Roz Wound Up

Yep, More on Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper in Sheets

Above: Pentel Pocket Brush Pen sketches while I was watching TV, with some gouache (Schmincke and M. Graham). Apologies to Illeana Douglas whose name I couldn't recall how to spell. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Everyone who reads my blog knows I love gouache. I LOVE GOUACHE. One of the great characteristics of gouache is its great coverage. On the day I was sketching faces on the above spread I really liked the right-hand page, but didn't care for the sketch on the left-hand page. I don't like to totally cover up mistakes, however. I like to learn from them. But something in me later that night also didn't want to move to a new spread to write about astronaut Lovell. Instead I wrote about Lovell's list over my failed pen sketch.

Busy? Confused? Yes, and Yes. I could have solved all that simply by laying in one wash of solid color and then doing my writing with the #10 round, but I didn't. I like seeing the face that failed peeing through.

If you're curious about what I wrote and can't make it out, I wrote the following as a response to hearing about the sale of Lovell's checklist on the radio. We never know the whole personal story of anything (though by now we know NASA's feelings on all this) but nevertheless we all have a viseral reaction to things and what you might not know is I have a fondness for explorers in the pre-GPS days. No, it's much more than that. I have a fondness for explorers who bring their men home. Even the greatest of men, the greatest of leaders cannot always do this. But there have been 3 times when extraordinary men did their job extraordinarily well in extreme conditions most of us will never experience. Achievements like this help focus things clearly when you have a hang-nail, a bad day, or your shoes are too tight. (And I don't mean to leave anyone off this list, but these are the 3 that strike me always in my mind; and my preference is due in part to the fact that I bought into space as "the final frontier.") (The truncated writing is me trying to fit everything in paint on a page, and not go to that next page I wanted to avoid in the first place.)

Lovell recently auctioned his Apollo 13 checklist. Found it on shelf after other papers sent to collections. HOW could you not want to keep that of your father's or anyone's? Even I COVET IT! It's one of the 3 artifacts of exploration—Bligh's compass or sextant or whatever he used for the open boat navigation, something from Shackleton's ill-fated antarctic trip, and Lovell's list with is notes and calculations.

Some belongings stand for much more than what they are in and of themselves. To me items like these are beyond value. But then my mom always tells me I'm a material girl.

Take some time to play with gouache and explore its possibilities!

For more about this paper read my blog posts from January 23, 2012 to the present beginning with "Great Paper News." I yammer on and on about this paper which I'm enjoying in a book I bound out of it.

Another Note about Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper in Sheets

Left: a quick brush sketch using a 3/4 inch filbert and a #12 round with Schmincke Dark Indigo Gouache (and some titanium white in places). Click on the image to view an enlargement.

This may not look much like Timothy Hutton (I was watching "Leverage") but I sure had fun moving the paint around before going to bed.

To read more about the Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper now available in sheets start reading my posts from January 23, 2012, beginning with "Great Paper News."

Disclaimer: I've said this earlier, but it bears repeating since there is a barrage of posts on this paper—I'm not aligned in any financial way with Strathmore (I taught a class for them last year but that was paid for and finished). I am thrilled that they have brought this paper out in sheets so I can bind my own books with it. And since my blog is about my journal, these pages are what I have available to write about at present. And yes, I am enthused about this paper!

Even More on Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper in Sheets

Above: Page spread from my first handbound journal of 2012. Read below for details. Click on the image to view an enlargement. (Some text obscured for privacy.)

I took my new journal for 2012 which I'd made with Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper to the Bell Museum Sketch Night at the beginning of January. I'm sad to say that I only got this spread "finished." I did some quick sketching of people who were in attendance (because I was still preparing for the MCBA Visual Journal Collective's upcoming Portrait Party), and I took some notes during the talk about "oddities."

I'm short (5' 3-1/4 inches) and when I went to where the talk was going to be held the front row of seats were occupied by tall people so I sat on the floor at the edge of the front row and looked up a the table where the oddities were places during the discussion. Soon I simply started sketching. I was using the Staedtler Pigment Liner and light washes of Schmincke gouache.

I had intended to fill the rest of the right hand page with more sketches but people kept stopping by to say hi and have a bit of a chat so I never accomplished that. I had fun talking to people and enjoy the way the spread turned out so no worries.

For more about this paper see my posts since Monday, January 23, 2012.

Groveland Shows: Estabilished Favorites and New Favorites

The Groveland Gallery has new shows up now. Sadly the openings were on January 20th and I couldn't get there, and in fact I haven't been able to get over there yet. But I hope to go before the week is out. You'll want to check it out because there is a show of Gaylord Schanilec's Engravings. (His work will make you cry, it's so beautiful.) In the new favorites category Justin Terlecki's paintings are in a group show with other new artists (see his new work at the Groveland site, I linked my past post on his travel journals). Check out their work before both shows come down on February 25.

