New Sketchbook & Mural Musings
In the process of painting all of the chicken tarot cards, I have finally gone through the last large batch of sketchbooks I bound in the summer. The timing couldn’t have worked out better really, and not only because it would have been irritating if I hadn’t had enough pages left to complete painting the deck. In the end I had….three pages left, which is cutting it much closer than I had anticipated.
The real reason this is perfect timing though, is that I have been stifling so many creative urges in an effort to get the chicken cards painted on time. Now I have the time to finally let those loose a bit, some of them weren’t contained by the new sketchbook pages.
There are so many detailed tutorials available that go into book binding, so I really don’t think it’s worth trying to give a detailed description of my process on here. Instead, I’ll just share a couple peeks at what the process looks like for me. If you are perpetually dissatisfied with your store-bought sketchbooks, or just have waaay too much paper lying around, I encourage you to give it a shot.
In the first picture above, I’m making a wheat paste glue, which I use to bind everything together. I love doing this, because I always have flour on hand, and have stopped buying glue altogether.
The second picture is of the type of binding stitch I use. It’s called a ‘Coptic Stitch’ and it’s very handy because it allows the pages to lay flat. I also think it’s very pretty, even if I usually cover it up with the book spine.
The last two pictures are simply of the completed sketchbook, where I’ve already begun drawing harpy monsters. My favorite.
I buy bulk packets of student watercolour paper for my sketchbooks, and then simply hoard paper and cardstock when I come across it, so all of my sketchbooks end up looking a little fun and different. It’s an incredibly satisfying process.
Now this is a mural that I have only just begun, and it will eventually fill the entire room with lush nootka roses. Of course, there is barely any indication of that plan here, as I was first compelled to start on the two wildly romanticized portraits of my husband and I.
Is this the most extra shit you’ve ever seen? Because it might be for me and I love it. I spent about three days working on this, but I’ve sealed the paints and put the brushes down. Time to get back to chicken tarot business.