No special tutorial this week…just a bit of reading.
I had to write this post due to emails I’m getting from people asking for cheaper substrate alternatives to practice all the art lessons I’ve been giving them.
So tell me if this situation sounds familiar?
You have your paints all lined up on your palette, glimmering and so shiny, a beautiful white canvas primed and ready to go and your reference photo is taped to your easel.
You’re ready to get started, listening to some quiet music and then this happens…you start thinking…
- what if I mess up
- what if I paint it wrong
- I’ve just wasted a canvas
- this is too big
- this is too small
- my paints will dry out
- this is going to take forever
- maybe I should wait a few more days and watch more YouTube videos
You are SO not alone!
When I decided to go to art school a few years after what I feel was wasting tens of thousands of dollars on computer programming and systems analysis (which btw was outdated before I graduated) I figured it would be a cake walk.
How hard could it be? I’ve always been a creative, making jewelry and floral arrangements so the creativity should be ok. I had two kids (two legged and four legged kinds), but a wonderful partner would be there to take them off my hands so I could get my homework done. I had the space, had the supplies, so I was ready to go.
Learning in theory wasn’t hard at all. It was applying what I learned onto (at the time) $5 canvases. I always froze when having to do my practice work and then homework assignments on canvases. They weren’t cheap. I always felt pressure to make perfect art, like the “A” grade would make it all better. They never taught in school proper drying procedures for oils, especially if you lived in the country. Do you know what all that dust does to an oil painting or to an impasto styled acrylic painting?
So exactly how does this apply to you?
I’m pretty sure you watch videos, read art books, take art classes to learn and we all know money doesn’t grow on trees, so how can you apply everything you learn and put it into practice without spending a fortune?
I’m going to give you a list of pro’s and con’s to using a canvas vs working in an art journal for learning, practicing and experimenting.
Canvas Pros and Cons
Pros
- you can hang a canvas on a wall
- makes for a beautiful gift
- usually is pre-primed
- good for acrylics, oils and mixed media
- available back stapled so doesn’t require framing
- you can buy raw linen and stretcher bars to make your own custom sized canvas
Cons
- bulky to store
- super challenging to keep a visual record of progress over many paintings
- expensive to buy for a super smooth finish for detailed work
- expensive for shipping when ordering online
- needs to hang on a wall
- drying space can be a challenge
- white canvas syndrome
- overwhelming if working on a pricey canvas
- working on an economy canvas board will warp
- may be a challenge to be more expressive on a canvas
Art Journal Pros and Cons
Pros
- can be any size you want
- the cost of one manufactured art journal can be the same price as an economy 16×20 canvas
- transportable
- customization by medium
- working record of your progres
- you can be really creative if you want to make one by hand
- can be as simple as folding paper in half and stapling together
- doesn’t take up a lot of space
- you can combine different types of paper/cardstock in one journal and work on whichever page you want
- progression doesn’t need to be linear
- easy to add notes
- you can work on one side and make notes on the other size of a journal spread
- you can just work on the pages and when dry, then bind them into an expanding journal
- you can be more expressive in an art journal
- nobody gets to see what is in your art journal, so it’s totally private
Cons
- usually requires seperate journals for oil painting and drawing
- drying time for oils can be a challenge unless you have more than one journal
- can get quite bulky if it’s a hard bound journal
- pages stick together
- hard to draw properly when you are working on the side of the journal with just a few pages
- can be addictive if you make your own and love the process, so be prepared for this new “extra” activity.
Did I miss anything?
Now I’m not knocking using a canvas for practice work, but if you find yourself feeling less creative working on a canvas, try working in an art journal for a while and see if it makes a difference to your creativity and your pocket book.
If I missed anything, share it below in the comments and I’ll update the list.
I'd like to hear from you...
Do you use an art journal for creating your art? if so, do you use it for practicing and formal art?
If you don’t use an art journal, I’d love to know why (no judging). Do you have a better way of applying new techniques and experiments?
Please share in the comments below.
Love painting on wood surfaces however they’re expensive and hard to find. Also difficult to display/hang. Canvases can be pricey, need space to store then display. I have a 12×9″ mixed media journal but I found the white pages to be intimidating and ‘huge’ to work on. So….since the journal pages can be removed and easily put back in, I’ve been cutting the pages down to smaller sizes; 8×10, 6×6 etc. I’m still intimidated by the white canvas so BOB to the recuse and just base coating the pages. I’m in the process of doing all of the above. Will let you know how I progress.
That’s great to hear! working with smaller journals as you are doing should give you more frequent “sense of completion” moments as they won’t take so long to finish.
I also like the idea of having a theme for a journal and you can put in different types of paper, cardboard etc to practise on.
Also glad you are enjoying the BOB series ?
I only started art journaling last year. My first one was a small 3×5 lined spiral notebook. I had to glue 2 or 3 pages together for strength. At the same time I was working in a large 9×12 spiral art journal book. Then onto a couple of other dollar-store hard cover notebooks. I have some very lovely journals which I am afraid to use. They are so pretty. The ones I have completed have gesso and paint all over the spirals and the hardbound books won’t close. The worst is that the pages stick together even after you think they are dry. That ruined several pages! So, when I found a package of 4×6 index cards, I got some rings that open and now I do my pages 1 or 2 at a time, punch 2 holes and put them on the rings. I think that is how I will work my journal at the moment. I would also love to create some mixed media canvases but I stilled haven’t mastered the “layers” thing that gives the art so much depth. I don’t even achieve this in my journals yet. I will just have to keep at it.
Hi Kathleen, I find that paint that has even the smallest amount of shine will stick, why not try placing a small sheet of wax paper in between.
The journals you are afraid to use, is it because of how they are manufactured (binding, style, leather cover) or because of the cost? Either way, here is one way to get you started. On the first page, paint your background and stamp, stencil or hand-write your name and date. Nothing else. This identifies the journal as being yours and you are the master of the journal, not the other way around.
Layering is all about knowing your paints and mediums, what gives you transparency, opacity, how to diffuse, soften and highlight. It will come to you, just keep at it 🙂
I love journals and get the nice ones with a big coupon. I am afraid to ruin them. But your advice will be taken. Make my mark and own it! So much to learn………….. 🙂
I can’t wait to see what you do with them!
When I discovered art journaling I was hooked immediately. I was using spiral-bound books that I found at second-hand stores and gluing mixed media or watercolour paper to the pages. That created too much bulk, so I ripped blank pages out. Then I discovered your homemade art journal tutorials. At first I thought that I would never go to all that trouble. I made one anyway. I’m hooked! I’ve made some for my young granddaughters too and they love them. I’m all for art journals— especially homemade ones because that’s a fun, gratifying project in itself!
Oh you’ve made me smile!!!! glad to see you’re addicted to journal making 🙂 I do think that making your own journal, just boosts the connection you have with it. Have you tried making “junk journals”? same process as journal making, but you can use scrapbook paper, napkins, paper bags, envelopes… a mish mash of stuff. It’s a great way to use up stuff you may not use in the traditional sense. And speaking of sense.. I hope this makes sense 🙂