How to Use Watercolors in a Journaling Bible

Learn how to use watercolors in a journaling Bible without ruining the pages even though they are quite thin. Try even prepping your Bible pages first.

I have received many questions from readers in the past asking how I am able to use watercolors in my own journaling Bible especially when the pages are so thin. I thought it would be helpful to put all my tips, tricks, and techniques in one place to make it hopefully easier for everyone. It is definitely a fun technique that is worth the time to learn. But you mayalso want to prep your pages with gesso before painting to keep the pages from crinkling as much and color bleeding through. Check out my post about gesso HERE and how to prep your pages first.

I do want to caution you first to not overload your paintbrush or the page with too much water especially if you have not prepped the page first. I have shown the picture below many times as an example of what bleed through looks like when you get “water happy.” This picture happens to be the back side of the page of my very first entry where I thought I would be brave and use watercolors. First of all I didn’t prep the pages and had way too much water on my brush.

The bright pops of color are just lovely, but those same colors bled through to the opposite side of the page. Thankfully though I was able to use the color that bled through for another entry. So don’t be too upset if you happen to make this same mistake. Actually embrace it and use it for another entry. Your page may be crinkly but that has never really bothered me at all.

First you will need to have a cup of water to use for rinsing your brush. A washcloth or paper towel will be used for wiping your brush to remove any excess water. Many times, I will use watercolors to color an entire background of a page or entry to add more color. Then I can go back once dried and add detail with stickers, handlettering, etc. A brush with more soft and flexible bristles works best here. You do not want a brush that is too thin or tiny. You will be painting the page for days then. Use a brush that is a little thicker.

#1: Dip your brush into the water and then tap your brush releasing several drops of water into the watercolor pallet. *You may need to tap your brush onto the washcloth now to release excess water.

#2: I will then swirl my brush around to pick up the color.

#3: Dab your brush, or wipe it gently, onto a washcloth before painting the page if needed. You may even want to practice on a scrap piece of paper first to make sure you have the color you want.

#4: Then start painting your page. You can use a sweeping motion from side to side or swirl your brush in circles depending on the look you want.

#5:Continue painting your page adding more water drops to the watercolors as needed until you are finished.

Once you feel more comfortable using watercolor paints in your Bible, I can’t wait for you to try using watercolor colored pencils. We will get to that another day very soon because it is also such a blast and way to learn with new supplies. If you are looking for a high quality watercolor paint set that won’t break the bank, then try out the set from Illustrated Faith and Dayspring. Their set is perfect for beginners and great for traveling with the metal case. It also happens to be on sale for a limited time only! Grab yours today HERE!!

They are also having a huge sale on lots of Illustrated Faith items up to 70% off!! Now is definitely the time to stock up and also grab some Christmas gifts while you are at it. START SHOPPING NOW!