Backgrounds on a budget by Lindsey Campbell

One of the first pieces of advice I received when I began my Bible Art Journalling journey was "If you don't know where to start, get some colour on the page".

I find it's often easier to "get to business" when there is a background ready and waiting - And when I just feel like "playing" I'll create a few "background" pages in my journal so they're ready to work with.

There are so many ways to create a background, whatever your favourite tools and techniques, but it's so easy to be tempted by the huge array of materials available in the craft shops.

But it really isn't necessary to buy lots of new tools and colours - there are plenty of options available for low cost - these are a few I discovered:

Watercolour

Using watercolour pencils, simply colour the page with different shades, going darker towards the edges, then smudge the colours together with a wet brush.

This technique can give a "parchment" effect - great for an "aged" appearance and a good base for typography work:

If you have more time, building up layers can give beautiful effects like this (see this video for a quick and easy demonstration).

I also used the "squidging on some hand gel" technique to create lighter areas one the layering was complete.

Acrylic

Dabbing and sponging are very quick and easy - using a wet wipe or (as I do) a corner sliced off a washing up sponge - you can use a palette, or just squirt some colours straight onto the page and dab from there...... If you find you need to highlight an area for your design, simply layer a lighter colour over the background where needed.

Scraping colour with a credit card or ruler gives a geometric feel, and toothbrushes are great fun for splattering.

For a different design, use a bit of shaving foam, to create marbling effects without expensive inks and additives....

Adding texture and depth

Once you have some colour, that may be all you need to "base" your work. Or you may wish to build up some interest. Adding another technique, such as splattering on top of watercolour can be interesting. Stamps and stencils are great and create very beautiful effects - but I don't have any, so I improvise:

A net from the top of a box of oranges makes a great stencil, and textured wallpaper samples from the DIY shop work really well for "stamping" - dab on some acrylic, "print" on some scrap paper to remove excess, then "print" on your work, using a rolling pin for even pressure if needed. Then there's my favourite - bubblewrap - works really well, and you can use one piece over and over.


Quick and Easy

Finally - be on the lookout for interesting backgrounds in magazines (advertisements are often good for blocks of colour without text) and packaging - start a squirrel-store of cut-outs and pages and you'll never be short of a background, or a picture just waiting for some text.

Be Brave

I confess I'm no expert, but these are the tricks and techniques I developed, learned from others through Bible Art Journaling UK and picked up from the Pinterest, Youtube and  Google.

If there are any techniques here you haven't tried - be brave and give it a go - and share your own budget ideas with the rest of us!

Happy journalling

Covered with His Feathers - by Sarah Anderson

Something heart warming comes out of illustrating this verse.  Time cutting out feathers and positioning them on a page in order to surround the text brings out the meaning of the words and fires the imagination.

s o o t h e d - p r o t e c t e d - c o m f o r t e d - s u r r o u n d e d - s a f e - l o v e d

Wow!

It is in the time adding colour to the page, cutting out elements etc, planning what to do, that I think about the verse, over and over.  Meditating, submerging myself in the word, allowing the words to sink deep and 'be', and through this, the words speak to my heart.  I've been taking part in a challenge over on Instagram to #letterthepromises which can be as simple as just writing out the suggested verses (one for each day).  There are lots of this type of challenge on the internet and it's a great way to refresh your bible art journaling.

I am working in an A5 sketchbook available from Hobbycraft/the Range.  Today I used my gelatos by dabbing the end with a baby wipe ...

... then smooshing the colour onto the page.  I used a range of pinks and blues.

I then rubbed the gelato through a stencil...

... then rubbed the baby wipe across to ensure the colour went through the 'holes'.

Again I used pinks and blues which make a beautiful purple when they overlap.

Before I go any further, I must just let you know how pleased I am with this photo!  I have the paintbrush in my right hand and am tapping it with my left  - little things I know but I successfully mounted my iphone on a stand AnD used the timer :) :) :) 

Anyway, I got some watery watercolour paint and tapped my paintbrush over the page for some lovely paint splatters.

Whilst perusing wallpaper in John Lewis recently I came across some beautiful paper featuring these gorgeous painty feathers.  Using a sample of paper I cut out a range of different feather shapes ...

... and glued them to the page using a Pritt Stick.  I left some overlapping and when I trimmed them ...

... I placed the cut ends elsewhere on the page.

Finally I added the writing.  

May you know that Almighty God, our Father, covers you with His feathers and shelters you with His wings.  He is your shield.

Some more of my favourite verses - by Ben Butcher

                            

"For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother's womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully 

and wonderfully made."

Psalm 139:13-14

These verses remind me that we are His children, made in His image, and he knows our names and our needs.  We should never judge what people look like from the outside, but look at them as God does, for what comes from the inside.

This picture I have created is of a picture frame. The colours I picked are a mixture of blacks and greys and the washi tape is black on the outside and brown on the inside. the cracks are to make it look as if the frame has been shattered into pieces, but God can mend and heal them.

This is one of my very favourite verses and it always reminds me of a song that is really special to me called "Father God I wonder." One of the lines is "now I am a son, I am adopted in Your family." This is very special to me because I am adopted.

"For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, 

with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and 

the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left 

will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord

 in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever."

1 Thessalonians 4 : 16-18

This verse is really important to grasp, and it is very powerful. We as the children of God need to be ready for His return when he will come to gather us up and take us to His and our father's house.

The picture is the cross with the glory of heaven shining around it.   The blue is heaven. The brown is for the stairway leading to heaven and shows Jesus coming down to meet us and receive us.  This reminds me that our future  with our heavenly Father, to be with him daily and for ever in His courts.  Revelation promises that there will be a new heaven and earth, and there on the throne is God our Father who will reign for eternity.

"...but when they saw Him walking on the lake, they thought He was a ghost. 

They cried out, because they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately 

He spoke to them and said, "Take courage, it is I. Don't be afraid. Then 

He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were

 completely amazed."

Mark 6 : 49-51

This verse is another favourite one. It reminds me that if I am scared or frightened and I cry out to Him I don't have to be frightened anymore because He will help me and rescue me. My faith in Jesus can give me courage.

This picture is to remind me and all of us that Jesus isn't a ghost. He is real, He is alive, He is the Son of God and He cares about us.  I used dark blue for the sky and the blue tissue paper symbolises sky. The yellow is lightning and the black lines are strong winds and gales.  The blue lines are big, rough waves and the person in brown is Jesus, in the centre of the storm, the place of calm and safety.

thank you to read my blog, Ben