I had so much fun working on this art journal page! It’s a mix of sketching, stamping, and watercolor layering, which are some of my favorite techniques.

I began by sketching the first face with a standard pencil. I then refined the details with an oil-based charcoal pencil. Mine is the Nero from Cretacolor, which comes in three hardnesses. This technique helped me achieve bold and expressive lines. Then, I incorporated a stamped face from my own stamp collection, using Stazon Ink. This ink is perfect for mixed media. It’s permanent, so I can paint over it with watercolors without worrying about smudging.

For the colors, I kept it light and vibrant with watercolors, adding soft blush tones and contrast. To finish the piece, I added some doodling on the shirt of the sketched girl. I used a white Posca pen for this. It gave the composition a lovely textured detail.

This page was a journey. I loved combining my sketched and stamped elements. They helped me tell a little story on paper. What do you think? Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried mixing sketching and stamping in your art journal!

Watch the whole process here: https://youtu.be/RREIQX7vdWI