Art Journaling for Beginners: Ideas, Supplies and Page Layouts

Posted by

Haanz Team

2026-10-18

On 2026-10-18

Haanz Art GuideFree, practical advice from the team at Haanz Art & Craft Materials

An art journal is a sketchbook for your thoughts, memories and ideas, mixing drawing, colour, lettering and collage with no rules. It is relaxing, personal and a great way to practise art every day. This guide to art journaling for beginners explains how to choose a journal, a simple set of supplies, page layout ideas and prompts to get you started.

Choosing an art journal

Size: A5 is easy to carry and fill; A4 gives room for collage.
Paper: thicker paper takes markers and light washes better. For wet media, choose heavier paper or a watercolour pad.
Binding: spiral-bound journals lie flat for easy working.

Mont Marte Sketch Book A5 (110gsm, 80 sheets) for everyday journaling.
Craft Paper Art Pad (135 × 190mm, 60 sheets): brown kraft pages that look great with white and colour pencils.
Spiral notebooks that lie flat, in 11 × 17cm and 14 × 21.5cm.
Art Nation Watercolour Pad A5 for painted journal pages.

A simple art journaling kit

Pens: a fineliner such as the Sakura Pigma Micron 01 and a brush pen such as the Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip for headings.
Colour: colour pencils, dual tip water soluble markers, or a small watercolour set.
Sparkle: Glitter Tape, glitter highlighters and a Sakura Glaze 3D pen.
Collage: scissors, a glue stick, and paper scraps such as tickets, wrappers and photos.

Prices change, so see each product page for today’s price. Browse all drawing pads and stationery.

Art journal ideas and page layouts

Grid page: divide a page into boxes and fill each with a tiny drawing from your day.
Collage page: glue in a ticket or photo, then draw and write around it.
Colour swatches: paint or colour small squares of every colour you own and label them.
Quote page: letter a favourite quote in the centre and decorate around it. See our hand lettering guide.
Doodle borders: fill the edges with patterns: dots, waves, leaves and stars.

Prompts to get started

Draw everything you ate today.
Draw the view from your window.
Make a page of things that make you happy.
Draw your shoes, bag or pencil case.
Make a colour palette inspired by a photo.
Draw a map of your favourite place.
Collect leaves on a walk and draw or trace them.

Making journaling a habit

Keep your journal and a small pencil case together in your bag, so you can add something whenever you have a spare ten minutes: on the bus, waiting for class or before bed. Many people choose one regular time each day or week. Small, frequent pages are more fun, and build more skill, than one big page once a month. Looking back through a full journal is a wonderful record of a year.

For more drawing ideas, see our sketchbook guide.

Tips

Don’t aim for perfect pages; a journal is for trying things.
Date every page; you will enjoy looking back.
If a page feels “ruined”, paint over it or glue paper on top and start again.
Let wet pages dry before closing the book, or place a sheet of scrap paper between them.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an art journal and a sketchbook?

A sketchbook is mostly for drawing practice; an art journal mixes drawing, writing, colour and collage about your life and ideas.

Do I need to be good at art?

No. Art journaling is personal and relaxing; simple doodles and lettering are enough.

Can I use watercolour in a normal sketchbook?

Light washes may work on heavier pages, but thin paper will buckle. Use a watercolour pad for painted pages.

Do you deliver islandwide?

Yes. We deliver across Sri Lanka in 2–5 working days, with cash on delivery, card or bank transfer. You can also visit our shops in Boralesgamuwa and Horana, open every day from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Not sure what to choose? WhatsApp the Haanz team on 0711 515 515 and we’ll help you put together an art journaling kit.

More Haanz Art Guides