Here’s the cover of a new handmade book I just put together –
blank and ready for journaling.
I learned this book design from Laurie Doctor many years ago and it’s the design I use the most,
especially for my daily journals. The main reason I like it is because when it’s assembled,
the book opens flat, making it very easy to sketch and paint on the pages.
The covers of the book are pastepaper (acrylic paint and methyl cellulose)
and the pages have been painted with gouache and watercolor.
This works out well, because if I want
I can continue to paint and work with the design and color of the page
even while starting to journal in the book. It’s a very flexible setup.
The cover painting was influenced by the sandstone patterns
I found last fall in Juniper Canyon in Red Rocks outside of Las Vegas.
