#illustrated journal

[caffeinatedcatlover]

All of the latest journal spreads together.

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[inkliinng]

Two-thirds through December and I wonder at myself for taking such notice of calendar months and years, even still. My life is a labyrinth I have not yet plotted a course through, and perhaps that is irresponsible, but I cannot escape the conviction that it is, above all, a part of being alive. I do not have all the answers, nor am I in a hurry to unravel all the mysteries of my future life, but I hope.

[mrkaset]

Sketch of a really interesting guy I met today at my art school. He catched my attention because he was the only one wearing a suit jacket and a shirt, and also his demeanor was kinda peculiar (he basically gave me neurodivergent vibes lol) so I wanted to talk to him. I asked him if this was gonna be his first year here, as I had never seen him before (unless I forgot), and he told me he had already studied here but had to put off his classes because of health issues, and was here in order to enroll in classes once again. He said he had some problems regardig his hands, and showed me that they were kinda shaky, but didn't get deeper into it, he just said that sometimes he had health problems and had to stay in a medical institution untill he recovered. He looked like he was in his 30s btw.

We talked for quite a while (well, he actually talked more than me), and he brought up some really interesting topics and seemed well educated; I was especially surprised about him talking about philosophy, the name I remember is Heidegger and his book Being and Time. He also said something about a connection between Buddha and Son Goku (?). I felt kinda ignorant because I didn't know about much of what he was talking about lol, and when he was talking about phylosophy I wanted to add on the conversation by mentioning what I know about Schopenhauer and Albert Camus, but then again, he didn't leave much room for me to talk xD Oh, he also mentioned he liked writing poetry, playing the guitar, and singing, but he "didn't have such a good voice" (in his own words).

I don't know if the guy was just neurodivergent and/or with some sort of mental health problem, but I have a feeling that he may also be a drug user, because he had some very eroded teeth, like the enamel was clearly missing in a lot of spots (also, his teeth were really crooked). I think those were the most eroded teeth I have ever seen in person, only behind the ones of a man I was an acquaintance with and who I knew definitely had a drug problem. Going back to the guy I met today, aside from his hands being shaky, he also had slightly twitchy eyes and smile. Also, his left eye had a part that was extremely red, and I don't know why that might be.

Uuuh anyways, I think I may seem really obsessed and creepy by going into such a big amount of detail about this stranger, but he was a really interesting guy and I just felt like I needed to draw him and write about him. Whatever's up with him, I hope that he'll be ok; and if my gut feeling about him having drug problems is correct, I really hope he'll get all the help he needs and he''l be able to have a better life :(

[smalltownfae]

I already finished 3 games this year and 0 books. I don't know who I am anymore.

[gigi-journaling]

Guide to Visual Journaling

aka- Art Journaling, Illustrated Journaling

Come visit our journaling community here on tumblr: “Journal With Us!”

“I redirected my journals toward the inner worlds of imagination and often to what was just below the surface of awareness…” - Cathy Malchiodi PhD

Visual journaling is a common method for those who wish to express themselves through visual art, some finding it easier to do than through written language. This method incorporates any mediums of visual art—collages, drawings, doodles, abstract works—as opposed to, or along side, writing.

It can be a creative and un-oppressive way to record moments of your life, or to deconstruct and process through major life experiences as a reflective practice.

Materials:

Materials are tailored to the individual and what you wish to draw with. This could be a pencil pouch with colored pencils and markers, or maybe for the bold just a black pen will do. I recommend a simple pencil, eraser, and pen, to start with. I used a cheap pack of crayons, which is quickly becoming my favorite medium to use!

How To:

There are different ways to practice visual journaling, one of which involves recording daily moments through your art. This can be done by taking your journal and materials with you to record your day as it happens: say, doodling your coffee trip as you sit at the cafe. Another suggestion is to take pictures throughout your day so you may draw it at a later time. You can even do this by memory, which is a great way to exercise and strengthen your memory; and while this technique might not lead to the most accurate of doodles, it does make for some interesting and fun art.

Another way to engage with visual journaling is through prompts, whether they be prompts you choose or create. For example, a prompt might have you describe your favorite place. You can do this by creating art of that place through a general sketch of the location, or a comic based on a memorable moment in that place.

Experiment with visual journaling. Challenge yourself to think outside the box. Don’t just draw what you see, try to create art that invokes what you are feeling. Create art that is abstract, colorful, monochromatic, or strange. Don’t limit yourself to skill level and realism, this is your journal and should foremost be meaningful to you.

Helpful Exercises:

What’s your relation to color? Think about the color wheel and all its hues, do you associate some colors with certain emotions?

Experiment with patterns and shapes. These elements are a great way to convey tone and mood. For example, I tend to use busy colorful patterns and shapes with sharp angles to represent anxiety or anger.

Draw a loved one, or yourself, from memory. OR, draw things that may represent the person of your choosing.

Try creating short poems or passages after an abstract art piece. This is great way to exercise communication by transforming a visual language (your art) into a written language.

Articles:

Visual Journaling

Visual Journaling as a Reflective Practice

A Guide to Starting a Visual Journal

Videos:

A guide to art journaling!

Let’s Visual Journal- Studio Vlog

How I Visual Journal in a Daily Agenda

Self Care Through Visual Journaling- 5 Easy Prompts

Journaling Methods Library- A guide to different journaling techniques! Click to feed your creativity ❤️

[momijigari]

I realised I never finished posting my Elden Ring journal here so here we go. Printed version is available on my Ko-Fi shop.

[eggbunni]

Sketching and doodling with mechanical colored pencil lead in my illustrated journal. 🩷💜🩵✨🌈

[514hockey]

Recent pages from my journal