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One of the most common questions that I get asked about Bible journaling is “do you prepare your page, and if so, with what?”. So today I’m going to share everything I know about preparing your Bible pages for journaling.
Check out the video below to learn all about my experience with page prep and see a comparison of some page prep options!
*Disclaimer- this is based on my own personal experience, so your own experience may vary. Test supplies for yourself in the back of your Bible before using. Also, note that my experience is pertaining to using Journaling Bibles– traditional Bibles have even thinner pages.
To start off, I’ll say that I very very rarely prep my Bible page! I really only use supplies that I know do not bleed through, and I have not had any issues with pages tearing. I feel that some wrinkling and ghosting/shadowing on the backside of the page is inevitable, whether you prepare the page or not, and I personally find supplies are easier to work with on an unprepared page. So, I almost always do without the extra step.
*You can find out more about the eight supplies I use for 99% of my journaling pages HERE*
When To Prep
Though I don’t need to prep my pages very often, there are
The main culprits of bleed through
I also find that though some watercolor brands don’t bleed through, some other brands will. So not all watercolors are made equal. (I personally have never had any issues with the Kuretake Gansai Tambi Set I use, and would highly recommend it.)
The best way to see if a supply will bleed through (and if you should prep the page) is to test it out on a page in the back of your Bible. I would recommend always testing supplies you are using for the first time!
What To Use
“Page prep” refers to applying a medium to the Bible page before journaling on it to keep supplies from bleeding through and to protect the page from tearing or other possible damage.
By far, the most common medium Bible journalers use to prepare their pages is clear gesso, h
Gesso
Gesso is a special form of acrylic that is commonly used by artists to prepare canvases. It comes in clear, as well as white and even some colors.
Clear gesso works great for Bible journaling as you generally can’t tell it’s on the page, and it stops most all bleed through. It also won’t cover the scripture, and most all mediums work well on top of it.
Some gesso brands can leave a gritty texture, while others are smooth. (There is no real way to know what the texture will be like unless you research the brand or test them out. The Art Basics Clear Gesso that I use is pretty darn smooth).
The main “con” to using gesso is that pencil marks do not erase well and can smear terribly- so if you need to use pencil on top of it, keep your marks as light as possible.
The other downfall I have with gesso is that watercolors are hard to use and react weirdly on top of it, but that is personal preference. (Again, I prefer using an unprepared page with watercolors, and have not had any bleed through issues with the Kuretake set.)
Watercolor Ground
It creates a gritty surface on the Bible page, but it does block bleed through from most all supplies (you can use it for more than just watercolor). And if you are a watercolor fan, it does make the paint react in a neat way- more similar to how it reacts on watercolor paper.
I do find that when applied to a large area some spots may be grittier than others, and therefore the watercolor will react differently on each of those spots.
Pencil is also hard to erase on top of watercolor ground.
*I will say that watercolor ground is fun to use on other surfaces outside of your Bible. I, for example, used it to prepare a slab of wood that I then painted with watercolor and it turned out super cool. Just thought that may be worth mentioning.*
Mod Podge
Another page prep option (and one I get asked about frequently) is Mod Podge.
In my opinion, Mod Podge should only be used as a last resort.
It will block most bleed through. (Though it can sometimes be hit or miss. Watch the video above to see what supplies I used that still slightly bled through the Mod Podge layer.)
However, Mod Podge leaves a shiny and sticky finish to the page. The materials that I have used on top of it also tend to smudge- even well after the ink/paint seems to have dried.
So overall, if you are in a pinch, Mod Podge will do the job, but it is definitely not the best option.
Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paint is not usually talked about in terms of Bible journaling page prep, but it works the same way as gesso! In fact, acrylic paints are my most used type of “page prep”.
Acrylic paints do not bleed through (remember, gesso and watercolor ground are also forms of acrylic), and it also keeps other inks from bleeding through when they are used on top of it!
You can use any brand of acrylics, though I do find matte acrylics to work the best. (I use, and recommend, cheap Apple Barrel Acrylics that can be found at Walmart.)
Though acrylic paints aren’t clear like the above options, so they will cover up the text if you go over it, the color options are limitless. And unlike the above options, I find pencil erases off it much easier.
How To Prepare the Bible Page
Now that you have decided if you need to prepare your Bible page for journaling and what medium you want to use to do it, you need to know how to apply it.
It is pretty straightforward. Put a piece of scrap paper (or use a Bible journaling mat) underneath the page you will be working on. Then, simply use a paintbrush or foam brush to paint on your medium of choice as evenly as possible all the way to the edges. Be sure to lift the page up from the scrap paper before it dries- otherwise the papers can stick together and can be hard to get apart. Use a heat gun or let it air dry, then get to journaling!
I find that one layer does the job, but for extra protection, you can apply as many layers as you feel necessary.
Check out the video below
Happy Bible Journaling!
