Top 10 Art Journaling Tools

I am a newly converted art journaler. It is the place that I experiment with textures, color palettes, and different techniques. My pages are rarely finished and I simply abandon them when I am finished playing, but there is such freedom in the experimentation that I come up with some of my best ideas for artwork while exploring the pages of my journal. Here are my favorite products to use and some finished pages to inspire an art journal of your very own:

1. Stabilo All Marking Pencil

It seems odd to kick off the list of best art journaling tools with a simple pencil, but this pencil adds instant depth to your artwork. It functions as a colored pencil, watercolor, and a wax crayon, so it can blend seamlessly with every style possible. Use it to add marks to your page, to outline ephemera, or to distress the edges of your piece. It also comes in colors!

 

2. Faber-Castell Gelatos

Gelatos create a versatile and texture background in seconds. Just rub your gelatos over the surface, then blend with a smudge stick or water (yes, they are water-soluble!). My favorite use for gelatos is to tint my ephemera. When using slightly mismatched pieces, a quick swipe of the gelato stick adds just enough color to make everything cohesive and coordinated.

3. Dylusions Creative Journal

This is the Porsche of the art journaling world. The outside is made from a heavy-duty cardboard that can be painted, battered, and smashed, which is especially handy for the art journaler on-the-go. The cardstock pages allow you to paint without the color bleeding through to the other side. It also has a pocket in the front of the journal for storing odds and ends, which means that you’ll always have your paper crafting supplies with you whenever you sit down to work.

4. Tim Holtz SmallTalk and ChitChat Stickers

These words stickers are the perfect way to add the finishing touches to your art journaling page. Express yourself with the ChitChat stickers and choose from 1088 words, or let Tim Holtz phrase it for you with SmallTalk’s 296 phrases.

5. Ken Oliver’s Color Bursts

Color Bursts are an easy and manageable way to incorporate watercolors into your art journal. These powdered watercolors can be used with less water than traditional watercolors, so you won’t have to worry about oversaturation in your art journal. Create watercolor effects in minutes with plenty of color and experiment with the different techniques.

6. Seth Apter Textured Stamps

Texture stamps can add a lot to a plain page. These are a great starting point for any page. Just add paint, and stamp some texture in the corners or scattered across the page. It can make the blank, white page seem much less intimidating and help you get inspired.

7. Tim Holtz Spray Inks

Use to add color to your page, or add water to create a mottled effect. Tim Holtz spray inks are color-coordinated with his other products, so you can’t go wrong. My favorite way to use spray inks is to unscrew the top (carefully!) and flick the end of the tube across the page to create beautiful splatter patterns. Dylusions also makes an ink spray with vivid colors for making beautiful art journal spreads.

8. Dina Wakley Stencils

From her essential shapes to her silhouetted women, Dina Wakley has a stencil and mask for every style. Use with texture paste to create dimension in your journaling, or use spray inks to create a brightly colored pattern on the page.

9. Dylusions Acrylic Paints

Art journaling just wouldn’t be the same without paint. Cover the whole page, or just highlight a few elements. Our Shoppe Manager recommends using your fingers instead of a brush so that the paint strokes are organic and spontaneous.

10. Make Your Mark: Art Journaling Starter Kit

If you’re looking to stretch your creative muscles, this kit has everything you need to begin art journaling. It contains our favorite things, from the Stabilo pencil to a Dylusions Creative Journal to an issue of Art Journaling for inspiration. It also contains a texture tool, a spray ink, and an acrylic paint to get you started.

 

Project Inspiration for Your Art Journal:

Click on any of the pictures below for the full tutorial.

	Looking for more art journaling inspiration? Visit The Studio.