Artists Make Books

Some artists draw.  Some artists paint.  Some artists sculpt.  AND there are some artists who make BOOKS!

Let's look at how a simple piece of paper can become a work of ART!  Book Art!


First there are many types of Books!
Accordion book:

An accordion book looks like the bellows or folds of the musical instrument with the same name.

Accordion books make for great displays because you can create on both sides of the page.

fill the pages with funny cartoons, fun drawings, or even paste in photos of friends and family. Then stand them up and view all the pages at once!

Evenly fold lengths of paper.  Take it to studios... collage, drawing, printing or how about FIBERS.  What would that look like?  Try cutting an interesting edge on the top of the folded paper.


Pocket Book--Take that Accordion book to the next level!

Before accordion folding the pages of your book,  fold up a portion of the bottom of the paper. Accordion fold and the bottom fold becomes a pocket!

Those prints you made last class, put them in the pockets!  What else could you add to the pockets? Drawings, collages, paintings!  Could you cut shapes into the pockets?

More Accordion inspiration...

Envelopes!
open envelopes and glue.

Could a box become a cover?

Create a fantastic cover for your book!

The cover can truly be a work of art!

Checkout this woven cover with a paper weaving.

Artists even get creative with the binding of the book.  The binding of a book describes the material used to hold together the pages, front and back cover of the book.  Most books in the library use glue or string that sews the pages together.  Let's give it an artists spin 

Try stacking paper and punching a hole at the top and bottom.  Attach a brass fastener in each.  

Try those hole punches again, this time use a rubber band and a stick.

Paper bag books!

Stack a few paper lunch bags.  Fold in half.  Saddle staple or hole punch and tie with ribbon or string.

As an artist you can get creative with the materials you select to become book pages:  maps, construction paper, puzzle pieces, tissue paper

What else can become the pages of a book?????

Key Stage 2:

Hidden Page Book

Fold 12x18 paper in half

Fold outside edges into the center crease

Unfold and fold in half like a book.  Find the folded or crease.  cut 3-4 cuts on the folded side of the paper.  stop at the crease.

Turn the booklet so that it looks like a Mountain Fold in the center.  The hidden page will be found by separating the fold at the "peak" of the mountain.

Star Book

How to fold a starburst book page:

Start with a square of paper and Fold side to side

Fold side to side in the opposite direction and corner to corner ONE TIME!

Fold corner to corner and press in the sides.

ARTIST BOOKS

Did this make you think in a new way about books?  Can you imagine how you might turn a piece of paper or a print into a book?  How will you stretch your work if you choose to make a book?