Digital Art Journaling - Discuss...

[PacificBlue]

When I've done art journal entries - either for a challenge or otherwise, I always resort somehow to diverting into digital. I might print the entries out and stick into the journal, dab on some paint, mark up with a marker pen - but for some quirky reason, I prefer getting messy with pixels than paint lately.

Some art journals are there as sketch journals, travel journals or squirrel journals - the doodles and practice thinkings of an exercise book. Hmmm, how would I do that in digital, then?:p

[happyrobyn]

I am also a pixel journaler. Just prefer all thing digi over IRL stuff.

[SteinwaysMom]

My problem w/art journaling this that my hand is very frantic and scrawley so anything I write ends up looking very illegible and nothing I'd post in a 'gallery'.

I've tried to do 'art journaling' on the PC but then I start nitpicking/rearranging/perfecting and it becomes just another LO. To me the nature of an art journal is a very in the moment and non-fussy series of expressions. So I'm kind of lost on the whole thing....I love Maya's journal in the AJ gallery but I would NEVER in a million years consider writing in something that beautiful.

In a way blogs serve as an art journal for many folks...

[happyrobyn]

I have asked for a Wacom pen for my birthday this summer and if I get it, I may try out some digital art journaling with the pen. But my handwriting is also pretty pathetic. We'll see where it takes me. ANybody out there journal with a Wacom?

[mishou]

I have a Wacom but don't journal with it. I hate my handwriting in real life so I doubt it will improve on the WACOM LOL! But, since I'm on a mission to be less critical of myself and my art I may just give it a try someday.

[PacificBlue]

I have a couple of wacoms (one is a baby one for the laptop). Still don't like my handwriting on those, either. So I hear you.

[SteinwaysMom]

Just got a baby Wacom 4x6 but never thought of writing with it - my handwriting SUCKS - I was going to use it to draw over photos and do funky stuff like that. Or maybe scrawl a few graffiti type words.

Also heard of this painting program that sounds fun - there's a free version and a macked out version for $20 but it emulates brushstrokes which sounds like a cool artjournally thing.

I used to art journal with art markers so the idea of doing painterly drawings sounds kind of fun...

[Vania16]

I just ordered a Wacom and I'm dying for it to come! I'm hoping to do a little more journaling-type stuff with that. I'm not much good at drawing, but I'm hoping to do more writing in my own hand - it's not great, but I always think it's cool to have your own writing in your art - good or not LOL

[happyrobyn]

No fair Lisa! Can I borrow it?!

[Vania16]

I'm dying for it to get here! I get the greatest deal ever too! You might check it out - I think it's good until May 4. I went to fatwallet.com, did a search for wacom and it came up with a sale at techforless (I could only seem to get that price going through fatwallet by the way). It's a graphire3 4x4 and it was 29.92 plus shipping! So, I ordered 2 (one for a cartoonist friend of mine) and got them both for $68 including the shipping! I figure for that price I can live with last year's model LOL!

[SteinwaysMom]

Wow - that's a deal. I just got Graphire3 4x6 w/mouse/pen for $50 + shipping on Ebay.

They sure are tricky to draw with - I'm used to looking at the page w/when I draw but w/a Wacom you have to look at the computer screen while U draw. But somehow even playing w/it got me into journaling mode. Guess like all things you have to keep practicing...

[mishou]

Yeah I know what you mean Debra. If you can't draw or write pretty a WACOM will definitely highlight that for you LOL It just takes getting used to. I'm still working on it. One thing I like to do for practice is to use it for erasing/extracting photos and whatnot. It's not drawing, but it helps master the hand/eye coordination thing.

[Vania16]

Yeah, I am seriously frightened of what my first attempts are going to look like LOL But, I figure if nothing else, like Michelle pointed out, it will help for extracting :)

[happyrobyn]

Sounds cool. I want to give it a try ... hopefully this summer unless I break down before then. I was at Best Buy the other night (DH got a new laptop ... no fair) and was playing with this notebook computer that you actually draw on the screen. It was way cool!

