Painting Composition Book covers Effy Wild Style

Plain Composition Book

Dear Reader, this is my first attempt at providing instructions on an art project I have been working on.  Since the beginning of the year this is the 3rd Composition book cover that I have painted.  I learned the process from Effy Wild who is an amazing mixed media artist.  The first book is being used as a journal for LifeBook 2015 and is part of a group sponsored by Effy.  The second book/journal is for a wonderful 8 week online program "Becoming" sponsored by Jeanne Oliver.  Below is the painted cover for that journal.

Painted cover for my On Becoming Journal

Two of my friends, Michele and Monica, wanted to know the steps I followed, hence my instructions.

I have fallen in love with this process and the Composition books are very inexpensive.  The book I am currently painting is my Letter Love Journal based on a lesson by Joanne Sharpe.  The journal can be used for practicing the art of lettering.  I have glued my pages together and added wash tape to the edges of pages.  The last step was to paint the cover.

Supplies used:

• Gesso
• Montana acrylic markers, pink, blue, green and orange
• Tim Holtz distress paints blue, pink
• Cream coat acrylic paint white and yellow
• Pitt big brush pen black
• round punchinella (sequin waste)
• washi tape
• Golden soft gel (glossy)

Plain Composition Book covered with Gesso

Paint applied to book in random pattern

White gesso used to mute the colors

Finished cover for the Letter Love Art Journal

This is the end of my tutorial.  Hope you learned something and will try to enhance a really inexpensive journal.  Thanks to Effy Wild for helping me to learn this wonderful process.  I have now completed 3 journals and need to make one more for my Painting play with Wyanne Thompson.