Here’s a big idea: Even if you can’t write a book, you can still make a book. Because the paper and book arts are as much about the execution as the actual words. Today you’ll find that the look, the feel, even sometimes sound, synergistically deliver the creator’s message. Boundaries are nonexistent; often artists’ books don’t even look like books.
If a book, by definition, is a vehicle for expressing an idea, artists ask (as artists often do of any medium) why must the idea be trapped in a form that opposes the best expression of that idea? Maybe the best way is through pop-ups. Or foldouts. Or constructions. Or assemblages. Or fine art lithography. You get the idea. And by opening up the approach, you really do get the idea.
Barbara Tetenbaum, Seven Object Lessons - To Aid in the Understanding of Difficult Concepts, 2007, Stephen Funk photo
What Do I Need To Start? Traditional bookmaking required a typesetting machine, a printing press, inks, and access to a bindery. And some book artists still utilize the old fashioned letterpress technology when it suits their needs. Some also make use of calligraphy.
But for many of us, thanks to our Mac or PC and creative layout software, like Quark or InDesign, plus Photoshop and Illustrator, we can get started at a desk or table, right at home. Tens of thousands of typefaces (fonts) can be downloaded from companies on line. myfonts.com is particularly user-friendly, and reasonably priced. And if you aren’t comfortable with a computer, you can also get a type-set look with rub-down transfer lettering from letraset.com, or at your local art supply store.
Add in a printer and a scanner, and you can print pages – either standard sizes, or on paper that can be trimmed to whatever size your opus will be.
You should also pick up some other supplies, like different kinds and colors of paper, an X-acto knife or a pair of good scissors, adhesive, a ruler/straight edge, and cutting board. As you determine what your work will look like – flat or sculptural, using paper or other materials – you may need some other tools. All of these are online at the big art supply companies, like dickblick.com, pearlpaint.com, or samflaxny.com; a hobby supplier like Michael’s; or a local store, especially if it’s near an art school or college in your community.
