Illustration Tutorial: How to Keep an Illustrated Journal

Explore your creativity and access your inner world with these five mindful journaling tips, with Kate Sutton

Keeping an illustrated journal is a wonderfully meditative hobby that allows you to practice different artistic techniques without a fear of being judged.

Kate Sutton (@suttonkate) is a freelance illustrator based in The Lake District, the same pocket of the UK countryside that brought you the delightful Peter Rabbit series. Inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds her, Kate Sutton’s illustrations radiate a sense of peace and tranquility and have attracted major brands such as Penguin and The Wall Street Journal.

In this tutorial, Kate gives you five great tips on how you can use mindfulness, creativity, and self-discipline to create an illustrated journal. Find out more in the video!

Materials

- A journal
- Pens or pencils

1. Set time aside each day to draw in your journal

Make sure to set aside a manageable amount of time each day, such as five minutes, to journaling. Try not to be over ambitious with your journaling goals since making it too much of a time commitment can actually make it harder to get started.

2. Don’t worry about the outcome

Try and forget about the final result when you’re faced with the blank page, the important thing is to simply start drawing! While it’s normal to want to create something perfect, focusing on the outcome can actually stop you from creating anything at all, so try to journal without expectations and enjoy the process.

3. Challenge yourself to draw subjects you find difficult

Though it might be tempting to avoid drawing subjects you find difficult, an illustrated journal is the ideal place to experiment and gain confidence in your drawing skills. Practicing drawing different types of subjects will help you to both improve and express your creative vision in more ways.

4. Use your journal to reflect on how you feel

Make marks, use colors, or write words that express how you’re feeling. Remember that no one has to see your journal except for you, so use it as a space to practice mindfulness and pay attention to your feelings.

5. Add text to support your illustrations

Adding notes can give your drawings context and transform your journal into a book of memories that you can look back on in the future.

Love this tutorial? If you’d like to learn more about illustrated journals, check out Kate Sutton’s online course Illustrated Life Journal: A Daily Mindful Practice.

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