Page Layout: Make It Engaging
How do I create a pleasing page layout?
This is a question that I see often from beginners who are tentative about getting out there with their nature journal. They do a few pages and they’re really unhappy with the way it comes out.
There’s no pre-planning involved.
Are you ready to start creating Nature Journal pages with a little forethought? Here are a few basic rules that you can follow to help you create pages you’ll love.
Page Layout Using The Golden Ratio
The first rule that we should pay attention to is Fibonacci sequence. The Fibonacci sequence is a mathematical formula that defines the shape and the pattern of everything that we see in nature, including people. Since we see these patterns in our everyday existence, it’s very pleasing to our eye.
Almost everything in nature follows the mathematical formula of the Fibonacci sequence The Fibonacci sequence is a complex mathematical formula but artists, photographers, and graphic designers use what’s called the ‘Golden Ratio’.
‘The Golden Ratio’ is a simplified version of the Fibonacci sequence that we can use as Nature Journalers to get that ‘pleasing to the eye’ effect. Simply divide your rectangular page into nine equal sections; three by three.
Any place where those lines intersect is a great place to put a focal point. You should, in general, avoid putting anything smack dab in the center of a page. That center positioning tends to create kind of a dead spot in your page.
Instead, what you want is to create little pockets of interest in multiple different spaces on your page. Placing your sketches and text blocks on the line intersections or even stretching them along the lines will give you the kind of interesting Nature Journal page you’re trying to create.
Little pockets of interest sit on the lines — nothing sits exactly in the center of the page Face the Center
Here’s another compositional thing that you should think about. Say you’re drawing a bird and you’ve decided to put him on the left hand side of your page. He should be facing forward or to the right — the center. Why? When you have faces, whether it’s a person, a bird, or even a flower facing into the center of your page, they’re seen as part of that page.
To our brains, it appears as though they’re looking at the rest of the page — and enticing the viewer to do the same. They lead your eye to bounce around between different elements, back and forth and stay on the page. If, however, you have them facing outwards away from the page, it leads the viewer’s eye off of the page — following their gaze to see what they’re looking at! (We are curious by nature!) You want to avoid that most of the time unless you are trying to create a specific look for that page.
‘Faces’ face the center of the page! See how your eye bounces back and forth between the birds? Odd Numbers
An oddity about the way our brain perceives things: we are especially pleased with things that are arranged in odd numbers! We are particularly fond of things that come in threes.
Use this to your advantage when planning your page layout! Arrange the sketches on your page in groups of 3 or 5.
Our brains are really pleased with elements in groups of 3 Using the Triangle in Your Page Layout
Another compositional trick to keep your eye bouncing around the page: triangular placement. In other words, put your main page components in a triangular arrangement around your page. If you’re using the magic of 3 elements on a page, you’ve automatically got a triangle!
The sketches should all face the center of the page. Bonus points if your sketches kind of face each other in a diagonal arrangement. This causes your eye to bounce around the page, taking in every detail.
The Importance of Negative Space
Last but not least, let’s take a quick look at negative space. Negative space is a place or places on your page where there are no words, and no pictures. It’s a resting place; a spot for your eyes to take a break for just a second. It should be carefully placed so that it doesn’t cause your eye to bounce right off the page! Without negative space, your eyes and brain quickly become overwhelmed. The viewer isn’t sure where to look! Negative space can be a very powerful element on your page — make sure to include some.
Don’t crowd your images too closely — a bit of negative space creates a resting spot for they eye. Phew! That’s quite a bit of information to absorb! Don’t let the overwhelm get the better of you. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel yourself. Inspiration for page layouts is everywhere!
Finding Inspiration for Page Layouts
Look to the graphic designers and artists who’ve already done the heavy lifting for you! In other words, pick up some magazines, copy the way they have words and pictures laid out on their pages. They know what they’re doing. They know how to make your eyes bounce around the page. Check out a few graphic novels (modern-day comic books) from your local library to see how they pair pictures and words together.
Creating dynamic, engaging Nature Journal pages is within your reach! Choose to incorporate one or two of these compositional rules on your pages and make them pop!
New to Nature Journaling? Grab your Free copy of my Quick-Start Guide to Nature Journaling from the Freebies Library!
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Create Shading With Watercolor
How do you create highlights and shading with watercolor? We’ve looked at shading before when we talked about turning simple shapes into forms. Today we’re going to do it with watercolor rather than graphite.
With watercolor you need to know a few different techniques and some new terminology.
