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The Painted Paper Studio | Jackie Bernardi

💡 How to make your own mini-art journal/coloring book

Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read

Weekly Message

August 1, 2026

Good morning Reader, and "hello" August!

Small art journals make me happy - how about you?

They allow us to work small, quickly, and can be the substrate for beautiful art pages.

This week I am not sharing a video - it's just been too hot to film in the studio, so instead, I thought it might be fun to show you what I doodled in one of my small art journals, and how I did it, right here in this email.

The art journal

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This art journal here is a 5" × 5" hardcover journal. I love working in squares - it feels so grown-up and orderly 😂

​The sketchbook is made of 160 gsm mixed media paper and holds 80 sheets of creative potential for you to play with.

Originally this book was supposed to be a mini-color study for gouache paints, but early on my creative brain switched - I wanted to be able to take it with me when I traveled, and the gouache paints felt problematic (too much to pack!)

So, I grabbed my Posca Pens and got to work!

Posca pens

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In this journal, I decided to explore shapes (primarily) and use the Posca pens to fill them in - like a coloring book.

What I love about this journal is that once you get going, it's a perfect way to be creative when you don't have the space, time, or mental capacity for larger pieces.

Also, it's meditative 🧘🏻‍♀️

My process

First, I tape the edges with 1/2" white artist's tape - this girl loves a clean edge ♥️

Then I either draw in shapes freehand or trace shapes I find from other sources.

The traced image I'm showing here came from my Rex Ray-inspired Pinterest Board (go ahead and check it out 💜)

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I printed off the image, then put graphite on the back so I could trace the sections I wanted to use in my sketchbook. If you have Saral paper, this would be even easier!

Once the tracing was done, I picked the colors I wanted to use and started coloring and decorating.

Here are some of the pages I'm working on.

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It's like working in a coloring book of your own making 😍

Journaling inspiration in the community

Just yesterday, one of our members, Susi posted a fabulous flip-through of her summer collage journal, in the free resources community. And it is awesome - I mean it - awesome! Click here to check it out.​

Be sure to let Susi know how much you enjoyed it 🥰

Supplies I used

​ 5"x5" Art Journal​
​ Posca Pens​
​ 1/2" White Artist Tape​
​ XL Graphite Stick​
​ Saral Paper (mentioned, but not used)​

So the next time it's too hot (or too anything) to get into the studio for something big, grab a small journal and a handful of pens and get busy with it - you'll have fun, I promise!

Send me pics of your summer projects - I'd love to see them!

xo,
Jackie

PS - If you aren't able to log in and see Susi's post, hit reply and I will do my best to get you sorted.

​https://confident-creative-collective.circle.so/​

Jackie Bernardi | Painted Paper Studio

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The Painted Paper Studio | Jackie Bernardi

I'm Jackie Bernardi, a self-taught artist who knows how to have fun in the studio and I'm dedicated to helping artists of every level do the same.

Join me in creating beautiful hand-painted papers for mixed media art, collage, relaxation, and inspiration. Each week I send out a message that carries an honest and helpful look at what the life of a creator is actually like. My readers don't identify with the misguided "starving artist" cliché and neither should you. If you are ready to fall in love (or re-fall in love) with the creative process, please join me by subscribing.

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