Are you looking for inspiration and ideas for your creative mixed media book or art journal? Printable Art Collage sheets can serve as visual art journal prompts to help get you started or boosted, ready for creative play, even when you don’t have much time. Just download, print, cut and glue.
My personal objective in making inspired art in my creative journal is to work through specific thoughts and feelings head-on, as they arise.
If I prevent dwelling or just carrying the feelings around with me allowing them to take up valuable occupancy in my head and weight on my shoulders, than I have won the battle!
Creative Art Journaling helps me make a lousy habit of doing just that, a thing of the past!
I have been making art for a long time. Still, since I started art journaling intentionally, my process of working through difficult things and making important decisions has become something I look forward to.
While it isn’t always perfect, this practice of incorporating time for self-reflection in my life has helped immensely with my journey to mental wellness, so much that I often wish I could have figured it out sooner, like in my twenties?
Ha-ha, wouldn’t it have been nice to have a toolbox full of things we know now, back then?
A problem i have when i am making art in my journal
I really struggle with getting caught up in small details and before I know it, creative me time is up!
Since the whole point of my art journal is to have creative play without boundaries and to express my thoughts, the details of drawing each image or hand-lettering phrases take away from that objective.
I had to improvise to make myself more time.
I began printing out and fussy cutting Clip Art. I put them together using a word document to make it quick to print and be done.
I could now sit and watch TV with my family, cut these images, almost cut my fingers a few times in the dark…and when it was time to make art in my art journal, use them to get more creative bang for my time.
USING COLLAGE ART IN YOUR JOURNAL?
With art journaling, you have an opportunity to use mixed media on a small scale. You don't have to choose one method over the other… You really can use whatever you have, If you have limited supplies, collage is an ideal way to get started if you have limited supplies, all you need is a printer, paper, glue, scissors & some kind of colouring tools.
Isn't it kind of like cheating?
I once read on a message board that using someone else's art in your art journal is kind of like cheating. Do you agree? goodness, I definitely don't!
Does the quilt artist make all of the fabric to create their quilted masterpieces? Most of the time, not, they too build on the work of other artists, pattern artists who spend a lifetime making art and sometimes the artists only make the art sending it over to a skilled pattern maker, they build upon each other's expertise.
The truth is…. “Teamwork makes the dream work”.
How about BOTH?
Enjoy painting, but also, have pre-cut printable art on hand to glue onto painted backgrounds, adding more accents with paint and markers and make art journal pages that can fit an objective of building personal wellness through investing in time spent on creative habits.
10 BENEFITS TO USING PRINTABLE COLLAGE SHEETS IN YOUR ART JOURNAL!
You Can stop worrying about ‘MESSING UP’
Imagine if the page in your art journal doesn’t turn out the way you want and realizing that you can print the same images out, a second time to give it another go, learning from a previous experience or just trying new techniques.
Using printable collage sheets gives you that option to print more than one copy of the same set of collage images without having to have the forethought to do something like… scan your cut-out magazine images and create digital copies before you glue them down the originals permanently.
SAVE precious TIME!
Do any of us ever feel like we have enough TIME in a day? I always feel like I would be happier with a couple of extra hours, but then again, I know I would find a way to fill those and want more.
Using printable art images saves time for two reasons….
First: Cutting an image vs drawing it yourself can be a huge time saver, especially if you are not a skilled artist. Not to mention, you don’t even have to go out to a store when you feel like getting new supplies or ordering online and waiting for your purchases to be shipped out. Just download, print and get to cutting.
Second: Making sure I have a good selection of artwork to choose from makes my creative process flow. You don't really need a solid plan before you get started on your art, just an idea of what is weighing heavy on your mind at the moment, focusing on what you would like to express.
Because of those time savings, it will be much easier to fit a fun, creative habit that promotes self-healing and wellness our lives regularly.
PRINT ON YOUR FAVOURITE PAPER
Printing on different paper media adds to the fun & flexibility of printables!
You don't have ot limit yourself to just copy paper. Print digital art on clear sticker paper, white sticker paper, heavy weight card stock, watercolor paper, tissue paper, old book paper…. Print on anything you can run through your home printer, the fun is in the experimentation.
STARTING A COLLECTION OF IMAGES TO COLLAGE IS EASY
There is something satisfying about having a collection of beautiful images to choose to collage with when you are ready to make your art collages.
As long as you are careful and not let the collecting of images become the only thing you do! As a collection lover, I can find myself spending way too much time on the collecting and not enough DOING and making because adding to my collection is so satisfying.
Once you find a favorite source for printable art, other than Inspirational Zest of course! It can be used alongside traditional ephemera or substituted entirely. If you don't have time or patience to collect old magazines or books before starting your journal, printables may be your jam!
Be INSPIREd when you feel stuck WITH YOUR ART JOURNAL
Since inspirational Zest Printables are themed, you can Use the printables ‘theme’ to inspire an idea and roll with it! It is also very fun to see how others are using the same printable sheets!
Share your own Art using Inspirationalzest printables on instagram using #inspirationalzest or just check it out for inspiration!
match a specific color scheme FOR YOUR ART JOURNAL
If you choose to go with the black and white line art printables, you can colour in whatever color that matches your background spread or make your background spread match the coloured pencil, markers or watercolour paint you chose, hey this adds for even more flexibility and flexibility is fun in the creative process!
reduce PLASTIC PACKAGING WASTE
Often art supplies like die cuts will have extra plastic packaging and bags that just have to be thrown in the garbage. With printables, you can print what you need.
resize to whatever size you need!
Using the settings on your printer or within adobe acrobat software, you can choose to resize the printable to suit the size of art journal that you work in.
turn FUSSY CUTTING IMAGES into a fun MINDLESS ACTIVITY
Fussy cutting pretty images can be a relaxing, meditative activity in itself!
Print your collage sheets or images when you find them and store them until you are ready to fussy cut the evening away while you watch TV or listen to your favorite podcast.
I find cutting paper very relaxing, how about you?
SHARe a similar experience!
If two friends or family members download these printables, even from a distance, through technology like face time, zoom or skype, two people can create art together.
READY TO HAVE PRINTABLE ART BE A STAPLE IN YOUR CREATIVE TOOL BOX?
There is nothing to lose.
After you play, come back and let me know if it helped inspire a creative play session! Did you enjoy the process of cutting out the art? I find it super relaxing, myself.
Especially right now, the NEED to Create art even when you are feeling less than inspired, stressed-out and short on time is so very real, especially if you are feeling a bit less than inspired like I have been.
I am now up to 6 different collage pages with the same set of printed art. I used to feel guilty just playing but I am realizing, Creativity provides me TIME to be free and I need that.
HEY, BEFORE YOU GO…
- Sign up to my weekly, newsletter!
- Pin my Images, so you can easily find them again.
- Share my URL: http://www.inspirationalzest.com with your friends or with Facebook groups (where it is allowed.) who would also enjoy my high-quality printable art + creative inspiration! <3
Carrie Stephens <3
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