Let’s Watercolor Stacked Rocks
Let’s do a hands-on project and do a simple painting of some stacked river rocks.
Reference photo: Natural shadows have soft edges — cast shadows have hard edges The first thing we’re going to do is make a very light pencil sketch of the rocks; sort of a map of where we’re headed. The next step is to do a very light, simple, wash on all of the rocks. There’s our first new term — wash. A watercolor wash is a very light overall color that is our background color.
DANIEL SMITH 285610005 Extra Fine Essentials Introductory Watercolor, 6 Tubes, 5ml
Watercolor Shading: Washes and Glazing
A wash can be either wet or dry. A dry wash which means your brush is not super wet and it’ll give kind of a stuttered feeling across the paper, leaving a little texture behind. A wet wash means there’s a little bit more water involved, and it gives a more even coating across the paper. With our rocks, we’re going to begin with a wet wash as our stacked rocks are smooth river rocks. Consider using a dry wash if you’re painting something with a rough texture: a rocky mountainside or the skin on an elephant maybe.
Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush Assorted Tips, 4 Pack Carded (FRHBP4M)Let that first wash dry completely.
Now we’re going to go back in and begin to darken our rocks. Adding wet watercolor over dry is called glazing. And when you put wet over dry what we’re doing is called glazing. Watercolors are great at this because they’re naturally transparent — the under color will show through. Work slowly until you have the color built up where you want it.
Be careful not to overwork an area. If your glazing layer is too wet, it will re-wet the under layers and lighten rather than darken!
My favorite watercolor set is this Daniel Smith set below. The colors are highly pigmented and smooth. This particular set is great to get you started as it has both warm and cool primaries — you can mix almost any color using just these 6!
Shading: Natural and Cast Shadows
With the natural shadows, begin at the darkest spot and work your way up. Blend as you go. The edge closest to the light source should just blend with the rest of the rock — no hard edge! If your shadow isn’t dark enough yet, add glazing layers until it is. Make sure to continue blending out those hard edges!
Now let’s turn our attention to the cast shadow areas — where the object (in this case a rock) is casting a shadow on the surface where it sits. Take a minute or two to study the reference. Notice that the cast shadows are much darker and they have very sharp, defined edges.
A couple of special things to notice about cast shadows; shadows are not black! Often our eye reads them as black. Most of the time shadows are a dark purple/gray. If you remember this little tidbit of information, you’ll always get a much more realistic result! And pay attention to the depth of color in the cast shadow — the darkest area is always where the shadow touches the object.
With those 2 things in mind, let’s paint our cast shadow areas. You can add the color all at once, or build up a few layers using the glazing technique. Just remember to go slowly and don’t use too much water!
Add in any small details. I used a Gelly Roll pen to add the white lines in the large rock on the bottom. If you haven’t already painted a surface for your rocks to sit on, add that in now as well.
And voila! You’re finished.
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Nature Journaling: Leaves 5 Ways
Nature journaling leaves doesn’t have to be a daunting prospect! Let’s take a quick look at 5 different ways to include leaves in your journal!
Sketching Leaves in Your Nature Journal
Of course, for most nature journalers, sketching will be the the ‘go-to’ method for adding leaves to the nature journal. If you’ve been following me at all, you know that I firmly believe that anyone can learn to draw! But, I digress. Here’s a simple way to sketch a leaf:
Take a look at the overall shape. As in, would it fit better in a square, a rectangle, or perhaps an oval? Giving your leaf this type of boundary will help you with proportion.
Next take a minute to study the veins in your leaf. Is there one predominant vein? This one usually runs down the middle of the leaf from the stem to the tip. This is the best place to begin your sketch.
Most leaves are pretty symmetrical. I usually begin at the leaf tip and sketch lightly — alternating down each side until I get to the stem. Are your proportions off? This is the time to adjust.
Notice whether your leaf has smooth or toothed edges. Add that detail.
Lastly, add in any heavy veins as they appear. Add color and shading as you like.
Tracing
Here’s a ‘no-brainer’ way for nature journaling leaves!
If your sketchbook is large enough and your leaf small enough, you can simply trace your leaf. Wait, does this count as nature journaling? Of course! Nature journaling is not just about creating pretty art!
Simply trace the outline of your leaf into your journal. Add in the veins. Add a bit of shading and color. Voila! You’ve added a leaf to your nature journal!
Leaf Rubbing
This is an old tried and true method. For this to work, you’ll need to work with paper that is thin enough to feel the veins in the leaf. If you can’t feel them with your fingers through the paper, you won’t be able to capture them with a rubbing.
