Watership Down

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Design binding, χειροποίητη βιβλιοδεσία, Βιβλιοδεσία, Εργαλεία βιβλιοδεσίας, δερματόδετη βιβλιοδεσία, δερματόδετο, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία, leather binding, marbled paper, Watership Down

Dear readers, welcome to the last post of 2019!

Binding a book is often like a journey. One must traverse hills and valleys, cross bridges and reach unexpected turns, experience joys and struggles. So imagine binding a book that is about such a journey –literally- and happens to be one of your favorites… Isn’t that a treat for an artisan!

Watership Down is the story of a group of wild rabbits, Hazel and his companions, searching for a new home. It’s a journey with “small” heroes going through big adventures and overcoming obstacles relying on their camaraderie, wisdom, cleverness and courage, learning and maturing on the way.

There’s really no simple way to describe how lovely it is.

It was born from a story Adams used to tell to his daughters. When he first tried to publish it the manuscript was rejected multiple times (!), the reason being “older children wouldn’t like it because it is about rabbits, which they consider babyish; and younger children wouldn’t like it because it is written in an adult style”. Boy, were they wrong…!

It is now considered a classic and has been loved by people of all ages for generations.

One of those people is C.B. who contacted me with a desire to have her favorite story bound in a beautiful volume, a heirloom to be someday given to another lover of Adams’ story. This quickly became a personal challenge too: I love Watership Down and have a soft spot for lapines.

Finding a proper copy (one printed in folios) took a while and we ended up using the wonderful edition by Oneworld Modern Classics, with illustrations by Aldo Galli.
I own this edition and I fully recommend it for its excellent design, print quality and lovely numerous illustrations.

I talked a lot with C.B. regarding the design and we agreed on a concept. The idea was to produce a dreamy landscape that would represent the story’s downs when it comes to shapes but at also the heroes’ struggles and hopes when it comes to colors. The golden yew tree symbolizes their destination, a perfect home. It appears to be far away and yet within reach.

My sister Marianna, passionate about bunnies and talented comic artist, was called in to help since I can’t draw if my life depended on it. What you see before you is her version of the concept I and C.B. came up with.
She also assisted greatly in the layout of colors because I happen to suck big time at that too!

C.B. had two main requirements: to include a yew tree (from Fiver and his vision) and use a gradient effect on the sky region of the cover to simulate the coming of dawn. The rest of the colors would be based on that.

I’ve made three bindings in the past using this effect in a random manner. This time however I had to be much more precise as the effect had to have a direction and go through specific hues in certain intervals, which should also blend effectively.

I used an airbrush and aniline dye as I wanted the color to penetrate the leather instead of just sitting on the surface (as would be the case with acrylics). This caused some problems since the aniline dampens/darkens the leather surface when applied and it takes several hours before you can see the actual color, which meant I had to do the airbrushing in sessions, taking several days for each test batch.

After the tests I prepared the piece for the covers and filled with confidence I…  botched it! After another botched attempt I was able to achieve something very similar to the image I’ve been provided as reference. However when preparing it for pasting on the covers I noticed the color smudged a bit when handled. This baffled me as I had sealed the colors properly with a dye fix and also applied a light finish to further protect them from the handling required to cover the binding. I’ve done all these in the past plus the tests specifically for Watership Down and never faced this problem.

It was barely noticeable; with very careful handling I could’ve have probably gone through with the covering and end up with very few/small imperfections. My main concern was what would happen after that, with the book being read time and again as the years go by. I didn’t feel ok with such a prospect, so the gradient was abandoned.

This meant the entire color layout had to be rearranged. To give C.B. a sense of the design in color and help her choose I scanned leather scraps and then Marianna photoshoped them in place, coming up with several different versions. The binding ended up being a mix between those.
Another important aspect of the design was it being comprised of many different colors, to enhance the sense of distance – plus the different grains and finishes make the binding more interesting on a visual and tactile level.
To do this the pieces must overlap by cutting the edges at an angle. It’s easier said than done though: too steep of a bevel and there won’t be sufficient overlap and thus a good bond between the leathers, too gradual and the leather on the underside will show.
It was my first time doing this and I had to do many (Many) tests to get it right.
When designing the starry sky I had two choices: random vs specific. I’m not good at improvisation when it comes to designs, plus you only have one go with a French leather binding, so I decided to use an actual star chart.

However that is not all: these are the stars and constellations the story’s heroes would see, and the way they’d see them, when travelling from Sandleford Warren to Watership Down! They are depicted realistically (at least as much as possible) regarding their relative position and brightness, the only difference being I added and removed a few to avoid empty or overcrowded spaces.

I took the liberty to  use late June as the date, which was the time I made the design. That way I could discreetly blend something from my (crafting) journey with that of Hazel and his companions!
The stars were originally tooled in (genuine) silver leaf. However it’s been many years since I used silver and I had forgotten how quickly it can tarnish, resulting in a dimmer shine that affected the entire design. To rectify this I ordered some palladium leafs and retooled each and every star.