Note: Schanilec is giving an artist's talk on Saturday, February 4, at 2 p.m.

Still More on Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper in Sheets

Above: Sketches of faces using a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and Schmincke gouache in the journal I made with Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper. (The journal is approx. 7 x 9-3/8 inches). There is a tab down the center of the gutter of this spread where I pre-cut out a page. I do this in several places in a new casebound journal to make room for collaged pieces throughout the journal. When I come to a spread that contains a tab I simply work over it in some way. Here I wrote on the tab.) Click on the image to view an enlargement.

In my Monday post on the Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper now available in sheets I wrote about it being a durable and versatile sheet. I thought you might enjoy seeing some heavily worked pages with dark brush pen lines and gouache.

Left: A detail of the woman's face from the page spread that opens this post. Click on the image to view an enlargement. Read below for more details.

In the detail of the woman's face you can see remnants of my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen strokes which haven't been hidden. You can also see the slight texture that this paper has, especially around the highlight of the nose tip, where the underlying first wash of Indian yellow still shows through the dry-brushed darker peachy color. 

I worked on this image using a 3/4 inch filbert, turning it on its edge when I wanted to get a finer line, letting it splay out in multiple tracks of paint when I wanted it to be very dry indeed.

This paper has what is described as a vellum surface. It is toothier than a plate finish obviously, but it is not so textured as cold press watercolor paper. If you enjoy writing on your journal pages the texture will not interfere with your goals.

Right: You see a detail of the man's face. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

In the detail of the man's face you can see, particularly down the nose, a hint of the texture. You can also see other areas where I achieved a smooth surface, so do not fear that this is not a plate surface. It's more fun this way, really.

More on Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper in Sheets

Above: Sketch of a pit bull in the journal I made with Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper. (The journal is approx. 7 x 9-3/8 inches). There is a tab down the center of the gutter of this spread where I pre-cut out a page. I do this in several places in a new casebound journal to make room for collaged pieces throughout the journal. When I come to a spread that contains a tab I simply work over it in some way, perhaps by drawing on it like I did here, or attaching something to the tab.) Click on the image to view an enlargement.

I don't have much more to say about this sketch, except to say that I really enjoy working with the Pentel Pocket Brush pen on Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper. I like it so much in fact that I had to do several sketches in my new journal before I finally got to one that I was willing to paint over. (That's unusual for me.)

To read more about this wonderful paper and its availability in sheets please see yesterday's post.

Great Paper News: Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper Is Available in Sheets

Above: Sketch of a pet store Budgie from a photo (if you know of a pet store open that late in the Twin Cities let me know; I'll go over there and sketch instead). Pentel Pocket brush pen with gouache washes, in an 8 x 9-3/8 inch handbound book I made with sheets of today's paper. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

On January 14, 2012 I posted about my New Year's Day trip to Como Zoo and the new sketchbook in which I was working. The paper I used for this journal has now been released so I can write about it: Strathmore 500 series Mixed Media Paper.

(Please note the 500 series in the name. In a previous post about Strathmore papers a reader wrote in that she didn't understand Strathmore's use of 300 and 400 and 500 in their names. Each denotes a different product line. All 500 series papers from Strathmore are their top of the line, artist quality papers. You've read about my love affair with their 500 series Bristol. Well their 500 Series Mixed Media Paper is a new favorite paper of mine. But I do not care at all for their 300 and 400 Series Mixed Media Paper, so do not get confused. Do not think you are using the same paper I'm writing about unless you are using the 500 series Mixed Media Paper.)

Many of you may have already been using the Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper. It is the paper they use in their Mixed Media journal in their visual journal series. I used it for my many of my class samples when I did an online class for Strathmore in 2011.

I first wrote about the Strathmore Visual Journals and the Mixed Media paper they contained on June 24, 2011. You can read my initial thoughts there. Basically my thoughts have remained unchanged (with a few updates I'll get to in a moment).

I was already in contact with Strathmore at that time for other reasons and I began to relentlessly pester my contact to bring this paper out in full sheets (something in the 22 x 30 inch range or larger) so that I could make my own books with it. While I think their journal with this paper is wonderful, it is a wire-bound journal and we all know I'd rather have a casebound book to more easily work across the spread.

If, like me, you have enjoyed this paper in the journals and would like to make your own books out of it be aware that now you can. Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper is available in sheets and boards. 

It is 100 percent cotton, acid free, lignin free, and archival.

