How to Paint a Dreamy Lavender Journal Cover

Hey Friend! It’s Karen with Over the Artsy Moon, and today we’re creating something so fun and relaxing — a beautifully painted lavender field journal cover. This is one of those easygoing projects that lets you play with color, enjoy the process, and end up with something unique. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned painter, you can follow along and make it your own.

What You’ll Need:

• A blank journal (mine is about 5x8 inches)
• Gesso for prepping the cover
• Acrylic paints (I used DecoArt Electric Pink, Sunny Day Yellow, Eucalyptus Leaf, Evergreen, Poetic Plum, Perfect Peri, and Dioxazine Purple)
• A few flat and round brushes
• Paper towels or rags for cleanup
• Follow along with me HERE on YouTube.

Step 1: Prep and Paint Your Base Layer

I started by adding a coat of gesso to my journal cover. This helps the paint grip and keeps your colors vibrant.

Next came a coat of Electric Pink. It might sound bold, but trust me — it peeks through the layers later and gives the whole piece a gorgeous glow.

Once that dried, I grabbed some white and Sunny Day Yellow and used soft “X” strokes to create a dreamy golden sky at the top of the cover. Think golden hour — that magical time just before sunset.

Step 2: Blend in the Greenery

Below the yellow, I started blending in some Eucalyptus Leaf and Evergreen greens. I didn’t overthink it. I just kept layering white, yellow, and green with loose brush strokes until I got the soft, glowing background I wanted.

Pro Tip: Don’t worry if it feels messy at first! Acrylic paint layers beautifully, and you can always add more white or yellow to soften any spots that feel too heavy.

Step 3: Add the Grasses

Once the background dried, it was time to bring in the grassy strokes to anchor the lavender.

Using a flat brush, I mixed a bit of green with a touch of Poetic Plum (a red-violet color). This deepened the green for more depth.

I loaded my brush, then used push-and-flick strokes — starting at the bottom of the journal and flicking upward — to create taller blades of grass.

For some finer details, I switched to a liner brush and added a few thinner grasses and stems.

Step 4: Time for the Lavender!

This is where the magic really happened.

For the lavender blooms, I used a mix of Dioxazine Purple, Perfect Peri, and Poetic Plum.

There are two easy ways to make the flowers:

• The Handle of Your Brush — Dip it in paint and dot clusters of purple onto your stems for a whimsical, rustic look.
• A Detail Brush — Use light, curved strokes for more delicate petals.

I started with darker purples at the bottom of each bloom and gradually mixed in white and lighter purples near the top to create soft highlights.

Pro Tip: The handle of the brush gives a more controlled, dotted look, while the brush tip is great for adding soft highlights later.

Step 5: Build Up Layers and Highlights

Now comes the fun part — playing with the details. I dotted in more lavender with different purples, making some stems bigger and fuller to add depth.If one bloom felt too big, I balanced it out by adding a few more larger flowers nearby — or just painted over it and reshaped it. I mixed white into my purple to add soft highlights to the tops of the petals, making them look sunlit and dreamy.

Step 6: Pull It All Together

To make the whole piece feel cohesive, I mixed green and purple for a few extra grass strokes at the base — this blends the background and the flowers beautifully. Next, I added a touch of periwinkle on some of the taller grasses to make them pop. Finally, I tried a bit of yellow for warmth, but ended up toning it down with darker green (sometimes the paint has its own ideas, right?).

Step 7: Splatter for Whimsy

Time for a little artsy fun! I watered down some light purple paint and did a gentle splatter across the journal cover. A few splashes of Poetic Plum gave even more texture and movement. The splatter adds that “field of lavender” feeling — it’s soft, unexpected, and so pretty.

The Finished Look

By the end, I had a sweet, eclectic journal that felt like a little lavender dreamscape.

This would make a thoughtful handmade gift for a friend, a personal sketchbook for painting ideas, or even a beautiful journal for jotting down thoughts and daydreams.

Painting this journal wasn’t about perfection — it was about enjoying the process. The mix of pink peeking through the green, the way the lavender dots cluster together, the freedom to just play with color — it’s all part of the joy. If you’ve been wanting a quick, happy painting project, this is it! Don’t forget to watch the replay on my YouTube Channel. 

Want more step-by-step tutorials like this?

Join me over on YouTube where I share weekly painting videos — everything from simple projects like this to more in-depth workshops. Don’t miss out on the Artsy Moon Paint Club! It’s where we gather each month for creative fun, new techniques, and a whole lot of encouragement.