I felt that the title would look a bit out of place but didn’t want to leave the spine without an indication of the book’s identity/story. So I came up with an imaginary constellation, that of Elahrairah, to act as the book’s title in the absence of one and to guide the heroes to their destination!
I used genuine 22k gold leaf to tool these specific stars.

The upper endband’s main color is a light green, interchanged sporadically with yellow and bordeaux, representing a grass field with blooming patches; an ideal place for Silflay! The lower endband features the same colors but reversed in frequency.
The endbands were made with the original concept/colors for the covers in mind. However by the time the design had to change the spine was lined and it wasn’t possible to change them without starting the binding anew and so I kept them.

The leather clamshell box features an element from a rejected design, which was an underground view of the burrows and the rabbits.

Since the binding itself has a lot of decorative details I decided to go really simple with the bookcase. That way binding and box compliment each other, plus the transition from simple to intricate feels more natural.

To spice it up a bit I made recesses and modeled the leather on/in them to give some depth to the burrow.
I trust you Watership Down fans will easily recognize the scene it represents…!
[No spoilers! Be respectful to the rest of the (potential) W.D. readers!]

Last but not least I used the amazing Aubergine design by Jemma Lewis for endpapers!

I used my versatile typeholder, stylus set and dot set to tool this design, all of which you can acquire by sending me an email (koutsipetsidis.at.gmail.com) or through my Etsy shop.

Before closing this post here’s a lovely photo of the binding with its new owner!

I feel grateful and privileged to work with people who are kind, passionate about their books, full of ideas, collaborative and patient, and C.B. has certainly been one of them. Thank you!

Hope you enjoyed reading about the making of Watership Down.
See you next year & Best wishes for 2020!

Σεμινάριο Ebru – Marbling με την Κατερίνα Μόμιτσα

Tags

Ebru, ζωγραφική στο νερό, μαρμαρόκολλα, marbled paper, Marbling

Καλή χρονιά σε όλους! Εύχομαι το 2019 να φέρει υγεία, χαρά και δημιουργικότητα!

Ύστερα από την μεγάλη επιτυχία του περσινού σεμιναρίου Ebru το εργαστήριο μου θα φιλοξενήσει και πάλι την Κατερίνα Μόμιτσα και όσους ενδιαφέρονται να γνωριστούν με την ιδιαίτερη αυτή τέχνη!
Το Ebru (ή όπως είναι αλλιώς γνωστό – Marbling) είναι μια παραδοσιακή τέχνη ζωγραφικής, γνωστή στην Ανατολή εδώ και αιώνες. Το σχέδιο γίνεται πάνω στο νερό και ύστερα αποτυπώνεται στο χαρτί. Καθώς δεν μπορούν ποτέ να βγουν δύο έργα ίδια, το αποτέλεσμα είναι κάθε φορά μοναδικό.
  Ιδιαίτερη, χαλαρωτική και έντονα δημιουργική, η τέχνη του ebru είναι κάτι το πρωτόγνωρο για όσους δεν έχουν ξαναέρθει σε επαφή μαζί της.

Το συγκεκριμένο σεμινάριο αποτελεί μια εισαγωγή στην τέχνη του ebru. Οι συμμετέχοντες θα δημιουργήσουν σχέδια στο νερό πειραματιζόμενοι με διάφορα μοτίβα που θα μεταφερθούν έπειτα σε χαρτί. Χρησιμοποιώντας την ίδια τεχνική θα φτιάξουν επίσης κάρτες και σελιδοδείκτες.

Πληροφορίες

Ημέρα και ώρες σεμιναρίου: Σάββατο 26 Ιανουαρίου (απόγευμα 17:00 – 20:00)

Κόστος συμμετοχής: 40 ευρώ.
Παρέχονται όλα τα υλικά και εργαλεία.

Δήλωση συμμετοχής – κατοχύρωση θέσης: Η κατοχύρωση θέσης γίνεται με  προκαταβολή του μισού κόστους συμμετοχής (20 ευρώ). Αυτό μπορεί να γίνει με επίσκεψη κατόπιν συνεννόησης στο βιβλιοδετείο μου (πλησίον Εθνικής Άμυνας).
Για την συνεννόηση καλέστε με στο 6936474123 (απογευματινές ώρες) ή στείλτε μου ένα μήνυμα στο koutsipetsidis@gmail.com

Σημείωση: Η προκαταβολή για την συμμετοχή δεν επιστρέφεται σε περίπτωση ακύρωσης 3 ημερών ή λιγότερο από την ημέρα του σεμιναρίου.

Θέσεις ανά μάθημα: υπάρχουν 9 θέσεις διαθέσιμες στο κάθε μάθημα.
Θα τηρηθεί σειρά προτεραιότητας στην κατοχύρωση θέσεων.

Χρειάζεται να φέρουμε κάτι; μια ποδιά –αν έχετε!- ειδάλλως ντυθείτε με κάτι που δεν θα σας πείραζε αν λερωθεί. Τα υπόλοιπα θα τα φροντίσουμε εμείς!

Σας περιμένουμε!

