How to Create Scripture Art

Here in our Arts month, I wanted to write some thoughts regarding Bible art journaling. A couple years ago, I discovered this creative and worshipful outlet, and it became one of the main ways I connected with Jesus in that season. When I taught fourth and fifth grade, I had my students do this every Tuesday morning during their "Time with Jesus," because I wanted them to meditate on their verse for the week and start memorizing and applying it.  I have a journaling Bible with side margins to do my artwork. I don't always include the actual Bible verse -- sometimes I incorporate song lyrics or quotes that that passage reminded me of.  But for the purpose of memorization, here are some ideas to try when creating Scripture art if you're unsure where to begin:

• Start with a background. I don't always do this (sometimes, I start with the words), but it's nice to have some color instead of plain white.  

• Use an existing picture for the background. Old calendars are great for this.

• Use any and all art media you can think of! I've used paint, colored pencils, markers, pens, oil pastels, watercolors, papers of all kinds, washi tape, packing tape, glue, stickers, and transparencies.  This is, of all things, a napkin! I stripped it down to one ply and glued it down.

• Use collage! I had one of those desk calendars with a new picture every day, and I've used it for many-an-art-project.

• Use tape and stickers! Some of you have unused stickers and washi tape and craft supplies lying around. Use them! This one in particular I loved because I was at a Bible art journaling workshop, and I went around to the tables asking for a small snippet of one of their washi tape rolls (since I didn't have that many myself). It also fit with the theme of coming together as the Body of Christ.

• Sometimes I use "flaps" that can fold back. Here are more calendar pictures that fit with the different aspects of nature in the verse praising God.

• Incorporate something unconventional like your child's artwork. My son Calvin (a toddler at the time) was always begging to create in my Bible, too, so one day I let him (and I'm thankful to have preserved his artwork from that time). I thought it fit well with this passage about proclaiming His might to another generation.

• Play with where to have the words. For this one, it seemed to fit to have the heart at the bottom and for the words to flow out the top. 

• Experience with different types of fonts and hand-lettering. Sometimes, I stick with my plain handwriting. Other times, I try out a different font (there are tons of tutorials online and in books).  And I'll often mix it up with different fonts to highlight different words.

This font was in a book I had. I had to look up the example for every letter because it's so different from how I normally write.

• Think about what you could put inside the letters to help illustrate the concept. For this verse in Psalm 103, I made the letters out of some of the "good things" in my life.

In this passage in Revelation about the living creatures being full of eyes, I filled those words with eyes.

• Let the words of the verse guide your artwork. I love the phrase in the NIV of Psalm 139 about being woven together in the depths of the earth, so I wove together washi tape!

• Add an illustration! Don't be afraid to try it! Often, I'll think of an illustration, and I'll search for images online until I find one that fits the mood (and fits what I'm capable of!). Sometimes I'll add the words "clip art" or "how to draw" or "black line" to my search.  You can even trace it right off a smart phone or tablet! I start with pencil and then color in.

This is a tree I could've never created in my mind from scratch, but I was able to look at a picture and re-create it.

• Think about how it applies to you, and incorporate that, too. For this one on storing up His Word in our hearts, I was thinking how the Holy Spirit has used different Scripture I've memorized over the years to convict me in specific situations.  I recorded some thoughts and temptations as well as the truth from His Word.

This was one inspired by a sermon from my uncle. I brainstormed specific things that I could "count joy." I included the application in the artwork.

• Find an existing design or page you like, and make your own rendition of it! When I saw this picture of the carefree girl in front of the patterned background, it reminded of this verse that I sang on repeat during a season in my life. I thought it fit perfectly. There are tons of examples online.  If you add "Bible art journaling" and a particular verse, you might find a design to copy or inspire you.

• Don't be afraid of "just" black and white!  

• Add a prayer.  I often do this at the end in cursive (I usually only write in cursive when I'm writing to God).  It's been neat to look back years later, not only at the artwork but also my thoughts and dialogue with God at the time.

• Don't forget the date! When I was having a D&C procedure after my miscarriage, my husband was flipping through my Bible and noticed some pertinent pages from right around the time our baby stopped growing (but we didn't know it for another few weeks). It was neat to see how God was working in my heart even when I was unaware of what was happening inside of me physically and what I was about to walk through emotionally.  I'm thankful that I've made the practice of writing the date I finished each page!

Biggest encouragement? JUST BEGIN!  Your first attempt (just like your first attempt writing a Scripture song) may not be that great, but the purpose is to meditate on God's Word and to worship Him in a creative way (He's the ultimate Creator and placed in you the desire and ability to create!). Keep at it! Enjoy the process!

