make a $5.00 art journal

I have STRONG opinions about art supplies and materials. I believe: you don't need to spend a lot of money to make art. In fact, spending money on the latest trending items won't make you more creative or a better artist. As someone who has lived most of my life on a budget, I've had to find ways to get really creative with supplies. Over time and lots of experience, I've come the the conclusion that it is ok (and sometimes better) to keep things simple or even get creative with the materials that you already own! 

Today I am sharing on of my all time favorite ways to cut corners, get creative with supplies and pull together a cheap but colorful art journal for about $5.00!

art journal watercolors from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

This process has been something I have been doing since college art classes as a way to keep a colorful visual journal where I can sketch, take notes, free write, collage and experiment with new ideas and techniques. 

I love the Strathmore 5.5" x 8.5" watercolor paper pads. At $2.25 they are SO affordable and make a really great surface for all kinds of wet media and techniques (anything from watercolors, acrylic painting, gelli printing, etc all work well on this paper).

While you can use any of your favorite mixed media supplies, a set of Crayola watercolors is perfect if you are creating on a budget. For around $2.50, you can create colorful backgrounds!

Since I love to draw and create in layers, it is important for me to make use of simple supplies to create a journal that has colorful pages. These backgrounds are the first of many layers that will happen in my art journals- there is something about having color on a page (instead of all that white space) that makes jumping into drawing a little more exciting!

I keep all of my papers in the journal and then paint over the top of the cover. In a flash, (for less than $5.00) I have a colorful art journal all ready to go!