Η Κατερίνα Μόμιτσα είναι μια ελληνίδα σχεδιάστρια και δημιουργός που ζει και εργάζεται στην Αθήνα. Η δουλειά της είναι υπό το brand Káte και σχετίζεται με τις τεχνικές του ebru και marbling.
   Η πρώτη της επαφή με το ebru, καθώς και οι σπουδές της, ήταν στην Κωνσταντινούπολη, όπου το ερωτεύτηκε. Χρειάστηκε μια μόνο σταγόνα, το χρώμα να αγγίξει την επιφάνεια του νερού και μαγεύτηκε από αυτή τη σπάνια τέχνη. Από τότε παρακολούθησε διάφορα σεμινάρια από πολλούς masters του ebru . Επίσης πήρε μέρος σε διάφορες εκθέσεις.
   Το εργαστήριο της βρίσκεται στην Αθήνα. Εκεί εφαρμόζει και πειραματίζεται με τις τεχνικές του ebru και marbling σε διάφορα υλικά όπως χαρτί, ξύλο, κεραμικά, ύφασμα, κεριά, πέτρες κ.λ.π. Χρησιμοποιεί αυτές τις τεχνικές και σε συνδυασμό με το προσωπικό της στυλ δημιουργεί σημειωματάρια, ημερολόγια, κοσμήματα, αξεσουάρ και διακοσμητικά αντικείμενα.
   Η Κατερίνα επίσης οργανώνει σεμινάρια, με σκοπό να ενθαρρύνει κι άλλους ανθρώπους να μπουν στον μαγικό κόσμο του ebru.

Ιστότοπος
http://kate.ebru.gr/

Interview with Jemma Lewis – Techniton Politeia

Tags

Ebru, ζωγραφική στο νερό, μαρμαρόκολλα, Jemma Lewis, marbled paper, Marbling

Welcome back for another Techniton Politeia interview!

I have a deep affection for marbling papers and consider myself quite the hoarder. My personal collection, though perhaps not the most extensive, is amongst my most prized possessions and I always hesitate to use the papers (“this is not the right commission for this paper, think I’ll save it…” anyone?!?)

Marbling may appear very simple on the surface -pun intended- but is actually a big fascinating world on its own once you get to know it.
So, in order to get an insight into this mesmerizing craft we visit the studio of Jemma Lewis and talk with her about marbling.
Jemma Lewis Marbling and Design was started in 2009. Initially it was run by Jemma and her father David. However when he retired her husband Craig came to work with her full time. 

The studio produces hand marbled papers in the Traditional way using a substance called ‘Carragheen Moss’ and Gouache Paints. The paints are floated onto the viscous substance and using tools and stylus’ we can create a huge amount of different patterns, both traditional and modern. Jemma and Craig work from a log cabin studio at the bottom of their garden in the County of Wiltshire in the U.K. They produce marbled papers for bookbinders, interior designers, furniture restorers and retail outlets who stock the designs. 

On to the interview then!

 I initially planned of describing what marbling is in the interview’s intro but I believe you are far more qualified to properly introduce our readers to this peculiar art!
 To make it even more interesting; could you give us a strictly technical definition and then a purely personal description based on your own perception of marbling?
‘Marbling’ is the name given to the creation of decorative papers by floating paints onto a viscous surface (‘size’) made using an Irish Seaweed called ‘Carragheen’. Patterns are then created using tools and intricate combs. 
 A sheet of paper (treated with a watery substance called ‘Alum’ which acts as a mordant; making the paint ‘stick’ to the surface) is then laid onto the surface of the ‘size’ then gently lifted off to reveal the pattern – now transferred to the paper. 
 Part of the charm of creating marbled papers is that each application of paint to the surface produces only one sheet of marbled paper – so the same processes have to be carried out multiple times to create sheets that are similar, though never exactly matching. 

One of my favourite books in my marbling library is ‘The Art of Marbled Paper’ by Einen Miura’. His description of marbling is much more eloquent and reads as follows, and I quote…
“In the 16th century, a new way of decorating paper was introduced to Europe from the Middle and Far East – designs that resembled the veins in marble. This effect was created by throwing or dripping inks on to a size (a mucilaginous solution), where they were allowed to float freely or were sculpted into patterns. A sheet of paper was carefully placed onto the surface of the size and the design lifted off. The general term for this process is marbling”

So how did you become a marbler? It must be quite something whenever you have to introduce yourself to someone new – god knows I’m having trouble explaining bookbinding and it is considered far less obscure!

 Trying to explain to people what I do ‘for work’ or what paper marbling is always a challenge, although with an increasing trend in the marbled look within fashion and interiors I am noticing more people becoming aware of it as a craft. 
 When I first came into contact with marbled papers, seeing them as endpapers within antique books at the bookbinders I worked at, it never really occurred to me that making these would be someones job, or indeed that anyone even made them these days! 
 After working at a bookbinders (Chivers-Period, based in Bath then Trowbridge) for several years I was given the opportunity to go along and learn marbling from a local lady, Ann Muir who was looking to retire. After 7 months of learning in her studio, mostly under the tutelage of her colleague Julie a series of unfortunate events happened that led me to where I am today. 
 Sadly Ann passed away and the bookbinders went into administration within a couple of months of each other and I found myself un-employed. It was my Father who suggested we set up a marbling studio so that I could carry on learning and making. 

