Vintage Fish Illustration Journal Cards
Maybe it’s because I was born and raised in Florida, but summertime always makes me think of the beach and ocean, so I thought this would be a good time to post these free vintage fish illustration collage sheets. The images come from a book on European fish dating back to 1826.
I grew up only 30 minutes from the coast, but neither of my parents were big fans of the beach. My grandfather always had a sailboat, so my mom spent a ton of her youth sailing all over South Florida. I suppose she never really enjoyed being out on the water because we only went to the beach once a year when I was a kid. My dad can’t stand the sand and the heat. He only stays in Florida because he hates snow even more (he grew up in Ohio).
I, on the other hand, have always loved the beach! Our rare trips were always such a treat. As an adult, I have more than made up for my lack of childhood beach time. I even married a surfer, ensuring a trip to the beach anytime I want to go. He’ll never turn down a day at the beach. Even if the waves are small, he’ll body surf or paddle around on anything that floats.
If you are looking for more images with an ocean theme, you should take a look at the Beach/Ocean Section of my library of free collage and ephemera sheets. Some of my favorites include these whale illustrations and these ocean gardens collage sheets.
Scroll down, and you’ll find a sheet of 2.5” x 4.25” journal cards and a second sheet of 3.5” x 2” journal cards.
2.5” x 4.25” Journal Cards
There are a ton of ways this vintage fish ephemera can be used in a junk journal, art journal, scrapbook, etc.
They would make great focal points in an ocean or beach-themed journal or spread. Arrange the illustrations in a collage or grid layout, adding decorative borders or frames to enhance their vintage appeal. You can complement the illustrations with handwritten descriptions or interesting fish facts. Consider tearing or distressing the edges of the illustrations to achieve a weathered look, adding to the vintage aesthetic.
Cut out individual fish illustrations and turn them into decorative embellishments. Attach them to tags, tabs, or ephemera pieces that you can easily tuck into pockets or attach to your pages. Layer them with other elements like ribbons, buttons, or seashells to create visually appealing clusters.
Combine vintage fish illustrations with other vintage ephemera to create unique collage elements. Use torn book pages, old maps, or vintage postcards as backgrounds and layer the fish illustrations on top. Add some handwritten or stamped quotes related to the sea or fishing to complete the collage.
Incorporate interactive elements into your junk journal or scrapbook layout using vintage fish illustrations. Create flip-up panels or fold-out pages with hidden fish illustrations underneath. Use these interactive elements to reveal additional information, journaling prompts, or even surprise photographs.
Use vintage fish illustrations as dividers or section headers within your journal or scrapbook. Cut out larger fish illustrations and attach them to sturdy cardstock or chipboard to create durable dividers.
Remember to consider the overall theme and color scheme of your journal or scrapbook when incorporating vintage fish illustrations. Experiment with different layouts, textures, and embellishments to make your pages visually appealing and engaging.
3.5” x 2” Journal Cards
Add this free vintage ephemera to your supplies for art journaling, junk journaling, bullet journaling, collage, artist trading cards (ATCs), scrapbooking and other mixed media artwork and crafts.
If you enjoy these free printables, be sure to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest, so you’ll see when I post new ones.
You may also enjoy these free collage sheets.
Terms of use:
Free to use for personal or commercial projects. You may print the collage sheets as many times as you wish for your personal crafts or in your projects to sell, including: art journals, scrapbooks, junk journals, collage art, etc. You may not redistribute or sell the collage sheets “as is" in either print or digital form.
If you wish to share the files on your own website, please do not make the files available for download directly from your site. Instead, include an image with a link back to this site.
To the best of my knowledge, these are all royalty free images that are in the Public Domain in the US. However, you should always do your own research if you plan to use them commercially.
