Howdy Copic readers! In our previous blog, we colored two different monogram designs using both alcohol markers (Sketch, Ciao or Classic) and paint markers (acrea). Today, we’re going to begin a mini-project series: creating our own travel journal! We’ll begin in this project by sketching and outlining two options for a journal cover. And with that, let’s pick up our pencils, erasers, Multiliner pens and get started!

Looking at the above blank template can be a bit daunting. However, we’ve gathered a few simple questions to help you get started: 

• What do you want to be on the cover of your travel journal? Something specific or something general?

• Is there a trip you've already been on that you would like to document?

• Is there a place that you’ll be visiting soon that you'd like to use this journal for?

• Do you want to make a general cover for whenever a trip might come up?

With these few questions, hopefully you can choose a concept you feel passionate about and can begin to sketch your idea loosely on the template with a pencil.

However, if coming up with your own illustration for a front and back cover design sounds daunting, we’ve made two options for you to look at. The first one above is a general design using stamps, a typical symbol of travel, as the concept. Each stamp has a simple drawing inside – some are food-related, some are landscapes, and some are buildings. Each of these stamps is a representation of general travel and adventure, so this cover design is great for documenting any trip! 

The other cover design we have to show you is for a trip to Venice, Italy. With a specific location in mind, the artist made a sketch of this city-on-water across both the front and the back cover panels. This is a different approach than our first design, where the stamps were specifically placed in the middle of both the front and the back. Showing how there’s not one “right” way to sketch your design, either of these two options will make for a great travel journal cover! 

The next step in preparing your cover design is to go over your pencil lines with a Multiliner pen! The artist here used Black 0.3 and 0.5, tracing over the little designs inside each stamp first with the 0.3 nib. Next, the artist outlined the rectangles of each illustration with the thicker 0.5 nib (this is for contrast, so each stamp can stand out within their pile). Finally, the artist concluded the design by outlining the beveled border of each stamp with the 0.5 nib and traced over the words “travel journal” at the top left side of the cover. This design is starting to look really nice!

For the Venice design, the artist only used the 0.5 nib, but went over the outside of each building twice to create thicker lines. Within each building and roofline is a single pass of the 0.5 nib. You don’t necessarily need to use multiple pens to create line variation; all you need to do is layer more with the size you have!

Notice how, in this outlining step for both covers, the artist kept their pencil marks visible and didn't trace exactly over their pencil sketch. Sketching with a pencil first is a great way to know how you’d like your drawing to go, but it doesn’t have to be exact! The illustration becomes more unique with the little changes the artist adds or takes away each step of the process.

The final step in creating your cover design is to “clean up” your linework and erase your pencil marks. This is a perfect opportunity to take a step back and look at your drawing and see if there are any lines missing, any details you’d like to add, or any parts of the illustration you’d like to make bolder by adding thicker lines. 

In the stamp design, the artist scanned the drawing into their computer and edited the Copic circle at the top right corner. They wanted to make these circles perfect, so using software like Photoshop, they edited their sketch. And, by scanning the drawing, the artist is also able to archive it in case they want or need to print duplicates! 

For the Venice design, the artist didn’t make any drastic changes, they just erased their pencil marks. When it comes to outlining, a good rule of thumb to follow is to ask yourself: is there enough contrast between the larger objects in the composition versus the smaller ones? If the answer is yes, then the outlining step can be considered complete! 

And with that, we wrap up today’s blog! To give this lesson a try yourself, download the above blank template here from our line art gallery and print it on a sheet of smooth cardstock suitable for pencils and Multiliner pens. We recommend Neenah Bright White Premium Cardstock 65 lb. paper, which was used in this blog. Then, using your pencils and pens, sketch and outline your own travel journal cover using the two examples from this blog as a guide. 

In our next blog, we’ll be showing how to create inserts for your travel journal! Until then, don’t forget to follow us across our social media channels @copic_official_us, and sign up for exclusive discounts and prizes by joining the Copic Club! One last thing - use #copicwithus or tag us @copic_official_us for a chance to have your drawings or workspace featured on our Copic US social media channels.

Thank you so much for reading and enjoying Copic markers as much as we do! 😀