Marbling; Art or Craft? If “both” wasn’t a possible answer, which of the two would you choose and why?

 In my opinion I think that Paper Marbling is considered to be more of a craft than an Art Form. 
 I would personally actually put it into the category of ‘Decorative Arts’ though! 
Decorative Arts are arts or crafts whose object is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional – and I think marbled papers fit perfectly into this.

Marbling has a certain allure that is difficult to define. According to you which is the element that sets marbling apart from other arts and crafts?

 I think one of the big draws with marbling is that it has an air of mystery surrounding it. 
 There are not many people that still practice marbling and until you actually see it being done its hard to envisage how these designs are created.

Marbling, especially if practiced for a living, involves a lot of repetitiveness. Although the end result is never quite the same a certain degree of similarity is required when producing a specific pattern. Furthermore the process is more or less the same across most patterns as far as the maker is concerned and it can be repeated dozens of times in a single productive day.
Some people would find this relaxing while to others it might feel suffocating. What is your view on this aspect of marbling and how does it affect you?

  A day or even several days producing the same pattern (especially for very large orders) can become very repetitive and the body has a certain degree of muscle memory so our arms carry out the same movements over and over again. 
 It is more relaxing though as we don’t need to keep re-mixing paints or concern ourselves with the challenge of constantly swapping from one pattern to another which can be very time consuming. 
 After doing the same pattern for more than 50 sheets i’m always desperate to see a change of colour and pattern!

Would you give us an insight into a marbler’s day?
Besides standing above the marbling tray and actually making the papers what other tasks are there for the marbler to tackle?

  Our days generally form the same structure. 
 Craig takes down the previous days marbled papers from the drying racks and gives them a light iron before putting them under the press. During this time i’m usually catching up on admin and emails. We then both have a coffee break and catch up on enquiries, discuss what we need to do that day and maybe do some filing, invoicing or accounts work. Afterwards we pack up any Marbled Papers or products that are ready to go and this can often take a couple of hours if we have a lot of papers to ship. We start marbling just before lunch, when we return its full on marbling until we either fill the drying racks or complete what we need to do that day. Its easy to forget that a creative business is still a business and although I would like to spend all my time producing there are still all the other elements that make up running a business.

Could you share with us the most demanding aspect of being a marbler and also the most enticing and rewarding?

 The most demanding aspect of marbling is usually getting all the materials to work together correctly and achieve the correct result required. paints / ‘size’ / Alum / and other materials just not co-operating with one another can be frustrating. Producing certain designs are always more tricky such as those that use oils or other compounds which can take a lot of time, trial and error to get them co-operating with the “size’ and paints.
Most rewarding is hearing the lovely feedback we get from our wonderful customers who always spur us on to keep creating and coming up with new ideas and products.
We also love working with clients who wish to Licence our designs as it means we get to see our designs gracing album covers, packaging, fashion and even cruise ship restaurants (not always in the flesh though!) 

Bookbinding and marbling go a long way back. Marbling has been the standard for endpapers, and in many cases covers (quarter bindings for example), for a few centuries and the symbiotic relationship continues to flourish.
 What is it that makes marbling so fitting for bindings and books in general? Is it just a visual habit, relic of the long pre-modern era of bookbinding, that has cemented itself in our subconscious regarding how we expect the “archetypal” binding to look like, or is it something beyond that?

Working for a bookbinders was where I first became properly aware of marbled papers and was amazed at the variety of colours and patterns. It was also interesting to see that although the outsides of the books, often gilded leather bindings, were very worn, the endpapers inside looked fresh and bright. I always love opening up an antique book to see whether it might have marbled endpapers!
 
I think we have now long associated books as having marbled endpapers or sides though these days it is seen as more of a luxury to add marbled papers. 
Frequently publishers and bookbinders are looking for custom marbled papers that fit in with the title or theme of a book so for example we have produced papers that look like a glistening river for Wind in the Willows and papers that look like sandy dunes for Lawrence of Arabia. 

Last question.
What is the status of marbling in our days? Is it a fading practice or is it being rediscovered? Where does it fit in the modern age?

 When I started marbling it still felt very much like the domain of the bookbinder and I felt this would be my sole customer base. 
 Over time marbling has seen an increased popularity thanks in part to practitioners being able to share what they create through social media and other designers using the concept of marbling within their work which in turn brings it into the public eye, increasing its popularity. Traditional crafts have themselves seen a resurgence so those that were once seemed a rather outdated and old fashioned are gathering more interest. We have found that our papers are being used now for many varied uses, book binding is still a key area of use but we have produced papers more recently for a very broad spectrum of uses including; fashion, packaging, interior products, stationary, gift items, the music industry, branding, social media, and for other arts and crafts producers to use on products. Most recently one of our designs was used on edible paper!

