With this prompt, we’ll make an illustrated journal entry in your sketchbook or on your iPad!
This activity offers a preview of my Illustrated Journaling class, which is included in all Mimochai Studio memberships! Learn more about our Studio and classes here.
What is Illustrated Journaling?
Illustrated journaling is a fun and meaningful creative practice that anyone can do, regardless of your drawing experience. You can make “Illogs” (illustrated logs”) with any combination of drawing and writing. They’re a fun way to remember things, chronicle events, reflect on issues, and keep memories. As with Daily Pages, I also love using them to practice new styles and creative skills.
Create Your Illustrated Journal Entry
- Pick a time period to cover in your entry. A day, a weekend, or a week is a good place to start.
- Choose 3-5 subjects to draw or write about. You can get ideas from your camera roll, snippets from everyday life, or events from the news.
- Plan a layout to arrange your drawings and writing on the page. You can take inspiration from a magazine layout, a single page, a double-page spread, etc. There are no rules. If you’re using digital tools like Procreate, you can easily experiment with moving things around. I also provide some templates you can use in the class.
- Fill in your writing + illustrations! If you’re a beginner at drawing, consider the following tips:
- Try simple interpretive representations rather than trying to draw realistically. Even stick figures can be some of the most expressive and charming drawings!
- If you can draw basic shapes, you can draw almost anything. A tree is triangles + line, a house is square + triangle, etc! You can do so much with very simple symbols.
Optional final touches: Depending on how much time you have, there are a few ways to polish your entry! You can add a pop of color, go over your sketches in pen and erase the pencil (or make a new layer if you are working digitally), etc.