I spent more time researching book carvings and finding ideas then carving the book. Since you are cutting, you want to make sure that you are 100% sure that you are doing it right. Once you cut it, its unattached forever!!
There are hundreds of styles to carving your book. There's a panoramic, outside carving, taking several books and carving, pop-out, or carving it inside. I thought about doing the panoramic style, but the directions didn't make sense to me.
I chose the pop-up style, because it was different then everyone else's. Also, I wanted to have enough time for detail and being careful when cutting, and this style is less time consuming as far as planning goes, which means that I was able to just cut. The other style seemed four times harder, because once you cut something wrong you had to tear out that number of pages, and the process was incredibly confusing. I knew that I wouldn't have had enough time to focus on the details and making the paintings and cuts intricate.
My idea process:
With the panoramic style in the beginning, I thought it would be great to not make little carvings to make images in the book, but actually make carvings in it to make the book become an image.
Something in a panoramic shape would be a carousel. My birthday was coming up around this time the project started. When I was younger I had this little fancy carousel jewelry box, I got it for my birthday, but it was stolen when our house was broken into. So I thought that if I did the panoramic style I could make it one big carousel! Once I started trying to plan and research instructions, it became really hard. I had to cut every page of the book in order for this to work. I wanted there to be different designs on every page because thats how I would be able to make the carousel. I had to think of something else.
My second favorite style was the pop-up book! So I went with it. I wanted to still incorporate the carousel, so I thought about continuing the amusement theme, and make a fair, but I thought it would make it cuter by adding some feeling so I thought adding a couple kissing and the Eiffel Tower would make it special.
What were the challenges you faced when working on this project? Explain how you overcame them.
The most challenging part is curved lines! Curved lines are hard, and take time to do right. To overcome this obstacle I had to go little by little, and practice on tracing, so that I was comfortable with the lines, so I knew the shape better.
I went through planned out steps:
1) think of a theme
2) choose a style and make your layout and design
3) cut tracing paper, proportional to the book (to the area you will be cutting). Practice your final design on the tracing paper. This is the time to add things, or adjust the design.
4) lay the final tracing paper over the book and cut away!
5) add paint, found materials, etc.
Done! (touch lines up here and there with the exact-o knife)
Discuss your design and how it relates to the book you chose (if that was the case, if not just discuss design). Did you take any risks? How and why?
The book I used was actually a dictionary. It didn't relate to my carving, which was Love in Paris (a summary title for my book's theme).
I did not take any risks with this project. Honestly, I am not understanding how to take risks.
Describe how you felt about the overall project and if you felt it was successful.
I felt good about my project. It was what I wanted to do, and how I imagined it, even if I did not take a risk. I always feel like I can add more to it, but it never works out. I wanted to have lights on it, but there was no way it was going to fit on to the book. There's more that I could've done to make it stand out. My favorite part is the painting. I spent time on it and I was careful with it. Painting it made it look so much better! Also I am glad that I was able to put in a plastic wrap paper to make the water in the river. It looks really cool and realistic when the light shines on the plastic.
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