Art diary
An art diary, art journal or visual journal is a daily journal kept by artists, often containing both words and sketches, and occasionally including mixed media elements such as collages.[1] Such books will frequently contain rough workings, in cartoon form, of ideas later to appear in finished works, as well as acting as a normal diary, by allowing the artist to record their day-to-day activities and emotions.
These diaries not only give art historians a valuable opportunity to explore the creation process of these finished works, but they are a useful biographical tool.
Many famous artists are known for their art diaries – the sketchbooks of Leonardo da Vinci are probably the best known example. Other artists to have used art journals include Frida Kahlo.[2]
The concept of the art diary is also used by people working in related creative fields such as music; musician Brian Eno, for instance, is well known for his use of art diaries, excerpts from which were used in the Eno and Russell Mills book More Dark Than Shark.[3] Photographers Peter Hill Beard and Dan Eldon, and artist Sabrina Ward Harrison are three other people noted for their art journals.
See also[]
Further reading[]
- New, J. (2005) Drawing from life: The journal as art. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 1-56898-445-6.
References[]
- ^ Altenew. "How to Start a Scrapbook Journal Quickly and Easily". www.altenew.com. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
- ^ Kahlo, F., Fuentes, C., and Lowe, S.M. (2005) The diary of Frida Kahlo: An intimate self-portrait. HNA Books.
- ^ Eno, B. and Mills, R. (1986) More dark than shark. London: Faber and Faber.
- Visual arts media
- Artists' books
- Diaries
- Book art stubs