Beginning Bible Art Journaling: March 2: Psalm 119:1-4

Hello friends,
Thank you so much for all the emails and comments that you have sent letting me know you are joining us for this month of March.  Almost every person said they are BRAND NEW to Bible Art Journaling and I am going to go super detailed to make sure I don't lose anyone!

You were to read Psalm 119...if you didn't.  Please stop here.  Grab your bible, and read through it. We need to keep the context of the verses we look at correct to be sure to acccurately handle God's Word. One problem I see today is the tendency to grab a verse out of the bible and try to apply it.  We run the risk of assuming something God may have never intended when we are not diligent to carefully observe the text in its context before we see what that verse actually means.  Only then are we prepared to seek its application. 

So we've read Psalm 119 and what did you find out about it?  Who are the 'who's in it?  What is this Psalm about? 


Psalm 119 is all about the Word of God.  It is an acrostic poem that has 22 stanzas that follow the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.  Your bible may have titles above each of these stanzas with words like ALEPH, BETH, GIMEL--these are the Hebrew letters.    We see the Word of God referred to in a number of different ways: testimonies, commandments, word, precepts, statutes, etc. So whenever we read these words we know this is a reference to God's Word.

We also see the personal pronoun "I".  The author of Psalm 119 is believed to be David (although some commentators feel Ezra may be the author).  So every time we see I, me, my...we know it's talking about a person.

We see other pronouns You, His, Your, Lord, God.  This is God.  

That is what we are going to focus on in our study here:  God, His Word, and man (I),  with a little deviation today, as we focus on verse1-4 that speak of the BLESSED (which refers to those who love the Lord and His Word, so it still applies!).

Knowing that most of you that have communicated with me are not accustomed to marking in your bible, we are going to start off very slowly and easily!  As a matter of fact, techniques I am going to show you over the next few days could keep you from making any marks in your bible at all, if you do not feel comfortable!

Let's get started!  Ok, Psalm 119:1-4 is talking about the blessed and who the blessed are.  Just like yesterday, where I used plain copy paper that I have cut into strips just short of my margins (1.75" x 8"), I use these to put in my bible.  It's helpful to see where we are going before I start with instructions:

I have marked in my bible the word BLESSED with a sunshine and underlined what the text tells us the blessed do.  IF you don't want to mark your actual bible text,  you could LIST this under the art journaling we are about to make on the side (with the sun above!). Either way, give it a try!  You have nothing to lose and we are starting in pencil!

 I sit my copy paper on lined paper so I can see the 'lines' through the copy paper and keep my lettering and drawings straight.  I draw a curved line leaving some room above it and on the sides for my sun rays!  I pay attention to where I want my curve to start (bottom line) and it's high point I want below the top line for those sun rays...  The key to all drawing is to go slowly.  If you can't get it, you are probably going too fast.  You can practice as much as you like...it's copy paper...thousands of strips for about $3 LOL

 I do a large sun ray, then a smaller one, continuing until I like it.  IF you don't like it, erase it and begin again...or get a new strip. 

 I drew darkly with my pencil--DONT DO THAT--I'M SHOWING YOU WHERE YOUR LETTERS WILL TOUCH AT THE TOP...I also drew a light line to show you where I see the bottom line where my letters will end...

 Be sure to start your letters and that they 'follow' the curve as you make them (see the top of the B?  It goes along that line of the sun)

 Keep going across with capital letters.  I wanted to loop my 'S' so I wrote an 'S' then added the loops...

 Next I drew a 'grass line' curved under blessed and using the yellow lined paper as my guide, went to the next 'space' to write the words 'are those'. 

 I'm making the arrow now...under the word those, make a 'greater than sign'.

 Give your arrow head points.

 Draw lines to the arrow head to make the arrow complete.  (You can use a ruler if you want these straighter; I like the hand drawn look).  If you do not want to mark your bible, you would list the traits in verses 1-4 under the arrow (which you can point straight down since your list is below).

 Next, once you are happy with what you have written in pencil, go over it in pen.  You can use any pen you have; I used a micron black 03.

 AFTER you ink over the pencil, erase the letters/drawing so you don't see pencil anywhere (I left mine on the 'grassy area' so I could use it to help shade the area...

 Next I colored with erasable pencils...

 Next take the FULL STRIP and see where you want the colored part to lay in your bible.  You can go to the top of the page, covering the index or...

 Go under the index, which is what I decided to do on mine.

 I cut my strip so this top part fits onto the page next to verses 1-4.

 I use archival black ink and just run the sides down it to give a little bit of a border to my paper.

 After I'm sure that is dry...oh, do make sure!...I glue it into my bible next to the Scripture.  I highly recommend this glue stick especially to new bible art journalers...you can reposition, take off, put back on with a glue stick.  Not so easy with a tape runner! 

Here you have it...Your first Bible Art Journaling piece is done...and I'm sure it's lovely.  And it's meaningful!

I'll be back tomorrow with another techinique as we finish verses 4-8 of Psalm 119.  Why not go ahead and meditate on verses 1-8 until then?

Let me know if you have questions or comments or joys to share as you create your own! 

May God bless your ART...and your HEART,
Antoinette