Beyond the Bouquet: Painting Florals in Your Art Journal
I've been a flower fanatic as long as I can remember! Whether it's an elegant rose or a humble daisy, flowers have a magical way of stirring my soul and filling my heart with sunshine. Each petal is a tiny piece of art full of intricate details, painted by Mother Nature herself, to create a stunning masterpiece.
Apart from admiring their beauty, I love spreading their happiness around by sharing with others. Did you know that having flowers in your home can actually boost your mood and happiness?
From scrappy collage to imperfect blooms, join me on my journey to create this beautiful journal page below!
Intuitive Guide
For me art journaling is very intuitive. I generally skip the planning stage and dive headfirst into colors, patterns, and textures letting my creative intuition lead the way.
My first step is usually always going through my paper stash and grabbing things that inspire me, before finding a journal page that feels “right”.
Creating Magic
This is where the fun begins! It’s time to play with all those little paper scraps I collected, creating a masterpiece of collage layers. Patterns and colors mingle together, like a vibrant puzzle just waiting to be pieced together!
Once the collage is finished, it’s time for some color! This page was oozing vintage vibes from the get-go, so I ran with it adding some lovely pastel blue and antique parchment acrylics.
One technique I love to using is to create transparent layers with napkins and custom tissue paper, it adds amazing depth and visual interest!
Beautiful Blooms
The stage is set, now we need a shining star! Cue the beautiful flowers...
For the longest time, I was seriously uncomfortable painting flowers, completely intimidated by their perfection and beauty. Everything in me scream they had to be hyper-realistic, but I just couldn’t capture their essence or perfection.
One day, I had a heart-to-heart with myself: “enough is enough, forget perfection and just do it already!” And you know what? No regrets so far! Sometimes you just have to be bold and throw fear to the wind.
Shut your eyes and imagine your creativity blooming like a vibrant flower. What does it look like? How does it feel? Is it wild, free and uncaring about what the rest of the world thinks?
Whenever I feel a twinge of doubt, I remind myself “flowers don't stress about being flawless, they just bloom their best, standing tall and beautiful for all to admire!"
To create my bouquet, I started with a lovely floral stencil then added layers of acrylic, creating shadows and depth. Doing the same for the leaves and vase.
Raw umber is my go-to for adding a touch of old-school charm and depth to my art. With a splash of alcohol ink, I transformed my bouquet into a whimsical wonderland, casting shadows, enhancing foliage, and creating deep flower centers.
Finally, it’s all about bringing the page together with finishing touches. I whipped out my trusty charcoal pencil, outlined everything then softened the edges with my fingers.
I love seeing the finished piece come together so perfectly!
I hope this page has inspired your inner artist! If you're up for more art journaling fun, come along on the Artist’s Journey Workshop where we create four beautiful pages together.