Creating Characters in Your Journal: How Simple Portraits Can Reflect Your Walk With God

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I have a confession:
I don’t draw faces — yet.

I use them in my journals sometimes through cutouts, prints, or collage bits created by other artists (and they truly are beautiful). And yes, I have drawn a face or two myself along the way, but I’m not good at it. Somewhere deep down, I’ve always wanted to be though!!! I want my journals to hold more of my own hand, my own heart, my own style.

I want to be able to create all the elements on my pages — not because there’s anything wrong with using ready-made pieces, but because there’s something meaningful about learning to draw the characters who live inside your journal.

how creating characters in your journal can aid your faith walk by putting yourself into the story, imagining other people's story and spending time seeing people.

When you can sketch your own people and your own expressions, your pages start to feel personal in a whole new way.

That’s why I asked two incredibly talented artists, both loose, playful, expressive creators, to teach a course on drawing simple faces. Because I’m NO expert… and because I want to learn right alongside you. I’m excited. I’m curious. I’m a little nervous. But mostly, I’m ready.

Learn how to draw simple faces for art journaling and faith journaling — even if you’ve never sketched before. Faces of Faith teaches beginner face sketching with pencil, ink, watercolor, and acrylic, plus creative ways to use faces in prayer journals, Bible art, and mixed media pages. No fear, no pressure — just simple techniques you can use again and again.

And here’s why I think creating characters in your journal matters more than we realize.

Faces Hold Emotion. Even When They’re Imperfect

A simple tilt of the head, a soft smile, a thoughtful expression, even very loose faces carry emotion. They communicate something your heart may not know how to say through words alone.

You don’t have to draw faces “well” for them to be powerful.

In fact, some of the most expressive portraits are wonky, mismatched, playful, and imperfect… and that’s what I love about them. They feel human. They feel honest.

And I love the idea of being able to express feelings and prayers visually, not just through text, paint, or pattern.

Always wanted to draw faces but felt intimidated? This beginner art journaling course shows simple, no-fear face sketching techniques you can use in faith journals, prayer pages, and creative Bible journaling. Learn step-by-step face drawing with pencil, ink, watercolor, and acrylic.

Characters Help You Enter the Story

Sometimes when you draw a person in your journal, she becomes a symbol:

• a version of yourself
• someone you’re praying for
• a feeling you’re carrying
• a moment from Scripture
• a reminder of who God is shaping you to be

Drawing your own characters allows you to place people into the narrative of your page, not just glue them in from someone else’s artwork.

There’s nothing wrong with using pre-made portraits (I will always keep a stash!), but there’s something really special about illustrating a moment with your own hand.

It makes your journal more “you.”

Always wanted to draw faces but felt intimidated? This beginner face drawing course shows you simple, no-fear ways to sketch faces for art journaling, prayer journaling, and paper crafting. Learn easy face proportions, add watercolor and ink, and create meaningful faith pages you’ll treasure for years.

Learning to Draw Faces Helps You See People Differently

One thing I’ve noticed in any skill I’ve learned is this:
learning to draw something makes you pay deeper attention to it.

When you try to draw:
• the curve of someone’s smile
• the shape of their nose
• the arch of their brow
• the line of their jaw

You start to notice the people you love in a new way.

You look closely.
You honor the details.
You slow down long enough to really see their features, the ones God knit together with intention.

I love the idea that learning to draw faces might make me more attentive, more tender, more observant toward the people in my life. Maybe even toward myself.

Learn how to draw simple faces for art journaling and faith journaling — even if you’ve never sketched before. Faces of Faith is a beginner face drawing course that teaches easy proportions, expressions, watercolor and acrylic techniques, and creative ways to use faces in prayer journals, Bible art, and mixed media pages.

Portraits Become Spiritual Reflections

You don’t need to be a portrait artist to let faces speak into your faith life.

Sometimes a face becomes:
• a prayer
• a moment of surrender
• a revelation
• a reminder of hope
• a symbol of healing
• a visual expression of a verse

Portraits help embody emotions we’re processing with God.
They make Scripture feel lived-in.
They give our journaling a deeper, more personal dimension.

Even the imperfect faces.
Especially the imperfect faces.

**Creating Characters Helps Your Journal Feel Like Your Story**

I want my journals to reflect my creative voice. Not someone else’s.
I want them to hold my marks, my color choices, my shapes, my lines, my people.

I love collage materials created by others (and will never stop using them!), but learning to draw even a simple face is a way to make my pages more personal and meaningful.

It’s like adding your own signature to your creative faith walk.

And that’s why I asked two gifted artists to teach this upcoming course, because I want to become braver and freer in this area. I want to learn the loose, whimsical, expressive style they’ve mastered. And I want to grow a new skill that will spill into every part of my journaling practice.