Hope you enjoyed the interview!
If you’re interested in Jemma’s papers you can visit her shop; Jemma Lewis Marbling and Design

Yoy can read more interviews by visiting the blog’s page Techniton Politeia.

Till next time!

 

 

Techniton Politeia – Interview with Robert Wu

Tags

bookbinding, Design binding, χειροποίητη βιβλιοδεσία, Βιβλιοδεσία, δερματόδετο, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία, μαρμαρόκολλα, leather binding, marbled paper, Marbling, miniature bindings, Reliure D'Art, Robert Wu

Welcome to another Techniton Politeia interview!
This time we get to talk with Robert Wu about his Reliure d’Art, marbled papers and miniature bindings.
Wu is a Taiwanese-Canadian bookbinder and paper marbler located in Toronto. He makes one-off or small editions of books, presentation boxes, leather fine art bindings or jewellery boxes and decorative papers for individual collectors, libraries or institutions.

He holds a Masters degree in Architecture and also a Bachelor degree in Architectural science. He has also studied classical painting techniques for 3 years at Toronto Academy of Realist Art.

Wu Started bookbinding in 1990s through CBBAG in Toronto with Don Taylor, Betsy Palmer Elderidge and furthered his training in bookbinding with Masterbinder Monique Lallier & Don Etherington at AAB (American Academy of Bookbinding) in Colorado USA, where he was awarded the “Tini Miura Scholarship”, selected by the masterbinder herself. Later on he received full-time intensive private training in French reliure d’art technique with Tini for more than a month. He also attended a workshop at the Center for the Bookarts in NYC with Masterbinder Luigi Castiglioni of Italy.

He has taught several workshops at CBBAG and participated in Designer Bookbinders International Competitions UK twice, with his submitted bindings  chosen for the touring exhibitions. In 2012, he had the honour of being invited to participate in Album Amicorum – an International marbling exhibition in Turkey, USA and Europe.
Collections of Wu’s marbling art and bindings can be found worldwide in private collections or libraries.

Last but not least in his own words:
“Besides bookbinding and marbling, I also occasionally do letterpress printing with a floor model antique Gordon treadle press and an antique Sigwalt tabletop press for printing stationery, invitations or business cards. In my spare time, I enjoy playing the piano and the cello with a local orchestra. Phew! Where do I find the time to do all these!“

 We live in an age in which speed and efficiency matter a lot, often in expense of quality. Almost anything can be instantly found and bought from a shelf, be it a garment, a furniture or appliance, a car. Custom handmade objects on the other hand take a lot of time to be made. Bookbinding is definitely a good example of this; a book may take weeks, months and some times years to be finished.
  Can you explain to us why a binding may take so long to be completed? Which was the longest time you had to work on a binding? What are the requirements of such lengthy commissions and what are the problems a binder could encounter?

It’s true a lot of things are made to be disposable nowadays. I prefer the care and quality of things made in the past, where they were made to last. I made a clear decision at the beginning of my career to focus on the French design art bookbinding technique. So I went to study at AAB (American Acadmey of Bookbinding) in USA to further my training in the French technique with masters who studied in Paris.

A full fledged French art binding has about 100 steps to complete and design takes time to nurture. I would work on a bunch of books at the same time up to the same stage. But when it comes time to do finishing/design, I prefer to focus on just one binding at a time. I usually give my clients about 1 to 2 years of waiting time to complete a commission.

 Bindings can be works of art. However, unlike most art objects which will sit safely on display high on a wall or behind a piece of glass, bindings have moving parts, must function properly and must endure the wear and tear of handling for a long time. That’s quite a lot to ask from an artisan and people tend to forget about these aspects of bookbinding. I believe one reason is because most don’t often -if ever- get the chance to handle a fine binding. We’re used in seeing still-pictures of them and therefor lack the sense of their “materialness”.
 You often accompany your bindings’ photos with videos where you take them out of their protective cases, display them from various angles, open and page through them. I’ve seen this done by a few other binders as well. I believe such videos are important because they highlight the material nature of a binding, its volume and tangibility.
 Please share a few thoughts on this aspect of our craft; the demand to produce a sound and long lasting and yet pleasing, both to they eye and touch, object. How can a binder balance between functionality and aesthetics? How does this dual task affect you personally as an artisan?

Art bookbinding is considered as a fine craft rather than fine art because it is essentially a book that needs to be read in the end. Unfortunately we couldn’t compare our work to fine paintings or charge our work accordingly even though a design binding might take just as long to complete as a fine painting! But I still think book-art is more interesting and rewarding than a painting or sculpture as you can touch, feel and smell a binding and enjoy reading the text and images. A book engages all senses and it tells you a story in many ways!

I also think that music is an important aspect of my work. So whenever I create or design a binding, I want the viewer to experience that aspect when they handle my bindings. Videos are a good way to include that and show all details of a binding that you couldn’t see in pictures. And off course, handling a fine binding in person is a totally different experience! I became hooked on fine binding after I first held my teacher Tini Miura’s binding in my hand. It was a magical experience. A binding like that has soul.

