to seal them if they are water activated!
This is another design that I did on a Archer and Olive B5 Signature Dot Grid Journal. I use a Uni Posca Paint Pen for the gold details.
I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial, and can give it a shot on your own Archer and Olive Journal! You can check out more of my #GalaxSea creatures artworks @cherlynmark.
2 Comments
Are there any particular brands or types of journals you recommend that are easier to paint on?
I love this!!! I have already started painting it on my notebook!!