Paper and Threads

Thursday night Live Figure Drawing at the Society of Illustrators is always a surprise.  The models are given a theme and they bring costumes to wear.  Last night it was Carnivale in Venice.  How appropriate is that?  However, I found drawing really difficult.  When faced with masks, I couldn't figure out where to start.

Here is a page of quick sketches that I did during the 2 minute poses, a 10 minute pose, and a 20 minute pose. 

On an unrelated topic, my daughter is starting her own business as she prepares to send her third child off to kindergarten in the Fall.  She worked for American Express after she finished Business School and was at Ground Zero on 9/11.  It was then that she and her husband decided to start their family and she now has 3 wonderful children (who you have seen over the years on this blog). 

Please take a look at her new website.  She is just beginning, but soon will have more about the projects that she is doing - both with clothing and home decor.

http://www.rachelrodin.com/    Click on her logo for information.  And thanks.  She will be thrilled if she gets some traffic.

Posted by Shirley at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Museum of Modern Art, in conjunction with two upcoming exhibits  (Print/Out and Printin'), set up a Print Studio in the Education Building.  I spent the afternoon there yesterday and made a small collage book.

The "heart of the Print Studio" is a collection of books known as the Reanimation Library.  It is fascinating and well worth reading about the development of the collection and its permanent home in Brooklyn.  It was developed as a resource for all artists, regardless of their medium. 

When I arrived, I met my friend Judy and had a little tour of the Print Studio.  Here is an overhead photo of the space, with the Reanimation Library on the back wall, copiers, scanners, and computers in the back corner, and work tables for visitors supplied with a variety of art tools and paper.

I don't have much experience with collage and wanted to make one during the afternoon.  One of the staff said, "Why don't you make a book?  We haven't had anyone do that yet."  I browsed books on the shelves and pulled 6 that had interesting illustrations and photos, and was immediately drawn to one called The Story of Writing.  I love text mixed with images and made some copies of great alphabets from the book.  I then made a few copies from a Science text called Pathways in Science:  The Next Generation and settled down to "play."

I folded 2 folios and added images that appealed to me for the front cover.  I really intended to make this a book about text and writing.  Pages 2 and 3 were from the frontpiece of the science book - a wonderful bookplate for assigning the book to students and the title page with the stamp for the Reanimation Library on the title page.  I was still interested in pursuing the theme of language and writing - and the next thing I knew, I was making a book about human reproduction and the inheritence of genetic traits.  I was very much in the zone and channeling in a unique way.  Fascinating what our brains do if left to wander!

At the very end of my "art play," I opened the 3rd book I brought from the shelves, The Atlas of Human Anatomy, and copied a pregnant uterus for one final collage.  At the end I sketched a human figure and cell, some genetic symbols, and added watercolor pencil and stamps.    

Here are the pages of my finished pamphlet stitched booklet. 

Posted by Shirley at 3:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Here are two more sketches in preparation for our Spring trip to Venice.  They are on the accordion watercolor strip of paper that was leftover from the new "Italian Dreams" sketchbook I made for the trip. 

That sketchbook was the subject of the bookbinding tutorial that I put on this blog over the last 2 weeks.  I was thrilled when Rice Freeman-Zachary asked if she could post an interview with me on Create Mixed Media and Part 1 appeared yesterday (Friday).  Part 2 will appear on Monday. 

I hope that my enthusiasm is contagious and more artists will make their own sketchbooks.

New Venice Sketches

I combined elements from a few of my photos for this gondola/gondolier drawing:

The Basilica San Marco is an amazing building - extremely complex architecturally and a huge challenge for me to draw.  None of my photos show enough detail, but at least I can start to understand the basic structure.  This is my first attempt.

I look forward to short sketching sessions, in front of it, to sketch some of the details.  Then I can combine my preliminary sketches and try again.

Posted by Shirley at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

In this final section we will glue the page block into the old book cover.  I struggled with this some, and then was told about a simpler, almost foolproof method for "casing-in," as it is called.

You will need to remove your page block from under the weights, and get the following supplies together:  a book about the same thickness as your new book (i.e. your page block in the old cover), your old book cover + signatures, PVA glue, glue brush, and wax paper.

These will be the steps, but there is also a link below to a terrific video that will demonstrate the process.   My friend Jana found the video online and it changed my way of "casing-in."  I included these written instructions in case the video isn't available when you need it.  But I want you to watch the video, because the method is much easier than anything I learned before.