You also need a leaf that has pronounced enough veins to capture them.
Place your leaf, vein side up, under your paper. Use the side of a crayon or pencil and scribble over the surface until the image appears! This is a great option for kids to nature journal with leaves!
Printing Leaves with Paint for Kids Nature Journal
This is another popular option for kids. Simply paint the backside of the leaf with
watercolor or acrylic paint. Place wet paint side down on the paper and press. Voila!
Take your time and have fun with this one. Choose several leaves and using different
colors of paint, layer them on your page.
Want even more tips on Nature Journaling with Kids? Check out Nature Journaling with Kids: Part I (supplies), Nature Journaling with Kids: Part II – Let’s Sketch!, and Nature Scavenger Hunt.
Washi Tape
The simplest method of all is to simply use washi tape and tape the actual leaf into your journal.
The drawbacks? The leaf will eventually dry out and crumble. There are, however, several methods of preserving leaves. My favorite method is to iron them between sheets of waxed paper. The heat transfers the wax to the leaf and preserves it fairly well. While the wax does help preserve the leaf, it is still very delicate — handle it gently! Use washi tape to attach it to the page.
I believe it’s time for us to begin looking at nature journals a little differently. It’s time to think outside the box. Although sketching is my preferred method of working in my nature journal, not everyone wants to sketch. We all, however, really need that connection to nature. Journaling in any form forces us to lean in, to look a little bit closer, live in the moment, and make that all important connection to the nature that we, as humans, are very much a part of.
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Nature Journaling With Kids II: Let’s Sketch!
Nature Journaling can be a bit of a daunting proposition, especially if you think you can’t draw yourself. As we all know, your kids will mimic what you do. Grab your own nature journal and sketch along with them! Here’s what I want you to remember as you begin this journey. First – nature journaling is not about creating a pretty or perfectly accurate picture. Second – drawing skills will improve with continued practice.
(This is Part II of Nature Journaling with Kids — click here for Part I)
Where to Nature Journal With Your Kids
This one is kind of a no-brainer. Kids are naturally curious. Any place there is nature, your kids can find something to explore in their journal. Honestly, the best nature connections generally come from exploring your immediate surroundings.
- Get them excited to begin a new adventure – try going to a new-to-you park not far from home for a first outing.
- Sketching in your own yard can be a fun adventure. Although they see their own yard every day, you’ll be surprised at how different it looks to you once you begin to sketch elements you find in it.
- Discover the nature that resides inside your home! Yep, it’s there too!
- Check the produce drawer in your refrigerator. Pull out an apple. Sketch it whole. Notice how most of them are not one solid color. Is there a stem? Cut the apple open horizontally. Draw the insides. Cut one vertically. How is it different? Draw it.
- Do you have any houseplants? Draw them. Cut flowers in a vase?
- What about pets? Have them draw the dog, the cat, the hamster, the goldfish.
- Is there a spider crawling up the wall? Have them draw it before you take it outside!
- Get in the habit of packing your nature journaling supplies when you take trips. Nature is everywhere!
- A trip to the zoo or the aquarium is a good way to study and sketch non-native animals up close.
Leading Your Kids on a Nature Journaling Adventure
Get kids in the ‘mood’ to become explorers! I bought a set like the one below for both of my grandkids — they loved it! They would often get all geared up on their own and head out to the backyard.
If you’re just starting out with a nature journal, make it easy on yourself! Let it be just a spontaneous thing. Grab a pencil and some paper. Head out to your backyard or a nearby park. Ask your kids to draw whatever catches their interest; a bug, a tree, a flower, etc. You won’t be hovering over their drawings, as you’ll be making your own, right? This is a big deal — kids mimic what they see.
Now ask them questions. Do not comment on the artwork — nature journaling isn’t about the art! Ask them what they noticed about their subject. What colors did they notice? Do they know the name of it? (What kind of bug, flower, etc.) Let them lead the discussion. Have them tell you why they chose to draw what they did. What do they like about it? What do they wonder about the object? Let them color their drawings when you return home. Congratulations! You just made your first nature journal entries!
For specific recommendations on supplies, check out My Favorite Supplies page.
Next Steps in Nature Journaling with Your Kids
Make a habit of carrying your nature journals with you when you travel or even when you’re running errands. Nature can be found everywhere. You might spot a dandelion in a sidewalk crack, a hawk skimming over the water as you’re driving, or an interesting spider crawling on the dashboard of your car!