I received sheets of this paper last summer. Because of other committments I was only able to tear it down into signatures before life took me in another direction. But I knew the moment that I tore the paper down and folded it that it was going to become a favorite. Bookbinders will find it easy to fold and tear. The folds will be clean and crisp. There is no cracking when folded with the grain so you can go boldly forth with your binding plans. Also as a 90 lb. paper you'll be able to fit more pages in a slimmer spine. Making a casebound book with this paper is a delight—it holds glue joins between the signatures even with intense usage. (I have been using my test volume since January 1 and have more to say about this below.)

As I wrote in my earlier post about the qualities of this paper, it takes mixed media well and has a good opacity for a 90 lb. sheet. I love using my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen in my visual journal. On this paper not only does it move in an enjoyable manner, the brush pen's heavy ink line is not as visible as it is on some other thin sheets, when you turn the page.

As a 90 lb. sheet I should also point out it is hefty enough to take collage and not feel wimpy in any respect. I just finished collaging all sorts of birthday photos and cards onto pages and the paper totally holds its own.

I should note, in the "revised" opinions portion of this post that what I have found in using this paper more extensively is that sometimes the inks of my PPBP and even my Staedtler Pigment Liner do not dry as quickly as they do on some of the papers I use. So while I can say there is typically no bleeding of my waterproof inks on this paper, upon ocassion I work so quickly with my brush pen (or other pen) and jump so eagerly to applying washes of watercolor or gouache, that I have experienced some minimal bleeding in areas of high ink coverage. This is taken care of with just a little more patience. If you are concerned at all about this I suggest that you pause for a moment after you sketch, wet your watercolors then, not earlier, and then test first in an area where you'll be painting a darker color. I don't do any of that, perferring to just have at it. I'm willing to live with the little bit of ink bleeding I might encouter in my impatience—note that it is greater when brushing over large PPBP strokes where lots of ink was laid down, which is to be expected.

If my seemingly cavalier discussion of bleeding inks confuses you please read my post: "It's Not Waterproof until It's Waterproof."

In the above budgie sketch the background looks a bit streaky. I need, in deference to the paper, to point out that the visible strokes were intentional. I have found that if I want to lay in a nice "watercolor" type wash on this paper I can do so, I'm just not doing much of that these days, preferring to smash around the page with my too big filbert leaving tell-tale strokes. So while this is not the same paper as a traditional watercolor paper you will find that it will enable you to work with watercolor well. (And, since many watercolor papers have so much sizing that ink on them floats "forever" [to the impatient artist] you may find this paper more suited to your working style.)

There are additional characteristics of this paper which make me very fond of it as a visual journaling paper. Foremost is the strength of the sheet. I have not experienced any bleeding through the sheet to the other side. I've used this paper feverishly with tons of water, inks, paints, scrubbing and reapplication and I've yet to break through. I've also not had any pilling of the paper as I apply multiple washes, wet into wet, and rub about more than a "watercolorist" would.

Here's the bad news: While these sheets have been officially available since January 16 it will take a little bit of time for them to arrive in stores. Stores have to decide to carry it, order it, and of course it has to be shipped. (Which reminds me, now that I have successfully pestered Strathmore for this paper in sheet form I need to pester my favorite local independent art supply store, Wet Paint, to stock it!)

I suggest that you get one of the Mixed Media Journals that contains this 500 Series Mixed Media paper and test it for yourself so that you know whether or not you're going to like the paper. Then starting in February you can begin asking your paper supplier when they will carry this paper in sheets. Be sure to always call it Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper to avoid confusion with the other grades of mixed media paper Strathmore produces (neither of which I like at all).  

If I am reading the pricing sheet I received from Strathmore correctly it looks like the paper will be $3.99 per sheet, which is in the same price range as some watercolor sheets of the same size. (22 x 30 inches)

I know that I will be using it in future bookbinding and journaling classes because I know its versatility will suit a variety of students and a range of media and application methods.

I bound this paper finally into a book in December of 2011. (It's the orange decorative paper with blue splotches.) I thought the paper had been released in sheets during the fall (because once I had learned it was going to be and had some test sheets I stopped pestering Strathmore), so I couldn't wait to start the new year with a journal of my own binding and this paper. I will have several more posts over the next couple of weeks that will show you other page spreads and experiments from this journal, on this paper. As of the writing of this post I have 10 spreads left in the journal so it won't last much longer. I'll go off into another journal with a different paper, because I like to switch things up. I already know, however, that I'm going to be coming back to this paper frequently for my visual journal binding needs.

