Comments on: Creative types: Help me design my mother's sketchbook cover.

Question: Creative types: Help me design my mother's sketchbook cover.

macadamia — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 10:49:30 -0800

Creative types: Help me design my mother's sketchbook cover.

My mother is an artist, and for Christmas, she asked me to buy her a sketchbook and do something creative to the cover. I found a nice one that has a black cardboard backing, but I don't have any ideas.

I lack artistic training, and I can't paint or sketch, but I'd like to do something neat. I can afford time and materials. Photo montages are a good idea, but I'd like to be more involved. Can you suggest a project? Online guides for the nitty gritty things are helpful.

By: JohnR

JohnR — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:06:26 -0800

Cut a potato, dip in a color (maybe naturally found ink?), make a design on cover.

By: Robot Johnny

Robot Johnny — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:07:17 -0800

A friend of mine covered a sketchbook for me, once, in a piece of corduroy on which she sewed a drawing of a robot in yarn. It remains my favourite sketchbook, so much so that I held on to it for years before I dared to draw in it for the first time.

By: ruby.aftermath

ruby.aftermath — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:19:59 -0800

Photo transfers are fun. Here's a good run-down of how to do it (scroll down a bit). Get a jar of acrylic matte (or gloss, I suppose, as this guide says) medium (Golden makes a nice one, around $5-$6), and some photocopies or magazine cut-outs. Ink-jet prints work, as well. Practice a bit. You can then add color/drawings with colored pencil or paint.

By: j.p. Hung

j.p. Hung — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:34:18 -0800

A buddy of mine did something like this before. He had a black book, much like you describe and he simply took this gold coin (that she had given him when he was like, 7 or something) and he centered it on the book and glued it there.

Photo montages are nice but negative space is a beautiful thing too. Perhaps if you have an old, sentimental item that's small enough, that could be cool. Just a thought.

By: dpx.mfx

dpx.mfx — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:42:41 -0800

What about using small pictures and cloth ribbon to attach them to the cover in some kind of pattern?

Or use small flexible wire to secure them. Or use the wire to write in cursive some particular word (create! or art! or love!). Or use the ribbon for that.

Or have a whole bunch of family and friends sign the cover.

Use other objects - feathers? sequins? yarn? - to decorate.

Use some favorite material - an old coat, an old baby blanket, whatever - and create a removable cover that she can use on other books? (I have no idea if this is feasible, but it might be neat.)

By: signal

signal — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:52:20 -0800

I've done acid etching on aluminum and glued it to sketchbooks. A bit heavy, but very distinctive.

By: jrossi4r

jrossi4r — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:53:18 -0800

Cover it entirely in googly eyes.

By: kudzu

kudzu — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:53:31 -0800

I have made a book cover for my brother with copper embossing.

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 12:04:58 -0800

How about a simple appliqué? Find some colorful fabric, maybe with a bold pattern, and cut out the shape of a bird/rabbit/moose/whatever. Make a template from a photo to help you get the shape right, if you don't think you can sketch it. Attach cutout to cover with fabric glue/spray adhesive/thread.

By: andrew cooke

andrew cooke — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 14:49:41 -0800

not very practical, but something i found striking in a "painting" (which i still haven't completed) - glue tacks (the black, rough-cut nails used in upholstery) head down onto the surface. you end up with a dark texture that looks almost like fur, but with an alien, mechanical sensibility.

By: Vervain

Vervain — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 16:31:37 -0800

Check out Craftster's book and paper arts area. Lots of good and cool projects on display, and some users post tutorials along with their projects.

By: alby

alby — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 05:07:48 -0800

How about a photo mosaic? I did one for my sister's birthday using my Dad's extensive digital photograph collection and she loved it.