Check out this visual journal page created only using sharpie. Read details below.
THE STORY
There is something special about band tees. When you find that one that has the perfect logo, and perfect fit and you wear it until it has the perfect texture, almost see-through from all the wear, you feel like you have found another part of you. Unlike normal t-shirts, band tees have personality. The logos are typically quirky, the font style interesting, and the band tee fabric is soft like nothing else. They also hold memories. They represent an event, a fun night, a song you’ve memorized the words to, or music you have bounced along with.
I have had many band tees in and out of my life over the years. It’s always exciting discovering the next one, and having a new shirt to break in. I love it when it hits the perfect point in its life where it fits you like a glove. I always hate the moment when I realize the fabric is growing thinner with every wash, knowing the end is around the corner. Many times I retire my most loved shirts before the holes get too big for it to be reasonable to still have in my closet.
At home and on weekends I live in my band tees. Nick knows my love of them, and it has practically become a tradition for Nick to surprise me with new shirts at concerts whether or not I was in attendance. He knows exactly what I like, and has a great eye for the best, quirkiest shirts. Often when he goes without me, he will arrive home after I’m asleep, and I wake up the next morning to find my shirt draped over the chair in the kitchen or sitting on the couch, waiting for me to put it on.
This visual journal page is about my all time favorite band tee surprise. It was a typical Nick concert night, he went with a few friends, and came back after my bedtime. When I walked downstairs in the morning I could barely contain my excitement. There, on the sofa, was a soft gray shirt with the image of a flying elephant, adorned with a crown. Perhaps the best part was the juxtaposition of the band name with the logo, “Yellow Ostrich’ with absolutely no reference to the color yellow or an ostrich on the shirt.
I have yet to find a shirt that tops my love for the Yellow Ostrich t-shirt. In the last few months, I have had to set it aside, it is beginning to wear thin. I still periodically put it on, but have become careful to not wear it out too much. I want it to last forever. I know Nick will one day top this shirt with another find in the future, but until then, I can reminisce on the moment I found this one, I love his surprises.
Although they have since broken up, you can still check out Yellow Ostrich here and their Facebook page here.
SUPPLIES
- Visual journal
- Rubber cement
- Pencil
- Sharpie
HOW TO
While this visual journal page required few materials, it did require a lot of time and patience to fill in the pages with a black sharpie. When I started laying out the page I immediately knew I wanted to recreate the shirt on the page, to memorialize it just in case the day comes when I have to retire the shirt forever. I decided to do a high contrast image, using the color of the background as the white space and black sharpie to create the contrasting dark color. Since I decided to use sharpie early on, I was able to prevent the sharpie from bleeding through the page by ripping out two pages from my book, and gluing them back in when I finished.
I used pencil to sketch out the image and write out the bubble letters. I used a regular size sharpie to fill in the space around the image. To maintain an even look, I colored the background in using a circular motion. By keeping the line quality and size consistent, I was able to make the sharpie look more even and blended. For the smaller details, I went in with a fine sharpie but kept my lines loose to match the line quality of the background.
Once the image was complete I used rubber cement to glue the pages on top of the pages still attached to my book.
CHALLENGE
Create a visual journal about your all-time favorite shirt or t-shirt.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post and check out my blog! I hope you found some inspiration to get you started on your own visual journal. Help me spread the word about arts, crafts, and journaling by sharing my blog with others. Interested in teaching visual journals to your students? Check out my visual journal lesson plan here and bundle pack here. Check out more visual journal blog posts here. Shop my education resources here. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and TikTok for weekly visual journal demos. Until next time!
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