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, nor any review of any Strathmore papers, nor was one requested of me. This summer I did receive my original 17 sheets for binding experiments after incessant pestering for the sheet to be made available. That paper was not purchased. But I paid for it many times over by not being able to talk about it right away (OK, I'm just kidding about that, I did want to talk about it right away, but it wasn't a hardship not to because I knew the paper was coming out soon.) Strathmore also knew, based on my past comments about the 300 and 400 series Mixed Media Samples that they sent me, that I was not pleased with those papers and would say so. At any rate, the Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper is available in sheets now. Try the Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper if you enjoy binding your own journals with paper that can take a variety of media really, really well and hold up to the creative chances you like to take. Or don't try it and continue to enjoy the pilling, bleed through, buckling, and other poor performance characteristics you get from so many other papers.

Eye and Brain Candy for Saturday: The Superest

I rarely hop around the internet much. Even though I'm fortunate to have a super high-speed connection it just isn't fun for me. I'd rather poke around in a book store. (Friends tell me I'm becoming grumpy!) But the other day I was poking around and through a series of delightfully serendipitous events I went from dull site, dull site, dull site to the fabulously addictive site: The Superest.

I could have started you anywhere on the site but for my link above I selected "The Pollen Count" perhaps to remind myself I need to get my allergy shots!

Basically the site is the interplay between the two talented and hillarious illustrators Kevin Cornell and Matthew Sutter. One would draw a character with a super power and the other would draw a character whose power cancels the other artist's character out. Click on the "vanquished" arrow to see who this character vanquished. Click on the "defeated by" arrow to see who defeated the character. It's a stitch. I couldn't stop clicking.

They are no longer playing this game but we still can enjoy it.

Even their blog's comments section has a better tag-line than any other site's. (I'm talking about the "carnage" one, because depending on where you are on the site there are evidently different ones.) There's also a book. And these guys can't stop being funny even when they sell you things—see the additional information at the bottom of the "Bacon" shirt page, "This item will be shipped by Sutter. And he'll probably use it for a towel for a little while too. I know, I know…he's pretty gross."

I could go on and on about the funny little things sprinkled everywhere in the "fine print" of their site, but that would spoil your own joy in discovering them. Go have a lot of laughs right now. (It is a great antidote to grumpy to see creativity in action.)

But wait, there's more. I did a little more poking around and found Kevin Cornell's sketchbook from 2002-03 and there's even a flip the page 180 degrees feature at the site. (You'll understand when you get there and start paging through.)

I could only find this older site Inkfinger for Mike Sutter, and a lot of references to other Mike Sutters I think are probably not him. So if you find something more current, let me know.

Project Friday: Portrait Party Booklet Sewing Demonstration: Japanese Stab Binding

If the above embedded video doesn't work, view this Japanese Stab Binding tutorial at YouTube.

This is another in my new intermittent Project Friday Series. Perhaps this is something that you'll try this weekend. It's always a good weekend when you make a book. If you can have a portrait party that's even more exciting.

Last year I created a video tutorial on creating a Japanese Stab Binding using the MCBA Visual Journal Collective's Third Annual Portrait Party booklet as the model. I then forgot to post it! I discovered this on Monday night after the Fourth Annual Portrait Party when I wrote a thank you to the participants and tried to find various links on my blog.

Since creating the video I've changed software. I had to redo this video with the new software to add titles and it looked as if the bottom of the frame was being edited out so I have some captions which are not actually necessary about the end knot—but at least you can see the end knot! I'm gratified that the image wasn't truncated in the final output.

Why Make This Structure?

First of all a stab binding is a shitty book structure if you are going to work in it because it doesn't open flat. But if you are going to create a book to look at then it becomes a very easy book to put together, especially when you have an unknown number of participants at something like a portrait party.

Because the pages get folded and then stacked, not made into signatures like many other structures, there are no involved collating or imposition issues that you have to work out. (For our first portrait party I designed a 5-hole pamphlet stitch booklet and had to work out an imposition for making the master sheets (to make photocopies from) for a single signature and a double signature pamphlet, in case we had a lot of people show up and more pages than a single signature would bear easily.

That's a bunch of fussy planning work that I'd just as soon not do in advance. And doing imposition on the fly with a lot of people milling about and last minute changes is definitely not something to which I look forward.

For the Japanese stab binding all you need to do is layout your front matter and know that you have to start your portraits on an even numbered page so that an even or verso (left) page portrait will be opposite its odd numbered or recto (right) page portrait partner. Keep repeating that until any endmatter you might have.

