I am not quite sure what happened to February but I have been plodding along trying to keep positive and dutifully making a small daily drawing. It’s quite a while since I posted those and so here is a bit of a mish mash, catch up of DDs. As usual they are just things I am looking at, sketches and studies here and there. They are not a conscious record of the days but of course some first things have to be recorded, first snowdrop, first bees, first aconite etc etc.
Owls
I also made a small booklet of owls. You can see some of the initial thumbnails in the above.
The booklet started with a very small book maquette which I have had for a while.
I needed a few images to see if it would work and as I had heard an owl in the wood in early Feb I took that as a bit of a hint. 🙂
The main booklet opens a bit like a matchbook from the bottom.
So I cut the owls, complete with moon phases…
…and printed them in two ways. In singles on a strip for the “match book” binding and in a traditional form, double sided, to make a traditional codex book.
It all sounds so easy. But making prints into a book is nothing like as easy as just making one print. There are many things to bear in mind and as I have said before you need to keep the backs of the prints clean, as often you will be printing on both sides of one piece of paper.
All I can say is that I am getting a bit better.
Anyway here are a couple of results;
Front and back….
Left, centre, and right.
Then I made a traditional sewn booklet.
….please note pristine verso pages!
Then to give myself a bit more stress and anxiety I made a slip case for the first book.
Nice fit! Shame about the bit of glue on the back but hey I am sure I am improving!
I’m going to reprint and add some type and maybe a bit of second colour here and there…and make a perfect slip case.
Meanwhile spring is slowly getting here, there are bees, and new shoots and a glimpse of a frog in the pond.
Hurahhhh!
Oh! What a beautiful book, once again I’ve fallen by the wayside.
I have sort of kept to one jug a week in so much as 3 are still waiting for handles.
I also love the daily drawings especially as your wood is waking up.
xxx
I like your cheeky little owls Val!