Casing In the Page Block 

Read the instructions and then watch the video link included right after the instructions. 

1.  Lay out a piece of wax paper to put your book cover on to keep the covers clean. 

2.  On it, place your book (close) on the right, and a similar size book (closed) touching it on the left.  Your book should have the signatures nestled right uo against the inside of the spine, and equidistant from the top and bottom edges of the book.

3.  Open your book, and insert a clean piece of wax paper between the two front end papers, extending out 1-2 inches beyond the edges of the pages.  This is to protect your book when you are applying glue.

4.  With your front book cover open and resting on the other book, rapidly apply PVA glue all over the wrong side of the front end paper.  Glue down the flap of mull, if you glued the spine) in the process.  Make sure to cover it all in a thin layer.

5.  Carefully remove the piece of wax paper.  Then push your book up tight against the other book, with your, book cover open.  Check the position of your page block to make sure it hasn't shifted.

6.  And then just quickly close your book cover over the glued end paper, and add a little weight to make sure the cover has attached to the glue on the end paper.

7.  You may open the book just a little to make sure the end paper is in position, but opening it further will stretch the damp paper.

8.  Turn the book over and repeat the process on the back side.

9.  Wrap your book in wax paper to protect it, and put the finished book under weights at least overnight. 

The Video Link

http://www.tjbookarts.com/videos.htm

It is 7 1/2 minutes long and the last 3 1/2 minutes will show you how to "case-in" your book, gluing the end papers to the inside of the the covers. 

In the first half you will see a book cover made from book board and paper, and then the same cover after fabric is applied.  But there is not enough information to replicate the process. 

The important part comes right after that - the easiest way I've seen to finish your book!  Watch it several times and then make your book!

I couldn't photograph this process because the glue dries too quickly.  But I do have photos below of my finished book.

The Finished Book     (Total Cost:  approximately $18 with small amounts of glue, thread)

Inside the Front Cover

The Old Title Page

The Asymmetrically Folded Extra Piece of Watercolor Paper.  I will probably put contact information on this flap - and dates of our trip.

The Other Part of the Small Paper - One Page Later.  It is always hard to remember where the two halves of a folio are actually placed within a signature.  The photo page that you see behind it on the right is the other half of the title page in Signature #1. 

Several Photo Pages of Venice That I Wanted to be Part of My Book:

I still have a little bit of a gap between my signatures - but I can live with this.  There will always be a next time and practice does really help!

 I hope that this tutorial is useful to artists who want to make their own watercolor sketchbooks.  I have recycled many books for travel and figure drawing practice.  And I have also made 24 watercolor sketchbooks for my daily journals and I now make the fabric that I use as bookcloth for the covers. 

Here are a few of the more recent watercolor sketchbooks.

HAPPY BOOKBINDING!

Please contact me through the "comments" section at anytime if you have questions.  I will receive them as email.  I'd also love to know if you found this tutorial helpful.

I have a Bookbinding Category on the right side of my blog if you are interested in other books I've made.

Posted by Shirley at 6:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

CREATING THE NEW PAGE BLOCK

It is now time to put your folios together to make signatures.  If you are using 140 lb watercolor paper, 2 folios per signature is the most I use.  However, I add pages from the original book to some or all of the signatures, but not more than one old page per signature.

The sewing method that I use is a little complicated.  I follow the diagrams created by my friend Martha in a tutorial about making a watercolor sketchbook from a Moleskine Yearly Date Book.  And I put her instructions in front of me while I sew.  They are included below for you to use.

Making the Holes in the Signatures

We will make a pattern (called a jig) to plan the placement of 5 holes.  I use a strip of cardstock that is the exact height of my signatures and 4" wide, but you can use any sturdy paper  I fold the piece lengthwise and put clearly marked dots on the inside, on the fold, at the following places:  1" from each end, in the middle, and then halfway between the middle and outer dots.

Punching the Holes

A cheap book binding cradle can be made from your telephone book (Thank you Gwen Diehn).  Open the book down the middle, put the fold of the signature into the fold of the telephone book, and then line up your jig over the signature.  Match the top edge of your signature and the jig so your holes will line up on all signatures.  Use an awl or a big sharp needle to make a hole through each dot.  Here is my signature being punched.

Punch the holes carefully and keep the folios together so the holes will line up as well as possible when you get ready to sew them.

Arrange your signatures in the order in which they will be sewn into the page block.  I always have the original title page, unless it was damaged, on the outside of the first signature.  Mark the signatures, with pencil, in the top right corner.  Mark your last signature (on the bottom) with an A The one on top of that is B, and on top of that is C, etc.  I had 5 signatures marked E, D, C, B, A from top to bottom in my pile.