Then you just have to make sure that you layout your masters with that in mind, because it is a little counterintuitive for a western-style bookbinder to put the master/art for a recto page on the left side of a print master. You have to remember that the pages are going to be folded with the fold coming forward to the fore edge! When you watch the video you'll see what I mean. (I intend at some point to print out a booklet of detailed instructions because I'd love for people to have this type of party and make editions of books! But for now I think you'll see what I mean if you watch the video.)

Additional Reasons To Make This Structure

1. You're only doing single sided copies so it is a lot simpler for the intrepid soul who volunteers to mind the copier. And a lot faster if you have a slower copier.

2. You don't have to worry about toner showing through the page because there is toner only on one side of the paper.

Additional Notes of Possible Interest and a Debt of Gratitude

After the first portrait party I was worried that if tons of people started attending we would have trouble with the structure. I was talking with my friend Linda Koutsky, who is a designer and makes handmade books as well as jewelry. Linda's niece had just visited. Linda had given Greta folded sheets of legal size paper on which to keep a visual journal during her Minneapolis visit. Linda's plan was to then unfold the legal sheets which had only been sketched upon one side because the fold was at the fore edge. Then she could easily scan or color photocopy these pages to make enough copies to bind a keepsake copy for both sets of grandparents, herself, and the parents. She ended the project by rebinding her niece's copy and returning the original to her.

Well, I looked at that book and thought my problems for making a photocopy edition of the Portrait Party have been solved! And so every year since we have done this structure and I have plans to continue to do so.

I have also used this structure to make some editioned artist books. I made a journal facsimile of my 2011 Minnesota State Fair Journal for our journal bits exchange. 

The structure has other uses, however. Let's say you want to make a collaborative book. Years ago I participated in a mail art project and everyone was required to send in 30 flat sheets to collated into 30 books and be stab bound. Well you can do that, but you can also set the requirement as 2 folded sheets and then every participant has to come up with an opening recto page, a page spread, and a final verso sheet. That would make a very fun collaborative book. Again at the end of the evening everyone could go home with a book of everyone else's work!

If you are traveling with new companions for the first time and don't know how your visual journaling habit will fit into the mix, you could precut art paper to whatever size suited your work and then simply carry the folded sheets around with you, and perhaps a bit of cardboard for backing when working. I would suggest that you date and time your entries so you can get the pages in order if they get mixed up. When you get home you can simply bind your sheets and have a wonderful trip journal—it doesn't matter at this point that you can't open the book flat since you're not working in it. One drawback is that you can't work across spreads, unless you're really good at balancing, or you're sitting down, because you'll have to have two sheets of paper out at the same time. But you could do it if you wanted to—I've done some extreme journaling that would make outdoor enthusiasts shiver! Just be sure to leave room for the binding on all your pages and the cut (non-folded) end and not paint in that gutter margin area.

I would recommend you stay in the legal paper size range for your folded sheets because then you can easily copy your unfolded sheets (before binding) and make a commemorative trip book for everyone in your party (if that's something you think they might enjoy).

I have several projects I hope to involve the journal collective in over the next two years—I'm betting some of them will involve Japanese stab bindings. So even if you are committed to signatures, and working across spreads, and books that open flat, don't discount the positive attributes of this workhorse structure.

Planning a Journal Made of Scraps

Above: A stack of scraps that started to form when I did a "cleanse" of my flat file. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

The other day someone slammed my right hand in a door. (It was a warm day and the bike ride actually saved my life because I had my cycling gloves on and they cushioned the blow.) I was out of commission for several days, unable to drive, write, type, or bind. I even had trouble with my shoelaces. (After a day I was able to sketch on very smooth paper with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen barely held, and with no pressure applied. Why would you want to do that? Hey, I was going crazy. I had to make sure I could sketch without pain at the Portrait Party.)

I have one drawer of my flat file that collects large bits of paper, whole signatures of folded paper that never made it into a book, for instance. I started to take stuff out of the drawer and make a "toss pile." Then I realized that with some scraps I had in my scrap bin I actually had the makings of a new collage journal. (Like "Adjustment: P10.")

I pulled some type cut from magazines and some of my sketches from my collage pile. I think it's going to come together in a fun way. Gathering up a selection of materials in this way is one way that my mind keeps busy thinking up visuals and page layouts, even if I am not able to actually execute them at that moment. Every time I pass the pile on the table I smile because I know that it will soon all merge in a book. And every now and then I add a little something to that pile. 

So when the hand is all healed and I can put pressure on it again I'm going to bind all these scraps up into a journal. I'll keep you posted. I thought it would be fun to have a "before" image of the materials to get you thinking about the possibilities you have lying around on your desk, in drawers, in bins…

Also, when the hand heals I make that video of me tearing paper. I had hoped to do that last week.