First up is the Illustrated Word Journal. I really liked the cover it reminded me of paintings we studied in art class in high school. Mature and sophisticated.
The next journal I reviewed was the Faith and Lettering Journal.
The pages aren't lined and are more of a grid look which allows you freedom to add your own flair as you learn the techniques. The pages are thick and I think markers would be okay but I prefer to draw with gel pens or colored pencils.
Not all pages come with pre-planned activities or lessons. Some are just empty pages, embellished in the corners for you to use however you like. I appreciate the fact that the whole journal isn't pre-planned that they allowed space for your individual creativity to shine.
Last and certainly not least is the Illuminate Your Story journal. As with the other three the cover is absolutely beautiful and the inside is jam packed with goodness! I love how they made the cover look like an actual story book.
Inside you will find beautifully lined pages topped with inspirational quotes for you to write whatever suits your mood. You have plenty of space to write or draw however you feel led.
Along with the lined pages you will find tutorials on how to draw animals throughout the journal. These will come in handy if you're wanting to embellish your stories or even in your Bible journaling. I love how they go step by step through the process and allow you to trace the animal before you have to draw it yourself. I find felt pens to be helpful here, although if you aren't careful they may bleed through. When drawing on my own I used a pencil that way if I made a mistake it was easily correctable. Then I traced over it with my medium of choice. I'm still not great at it but it was fun to try and I'm going to keep working at it until my owl resembles an owl! Ha!
It's not just animals you get the opportunity to draw, throughout the journal they teach you how to embellish letters. I really like these! They remind me of something you would find in an old novel. I haven't had the opportunity to draw one yet but they seem like they would be easy peasy.
Each of these journals is great in their own way! I feel like depending on your mood and who you are buying for you will definitely have a favorite but no matter which one you choose you can't go wrong! I highly recommend these to any one wanting to draw, learning to draw, or just looking for a great Christmas gift.
You can grab your journal here:
*I was provided a free copy of these journals. ALL opinions expressed above are my own.
