You deserve, no, you NEED an art break today!

For YEARS I thought there were too many more important things to do to take time to regularly make art.

I was wrong.

Creativity is important to mental health.

If you’d like a quick and interesting small art project to exercise your creativity and practice creative self-care, this week’s small-art prompt is for you.

Materials

Here’s what you’ll need for this week’s art fun and relaxation:

• a pen, and maybe a Sharpie
• straight-edge (yes, a ruler is perfect, but, as you’ll see, other things work)
• a pencil or something else smudgy (I may not have had a ruler handy, but I had a 9B graphite handier than a pencil)
• your art journal or a piece of paper (scroll below the video for my journal recommendations)

Welcome to BETTER WITH ART. I’m Melinda and I’m here to encourage you to reclaim your creativity and practice creative self-care with weekly small-art prompts that can be done in the privacy of an art journal or on paper if you don’t have one. Paper or cardstock would work for this week’s art. Grab a folder if you’d like to participate with my simple form of art journaling without an art journal.

Sign up here to invite me into your inbox from time to time, and receive a link to join the BETTER WITH ART private Facebook group: https://betterwithart.myflodesk.com/betterwithart And here to be kept up-to-date on upcoming online workshops and/or local workshops and shows where you can make art with me: https://betterwithart.myflodesk.com/workshops Thanks to @meditative.doodles on Instagram (via a reel shared on Facebook) for this week’s inspiration! https://www.instagram.com/meditative.doodles

If you’re interested in purchasing an ideal art journal for the wet, dry, and layered applications we use on BETTER WITH ART…

The paper is important. It needs to be heavy-weight and smooth. Hot-press if it’s watercolor or some heavier mixed-media paper, because although I love the texture of cold-press it’s really hard on markers and pens. The mixed-media art journal I’ve used in my videos and the art journaling groups at the library where I work is 140lb/300gsm. Unfortunately the art journal I use in all my videos and for the art journaling groups at the library where I work is no longer available in the size I use. I’m still looking for the best possible value and have started trying the following options:

Here’s the little one I used in last week’s video. I can say the paper is GREAT. And the size makes it a nice travel option:
Arrtx Watercolor Sketchbook 2-Pack

I’ve started testing these, and so far so good:
LIGHTWISH Watercolor Sketchbook
LIGHTWISH Watercolor Paper 2-Pack

What I can say about this paper as I haven’t had time to test it yet, is it is SMOOTH:
Speedball Fluid 100 4 x 6 inch block

I’ve been experimenting with these Dylusions creative journals to modify for Muse packs to spark your creativity. So far, so good, at least with collage-type pages. The pages are more ivory or like a pale manila folder than white, and like a heavy cardstock.

Also used this week

This is the pen I used this week:
Size 07 of Guangna waterproof fineliner drawing pens.
Black Sharpies
Lyra graphite

You can find more waterproof fine-point pens I use (various ones go on sale at various times), and other art products I recommend on Amazon in my slowly growing Storefront.
I’m going to have to find some time to update for out-of-stock items.

If you use any of my Amazon product links and make a qualifying purchase, I will, at no cost to you, earn a small commission, a convenient way you can support my channel with your purchase. So thanks so much if you do!