Bible Journaling Supplies for the Enthusiast
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you choose to click through and make a purchase.
Okay, creative hot shot! Just by you clicking on this post, I have a feeling you are WAY past all this “beginner” stuff and are ready to step up your bible journaling game. Ready to check out the tools that I personally favor the most after four years of bible journaling?
Let’s get right to it!
Interleaved Bible
After many journaling entries, I began to really crave more space to create. My 2-inch margin bible was just not enough anymore. And after some careful research, I found the ESV Interleaved Bible by Crossway. What I love about this bible is that for every page of text there is a full blank page right beside it. The full pages can be a little intimidating at first, but believe me. Once you get the hang of it, you will never go back to those small margins again! Fun Fact: I was blessed with this particular bible as a “Welcome to Maryland” gift from a sweet, dear friend. God works in amazing ways, right?
Stencils
Stencils are amazing for adding texture or pops of interest to your journaling entries. You can use them to outline shapes onto your page and then watercolor in them. Or you can use them with acrylics to create elegant backgrounds. I have purchased mine as a pack from Walmart, but you can get stencils pretty much anywhere paints are sold.
Faber-Castel Gelatos
Close your eyes and imagine smooth pigment that just glides over your bible page like butter? That is exactly what it’s like to use Faber-Castel Gelatos. And no, we are not talking about the gelato that you would put on a cone (although that sounds super yummy). These gelatos are pigment sticks that are a bible journaler’s dream to work with. They come in a variety of packs and colors. You can either apply them directly from the stick right onto your page and then wipe over them with a baby wipe to give you a watercolor look. Or you can use a damp brush and use them like watercolor paints. You can even mix a small piece of gelato pigment with water in a dish, add the mixture to a mini mister bottle, and use them as color sprays! They are simply amazing, y’all!
Now for some of you who already know what these are and how to use them, you may be asking why in the world I would put them on “The Enthusiast” list? Even though these gelatos are extremely easy to use, they can be pricier than what I would normally recommend for a beginner. And it’s because of that price point that this (as for many of the other supplies) have made this particular list.
Clear Gesso
Okay, y’all. I get asked about this particular bible journaling supply ALL THE TIME. Specifically, when you should or should not use it (more on that in a future blog post).
For those of you who do not know, clear gesso is normally used to prep canvas before an artist begins painting. It creates a slightly rough surface for the paint to grip on to.
For bible journaling, it will help protect your thin bible pages and can prevent major bleed through when you are using certain inks or dyes. But PLEASE REMEMBER to use CLEAR GESSO. Gesso also comes in white and black, and you definitely don’t want those if you are going to apply this over your words on the page.
Lastly, the ONLY clear gesso I will ever use in my bible is the Art Basics Clear Gesso. The reason why is this gesso does not have any grit in it, so when it dries it will be completely smooth on your page.
Watercolor Paints
There is a reason why I decided to start making handmade watercolor paints. They are just simply MAGICAL, y’all! And they don’t bleed through your pages!
Whether you decide to use watercolors from tubes or from little half pans, using them is one of the best ways to create backgrounds that are both dreamy and ethereal in style. For watercolor tubes, I recommend Reeves Watercolors. And for half pans, why not try one of Dots & Dusts watercolor sets! My favorite sets from our shop are Elementary, My Dear and Sugar Rush. You can even see how to get the most out of these two sets right here.
Ceramic Plate or Paint Palette
If you had a chance to watch my video, you can see that the best way to get the most out of your watercolor paints is to start mixing them together to get more colors! A paint palette will allow you the room to experiment and mix to get different hues. And the best part is that the colors are saved right on your plate so if you need to come back to them, all you have to do is reactivate them with water and start painting again! You can use an old, white ceramic plate (my personal choice) or purchase a artist palette like this one.
Watercolor Paint Brushes
If you are going to splurge on anything in this “Enthusiast” list, I would definitely spend the extra cash on quality watercolor brushes. I promise you. Those cheaper watercolor brushes will bring you more frustration than anything else.
With that said, there are four brushes that I consistently reach for from my mug of brushes on my desk. They are:
An Oval Wash Brush in size 3/4 (I use a Daler Rowney brush)
The Snap! brushes are amazing as they do “snap” back to their original point and shape when they dry. These are made of synthetic hair, but if you can afford to purchase a watercolor brush with natural hairs and you are a more serious watercolor artist, I would recommend going that route. Just keep in mind that those are quite expensive. Since I use my brushes primarily for bible journaling, I feel that the synthetic ones work out just fine.
Chalk Pencil
Want to make your entry look like you were writing on a chalkboard? Lettering with this General’s Chalk Pencil on a black acrylic background is a fun new way to illustrate in your bible. You can even use it to add shadows to your lettering to make it stand out on your page.
Uni-Ball Signo White Gel Pen
This pen. What can I say? The Uni-Ball Signo white gel pen has been the quintessential white pen used by bible journalers and handletterers when they want to add shadows or accents to their lettering compositions. It writes smoothly over acrylic & watercolor paint and shows up clearly and opaque on the page. Let’s just say that I have about four of these circulating around my house. That’s just how much I love them.
Tombow Dual Brush Pens & Fudenosuke Brush Pens
While we are on the topic of lettering, let’s chat about these two sets of brush pens. The Tombow Dual Brush Pens have two different ends: one side is a brush point while the other is a finer tip. You can use the brush end for larger brush lettering and then use the fine point for adding shadows or highlights. These dual brush pens come in tons of colors and there are so many ways you can use them. Not only are they good for lettering, you can blend and mix colors on your paint palette and create watercolor backgrounds.
The Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens come in either a hard (blue barrel) or soft (black barrel) brush. Both are wonderful for brush lettering verses onto your bible pages. And to be completely honest, I will almost ALWAYS use my Fudenosuke Hard Brush when I am lettering over my bible journaling entries. It is also the brush pen that I would recommend for any beginner who is the art of brush lettering.
Fineline Masking Fluid
And lastly, there is masking fluid. Masking fluid is used anytime you want to “mask” an area of your page or painting before you place paint over it. Many times you are masking the blank page or color underneath. For bible journaling, I absolutely love this masking fluid by Fineline. The fluid comes out of a very thin, pen-like point. And because it has a fine point, you can letter with it on your page first, let it fully dry, watercolor over it, and then carefully pull the dried masking fluid off. My only recommendation with this brand is to be sure to ALWAYS store it standing upright AND place the cap back on any time you are not using it. This will prevent the fluid from hardening within the fine tip.
Well that’s it folks!
Here is a recap of the supplies that I recommend for the bible journaling enthusiast and links on where you can buy them online:
ESV Interleaved Bible by Crossway (if you cannot find that one, here is another option for you)
Ceramic Plate or Watercolor Palette
Oval Wash Brush in size 3/4 (Daler Rowney brush only be purchased at Wal-Mart)
Need some inspiration? Check out some of my past entries that I have done using these supplies!
Have fun & Happy Journaling!
Want to know where you can find all of my favorite art
supplies & home goodies all in one place?
Visit my Amazon Storefront!
The Latest & The Greatest
