Directions for Creating Artists’ Books
Mock copy. Once students have a word and idea bank, they can begin construction of a “mock copy” -- or rough draft -- including all the planning and sketches. First, students cut three sheets of paper so that they measure 8" x 5" (approximately 20 cm x 12.5 cm). These papers are called the parent sheets. Next, the children fold the three parent sheets in half to create three folios. The folios are placed one inside the other to form a signature. The signature will be the entire artist’s book: The first page is the front cover, and the last page is the back cover, and the remaining pages are the text block.
The students label the first page as the front cover, the next pages as pages one through ten, and the last page as the back cover. This way, when the students are planning where the text and images are to be placed, they will be able to determine the imposition, or where each page falls on the parent sheet.
After the students have completed their mock copy, they can use the words they wrote in their idea banks as an inspiration to start creating a poem or story. Once they have completed their writing, they can plan where the text will be placed in their books. Using pencil in the mock copy is a good idea, in case something needs to be changed. After the text is written in the mock copy, students do outline drawings of the corresponding images that they want on each page.
Final copy. After the mock copies are completed, the students start creating their final copies. First, the children cut three sheets of handmade or other high-quality paper so that the sheets measure 8" x 5" (20 cm x 12.5 cm). Then they fold each parent sheet in half to create a folio, and nest each folio inside the other, just as in the mock copy. Next, they label the front cover, pages one through ten, and the back cover very lightly in pencil. By doing this, when the folios are taken apart to be worked on, the students will know what image and what text goes on each page.
Prints. Before the students start to print on the final copy, they write the text in the correct place. Alphabet stamps can be used to create some of the text, as can computer-generated words. After all the text is written in the books, students learn how to make a mono-print. First the students arrange several dots of different colored paint on one side of the paper. Then, they fold the other side on top, use gentle pressure to smear the paint around, and then open the folded paper. (The teacher can take this opportunity to teach the difference between symmetric and asymmetric.) The print makes a beautiful background on which students can draw their final images or print their texts.
In addition to creating mono-prints for interesting backgrounds, students can make rubbings by using leaves or a variety of other items with textured surfaces, various colors of oil pastels, and watercolors. First, they place paper on top of the textured surface. Then, with even, heavy pressure, they rub the oil pastel over the top of the paper. A print from the textured surface underneath will be transferred to the paper. The final step is to use watercolor over the top to fill in any white paper.
Children can also make Styrofoam prints. This process is similar to making a linoleum print, but the materials are less expensive. Students will need several tubes of printing ink, a brayer (the roller used to ink a surface), Styrofoam plates, ballpoint pens, transfer paper, scissors, and glue. Children start by placing the transfer paper between the Styrofoam plate and the image to be printed (one of the outline drawings in the mock copy). Using the ballpoint pen with heavy pressure, they trace the outline of the drawn image. (By using a ballpoint pen, the students will be able to see the lines that they have already traced since the drawing was done in pencil and the tracing is done in pen.) After the image has been transferred on to the Styrofoam, it is cut out and glued onto another piece of flat Styrofoam or cardboard.
After the glue is dry (usually the next day), the Styrofoam will be ready to use in printing. A small amount of printing ink is squeezed into a paper plate, and the brayer is rolled across it until it is evenly coated. Then, the freshly inked brayer is rolled over the Styrofoam cut-out until it, too, is evenly coated. The last step is to take the surface to be printed on (in this case, the final copy paper) and place it on top on the inked Styrofoam. With medium pressure, students push on top of the paper to make sure the image transfers, and then gently peel the paper off the Styrofoam. The process may be repeated to create a number of prints.
Another printing technique uses glue. Students will need cardboard cut to the same size as the paper to be printed on, printing inks, a brayer, transfer paper, and thick glue. First, the image in the mock copy is transferred onto the piece of cardboard. Then, thin lines of glue are drawn over the top of the transferred lines, gradually building up layers until the glue sticks up high enough that ink can be applied to it without also getting on the cardboard. When the students are layering the glue, each layer must dry before another layer can be applied on top; otherwise, the glue will spread out. Finally, using the brayer, students apply a thin layer of ink to the top layer of dried glue. A sheet of paper (final copy) is placed on top of the inked glue and firmly pressed down. This technique, like the Styrofoam prints, will allow the students to create several copies.
When the students have completed all the prints and they are dry, they add details and fill in the backgrounds so that the whole page is covered -- being careful not to cover the text with opaque paint. Watercolor is a translucent medium that will not completely cover the text, but if watercolor is used, the text needs to be written with waterproof ink so that it does not smear or bleed.
Binding. The final stage to creating an artist’s book is binding the book together. First, students pierce three equally spaced holes through the entire signature with a large blunt needle. Students then thread their needles with embroidery thread, which comes in many colors, is easy to work with, and is inexpensive. Starting on the spine of the book and after making sure the pages are in order, children sew with a butterfly or pamphlet stitch, going through the middle hole and leaving a 3" piece of thread hanging on the outside of the book. The needle is then passed through the top hole and should now be on the spine side of the book. Then, students skip the center hole and pass the needle through the hole at the tail end of the book. The needle should now be on the inside of the book. Students pass the needle one last time through the middle hole so that the needle is again on the spine side of the book. Then they slip the needle off the thread, making sure that one of the loose ends of thread is on the right side of the binding, and that the other loose end is on the left side of the binding. Finally, the thread is cut so that both ends are equal in length; a knot is tied, and then a bow. (If these directions are followed in order, the bow will be on the spine of the book, rather than on the inside. By having the bow on the spine, students can attach objects that relate to their topic to the ends.) The book is now completed.
Special touches. Images or letters can be made to move by creating a sliding tab. First, the student cuts two small slits parallel to each other, making sure that the slits are the size of the piece of paper or image to be moved. The paper can be slipped into one of the slits and out of the other. When the bottom or top of the paper is pulled, the tab will slide up and down.
Images can also move across the page on a piece of thread. First, the student pierces two holes the length of where the image is to move. Then they thread their needles with thin pieces of thread, passing one end of the thread through one of the holes. Next, they glue the loose end of their threads onto the back of the paper, and pierce two holes through the paper to slide across the thread, sewing the paper onto the thread. Then, they sew the other end of the thread through the bottom hole. Finally, students pull the thread taut and glue the other loose end to the back of the page. The little piece of paper will then slide along the thread. This technique can be used, for example, to have leaves falling from a tree, or a cat running from a dog.
From “Children Creating Artists’ Books: Integrating Visual Arts and Language Arts” by Barbara J. Guzzetti and Cristal Marie Wooten.
Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted June 2002