  Your work is often characterized by sumptuous covers and it is evident that you don’t shy away from combining various decorative techniques on a single binding.
 If you could only pick one what would you say is the most important element of a design (any design) – the defining characteristic? Something which always plays a key role during the initial stages of planning and comes to bind -pun intended- everything together afterwards.
Furthermore, once you’ve settled on an idea about the design how do you choose which decorative techniques to use? Can you give a few advices on how to make different elements and techniques come together for a design without it looking “noisy” or “overdone”?

Good question! Personality wise, I am a hopeless romantic. To me, LESS IS LESS and it’s BORING. I love a complex design. At the same time a complex design doesn’t have to look busy. It’s a fine balance. I admire the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright, Carlo Scarpa, George Barbier, FL Schmied, the music of Chopin. They are all masters of composition and details. God is in the details. I want my designs to look spontanious and dynamic. Since I am trained as a designer (architecture), I can usually work out my designs or ideas down on paper very fast, within the hour, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I would refine and change minor things but I believe in the importance of trusting your vision or intuition or inspiration – whatever you call it!

Let’s focus on a particular piece from your work. I was absolutely enamored with your binding of “A Voyage towards the North Pole”, I couldn’t find something I don’t like about it, even if I tried. More specifically, although the “Faux Ammolite” emulating the northern lights is particularly impressive, the eggshell panel for the ice-covered mountains stole the show for me – so fitting!
Please share with us some behind-the-scenes stories about its making; why did the pages require such an extensive treatment and what did it include? How did you come up with its design? What was the most difficult part of making the decoration? Can you tell a few things about your “Faux Ammolite”?

  The Arctic binding was a commission from a library. I was given the task to create a design binding on a 17th century book. First, it was a very moldy and dirty book. I advised the client that I had to wash the book before I could make an expensive design binding. It was a neccesity.
The design was inpired by the beautiful etching images in the book. I wanted to capture the grandeur of the North pole and came up with a new idea of creating my “Faux Ammolite” panels to represent the mysterious northern lights! I was very happy with the effect and overall design of this binding with eggshell panels. I love Art Deco. So I enjoy incorporating materials like my creations of “Faux Ivoire” or “Faux Ammolite”. It’s necessary to push the boundaries, to get out of the comfort zone and try out something new! It’s rewarding.

  One of the things that stands out amongst your work is miniature bindings. You’ve made quite a few of them and they boast a dazzling variety. Some are slightly larger than a big coin, yet they have almost all of the characteristics that can be found on a normal-sized binding.
 Why miniature bindings, what makes them so fascinating to you? Can you explain to the readers the intricacies and difficulties of making such a small, often tiny, binding?

I started getting interested in bookbinding via origami. I was folding little origami books out of one sheet of paper. But I couldn’t really write much in it so I came across a little bookbinding manual in a bookstore to see if I could make my own journals. At the beginning it looked so difficult with all the tools one would need to make a properly bound book. So I started making a tiny properly bound blank book by following the instructions in the manual and used whatever simple craft tools I had. After that, I was hooked on bookbinding and wanted to learn more so I started taking workshops with CBBAG.
So just like anything in life, one starts small and your interest grows, and you start to have bigger ambitions. It’s just a natural process. Miniature bindings are a great way to learn all aspects of bookbinding in a smaller scale so it’s more managable for beginners. But a masterpiece in miniature requires the reverse process and it’s definitely more difficult to do than its large counterparts.

  On to another topic; it is obvious that marbling holds an important place when it comes to your creative identity. Your marbled papers have a distinct character and almost all of your bindings feature them.
 How were you initially drawn to marbling and what kept you to it? How did you go about learning it? And finally how has such an asset -being able to make your own marbled papers that is- affected your creative approach when it comes to binding books?

I am mostly self-taught in marbling. I did take a beginner course in marbling with CBBAG. But it was very basic. I started to marble because I could use my own marbled paper for my own bindings. Like anything, the more you do, the better you get. I experimented for a long time and it eventually evolved into marbling art which I call “Marbled Graphics”™. I love compositions, regular marbled papers don’t satifsy me, so I started creating marbling art with my own compositions. The general public appreciate my marbling as art but most people are not that creative so they don’t know what to do with regular full patterned marbled paper for bookbinding or craft. They think they are just fancy wrapping papers, lol!

 Many of your marbled papers -especially those used as endpapers in your bindings- seem to be inspired by classic western marbling, yet they veer off in a very different, very personal, direction. They are often abstract, sometimes almost free of pattern, but instead of looking like “mistakes” or failed patterns they have an air of confidence. As if having crossed some boundary and being bold but at the same time relaxed about it.
 Does this come naturally to you when marbling or is it a result of meticulous care? Can you define the elements that contribute to the uniqueness of your marbled papers?

