Illustrated Faith... Bible Journaling Inspiration

Good morning!

The response to my FB posts about my #BibleJournaling and my newly found #IllustratedFaith community has been so encouraging! Lots of love and also a few repeated questions... so I promised that this morning I would share a little of my Bible Journaling journey with you and the supplies I use... so here we are.

To be honest... I've been doodling and note-taking in my Bible for as long as I can remember... it just didn't have a name. When I saw a few months ago where Shanna Noel was calling it #IllustratedFaith... I seriously think my heart leapt! A perfect name for it!  Of course, my early Bible Journaling was much more random... sometimes the highlights from Sundays sermon... other times specific thoughts that the Lord gave me as I was reflecting on His Word... sometimes just a doodle.

Today... with my new Journaling Bible in hand... I read two pages at a time while praying and asking the Lord to speak to my heart. That verse that stands out above all others is the one I choose to design and hand-letter. The joy of doing it this way for me is being able to meditate and reflect on this one verse... even memorizing it... as I move through the process from sketch to finished color.

I've been reading and studying from the same NIV Bible for over 30 years... WOW... so you can just imagine what it looks like... well-worn to the point of literally falling apart! So when I discovered this new Bible designed with wide side margins for journaling I knew it was time to lay aside the old for something new.

After doing my homework, I chose the ESV Single Column Journaling Bible published by Crossway. I already own lots of study Bibles in different translations and versions... but my go-to Bible has always been my NIV with no study aids at all. Sadly I couldn't find a journaling Bible I liked in my version of choice but I'm getting used to and loving the ESV now... so all is well!

There are as many different styles of art journaling as there are women and personalities... and so it should be! If you are Bible journaling or thinking about it... just stay true to yourself! Be inspired by others but always do what makes your own heart sing! I hope mine will inspire you but don't feel like you have to look like me. If you love scrapbooking... go for it! If you want to simply highlight verses or write down Sunday's sermon notes or what God is speaking to your heart... just do it!

Mine... at least for now... is all about hand-lettering and design. That's who I am. That's what I love to do... and it makes my heart happy.

Bottom line... it's not about the style you choose... but it's about using your journaling as an instrument of worship... time spent reflecting on and responding to God's love for you and your love for Him... allowing His Word to soak into your soul during your Bible journaling moments. First and foremost it's between you and your Lord. Amen.

So regarding tools... I'm pretty simple really. I start with a normal #2 pencil, Kneaded Eraser, and of course... those cute little handy dandy close up glasses I can't live without these days. If you're not familiar with a kneaded eraser... it's soft and pliable and can be formed into shapes that allow you to erase fine lines and small space. It's also fun to play with... you just keep kneading it like bread and it envelops your graphite into itself... keeping it clean as you go along. I like it for Bible Journaling because the pages are fragile and this eraser is gentle but effective.

I generally do a light sketch first... either directly on the page or in my gridded sketchbook and then on the page.  I look for key words and divisions in the verse that allow me to break it up into pieces... which is also beneficial when you're meditating on a verse as well. I then play with ways to highlight them with banners or borders, etc.

Once I like the layout... I use my Micron Pens to ink over my sketch... starting with the 005... and then erase the pencil lines and begin to add the fun details with the larger point microns. I also use a white Gel Pen to add highlights and whiten up certain words to make them pop.

Then it's all about the color. Even though I'm excited about trying watercolors and markers in the future... I'm just having way to much fun with colored pencils right now. So my favorite colored pencils are Prismacolors because they are soft, the colors are clear and rich, and they layer and blend beautifully.

This is my favorite color palette at the moment. Aren't they gorgeous? And perfect for layering colors until I get the effect I'm loving.

TIP: One thing I have discovered is that I can tend to press a little too hard with the colored pencils thus leaving indentations on the page below so I've started slipping a piece of cardstock in between the pages at this stage.

I might add a little more white gel pen as a finishing touch... and ta-da... I have my finished design and more importantly... I have had some wonderful time delighting in the Lord and in His Word. 

And since my word for this year is "CHANGE" and we are transformed by the renewing of our minds... I'm trusting the Lord to do a good work in my heart and life throughout this year as I spend this extra time with Him.

Well... I know this has been a long post but I hope you've enjoyed it.  For more inspiration and information about Bible Journaling just google Bible Journaling and maybe even join the Journaling Bible Community on FB... I'm already there. 

Love you and bless you... in the Name of Jesus!