Creative Bible journaling ideas with watercolors

Would you like to try Bible Journaling, but need some help getting started? Here is one super simple way to create a page, that requires NO previous experience.

Watercolors are a perfect medium for your journaling Bible. The colors can be vibrant or subdued, based on any preference.

The effortless flow of the paint allows flexibility by eliminating any struggle with perfection.

How to create a simple Bible journaling page using watercolor paints:

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1. It is certainly okay to NOT prep the pages. When using paint though, I choose to for a few reasons. Clear gesso gives a heavier weight to the delicate paper and helps prevent bleed-through onto the other side of the page too.

2. Slip a large piece of ordinary wax paper behind a page before painting. It allows the paint to not make a mess on other pages and also helps prevent bleed-through. This inexpensive step is a big time saver!

3. Use an old gift card. This new (free!) tool allows you to spread clear gesso over the page in a thin layer. Allow pages to dry completely before moving on. Afterward, you’ll have a good foundation to get started with paint.

4. After the gesso dries, sketch out a simple drawing. For instance, today I wanted to focus on the word “effectively”, so I checked out the thesaurus, then Google Images. A bulls-eye represented the message I needed to cement, so I freestyled a sketch based on the ideas.

Then, once you have an idea, draw it with pencil, then trace over it with a WATERPROOF pen. I’ll have a list of supplies I like at the end, but PITT Artist Pens are my favorite! (The Polymer white eraser does a fantastic job getting off pencil lines without leaving those eraser marks).

5. When using watercolors it’s important to minimize how wet the pages get. They are delicate, and I find that adding water to a small plastic circle in the paint lid, then dabbing some paint from the pan, and mixing them up…it helps to get the desired consistency.

Then, instead of straight from the pan, just start small with the mixture in the lid. (Paul Rubens Watercolor paints are some of my faves if anyone asks for a gift idea for you! You can definitely find cheaper, but these are a wonderful treat)

One thing I MOST appreciate about watercolors is the fun of being imperfect. I go near and around the lines I’ve drawn, but feel very comfortable to let the paint go outside also.

This is an imperfect science and is a perfect complement to a Wabi Sabi art experience.

This can be hard for a recovering perfectionist {hey, can I get a wave? Me too}. Give it a try and see if you just don’t wind up finding it as fun as I do!

Bible journaling is a personal and intimate experience. God doesn’t ask for perfection, He simply delights in us drawing close… this is meant to be fun!

6. When using your colors, start from the lightest to darkest color. It is easier to add more, but hard to remove color that is intense. Should you wind up with too much color, don’t panic.

Use a regular baby wipe to remove some of the paint. The wipes also lend an ethereal quality by creating unexpected soft patterns.

7. Now is the fun extra stuff…adding embellishment. I kept it simple here. A light yellow wash was a bright accent, thereby balancing ed out the red color. It still felt lacking, so using a stencil to add a few crosses.

Washi tape finished off the additional details.

Super fast, and wasn’t that truly easy?