Sewing Supplies

These are the supplies that I use for stitching the signatures together.  The yellow object on the top of the photo is sewer's beeswax.  You may run your thread through beeswax in order to make it less likely to tangle.  I forget to do it more than half the time and I'm therefore a bad judge of whether it makes a huge difference

Sewing the Signatures Together 

Cut a piece of thread that is the height of your signatures X the number of signatures.  My Venice book had 5 signatures and was 8" high, so my thread was at least 40".  I tend to add a little more because I NEVER want to run out of thread while I'm sewing the signatures together,

When you stitch the signatures together, pull the thread tight, without stressing the paper or the holes.  And check freuently to make sure that you haven't left any big loops of thread that weren't pulled all the way through.  This stitching sequence requires your full attention, but only takes about 20-30 minutes.  I banish my husband from the room because I need to remember where I am in the instructions.  I have had to pull out the thread on more than one occasion!  Print out the stitching sequence pages, or keep your computer open in front of you and follow them precisely.

Stitching Sequence: 

These instructions were copied from Trumpetvine Travel with her permission.  They are a modification of the stitching used for Coptic books, so if you master this you can make another popular type of multiple signature book that also opens flat.

Thread the needle with   a single strand and leave one tail longer than the other.  Do not knot the end.

Get the signature marked A from the bottom of your pile.  Then follow these instructions exactly. 

The knots and the ends will be glued later.

The Page Block 

Here is the completed page block, with 5 rows of stitching sewing the signatures together.  There re less complicated methods, but I enjoy the sewing process and feel as if my book will never fall apart.  In addition, I am always fighting the gaps between signatures and with these heavy papers, the gaps are impossible to eliminate completely.

This is the appearance of the stitches on the inside of the signatures.

 Here is an example of the gaps in this book. 

Gluing the spine, which we will do next, closes them a little.  In some of my early books, I glued a 1 1/2"strip of paper, which I also used for the end papers, over the gap.  You may choose to skip the spine gluing process for your first book and cover the gaps with decorative paper.  Tt will be your choice.

Tipping on the End Papers:

The end papers are made from a decorative piece of paper - again making sure that you know the grain of the paper and putting the grainline of the end paper parallel to the spine. 

Cut two folios exactly the same size as the watercolor paper folios and fold them right sides together.

Here is my sheet for the end papers and a folio from the old book lying on top.

Here are the folded end papers that will be glued to the front and back of the page block.

I have made every mistake that it is possible to make in this process.  But one that I made twice, is to attach the end papers upside down.  It is important that you make sure that you lay your end papers on top of your page block and write top in the upper right corner of each.  Otherwise your end papers may read correctly, but the title page of your new book may be upside down and at the back of the page block.  Here is an example of the correct orientation.

Lay a piece of wax paper a scant 1/4" from the fold of the end paper.  Using a small flat brush, put PVA glue along the paper edge along the fold, protecting the rest of the end paper with the wax paper.  Then place the end paper, glue side down on the front of the book, IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION.  Use your bone folder to make sure that there are no bubbles and that the paper is well adhered.  Repeat with the second end paper.

Place weights of the page block, until the glue on the end papers is dry.

Gluing the Spine  (Optional)  You may not mind the gaps, or you may decide to cover them with strips of decorative paper.

You need to put your page block between two sheets of wax paper and put heavy weights (I use two plastic wrapped bricks) on top of the spine to compress the signatures.  The wax paper should extend at least one inch outside the weights and the spine should extend about 1/8th inch.

The spine is glued with PVA glue and a stiff, flat brush, dotting the folds to try to work some glue SLIGHTLY in between the folds. 

In the following photos you will see that I have lots of weights on top of my page block - a board, 2 five pound exercise weights, and my two bricks.  This is probably overkill. 

Here are the materials that will be glued onto the spine - rice paper on the left and mull on the right.  It is also possible to use clean cotton fabric, like muslin instead of the paper and mull.

Then a 1 1/4" strip of rice paper (slightly narrower than the spine) is glued on top of the spine,

And finally, a 2 1/2" piece of mull is glued in place. 

Let the glue dry and brush one final layer of glue on top.  Don't remove the page block from the weights until the glue is completely dry. 

The wax paper will be peeled off and the page block will be glued into the old book cover in the final section!

Posted by Shirley at 7:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)