If you are new to the blog and don't know what I've been up to this year you might have missed out on hearing about the free Strathmore Visual Journal Workshop video classes I created. (Go to that link; I'm workshop 3.)
They are scheduled to be closed on July 31, so that doesn't leave you much time to watch the videos and download the handouts. (I make really detailed handouts. You'll find them labled "instructions" on the site, with a downloadable link right below the link to watch the same lesson's video.)
My lessons run about 15 minutes each (a couple are a bit longer I seem to recall), so you should be able to watch them all in about an hour. You'll see techniques for painting your backgrounds, adding foldout pages, and collaging with a mixture of your own saved sketches and decorative papers. The last class is a short video of me sketching at Como Zoo coupled with tips for sketching in public.
So for people who are always asking me to do video on-line classes, here's a chance to participate for free.
I also suggest you check out the site's blog, because I posted additional information relating to papers, media, and my lessons, on the internal blog. And there are discussion boards where participants share information and work.
In addition to my 4-part workshop there are two other workshops up at the site, each with a different instructor exploring her take on visual journaling in a 4-part series that you can check out.
Roz, I watched all your videos again last week, and got even more from them the second time around. I took a ton of notes!
I do think it's a shame they're not leaving the series up as a permanent resource, and I hope they'll do something like this again.
Posted by: Miss T | July 29, 2011 at 05:03 PM
Oh, my goodness, WOW! Just registered. Thank you.
Posted by: AgathaMChristie | July 29, 2011 at 05:57 PM
Agatha, I hope you get to watch my lessons before they are pulled down! Have fun!
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | July 29, 2011 at 06:54 PM
Miss T. I'm glad you enjoyed them on the second viewing! That's dedicated of you.
Strathmore paid us a sum for usage through July. Since the artists retained the copyright to their videos we can use them again if WE want to. I imagine I might actually do that if I decide to do more on line classes and create a library of classes.
The good news is that Strathmore is going to be doing more of these next year (at last I heard, though I don't know which artists or whether the format or anything else will change). So there will be an opportunity to see more on line classes with their products.
Also, the guts of the workshop situation—the blog, the message board, all of that is staying up throughout the transition, so you'll still be able to access that and keep in touch with any friends you make among classmates.
I think Strathmore is doing a pretty cool thing. It will be interesting to see where they go with it from here.
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | July 29, 2011 at 07:00 PM
Roz, that's good to know. I do hope you'll post your videos (whether or not you make more). The techniques you share are excellent, and it makes all the difference to SEE you doing them.
Thanks for doing this!
Posted by: Miss T | July 29, 2011 at 09:03 PM
I completely agree with Miss T. I learn so much more when I see it presented, but I can't really travel to classes right now (or any time very soon). I learned and enjoyed watching the videos. I'm so grateful you and Strathmore (and the other artists) are doing these classes. I will be sure to download what I need to before it disappears. Thanks again. ... I'm also thinking I'm going to have to splatter some paper this weekend. I have some acrylic ink... hmm... I'd love to post some journal pages, but I can't seem to scan or photo things very well. Maybe this fall I'll take the time to learn to do that too.
Posted by: LizzieBo | July 29, 2011 at 11:00 PM
Hey Roz, They can't take your class away. I go there alot it helps alot for a beginner. Roz how do I get one of the clear grids you showed to help with page design I journal 6x8 books and my printer and scanner are not working and I do not know how to make one. Can you buy these? It really is a wonderful tool to use for a beginner. See strathmore has no idea about these classes and how often we use them sad.Anyways if you can help me:) The classes yours and lindas were very benificital for me thank you for doing them,
Have a great day,
Linda
Posted by: Linda | July 30, 2011 at 08:48 AM
Linda, the plastic sheet I used in my video was just for on-screen demonstration, to show people, with as few words as possible, what I meant by margins, gutters and such. (I was filming not long after the conk on the head and it was difficult for me to explain things in my normal, quick, and fluid fashion, so it was nice to have a visual aid.)
You can make one of those with any clear sheet of acetate, but it will cumbersome to use something like that in normal practice.
A better think for you to do is to draw thumbnail sketches either on a "work" page in your journal, or on a scrap of paper. Indicate where your margins are and where the 3rds fall, and then go to your real page and start with the focal point on your page and work out from there.