I love details and compositions. My marbled paper or marbling art also reflect that. I like finess in everything I do. Doing regular marbled paper for store orders is very difficult because if I make a mistake or get an air bubble in my paper, I can’t sell them to the store. Doing edition marbling for store orders is a challenge because consistency is hard to achieve and when you have to do a couple of hundreds of sheets at a time for a couple of months, it takes the fun out of marbling. Being meticulous is a must for doing professional marbling or fine binding and it’s not easy!

 No matter how talented a binder is, or any artisan, he/she can only learn and become adept in certain aspects of a craft. Our time is limited and, since our skill-tree translates itself into the identity of our creations, we must choose wisely which skills to learn and improve along the way. Many, I’d even dare to say most – given the immensity of our craft, will be left out or acquired at a very basic level.
 Is there some particular skill or technique/s, within the vast horizon of bookbinding, that you’d like to try your hand at or feel you haven’t explored as much as you’d like?

I guess I am lucky to have discovered the art of French Design Art bindings at the very beginning. I was pretty focused to seek out training in the French techniques after I had read my alma mater, Tini Miura’s book “My World of Bibliophile Binding”, where she talked about the French technique being the most perfect and sublime. Finesse is everything in reliure d’art. I share that sentiment. We were lucky to have Tini in USA and teaching at AAB because one gets to learn the best technique from one person without having to travel to many different places and study with many different masters in Europe. Tini told me that when she was stuyding in Paris in the 60’s, the best master binders worked behind closed doors. But being a female, she was not deemed as a competitor to them so she was never refused or denied lessons. Her male counterparts were not so lucky.

I believe that if you possess good techniques, perfected through centuries and passed down from masters, you really don’t need gimmicks to stand out. I try to focus on good designs and develop my own style and still keep an open mind to new techniques to compliment my work.

You can see more of Wu’s work at Studio Robert Wu.
If you enjoyed this interview there are more you can read at my blog section Techniton Politeia.
Till next time!

 

Art-Deco Sketchbook

Tags

Art Deco, Art Deco Bookbinding, artist sketchbook, χειροποίητη βιβλιοδεσία, χειροποίητο σημειωματάριο, Αρ ντεκό, Βιβλιοδεσία, δερματόδετο, δερματόδετο σημειωματάριο, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία, marbled paper, onlays, sketchbook

Have I mentioned how much I like Art-Deco?
   It’s really hard to define what Art-Deco is: the aesthetic which emerged from it had a very distinct personality, yet its origins and influences were numerous and quite different from one-another. As with most things, the bindings produced during its heyday were astounding pieces of craftsmanship and aesthetic.

  So, it goes without saying I was quite excited when asked to create a sketchbook with an Art-Deco inspired decoration as a gift for an artist.
There were also a number of restrictions/guidelines I had to take into consideration: the client’s budget, the time limit (it was to be a Christmas gift) and of course the sketchbook’s requirements regarding size, type of paper and desired function.

  After discussing with the client I proposed a combination of longstich and a hardback cover. That way the owner would have a sketchbook that can bend in a 360 arc and can lay completely flat when open, much like a regular sketchbook while also being quite durable, and that could be completed within the given deadline.

  The paper used, a 100% cotton paper from Hahnemuhle, is simply amazing. Velvety and strong with great texture. I saw a large map printed on it and I couldn’t believe my eyes.

 Another request was to avoid intense/bright colors. I chose a fine Italian leather of vivid dark red color (wine anyone?) as it works well with gold and underlines the splendour Art-Deco is characterised for.

There are many ways to create onlays – mine is a combination of things I’ve read/photos I’ve seen from other binders and trial&error, as I was never taught the technique.

(Here’s a close up, warts and all…!)

Now, there was the design…
  I am in no way an artist or a designer of any sort and I’m totally useless in drawing. I’m never short of ideas but I usually struggle when having to create a template for the reasons mentioned above. For what is more I consider Art-Deco hallowed ground: I know I cannot compete with the exquisite talents who created the designs for the era’s bindings, yet I had to do the style some justice.
  Taking into consideration the client’s requests I came up with two designs and went for the “safest” choice, the one I felt the most likely to look sound and pleasing. The result is what you see before you today.

Cloth Bindings

Tags

Hayao Miyazaki, πανόδετη βιβλιοδεσία, χειροποίητη βιβλιοδεσία, Βιβλιοδεσία, Μιγιαζάκι, μαρμαρόκολλα, marbled paper, Nausicaa, Nausicaa bindings

  In the past 6 months, due to a combination of commissions and the seminars I’ve been giving, I have made more cloth bindings than I’ve made in 9 years of bookbinding.

 To be honest I wasn’t really fond of them until recently. I always felt cloth very restricting as a covering medium: it stains easily, is far less susceptible to decorative techniques compared to leather, less pleasant to work with and of course inferior in durability.
 However, working with it more often I’ve also come to appreciate its virtues: big variety of colors readily available, doesn’t require preparation, easy to work with, disposable (in case things get messy) and very cost effective.

Here are some examples of work from recent cloth bindings.

