Sketchbook Project: Putting it together

The theme of my Sketchbook Project is secret codes. My approach was to decide what the most important message I wanted to send out into the world. I have an overall message that is written throughout the book over and over, and there is one word that changes on the separate pages. There are no words written out of code, so I wanted to create some other visual cues to tie the book together.

If you want to know the messages, you can click on these thumbnails, and they will open larger so you can read them. If you want it to stay secret, or you want to figure out the codes, don’t click!

	The cover of my Sketchbook was kraft brown. I wanted it to look more like worn leather. The first thing I did was roll it between my fingers to raise a texture. This softened it, and gave it an interesting feel. I painted it with layers of watercolor and thinned out metallic airbrush paint. It developed a soft glow. I then rubbed the side of watercolor crayons over the surface to highlight the texture and added a darker edge to increase the worn look.
	The endpapers have the overall message drawn in Braille. There is also a pattern of holes in each dot that can be felt. I think it would be difficult to actually read with your fingers since it is too spread out. I wanted this to create a framing for the contents.
	In the back there are a few pages where I wanted an index feel. I drew some smaller versions of some of the reptiles and amphibians from the rest of the book, and added a few extras that were different. In the background I put the rest of the words I wanted to send out into the world that didn't get their own page.

Here are a couple of the pages you may have seen in earlier posts, but this is the order they come in the book.

This is longer series from later in the book.

So that’s all I have for now. I didn’t have time to scan all the pages in before I had to send it off to the Brooklyn Art Library. Eventually the book will be digitized by them and will be available online (and I’ll add a link.) The books will start touring around the US in February 2011. I’m looking forward to going to see them in Seattle in June. Lots of pictures are starting to appear on the Art House Coop site, and most of them are incredible. I’m glad I didn’t see any of them before it was time to send mine in, or I might have decided not to!

It’s hard to imagine all the logistical details involved to coordinate a project like this with over 28,000 artists. Thanks to all who participated and worked to make it possible.

Other posts about the Sketchbook Project

Embracing procrastination in a creative project

Sketchbook Project: Creating a base

Solving problems when short on time

Greeting challenge with creativity

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