[kygirl]

I have a Wacom, too. I think it's great for doodling, but not really for handwriting -- especially if your handwriting is as bad as mine. Luckily, my husband has the most gorgeous script. Whenever I do any paper scrapping, he does the writing for me.

[happyrobyn]

LOL! I've never heard of a GUY with the good handwriting. So cool that he will journal for you!

[Vania16]

That would be nice! I'm sorry to report that I don't even have a script version of my handwriting - I never write in cursive, I always print - and sadly, no DH with script writing skills either LOL

[Kazadoodle]

I love my Wacom. I use it for doodles mostly and when I end up with something I like, I save it as a brush/stamp thingy - LOL.

I also use it for handwriting, even though my handwriting is pretty awful too but I suppose that's a part of the journaling - it's all about me - even if I have god awful penmanship - LOL. I did, however, buy a book a few months back called digital calligraphy - very awesome book but it looks as scary as the real life calligraphy :eek:

[Ursula]

Wacom rules! I use mine constantly! Only I wish I had a small one to use on my laptop. I interchange constantly between the traditional mouse and the pen, occasionally confusing the two. I just got mine about 2 months ago and I really love it. I can't say that my writing is even remotely beautiful,thoughI do know how to do Spencerian Penmanship. I've found that it's hard to be totally steady on the wacom and my lines are always a bit squiggly. Still, i use it for drawing shapes, handwriting, doodling, details, extracting, brushwork. All kinds of fun stuff. Steinway's Mom, you mentioned a cool paint program, what's the name of it. I'm definatly looking for painterly brush strokes. Oh yeah, so yes, I'm beginning to make a lot of my pages into Art journals, at least from my perspective. I'm notsure they fall into other people's definition of art journaling, but for me, they are definately a form of journaling. You guys are reading alot of my raw thoughts. Hope you don't mind! LOL

[happyrobyn]

I repeat ... I WANT A WACOM!

[Cre8tvlyYrs]

I hear you loud and clear Robyn!!! I've been bugging my dh for one since last year!!!:mad:

[Vania16]

Mine is supposed to come today - let's just hope the UPS man gets it here on time :) But, DH invited one of his friends over tonight, so I won't be able to play until late - I tell ya, who said he could have friends LOL!

[Cre8tvlyYrs]

Mine is supposed to come today - let's just hope the UPS man gets it here on time :) But, DH invited one of his friends over tonight, so I won't be able to play until late - I tell ya, who said he could have friends LOL!

Wouldn't you know it!! Well I know your gonna be very distracted!!!;)

[mishou]

Well I think I have finally made something which (*I think*) qualifies as Art Journalling. I came very very close to using my WACOM to try to do the journalling but I chickened out and decided to play around with the "text on a path" tool instead.

Anyway, here it is: Dare to be Me (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=456&cat=2&limit=recent)

[kygirl]

I'm thinking about using a program like EverNote or OneNote for digital art journaling. If you're not familiar with the programs, they are add-ons to Windows that lets you move art, text, even webpages to a journal page, add notes, and file by dates or headings you create.
They're designed to be used with tablet PCs (wouldn't that be nice?), but they work well with standard computers and the Wacom tablet.
Is anyone using this type of software? What do you think?

[CathyRose]

I would like to check this out. It sounds really cool. I got a Wacom tablet a couple of weeks ago and I am teaching myself to use it. A digital art journal would be a lot of fun.

[Chinook]

I'm with you Robyn ...

[Ursula]

that software sounds very interesting. my only problem is I get bogged down trying to do sooo many new things.

[arashi]

I've read this thread with greatg interest. I dont have a pen yet, but hopefully oon. I was thinking of using Art Rage as a journalizng tool, but I haven't yet tried it. I like it for funky, uick drawing and parinting that really simulates using real media with9out the mess. I haven't quite figured out how to comine it with text, but it will be fun trying.

[Kazadoodle]

Donna, that application sounds interesting but I don't think it will work on a Mac :(

However, yesterday I set up an art journal blog at blogger - nothing there yet but I'm hoping to prompt myself