I have had a few requests via comments and private messages {on facebook} asking how I do this “Bible Journaling” so I thought I would do a blog post about it. [I may break it into a couple of posts, but I’ll post them quickly 🙂 ]
First of all, I must get this out of the way. I have not ever been an artist. I drew a few things {like lighthouses and fences, which have straight lines for which I could use a ruler! lol and I loved drawing big swirly flowers on cards} as a kid. It was fun, but I never felt like an artist and it did not really extend past my high school years. College years were not conducive to being very artistic with drawing, though I did make mini bulletin boards for a teaching class…
anyway…. All of that to say, this is a VERY new venture for me–as in, less than a month. There are bloggers and instagramers {find me here!} out there that have been doing this for much longer.
I read it as soon as it was published, as I subscribe to her blog; but I just let it kinda sit in my heart for a while. Then I started talking to my husband about what I thinking: I wanted to do this!
It was not really that I wanted to leave a book for my kids one day {though that could be a wonderful benefit}, but I wanted to create a memory with my kids. And I wanted to have a journal [maybe, possibly, a Bible one day] that would be very personal to me, that my kids could also glean a glimpse into the heart of there mom one day.
My very first sketch was … experimental.
I was on style-overload 🙂 having watched youtube videos and scoured blogs of other journalers.
Then I tried some color and an actual picture.
I was having fun!
Then I made a facebook album of a few pictures I and my kids had drawn {I want them to enjoy the Bible!} and a few people were encouraging. But I’d already caught the bug, so to speak. 🙂
Before this, I would read my Bible. I would pray that certain things God spoke to me would… stick… in my heart. And He has been changing me over the years.
But this type of journaling has opened up an avenue that just brings out some creative juices that were lying dormant [apparently]. And it simply makes my heart happy. Now, I know that Bible study is not necessarily for creating “happiness” but through studying Leviticus at Prayer Meetings at church has shown what true happiness is! –it’s becoming Holy, like HIM… and that is the purpose of Bible study anyway. 🙂
After a few random verses that I love, I decided to work my way through Proverbs during the month of July {2015}… I do not do it on Sundays and while I do read every day, if I do not get to the journaling part, it’s OK! I had to tell myself that upfront–or I would obsess about it. 😉
More on my process… soon!
IMPORTANT! Please remember that this… Bible Journaling… is an expression of your joy and love in studying God and His Word. Comparison is a joy robber! I look at my pictures and find all the flaws… then others look at them and see the beauty in the colors and words that touched my heart. This is about our hearts, not our artistry.
As promised, I’m getting this one out quickly after my last post. 🙂
IMPORTANT! Please remember that this… Bible Journaling… is an expression of your joy and love in studying God and His Word. Comparison is a joy robber! I look at my pictures and find all the flaws… then others look at them and see the beauty in the colors and words that touched my heart.
~~~~~
So, I have long enjoyed the “doodle art” that I found out is called “zentangles”and “zenspiration” and it has quite a following, though I just discovered it about 3 weeks ago. It looked complicated at first, but it’s really simple.
Then I did it again… in a small journal I had and decided to use for this {you can find a few differences… I do not replicate well}:
This was fairly simple as it is just lines criss-crossing over the page and then you go back and add doodling inside…. I found inspiration for the birds on Pinterest 🙂 …
After I’ve completed my Bible reading, I think about a verse that stood out… or sometimes 2 or 3. I look at them again and just close my eyes and try to see what these verses mean to me. Some verses do not have a simple image… I’ve just done different fonts and maybe swirly lines or a scroll.
Often, this is accomplished before children wake up, but not always 🙂
I usually pencil mark the verse and try to just think about it during the morning. In the afternoon, I may try to do a rough sketch of word layout or find an image to study online.
Sometimes I am able to try to draw it before supper; other days I do not reach this stage until after the kids are in bed.
And what I love about this is… it gives a different way to keep a verse or passage in my mind —all day.
If you’ve missed my other posts, I’ve done ~1~ & ~2~
So, how does it get from my head to paper?
Once I’ve picked the verse or passage, I write it out… just scratch it quickly.
Then I study it-what word emphasis do I think would benefit the observer? Do I want a glance to show all the “THE”s? Probably not 🙂
I usually emphasis any name of God as well as any of His attributes being conveyed {Place of Refuge}.
Then I grab some paper.
For my initial sketches I use scrap printer paper… for my “good drawings” [after I’ve practiced a few times, trying different layouts and maybe even different fonts], I use a very inexpensive notebook of sketch paper from walmart. It was, I think, around $3 for 70 pages.
I also use a ruler to create lines to help keep my words straight across. they get erased after I pen over the words, embellishments, and picture.
Sometimes I begin with placing my picture first. But just as often I sketch out the word placement and then try to put embellishments or a drawing in the space that is left. There is not “right or wrong” way to do this. It’s supposed to be personal.