Nausicaa by Hayao Miyazaki
 The film version use to be on the TV here often, I remember watching it as a kid. Masterfully illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki (widely acclaimed director and animator) for over a decade, Nausicaa is an interesting story with rich and diverse lore.

  The person who commissioned it wanted a classic cloth binding in a color that would represent the earth’s polluted landscape in the story. I combined it with an amazing marbled paper from Jemma Lewis. It was supposed to be a much simpler quarter binding but I wanted to try out this style instead, which was more complicated than I had imagined, and then matching endpapers are a must, but then I also figured it needs some (which turned out to be a lot) gold tooling/framing to really show, and by the time I had finished the binding I realized it took 3 times more work than initially planned. Fellow colleagues, do you feel me?!?

The Holy bible
L.K. brought this bible which was owned by his uncle. It is of sentimental value to the family and -as is often the case with bibles- it was falling apart. The late owner had made a few efforts to keep the book in one piece, most notably sewing the spine (notice the sewing holes) and the front cover in a coil fashion.

  The original plan was for a new simple cloth binding, however I thought it would be interesting to preserve the original covers and spine which, through the repair efforts and the hand-drawn cross, tell the book’s story, that it was used and loved a lot. Plus the cliche stamp on the old covers looks lovely.

 What is interesting with this particular cloth binding is the recessed covers in which the original ones are inlayed as panels. It was the first time I tried this and I’m pleased with how it turned out. I made sure to remove the original cloth covers with a substantial layer of old bookboard still attached to them or else they could tear easily or be permeated by the glue and soil or loose shape.
 The exact opposite was required for the original spine cloth though: it had to lay completely flat on the new spine and follow its flex, keeping the coverboard layer would make it protrude (and thus prone to detachment) and less flexible.

Notice the french groove? Quite neat if I may say so!

Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges
What do you do when you simply can’t find a way to split a title/word in a grammatically correct way?
Answer: what word? what order?

  Problem with thin spines is that you have to either tool with very small type size or tool vertically. The first one leads to an impractical result – a book’s author or title need to be distinguishable on the shelf. The second can easily lead to misaligned letters, plus it’s not always possible, especially with long titles or author names.

  There was another thing as well: I could not split “Labyrinths” in any grammatically correct way because of the 4 consonants at the end (seriously, what’s wrong with you english language?!?). So I decided to have some fun by going around the problem and at the same time elevate the title into a small design element, hinting at the title’s meaning by altering the correct order of letters and adding a small gold trail line!

I’m really fond of using letters and a book’s title  as part of the decoration (here are some examples from my work). Will do a post featuring some great works by various binders on this decorative approach in the future.

Marbled Diamond pattern

Tags

Design binding, handbound journal, χειροποίητη βιβλιοδεσία, χειροποίητο σημειωματάριο, δερματόδετη βιβλιοδεσία, leatherbound journal, longstitch binding, marbled paper

Here’s a small experiment of mine; presenting the Marbled Diamond pattern.

The idea behind this journal was to take classic elements, most notably marbled paper, and use them in a way that would look new but at the same time convincing and natural, as if this kind of decoration could have existed as a standard form in the 19th century.

This is the design I had in mind; a diamond pattern onlaid with marbled paper. As far as I’m concerned I have never seen anything like it, however if some experienced or knowledgeable binder/conservator out there is aware of any similar historical binding/s please do share the information (and as a bonus trash my creative excitement in the process)!
On the one hand it strikes me as strange that there aren’t at least a few historical examples of such a design, even as an odd piece or excercise of creativity. Then again, judging by the time and measurements it required, production or time-efficiency wise it is a somewhat impractical design.

I opted for the longstitch because much as I wanted to try the technique I wasn’t very keen on producing a laborious sewn-in boards fine binding.

As you can see I committed the sacrilege of using 2 different decorative papers for the cover and endpapers, a marbled and a paste paper. Before you grimace in disgust and search for stones to throw stay your hand and consider my reason behind such blasphemy; the marbled paper I wanted to use had the grain wrong. So, if it would be used as endpaper it would have to be placed in the correct grain, thus the pattern would be running horizontally in contrast with the vertical pattern of the cover pieces.
I preferred to match it with a paste paper of very similar colors hoping to achieve some relevance between the two designs. It’s not ideal but I suppose it wouldn’t be called “the ugliest juxtaposition of patterns one has ever seen”, to quote Brien Beidler on one of his findings!

As for the verdict, I really like the pattern and the resulting visual. I believe there’s more to it and will definitely return sooner than later for a second go. I also have a couple of ideas that could make it less time consuming and more repeatable.
As an extra note I have to admit there’s something a bit “off” about this specific journal, a few people who saw it expressed the same feeling. Longstitch aside, I attribute this to the blind tooling. I wasn’t sure about it but after completing the marbled diamond pattern the remaining spaces felt somewhat empty so I decided to do some blind tooling as a remedy. Came out a bit too “chatty’ for my taste, should have gone with double gold lines so that an inner linear rhombus would be created in each gap – more discreet.
In any case I look forward in trying the design again, next time on a more classic form.
Until then what do you make of it?