Above: The final page in the test book I made using Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media paper. Click on the image to view an enlargement. Yes the book was turned on its side, the spine is at the top of the image.
Today's superstition was somewhat addressed in Superstition 14 (working across spreads) because I used an example in which I had turned the book 90 degress so that the fore edge was not the base of the image. Also Superstition 1 (an introduction to the superstitions series) showed an image which ran across the spread in a book that had been turned 90 degrees as well. But I decided that this superstition needed a posting all its own—You may turn your book any direction you want to turn it. (And you can work on the full spread or simply one page—whichever you prefer.)
Why might you want to turn your book 90 degrees? Well, sometimes, as on this day, you might only have one page left in your book and you might want to draw in landscape format (wider than it is tall) instead of portrait format (taller than it is wide). If I had not turned the book on this day I wouldn't have been able to draw the dog's face this large and get all of his head and enough of his paws onto the narrower portrait orientation. I already knew that I wanted to draw him with the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen, so I also knew that I wanted to work rather large.
Don't let a little thing like which way you turn your book keep you from having fun creating the image that you see in your mind.
And in an aside about paper, it was with a lot of mixed feelings that I left my first book made with Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper. As you know by now if you've read any of the other posts made while I was working in this journal I've really enjoyed working with the paper. For my thorough review of the paper please read "Great Paper News."
I have another book which I made with this paper, but I didn't select it for my next journal. I like changing up the papers with which I work. I'm currently testing another white paper for my everywhere journal. And after I finish that journal I'll be going on to a toned paper journal (white paper is wonderful, but I do miss working on toned paper). So for now it's good bye to this paper.
it is funny that you write about that now, because yesterday I had a chat with a friend who was in the bus with me while I was sketching (3 spreads, just quick gesture sketches of the commuters). I turned my journal upside down and back again, and she was awing me, "how daring you are!" I never thought one could be restricted by such things as this is my sketchbook. even if I felt I wanted to fill it with peanut butter and marmelade to express a certain feeling I would go and do it (just searching for an extreme example here ;-). it is mine.
great how you point out those superstitions that keep us in too big a (misunderstood) respect of our "precious blank books", as this is what inhibits creativity. I have learnt a lot from this series of yours, thank you!
Posted by: Julie Paradise | February 17, 2012 at 08:01 AM
Julie, thanks for writing and I am so glad you were there on hand to be a wonderful role model to your friend as you were sketching.
There are so many ways to feel "precious" about our "precious" books. I love turning my book on its side in class demos because there are little aha moments when the students realize they don't have be faced with the single page or page spread in a single orientation.
One of the many great things about a visual journal is that it allows us the opportunity to experiment as the moment dictates.
I hope you have many more fun bus sketching trips! (But I kinda sorta hope you don't put peanut butter and marmelade in your journal, extreme example or not…But if you were to do so I hope you'd have fun.)
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | February 17, 2012 at 09:07 AM
When I'm working with single pages I turn my sketchbook on their side a lot, particularly for landscape formats. I agree...being 'too precious' can inhibit creativity. :)
Posted by: Serena | February 17, 2012 at 02:50 PM
Simply love the expression on that dog.
Posted by: Elizabeth A | February 17, 2012 at 04:07 PM
Elizabeth, thanks, the face should be wider, but the eye totally worked and so I decided to fudge things rather than restate lines. I'm glad you enjoyed him.
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | February 17, 2012 at 04:22 PM
Serena, I'm glad to hear the boundaries of the book aren't stopping you from using it to its fullest—Keep turning those books, and those pages!
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | February 17, 2012 at 04:23 PM
This concept hit me like a lighting bolt when I saw this journal by Andrea Joseph (whose blog I found through you, I'm sure): http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreajoseph/sets/72157627054894528/
Posted by: Heather | February 17, 2012 at 04:24 PM
Heather, thanks for sending that link to Andrea's flickr page. I went there and found some really cool spreads that look as if she turned her book 90 degrees, at every corner (that's the only way I can describe it after a long day), so that each corner is in a different orientation. Very FUN!
Posted by: Roz Stendahl | February 17, 2012 at 04:36 PM