Altered book help please

[Aristoscrap]

Technically I am not altering a book, its a sketch book that I want to use as an art journal.

It's a NEwton and Winsor sketch book, black spiral bound. I've removed the covers and used Gesso on them, and started to paint Gesso onto the first couple of pages. Will the pages be strong enough like this? I want to watercolour on them... can you even watercolour on Gesso? Actually, should I just be finding this out for myself? :lol:

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Chrissie x

[hopberni]

Hi I will email you a photo of a page I did in a sketchbook using gesso and watercolour. Would be happy to spend a day with you messing about with paints etc if you live anywhere near me

[Aristoscrap]

Thanks Bernice, That helps a lot! I've Never done anything like this before so it's a challenge! Am currently typing with Gesso covered hands....

Would love to have a session but I live 6 miles north of Derby so a bit out of the way isn't it? I'd much rather see some of this stuff done in real life!

[hopberni]

I'm happy to travel. I'm away this weekend but can sort something out with you. PM me

[leigh11]

sounds like lots of fun!!!!!

i'd join in too--but even further away :D

[Aristoscrap]

:thanks:Bernice, that sounds great, I'll Pm you shortly.

OK, I took apart my W&N book, and so far I have Gesso'd it, watercolour layered it, collaged a little, used watercolour pencils and my new Faber Castell pencils (an extravagance I couldn't resist!), used a tiny amount of seed beads set in Glossy Accents....

My next question is, should I Mod Podge it to seal it? :unsure:

[Aristoscrap]

:lol: Well how much further away? We could make a day of it!! :lol:

[leigh11]

chrissie that sounds fab!!! any chance of a piccie;)

[leigh11]

:lol: Well how much further away? We could make a day of it!! :lol:

i'm down in Hampshire--so lots further away :lol:

[Aristoscrap]

chrissie that sounds fab!!! any chance of a piccie;)

Er... ok, but you have to be kind as I haven't done this sort of thing before... and if you don't like orange, don't look! :lol: I'll take a pic now and put it up... any thoughts about the Mod Podge though?

[leigh11]

not used it before--so can't help--sorry, but i don't see why not

[Aristoscrap]

Ok if this works, then here is a pic of my journal's front cover!!

(I don't like this bit cos I can't see the image in the post! :lol:)

[leigh11]

wow, i love it!!!!

fab work:D

[Aristoscrap]

Looks a bit cr*p now I've seen a pic of it! :lol:

[leigh11]

Looks a bit cr*p now I've seen a pic of it! :lol:

not at all---its great

[Aristoscrap]

It's not finished yet, going to make some beady things to hang off the spirals x

[Aristoscrap]

Aaah you're too kind! :lol: but :thanks:!!

I've Gesso'd a few pages inside and already put a layer of watercolour on a couple of pages. I've wanted to do something like this for ages... I have a lot of bitterness inside me I didn't realise was there till I started to think about making it, so I've decided each page will have a theme of something I love or really gets me down... bit like a proper diary but in pictures!!

[leigh11]

sounds like a fab idea :D

[Buttons]

Thats a lovely journal...I have been doing lots of art journalling pages lately and what I have discovered is that gesso can act as a resist so you can spray water on bits of it and wipe it off...it can look really cool if you use rubber stamps.

btw I live in Hampshire Leigh...whereabouts are you?

[leigh11]

i'm in Fleet :D

[hopberni]

The Journal looks scrumptious.

[DianaDreads]

Wow, that book is stunning! I love the vivid colours :)