How to Choose a Book to Alter

As children we are taught to respect books:
Don't draw in them.
Don't bend the pages.
Don't mar the cover.

Over time we learn that respect can take many forms. As artists we know that anything can make a good canvas.

Tom Phillips' “A Humument” is considered the earliest altered book. He transformed a Victorian novel into a work of found poetry and art by manipulating the words on the page and adding various images; creating another story from within the original text. Since then, artists have altered books into sculptures, political statements and even pieces of furniture.

I like to think of altering books as a form of creative recycling: A way to put a book with outdated information or marked-up pages to another use rather than resigning it to a landfill. Once you get past the initial phobia of actually writing in a book or ripping out pages, creating an altered book can be an incredibly freeing and cathartic experience.

The book becomes your three-dimensional canvas so it is important to choose a solid foundation to work with. Hardback books are infinitely more desirable than paperback, but the qualification process doesn't stop there.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hardback books
• Discerning eye

1. 
   This book is otherwise fine to alter, but its cover is damaged and beginning to separate at the spine. At the very least it would need to be reinforced or possibly rebound before you could alter it.

   Judge this book by its cover. If you have a specific idea in mind for your cover, check for embossing or imprints that may get in the way or require a work-around. Look for water damage or separating layers of book board under the cloth or leather that may need to be reinforced before you create your masterpiece. Also make sure the cover is firmly attached to the spine.

2. 
   These stitches, though 60 years old, are still strong and sturdy.

   Examine the binding. A prime candidate for altering is a book with stitched signatures (as opposed to glued) whose stitches are still strong.

3. 
   Even though these books are silimar in age, the one on the left has brittle pages that would not stand up to artwork being applied.

   Look for healthy pages. Age on a book is not an automatic disqualifier (often quite the contrary), but you want to make sure the paper has aged well. Coated pages (like those found in old encyclopedias or text books) age very well. Uncoated sheets can become dry and brittle over time and may crumble when painted on or glued.

4. Sniff carefully. Sometimes a book may appear fine, but the nose knows if the tome has a hidden secret. A musty smell, smoke or animal odors may indicate a book has been mistreated or is otherwise not fit for altering.

5. Know the cost. First editions and current best-sellers are not always the best choice to use as an altered book because the cost and overall value of the book may be more than you want to sacrifice for your art. Yard, garage and tag sales are great places to find sturdy, inexpensive books to alter. Also check your local library stores that sell older, out-of-date books for a fraction of the cost of new. Many alterers set a price limit for materials no higher than 50 cents, but I have been known to pay up to $5 for a book with a great title that inspires me.

6. 
   Sticky flags are great for marking phrases that inspire you.

   Read a page or two. Inspiration can come from anywhere, including the book itself. While the book's title is an obvious place to start, chapter titles and randomly opened-to pages can also act as your muse. I have actually read an entire book before starting on the alter, but I don't necessarily recommend it--this leads to library building and not art creation!

Tips & Warnings

• If an odor is minor, sealing it in a bag with baking soda or activated charcoal for a few days may take the offending scents away.

Resources

• ISABA: the International Society of Altered Book Artists

[scrapsoflife]

on 9/16/2008 Enchanted: There really are no hard and fast rules about how to alter a book. What you've described is making a niche and that's certainly a fun way to work on a book but not the only way by far! Enjoy the process however it works best for you.

[enchantedcrops]

on 9/15/2008 This is a completely different approach from what I have heard about altering books. I have seen shows on television where the artist says to glue all the papers together, then cut a hole in the middle of each side, inserting another object d'arte in the hole, while painting and altering the rest of the book with embellishments. Thanks for this idea. It sounds much more my style.

[vallain]

on 7/29/2008 I've wanted to try this, but it's hard to get started. Thanks for these tips.

[BlueOx]

on 4/12/2008 Neat idea.

[amandaford]

on 11/8/2007 Thanks for the inspiration. I've always admired altered books, but never made one of my own. You've definitely inspired me to dive in with confidence.