Everyone has their own way of documenting a holiday/vacation, but this is the way I have found suits me. I thought this challenge would be the perfect opportunity to try and put these ideas in one place.
Some of the photos are not as good as I would have liked as I planned to take some snaps before I left for my hols, but I finished prepping my book at the last minute and didn’t have time. So, here I am sat in a hotel taking photos…
I am hoping to add updated journal photos to this post as I finish them, after the challenge is done.
Things to do before your holiday.Step 1: Choose a good bookIt could be a printed book that may be relevant to your holiday, or a plain book or sketchbook. I love to use the fair-trade books from Oxfam as they have wonderful textured pages with leaves/flowers/occasional straw in (see photo below on right). They take the paint well (no rippling) and make the page interesting before you’ve even started on it! You need to take into account the number of pages you will need. You can even bind your own book so it fits your needs perfectly.
Step 2: PaintI like to use watercolours, and occasionally acrylic. Some pens don’t enjoy writing on the acrylic paint though, so bear this in mind.
You probably want to use different colours depending on your holiday. If you’re visiting a lot of ancient ruins then you may want to use a lot of browns and yellows to compliment the scenery. If you’re visiting somewhere more vibrant, like a city, you might want to use a brighter array of colours.
I like to paint a variety of pages in different ways. Usually I’ll use watercolours and paint a single base colour. Sometimes, before it dries I’ll add other colours around the edge so it bleeds a little into the page.
If you want a uniform paint effect then leave the page to dry. If you like a messier effect then place a piece of card between the pages and work on the next page. This will leave a crinkled effect on the page.
Step 3: Add paper detailsI like to add some details to some pages before go on holiday for 2 reasons. 1. It’s less intimidating to work on a page that’s already been started in some way, however small. And 2. It means that you carry less paper bits around with you!
Root through your stash and find the perfect bits to use.
Add ribbons and things that extend from the page to add interest and texture to the book. This is also a good way of dividing the book if you are travelling around. You could have tabs at diffent cities you visit for example.
Things to do while you are awayStep 4: Procure bitsGrab as many nice things for your journal as you can, preferably for free! Even if you don’t use it straight away, bag it because you never know when it will come in handy. Good things to collect are;
Travel magazines and leaflets
Tickets
Business cards
Sugar packets and paper napkins if they’re labelled with the café/restaurant info
Labels off local produce
Leaves/flower petals (to press)/feathers
Teabag labels
Anything that you can stain pages with (berries for example*)
Local papers
Streamers/confetti
…
* always make sure they are not poisonous first!
This was an in-flight magazine I ripped up on the plane tonight (with permission). The good bits I've kept because they had good colours, patterns and pictures
Don't be afraid to stick your goodies straight in!
Step 5: Doodle and drawI like to use watercolour pencils to go around my paper bits and black pens to outline and doodle on the pages. Draw landscapes and elements of buildings. If you carry a paintbrush with you, you can always find some water to blend the crayon…although I have to admit to using my own spit more often than not!
Here are two finished pages I finished (maybe. I like to go back an rework and doodle on pages) today...
Ooh a card for the hotel, goodie! Straight into the book it goes!
Step 6: WriteMake notes, scribble observations, weather forecasts, write shopping lists…anything that captures the essence of the holiday!
It's a simple thing, but here I've added the name of the airport to the boarding stubb. I had a cup of tea (I was hoping for a hang tab!) so I pressed it onto the page to create the circle and then wrote 'cup of tea'. Simple, but it adds to the page and the memories.
Step 7: Don’t forget to journal as you goIf you’re like me, you’ll forget parts of your holiday if you don’t document things as you go. Don’t be afraid to whip out your journal and scribble notes or glue things in wherever you are. It may lead to some interesting conversations with total strangers, which is always a good thing!
The pencil case
rackcoo made me years ago is perfect for travelling. I keep it stocked with everything I need and it lives in my bag all the time. You'll see it in the aeroplane photo above as well
Things I like to have in my pencil case:
Pencils
Black ink pens
Black Sharpie
White pen
A handful of watercolour pencils
Sharpener
Glue stick
Scissors
I also like to cary a travel watercolour set with me, but it's not essential, you can just take a paintbrush for the pencils.
(also a mention to
audio-astrophysics for my favourite travel bag with it's perfect pockets!)
Step 8: Make it personal!Everyone takes different experiences away from their holiday so try to create something that represents your holiday, that you would be happy to look through in years to come. If you prefer writing, write! Prefer drawing, sketch away!
Thanks for looking. Happy travelling!
