Book Arts and Photography

How to Make Paper from Corn Husks

People often want to know how to make paper from a plant fiber. Many different fibers can be used. For this demonstrations, I used fibers that were donated by Bill Tracy, Professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Agronomy Department. He manages a large sweet corn research program. In the paper lab we have Lilian Bell’s classic book Plant Fibers for Papermaking. Her book is a great book to start your own investigation. This link will display the location of the book in the class bookshelf.Others exist and additionally, one of the best resources for all kinds of information is the website for Hand Papermaking Organization. This link will play the video How to Make Paper from Corn Husks in HD on YouTube.

New Video: How to make a Clamshell Box

The clamshell box, also known as a drop spine box, is a favorite among printmaking students. I am asked often how to make one and if I can help. We usually make one of these in the Art 446 Artists’ Book class. I don’t think a true novice will be able to make a portfolio by simply watching this video. However, my goal is for this to be a tutorial to help students when they are working outside of class. I hope this helps. I am still a novice at making videos. This link will take you directly to YouTube where you can watch it in full screen mode.

Paper Casting Video

Thsee video clips were taken during last November in the Paper Lab during Barbara Landes‘s workshop. This video is longer than the one specifically about embossing a shape in handmade paperI hope it gives you some ideas for papermaking related projects. This link will allow you to watch it on the YouTube channel and can ben watched in a larger screen.

Cast or embossed handmade paper video

This is the first of two videos that showcase methods of using handmade paper to cast or form shapes. The video clips were recorded during Barbara Landes’s workshop which took place November 17, 2013 at the Paper Lab in the Art Department’s Art Lofts. Myszka Lewis’s work is featured again as she uses some crochet designs to press into damp sheets of cotton paper. Of course never forget to visit Handpapermaking Organization. The organization and publication have been in existence for more than 25 years. The bi-annual publication is the best resources for papermakers.

New Video: Making Watermarks

Barbara Landes gave a daylong workshop demonstrating how to make watermarks. This link will play it on YouTube.com. Students worked with Flexicut and hot glue guns to create drawing and images to use as watermarks. I will gather more photos soon and will link them to this post. Students made some great pieces. For more information on Barbara Landes‘s work, click on this link. More information about Myszka Lewis’s artwork, visit her page. Thanks to everyone that participated.

Letterpress: a video by James Paul Escalante

More than a year has passed since this video was filmed in room 6451. You may find it informative.

Post production for postcard

Recently, artist Lisa Gralnick needed a photograph for a show announcement. The work is still in progress and we quickly set up a still life in an area with soft available light. The photos needed  editing prior to be used for a post card. This link shows a short video on the steps used to prepare the file for a 4 x 6 inch postcard. You can see more of Lisa Gralnick’s photos at this link.

The postcard arrived in the mail! You can see photos of art work by Lisa Gralnick and Venetia Dale at this link.