Bird on a Branch: Beginner-Friendly Art Journal Techniques

Welcome to another art journal tutorial! Today, we’ll be creating a bird on a branch, using a variety of fun and simple techniques perfect for beginners and seasoned crafters alike. I’ll show you how I incorporate rice paper for visual texture, add depth with stencils and paste, and enhance my design with stamping and collage. Along the way, I’ll be sharing helpful tips on shadowing, highlighting, and creating dimension, making this project a perfect mix of creativity and learning. So grab your supplies, and let’s dive in!

Have you seen the previous pages on this journal? You can find them here:

Page 1 – mushrooms

Page 2 – pumpkins

Page 3 – squirrel

art journal video tutorial

You can enjoy the video at my YouTube channel

art journal close-up photos

I am working on a watercolor 6×6 art journal that I created but the techniques work on any journal you are currently working on.

The background looks complicated but really that is the magic of using rice paper. I did some stamping and stenciling on top too.

All my focal points were cut outs from scrapbooking paper pads. You can bring them to life by adding sharing with markers.

I also like to add quotes on my journal pages so I used one from the Secret Diary paper pad.

supplies

Below you can find a list of all the products used today. Links to multiple online shops are available, just click the logo below each item. Affiliate links used where possible at no extra cost to you.

Stamperia – Secret Diary Collection -… [ SBC | ACH ] Stamperia Create Happiness Secret… [ SSS | SBC | ACH ] Stamperia Create Happiness Secret… [ SSS | SBC | ACH ] Stamperia Create Happiness Secret… [ SSS ] Stamperia Forest Paper Cut-Outs sbbct02 [ SSS | SBC | ACH ] Stamperia Create Happiness Black… [ SSS | SBC | ACH ] Rice Paper Glue [ ACH | SBC | SSS ] volume paste [ SSS | SBC | ACH ] Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen Dual… [ CRF ] White gelly roll [ SSS | SBC ] Liquitex Acrylic Ink [ AMZUS ]