52-Week Art Journal Supplies

Sentences in bold are updates on June 24, 2023… Just about the halfway mark!

Okay, Friends, let’s talk about what you’ll need to create your 52-Week Art Journal. First off, of course, is the journal. But before that, the full-size fine print: This post contains affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I make a small commission. This doesn’t affect your price, but helps support my healthy art and blogging habit, for which I thank you if you do. For more details read my Disclosure & Privacy Policy below.

My library buys these sets of three mixed media journals on Amazon for our art journaling group. I love mine. The paper is perfect. And I know because I’ve put pages through a lot. It’s a nice and holds up for dry, wet, and layered applications. The price for the set fluctuates, but, so far, the math has always worked out to under $8 per journal.

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I literally made my own first art journal. I had received this basic book-binding kit for Christmas. And heavyweight watercolor paper worked out the best. I’d used thinner paper for pages that were just sketched on, but the watercolor paper had a nicer surface and gave me the freedom to just create and write without concern. And I didn’t have to jump back and forth between paper types.

You’re going to need a pencil. Any pencil will do. The lowly #2 of the old-school bubble test forms is just fine. You’ll also need at least one black gel pen. For me, the finer the tip the better. The broader the tip, the more space your lines will take up, giving you less room for small art and for the words you’ll journal. The 0.3mm needle-tip Pentel Energel worked pretty well for me last year. The Sharpie S-Gels were a bit disappointing; I found them too smudgy. I’m looking forward to trying new brands this year, including Sakura Pigma Micron Pens from Blick Art Materials.

I definitely recommend the Micron Pens! And you’ll need black Sharpies, available on Amazon and Blick Art Materials… But there’s also more about Sharpies below…

You’re going to want more than a journal and gel pens and plain pencils. We’re going to need colored pencils. And watercolor pencils… or just watercolor pencils. I’m excited to try these out…

There are other (some more economical) choices on Blick Art Supplies, too. And Amazon. Crayola were my original, available on the page linked in the first sentence of this paragraph, or through Amazon here.

We’ve used watercolor pencils very, and we haven’t yet used bleeding tissue paper at all… though I’d intended to. You can substitute watercolor paint for both of these, with a little modification of the small art. I didn’t find the artPop! to be any better than the Crayola.

Bleeding tissue paper is a new art-journaling medium for me this time around. I’m looking forward to exploring some therapeutic art techniques with it with you.

Acrylic paint! One of my favorite art supplies. I’m currently using this Craft Smart set I got on Amazon. Nothing fancy. If it was time to buy more, or I was replacing particular colors, these are a likely option:

Watercolor paint. They can be as simple as a kids’ box from a dollar store.

My little Crayola basic 8-color is still working fine, but will need to be replaced soon. I can say that I do prefer the ease and convenience of the pan watercolors over liquid and tube. At least for how I’m currently using them.

Paintbrushes of various sizes. You don’t need anything fancy, but, yes, various sizes. Also round and flat.

Fine-point Sharpie or Sharpie-type waterproof markers… I do enjoy my Sharpies. And they come in more colors than you might realize. There are also similar products, and I do love good deals… so I’ve tried a few types when I’ve stumbled across sales… without finding any favorites.

When I come across new discounts, on markers and other items, I’ll share them. If you haven’t yet signed up for weekly 52-Week Art Journal emails, you can here:

Sign up for the 52-Week Art Journal Journey

Newsprint. Or printer paper if you have it and don’t want to buy something else. I prefer the weight and porosity of newsprint for the acrylic-paint cut-paper collaging we will do.

Glue sticks. I love me my glue sticks…

Mod Podge.

Old magazines. If you don’t have any, check for discards at your local library. That’s what I do.