(This tutorial was previously published in Art Journal Courage by Dina Wakley, copyright 2014. It is republished here courtesy of CreateMixedMedia.com and North Light Books.)
It’s time to freehand draw some simple shapes. Start with a circle or two. Then draw a few petals on the circles. Voilá, you have a flower. Draw a curvy line and add leaves. Look, a climbing vine. Draw hearts. Draw stars. Get your hand in the habit of moving and making marks on your page. You’re not making a masterpiece here, you’re practicing your drawing on a journal page.
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Simple shapes are the foundation of drawing. Everything can be broken down to basic shapes like circles, rectangles and triangles. A daisy is a circular center with oval or triangular petals. A human face is an oval, with oval eyes, a triangle nose and a rectangular neck. So it’s worthwhile to practice drawing simple shapes and to get used to making your own mark on paper.
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One thing to remember when you’re drawing is that your goal is not necessarily accuracy. It’s line, energy and suggestion. So don’t get caught up on accuracy. The vines I draw don’t look like a real vine. But they’re flowing and free, and I like them. That’s what matters.
Materials
acrylic paint (Green Gold, Light Blue Permanent, Titanium White, Magenta, black)
baby wipes
black pen
cardboard circle
gesso
old gift card
paintbrush
Stabilo All pencil
stencils
White Linen ink spray
(Dylusions by Ranger)
your journal
1. Gesso a page in your journal and let it dry. Use an old gift card to scrape some Green Gold acrylic paint onto part of the page.
2. Place a stencil over the paint and rub through it with a baby wipe.
Blot Your Wet Wipe
If the wipe is too wet, moisture will seep under the stencil and muddy your design. I often dry out my wipe a bit by blotting it onto my apron.
3. Use the gift card to scrape some Light Blue Permanent acrylic paint onto the page.
4. Place a stencil over the blue paint and rub through it with a baby wipe.
5. Use White Linen ink spray and a stencil to add some white stenciling to a few areas of the background.
6. Draw a simple shape onto your background with the Stabilo All pencil.
7. Paint inside the shape with Titanium White paint.
8. Before the white paint dries, add some Magenta paint to the area inside the shape. The pink is complementary to the green so it provides contrast and pop.
9. Allow the paint to dry, then write around your shape with a black pen. Spill your soul!
10. Use a dry brush, a stencil and Titanium White paint to add some top stenciling to your page.
11. Dip a cardboard circle in black paint and add paint circles to your page. I always do an odd number—three, five, seven.
Extra Inspiration
Growth
81⁄2″ × 11″ (22cm × 28cm)
(This tutorial was previously published in Art Journal Courage by Dina Wakley, copyright 2014. It is republished here courtesy of CreateMixedMedia.com and North Light Books.)
Find out more or order a copy of Art Journal Courage by Dina Wakley here.