How to use Text Elements as backdrops for collage

This is part II of III on how to use text in different ways in your art journal.

In post I (of III) I was looking at how you can add hand written journaling to a visual page, emphasizing how important text is in your Art Journal. You are working in book form after all, and one of the best things about books is that you can read them. I think you can “read” (interpret) everything in an Art Journals. The visuals can be read too, if you take the time to look close enough and keep an open mind. You will read it differently from how I will read it, and isn’t that cooL?

Like with all art, you need to view it with sincerity and an open heart. I often take one of my Art Journals with me to bed, and look through the pages slowly, slowly. Taking it all in, one element at a time.

Today we will look at how you can use text as a background for collage. Text can be seen as a visual elements without actually having anything to “say”. Although I find that the words that do come through and stay readable often say way more to the artist than one would expect. Like hidden messages they glimpse through the layers…

Sällsynta skådespel (Unusual sights).

I’m a book reader, a word collector, a journalist, a blogger, a poet and a writer so it’s natural for me to find words everywhere. And often times these beautiful, poetic words jumps at me. Their constellation can be fascinating. In a way I am a word collector.

I am a detective for words in my own Art Journal.

So let’s look at some examples with text as backgrounds now. Yay!

Imelda’s gift the Zweedsch-Nederlandsch Woordenboek has these wonderful fragile (easy to tear) but sturdy (easy to glue) pages with Swedish words and some strange language translations (hehe) that looks funny and exotic to me! I’ve used pages from this book many times now but still, it looks full and will be used for many yeas to come. This is water soluble oil pastels smeared out on a page from my Woordenboek:

I created a rainbow effect on top of the words.

The Woordenboek paper is perfect for tearing into long stripes. I glue those strips into my journal, in places where I need more color. I always need more colors of course. Blue is nice too:

I like colored magazine pages with text. They are much cheaper than store bought “pretty papers”! I tear them out, wrinkle them and keep the bits I like. This blue text page makes a nice background for the collage focal point to the right.

If you want the text on your page to be interesting and smart, but can’t figure out anything profound to say? There are ways, though I think what you write yourself is way more important than any “found quote”, but hey, it’s your journal! Sometimes you want journaling, sometimes not so much. You can do anything in your own book. For example, you do have a folder of article quotations that speaks to you in some way, right? If not, make one today! You can save quotes, headlines, interesting clippings, words, fun messages…

This is a magazine quote I cut out because I so agree with what it says:

Quote from a magazine article; Sure, it’s kind of a neurosis, probably I didn’t get enough attention as a kid. But when you’ve discovered that you can play as a grown up – then you just can’t stop doing it!

True, right? And another favorite is “word poetry”, cut out line by line or even word by word sometimes:

Word clipping poetry is created with a few cut out words from a magazine or used book that you’re not interested in reading or saving. Look for whole phrases that you find interesting or that speaks to you and save them. Cut them up or use as they are. You can create whole poems this way, but also add visual interest with a few words.

It does look like I have a whole book in me on this subject, doesn’t it? I hope you’ve learned something that inspired you or that will be useful in your own Art Journaling adventure!

Texts in Art Journaling

Also check out previous part I on How to add Journaling to your Art Journal and part III on how to Find the Right Spot to add your text.