I use a regular pencil, with a light hand–that’s key because you will probably need to erase more than once. The eraser has become a good friend! I use a latex-free, high-polymer from Pentel. It’s REALLy good at erasing, and not that expensive. I’d say it is worth the few extra pennies.
Then I trace over the pencil marks that are part of my design [not the guide marks 🙂 ].
For tracing over the pencil marks, I use a Sharpie Pen {not a fine-tip marker, but the pen}. You can faintly see it on the other side of the fine Bible pages, like most pens; but it does not bleed through. And it creates very thin, sharp lines. I love it. Many Bible journalers recommend Micron pens. I’d like to try them sometime, but I haven’t yet.
Then I erase the pencil marks {with my new friend :)} and color it.
I use just plain Crayola Colored Pencils. [I also bought some of the Dollar Tree pencils for the kids to use-as they break and loose them very quickly…. but I do not personally enjoy how they color.]
And I’ve learned that non-colored space can be friendly, too!
Here I was inspired by a friend…
and the words of the song by J. Camp kept running through my head… so I did this:
Just some curvy lines for the hills… a partial circle that is very imperfect for the sun. I did use a ruler to create straight lines for the rays. I found inspiration for the sun from Joanne Fink, of Zenspirations.
And I also redid this one:
There is truly such a community of journalers out there now, that I love to draw inspiration from others.
I look up drawings of things I want to use to illustrate a thought… like a well. And then I try to replicate it-in my own way. When I look through other journaler’s art, I study the lines that make the pictures and words.
Proverbs 10:11
Banners and swirls are a simple way to add interest. Here’s a great video tutorial on simple banners.
If you’ve missed my other posts, I’ve done ~1~ ~2~ & ~3~.
So, fonts and letters….
There are SO many ways to write letters to convey a thought. Many journalers simply use their normal script or print writing with color drawn over or a nice picture-there are some seriously talented people out there {remember I told you I always find the flaws in my own drawings? I try NOT to compare 🙂 }.
I’m going to post a few videos I watched. I do not have a wide variety of lettering yet. And others out there are just really good and have graciously created videos about them.
In this one, she talks a lot about her supplies for about 2 minutes. They are great supplies {that I cannot afford yet}, but just before 2 minutes she begins talking about the anatomy of letters and combining fonts.
and another: In this one she talks a lot in the first 2 minutes [seems to be a theme]… it’s informative, but I found after the 2:15 time marker to be more interesting 🙂
This one showed fun ways to mix fonts and talked about deciding which words to emphasize before beginning.
and the last one for now… She talks about layout and mixing font styles very well.
So, if these inspire you to get started, I’d LOVE for you to tag my in Instagram {tascha@designing31} or post a comment on facebook.com/designing31! If we are RL [real life] friends, feel free to tag ME on facebook 🙂 Just grab some paper and you’re kids colored pencils and get started! 🙂
{this concludes my posts about how I do “Bible Journaling” but please join me on facebook or instagram!
and…. one last thing. Since I do not have an actual Bible for the purpose of journaling, I haven’t really done anything in my Bible… but I did do this one. And I may do a few more while I’m waiting 🙂
I am currently reading through Proverbs with the purpose of Journaling.
It is a book full of applicable sayings that are {mostly} simple to illustrate. Is that cheating? 🙂
I made this decision last Friday, thus, beginning on Proverbs 3.
Also, I do not do much studying on Sundays… perhaps that is slacking of me, but that’s the way it is for now.
On to some verses that stood out last Friday.
” [13] Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
[15] She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
[33] The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.”
Godly wisdom, as we learn throughout this entire book {and all of Scripture}, is something that comes only from God. There is no age limit and there are no experiences that can create true Godly wisdom.
So when we get the understanding and find the wisdom that only comes from ready, studying, meditating and truly learning and applying God’s Word, we will find happiness.
On Wednesday evenings at church, we are studying the book of Leviticus… and learning that HOLINESS is what brings HAPPINESS. This is basically what this means.
In our flesh, we all desire riches and all manner of wealth; but only when we seek God and study His Word and learn His Heart can we find actual peace and lasting happiness.
Surely, this world offers a fleeting fun, happy feeling, for a season [Hebrews 11:25]. But it is just that… for a season, fleeting, a feeling. It is not deep and abiding and everlasting.
Also, as a wife and mother, I desire a blessed habitation. As one who is home most of every day with my children, I desire a HAPPY habitation to. 🙂
And I have found, through days of striving to study and apply Scripture and then days of sorely lacking,that these principals HOLD TRUE
I read it as soon as it was published, as I subscribe to her blog; but I just let it kinda sit in my heart for a while. Then I started talking to my husband about what I thinking: I wanted to do this!
My very first sketch was … experimental.
I use a regular pencil, with a light hand–that’s key because you will probably need to erase more than once. The eraser has become a good friend! I use a latex-free, high-polymer from Pentel. It’s REALLy good at erasing, and not that expensive. I’d say it is worth the few extra pennies.
There is truly such a community of journalers out there now, that I love to draw inspiration from others.