We all get too busy and it can be hard to find extra time for activities — think outside the box. Cut a length of string or yarn; no more than 5 or 6 feet long. Have your kids sit in your yard. They can only sketch what is within the reach of their string! You’ll be amazed at what you can find even in that tiny space! This exercise will help them build observational skills as they become hyper-focused on finding interesting things within their space.
Nature Journaling is Both Art and Science
If you want to take your journaling to the next level, get in the habit of looking up scientific information on your subjects. You can often do this on the spot using field guides specific to the area where you live. Or get your phone out and google it!
Use your nature journal to ask questions. Is this bird native to our area, or is it just passing through as it migrates? Is this flower an annual or perennial? What insects are attracted to this particular plant?
I am a big fan of John Muir Laws, who teaches nature journaling with kids and adults. He advocates asking yourself 3 things on each of your journal pages: I notice, I wonder, It reminds me of, . . Observing closely enough to complete these 3 statements, forces you to look very closely and to engage your brain!
Nature has a way of pulling you in. The more time you spend observing and journaling, the more you’ll want to. Nature journaling forces you to observe plants and animals up close and personal. You begin to connect, to realise that you are a part of it all. You fall in love. And most importantly, you naturally begin to protect what you love.
Don’t forget to grab your FREE copy of my Quick-Start Guide to Nature Journaling from the Freebie Library.
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Anyone Can Draw: Yes, Even You!
Drawing? In a Nature Journal? ‘But, I can’t draw!’ I have but one main thing to say about drawing, and I believe it to my core, . . . everyone can learn to draw.
Busting the Myth: Inborn Talent and Drawing
Artists are just born that way. They have some big advantage of being born with the genetic predisposition to be good at drawing. Which gene sequence was that? I forgot. Oh, that’s right, there isn’t one!
Joking and sarcasm aside, I do really believe that anyone can learn to draw. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. I will say that some people get a bit of a head start. However, it’s because they are handed a crayon when they are toddlers, and never put it down. They graduate from crayons to pencils and paint. Drawing and painting are favorite activities all through their lives. But here’s the thing — they are better simply because they’ve had more practice time than you!
Honestly, I believe this to be true of many things in life. Good guitar players live with their guitars in their hands; their fingers bloody and calloused from the hours of practice. A sweater gets knit one ugly stitch at a time. That one perfect cake is baked over and over until it is perfected. Musicians make music, knitters knit, bakers bake. You get better at drawing, . . . by drawing.
My Drawing Story
I was the crayon kid. I have always loved to draw and color. Even though I did pretty well in school, I hated it. The part I loved? Shopping for school supplies at the end of summer. I remember that wonderful, brand-new box of crayons I got every year. Oh, I can be transported in time in an instant by the smell of a new box of crayons even today!
My childhood inspired original drawing “potential”
made with colored pencils on black paperAs I got a bit older, I graduated to pencils. (My mother was not a fan of messes, so paint was not part of the equation.) I copied pictures from magazines. I stumbled upon shading with my fingers. My brother and I held ‘drawing contests’ where we took turns thinking of an object to doodle, then argued about who did a better drawing! (I was better at realism; he was better at cartoon-style illustration.)
Then came adulting — sigh, . . . a ‘real’ job, a marriage, a child. The only things I drew now were silly doodles with my daughter.
Kids grow, lives change. When my daughter turned 16, she got a job and I took drawing classes at a local art center. I was scared and shaky walking into that first class! What if I was too rusty? I was certain that I would be terrible at this, but I wanted it so badly, I gave it a shot.
, . . . and that is where I had an amazing instructor who took me back to the beginning and the basics that are common to all drawings.
Drawing Skills: Begin at the Beginning
Do you believe yet? Are you at least beginning to believe that you can learn to draw? If you’re still not convinced, take a few minutes and watch these two TED talks: ‘Why People Believe They Can’t Draw’ and ‘It’s Easy to Draw! Why is it Hard to Draw?’
I love what Michael Rastovich said. (His video is linked above.) You start with one line. You don’t move on to the second line until the first one is correct. That’s a great truth. You learn to walk before you run. Begin at the beginning. It’s when we try to draw something complex without taking those first baby steps that makes us think we stink at drawing.
So, where is the beginning? My art instructor started beginners off with understanding and using our drawing tools, moving through value studies, shapes and shading; and only after we had a handle on these basic exercises, did we move on to working on a complete drawing of our choosing. I believe it’s the perfect start.