How to Write a Scripture Song

I didn't set out to be a Scripture songwriter, but I love the Bible, I love music, and I love learning Bible verses via song.  My Scripture songwriting began in earnest when I wanted to equip my fourth grade students at the Christian school where I taught to remember their memory verses, not just for their Friday test but for the rest of their lives. I looked for songs on YouTube to match their weekly verses. Some lined up perfectly, some were adaptable, and some were waiting to be written.  The process continued for all the grade levels at my school, and then for my sons' Scripture memory work (Awana and SwordGrip), and then for chapters and books of my own Scripture memory projects. And here I sit, hundreds of Scripture songs later, trying to write about the writing process. Here goes...

Scripture songwriting varies depending on musical ability, so I'll try to address the novice up to the intermediate musician (I know some professional musicians that I haven't been able to convince to write a Scripture song because their level of excellence far surpasses my own, and they can't just crank out a mediocre one -- their creative process is much more involved and time-intensive. I'm not addressing that crew because I need them to write a tutorial for me).

Use an existing tune - This is the easiest way to begin.  Try out some existing melodies to see if they match the verse you are trying to memorize.  Start with something familiar or a melody you love. I've used everything from "Behold Our God" to "Dust in the Wind" to "His Banner Over Me is Love" to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  One of my students created a song using "What Child is This?" because that's what they were singing for the Christmas program, and it was fresh on her mind.  One of my favorites is when my oldest son Carter wanted to set Ezekiel 18:30-32 to the Castle theme from Super Mario World, and it actually fit the mood of the verse very well! Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Try to keep phrases/words together. Don't end a musical line with the first syllable of a word.  You can double up on notes or hold out notes if you need to. An example of this is how "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and the "ABC song" are actually the same tune but "how I wonder what you are" has fewer notes than "H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P."  
2. Try to keep the "stress" on the correct syllable. Musicians break this rule all the time, but sometimes you may need to add or take out some notes to pronounce, for instance, the word "sal-VA-tion" instead "SAL-va-tion" or "sal-va-TION." 
3. Feel free to repeat words and phrases. Just because you're working with word-for-word lyrics doesn't mean that you can't repeat words or phrases for emphasis or to better fit the melody.  
4. Try to include the reference. It may sound weird to sing "Psalm 96:2," but it is so helpful in the long run to remember the reference.  If there's any "leftover" part of the melody, you can plug in the reference there, or you can tag it at the end of the song and just repeat the melody of the last line.  If you need to fill extra space, you can say "chapter" and "verse" as in "Psalm chapter 96, verse 2" or say multiple verse numbers such as "Zechariah 2, verses 10, 11, 12."
5. If it's not working, scrap it! Not every tune will work for every verse. Either keep the tune and pick a different verse, or keep the verse and pick a different tune.  

Do a rap - You could do this as an end product or as a first step in writing a song.  I think these are easier to do than original songs because you're working with the rhythm but not necessarily the melody. I first tried this as a counselor at Taylor County Campmeeting for John 20:31, and I still remember it 17 years later! Here are some other simple examples I've done: Hebrews 11:17 with my students and Romans 1:29-32 (start at 7:37),  Here's a simple beat to use in the background if that would be helpful. 

Add a tune - You don't have to be a musician to just let your voice dance around to different notes. It may not sound stellar the first time (and may not ever, but the goal is not a record deal but to remember a Bible verse long-term). The most helpful tool for this process is a way to record your ideas. I usually just open up the video on my phone; others use "voice memo."  This helps me not forget the tune an hour later.  Sometimes I do this with instruments, but often it is over the background noise of my sons eating breakfast or my students coming into the classroom in the morning.  If you play the piano, it's helpful to write out the notes (I just write the letter names instead of using the staff).  If you understand chord progressions, you can add those as well.  Sometimes I start with the tune and add the chords that fit; other times, I start with the chords and then pick a tune that matches the chords. If you don't play music yourself, try this song from YouTube -- it's a chord progression, but you can pick the tune (there are actually a bunch of these "Unfinished Songs" to choose from).  

Again, the goal is not to be the next hit. I write plenty of songs that no one may like except me, but if it helps me memorize a verse, it has served its purpose. And this is another way we can "sing a new song to the Lord" (Psalm 96:1). I hope you'll try it!

Here's one of my recent "new songs to the Lord:" 

(If you'd like to get more ideas and hear more examples, here's a mega-post I wrote about how to find Scripture songs)