I would discourage you from getting too formal with it and ruling any guidelines on your journal page—the whole idea of the journal from my perspective is not to make a work of art but to work in it to improve my observational skills.
As I mention in the video, I don't use anything like that sheet because it isn't necessary—why? Because as you do this more and more looking at the page and reserving your margins, and placing your focal point become second nature when you are making the effort to do so.
Some of my best pages break all the rules and were made in situations where I was jostled and bumped and had to write where I could on the page and the item of interest may be totally not where it is "supposed" to be. I love those pages because they help me look at things harder, work out what didn't work, and aim to fix it in the future.
So I would suggest you simply get in your mind how much outside margin you want to leave on your page and hold that measurement in your mind and when drawing or writing, don't go into that area, unless you're deliberately running off the page with your image. And then for placing your focal point simply mentally divide the page or spread into thirds and make a small dot (yes, even if you're using ink, just a dot the size of a period in 10 pt. type, and if you don't know type, that's about the size of a period in the text you're reading now (give or take a fraction of a measurement too small for you to see) depending on how your screen is set up. In other words a dot so small that just the tip of your pen touches. No one else will ever know it's there.
And then start drawing your focal point at that spot.
Much simpler than having an acetate sheet to haul around. And you're doing the best thing you can do—training your eye.
Glad you enjoyed the lessons.
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | July 30, 2011 at 10:04 AM
LizzieBo, glad you enjoyed the lessons. Hope you do get to splattering! As for scanning, if you're at the point where you want to be sharing your journal pages (and there are all sorts of groups and sites for doing that from Flickr to creation of your own blog) you can quickly learn to do that (if you have access to the equipment) by reading a book on Photoshop or scanning. I was in Barnes and Noble a couple months ago and in the MAGAZINE section I came across a thick magazine/book that was actually about scanning family photography (for people making archives of family photos, scrapbookers, that sort of thing). I actually called a friend to recommend it to him, since I knew he had just inherited 8 storage boxes of family images!
So the books are out there (and in the library). I encourage you to pick one up. (I can't give you the name of the one I saw because I called and left a message for my friend since I didn't want to forget. The book didn't have an author, and it isn't really important as there are so many out there that will share the same info.)
Good luck.
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | July 30, 2011 at 10:14 AM
roz, thank you so so much for this last-minute alert to those videos. i've already watched 2 of them, and they're not only informative, they're fascinating to watch! i love really good "how to" lessons, with the most basic information, and these videos fit the bill to a T. i've downloaded the .pdf files as well so that i have them available to me later when i'm working on my journal pages. again, many, many thanks!
mo
Posted by: mo | July 30, 2011 at 03:44 PM
mo, so glad you got to see them before they disappeared! Glad you found them useful! I appreciate the feedback.
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | July 30, 2011 at 04:01 PM
Roz, I'm a late add to your classes, but I've seen them all, now, and am going to run through a couple of them again this afternoon. I really, really appreciate having the chance to watch you work this way. The folks at Strathmore are onto a good thing and I hope they keep it going.
I've learned a lot and come away with some new ideas and inspirations for my journal. Thank you for the time and care you've put into these and into the written instructions, too. They're a great resource!
Posted by: Ann Bemrose | July 31, 2011 at 06:00 PM
Roz,
The videos are still there. 1am Aug 1.
Posted by: Karen | August 01, 2011 at 01:05 AM
Karen, thanks for the heads up. I'm sure they will come down shortly as the contract has expired.
I'm betting it's because yesterday wasn't a workday.
Hope you got to watch them.
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | August 01, 2011 at 10:18 AM
Ann, I'm glad I mentioned them again here so that you were able to see them, and of course that you enjoyed them. I would keep your eye on the Strathmore site to see where they go in the future.
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | August 01, 2011 at 10:27 AM
Roz, I have completed the survey and commented on your excellent presentation. I found your detailed input very valuable. I must admit, I didn't get round to putting any photos up until the very last minute as I was a bit involved in other art and journal related projects, but have saved your detailed notes to refer back to. Once again, many thanks.
Posted by: Sonia | August 02, 2011 at 02:56 PM
Sonia, I aim to be detailed so it's helpful to know that was successful! Thank you for your input. I hope that you will now have some time to explore the various techniques and find out how they might work in your journaling. Have fun.
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | August 08, 2011 at 11:39 AM