Are you ready to begin your drawing journey? Tomorrow’s skills begin with today’s decisions!
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Overcome Your Fear of the Sketchbook
Fear of the sketchbook. Fear of the blank page or the empty canvas. Writer’s block. It’s the same for artists and writers alike. As someone who keeps a nature journal, I sometimes suffer from both!
‘Don’t wait for you life story to be perfect before allowing yourself to be happy.’
sketches in stillnessAn ‘Ugly’ Sketch is Simply a Problem to be Solved
Many of us believe that you are born with the ‘gift’ or talent of being able to draw. On the rare occasion when we do try to draw something, and are disappointed with the results, we fall back on, ‘I just don’t have that gift.’ We crumple up the paper, toss it in the trash, and decide never to try again.
“Ahhh… What is this” 
“What am I doing with my life”
‘The reality of the creative process is that it often requires persistence, the ability to stare at a problem until it makes sense.’
Jonah LehterLet’s try something different next time. Don’t throw your next sketch away. Leave it. Walk away from it for as long as it takes you to get your emotions about it under control. Now come back to your page.
Sit with this sketch you don’t like. Analyze the sketch — not your talent! Is there anything you do like about it? What — specifically do you not like? You must take the time to do this analysis in order to get better at sketching and drawing. It’s an exercise in problem-solving (not in evaluating your worth as a human). If you can identify the problem areas, you can work on them and improve.
It’s Practice, Not Talent That Makes an Artist
I get it. We all have that fear of facing a blank page. We want everything we create to be of ‘professional artist’ caliber every. single. time. Here’s a revelation — you only get to see the best of the best pages of most professionals! All artists have ugly pages in their sketchbooks; pages they aren’t proud of and don’t want to share with others.
Pro-Tip: If every sketch, every drawing, every painting is successful and perfect, you’re not stretching yourself enough! Stepping out of your comfort zone is the only way to grow and learn new things!
Whether you’re keeping an art journal, a nature journal, or some other type of artistic journal, it’s the practice that makes ‘perfect’. Sketch something every day, even if it’s a tiny, 5-minute doodle. Overcome your fear of the sketchbook 5 minutes and 1 doodle at a time! Make ugly art — lots of it.
The Art of Getting Started
Getting my practice in, I’ve noticed a SERIOUS improvement! Ways to Push Through Your Fear of the Sketchbook
There are tons of ideas out there to jump-start creativity. Here are just a few of the ways that work for me when I get stuck in ‘fear of the sketchbook’ mode.
Canson XL Series Mix Media Pad, 5.5” x 8.5”, Side Wire Bound, 60 Sheets (400037134) (2 Pack)- Purchase or make a sketchbook that begs to be picked up! Yes, that seems a bit superficial, but I am a ‘paper junkie’! I love looking at beautifully crafted journals. I love the way a pencil glides across certain papers.
- Build a relationship with your sketchbook — like any human relationship the more time you invest, the more in love you become!
- Choose a limited color palette to work with for a given period of time. Or use just a pencil.
- Remember why you want to keep a sketchbook
- This is a place where only fun and experimentation exist
- Leave your inner critic behind
- Leave expectations of the outcome behind
- Your sketchbook is not for creating finished works of art — it’s where you play with ideas, take notes, and plan for a finished piece later on
- Your sketchbook pages do not need to be shared with anyone!
- Start your session with a couple of quick ‘no pressure’ doodles — my first attempts for the day are often wonky and ‘ugly’. I need to give my brain time to make the connection that ‘we are drawing’ so that the correct muscle memory pathways kick in.
- If you’re on Pinterest, there are tons of ‘30 day drawing challenges’. Pick one and use it for your doodle practice
- This is my go-to trick. Start small – commit to just 5 minutes at first. Pick up your journal, set a timer for 5 minutes. Most of the time, after that 5 minutes is up, you’ll want to continue. There’s something in our brain (fear of failure/fear of success??) that makes getting started the hardest part. Then once we get into ‘flow’ mode, it’s hard to stop!
- Daily Doodle — choose random words to doodle. Choose random adjective and noun combos — like MadLib. (Remember how fun those were when you were a kid?) Random Generators to jumpstart ideas:
I firmly believe that anyone can learn to draw. It’s a matter of wanting it badly enough to put the time in. It’s a matter of pushing past emotions that get in your way as you’re learning. It’s a matter of relaxing and allowing yourself to enjoy the journey, rather that looking only at the destination.
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