I typically have quite a few sketchbooks on the go at any one time. Some have specific themes or purposes (daily pages, simple collages, etc) and there are different sizes that I might grab depending on my mood. Recently, I started a new altered book. This one isn't quite the same as my Amber book, where I took a vintage book, ripped out some pages and have been altering the rest with many layers of mixed-media. This one is a small book that Pat received as an itinerary for a three-day tech conference. The pages are full of ads, schedules and course descriptions:
What drew me to this book was the design: the page numbers, the grid background, the graphics, the good quality paper. Oh, and there was a pretty good quote on the front cover - here it is after I used gesso to white out most of the text:
![](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4372/36331443815_80aa1357b4_k.jpg)
![](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4309/36162693222_1d6a2b385e_k.jpg)
![](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4343/36287308566_e9fdac507a_k.jpg)
At first, I was going to use this book for more "complete" pages, similar to my Amber book, and so I did for the first spread:
![](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4303/36287305876_fbf1e717b5_k.jpg)
![](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4407/36287299966_b503635a58_k.jpg)
I kept this page simple with the following layers: gesso, gelato spray and drip, draw circles with pencil, paint, and India ink doodles (black) and splatter (orange). Happy!
After this page though, I decided I wanted to make these pages even looser and simpler and more free. I didn't want to think about "finishing" a page - I just wanted to slap down a layer or two and move on. I wanted a place to use leftover paint and paper scraps. An uncomplicated place to turn to while other pages dry. Here are the next few pages that have resulted:
![](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4400/35522895333_50cc2514ae_k.jpg)
Layers: gesso, pencil crayon scribble, collage words, paint
![](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4308/36331459925_e8d5336cb5_k.jpg)
Layers: paint, Sharpie journaling, collage
![](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4338/35522885233_d63b153cdc_k.jpg)
Layers: paint, collage
![](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4352/36355039515_fb8ef8e8c5_k.jpg)
Layers: collage, washi tape
![](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4366/36310697106_9f9f7a0589_k.jpg)
Layers: collage, gesso, pencil crayon flowers
![](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4382/36310691286_81695ab95e_k.jpg)
Layers: paint, collage, black pen scribbles
I find myself turning to this book immediately after finishing my daily sketchbook page. I bang up a quick page with any scraps or techniques I want to play with a bit more. I'm looking forward to seeing where the rest of the book takes me!
No comments:
Post a Comment