Check it out for more information and all sorts of vintage book goodness!
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Sunday, December 4, 2011
New Blog - Pictures and Print!
I've started a new blog called Pictures and Print! For some time now, I have been sharing vintage books from my own collection here on my sketch blog to show where some of my inspirations come from. I enjoy sharing my books so much that I decided to create a spin-off blog specifically for that purpose. My collection is always growing, so I will always have new books to share as well as other vintage items of interests, such as magazines, comics, and more.
Check it out for more information and all sorts of vintage book goodness!
...I also often post on Instagram, vintage related and not, as jackieocean. Feel free to follow along!
Check it out for more information and all sorts of vintage book goodness!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Inspirations: Vintage Books no.12
It's been a while since I shared a vintage book that I find inspiring, so tonight I pulled one from my collection and scanned some pages. I picked this up at my favorite local used book store because I loved the simplicity and quirkiness of the interior illustrations. My favorite is the page where a duck is sporting a top hat, jacket, glasses, and a walking cane.
The book is titled Morning Noises and is written and illustrated by Alain Grée, and published by Wonder Books, Inc. in 1962.
All previous posts featuring books from my collection can be viewed by clicking here.
The book is titled Morning Noises and is written and illustrated by Alain Grée, and published by Wonder Books, Inc. in 1962.
All previous posts featuring books from my collection can be viewed by clicking here.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Inspirations: Vintage Books no.11
Yesterday I visited my favorite local used bookstore, Books and Memories, as a way to kick off the weekend. I found some more great vintage books to add to my collection and thought I would feature one of them today.
The book is titled Sailor Jack And Eddy and is from a series of early reader books about Sailor Jack. The authors are Selma and Jack Wasserman, the illustrator is Robert S. Robison, and the book was published in 1961 by Benefic Press. The story is about a little boy named Eddy who stows away on the submarine Shark during his elementary school field trip.
I initially picked up the book because it has the bold colored canvas cover that can be found on many books from the '50s and '60s. I'm a big fan of these covers for their simplified design with limited colors and bold shapes, and am often tempted to take books home solely based on the cover design. This book is a nice bonus, because not only is the cover great but the inside illustrations are classic as well. The artist used a three color printing scheme - blue, yellow, and red - which is layered to make any green or orange that is needed. The result is a composition that has been very well planned out to make use of the printing technology that was available at the time.
I particularly like how some illustrations rely more on shapes than falling back completely on black outlines (like the sailors in the background of the final image below). The lines that are used are also nice and fluid - look at the continuous swoop of the pen that makes the sailor's legs as he walks in the image below. Older books like this are a good reminder that less can be more when it comes to art. Sometimes by setting some limits you can come up with a stronger composition and not be tempted to fill the picture with more just because you can.
The book is titled Sailor Jack And Eddy and is from a series of early reader books about Sailor Jack. The authors are Selma and Jack Wasserman, the illustrator is Robert S. Robison, and the book was published in 1961 by Benefic Press. The story is about a little boy named Eddy who stows away on the submarine Shark during his elementary school field trip.
I initially picked up the book because it has the bold colored canvas cover that can be found on many books from the '50s and '60s. I'm a big fan of these covers for their simplified design with limited colors and bold shapes, and am often tempted to take books home solely based on the cover design. This book is a nice bonus, because not only is the cover great but the inside illustrations are classic as well. The artist used a three color printing scheme - blue, yellow, and red - which is layered to make any green or orange that is needed. The result is a composition that has been very well planned out to make use of the printing technology that was available at the time.
I particularly like how some illustrations rely more on shapes than falling back completely on black outlines (like the sailors in the background of the final image below). The lines that are used are also nice and fluid - look at the continuous swoop of the pen that makes the sailor's legs as he walks in the image below. Older books like this are a good reminder that less can be more when it comes to art. Sometimes by setting some limits you can come up with a stronger composition and not be tempted to fill the picture with more just because you can.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Recycled Book Wreath
Earlier this week I made a new wreath for the front door, since the holiday one I made has once again been put into storage for the year.
I've seen people make wreaths out of books and sheet music before, so I thought that would be fun to try with some discarded library books that I had. Originally, when I thought of the project a while back, I was going to cut out lots of leaves, but I decided that would take too long. I had seen one made of sheet music on Etsy before where the papers were rolled, so that seemed like a good method to try for this project. I flipped over a large pad of newsprint drawing paper to use as a work surface, since I was sitting on the carpet and didn't want to get any stray glue on it.
I started off by cutting a base ring out of a cardboard box. If you have trouble drawing even circles, and don't have a compass, you can use different size plates and bowls to trace. The book I used for this project is a discarded paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone that I took from the free pile at the library (I feel that the choice of book makes the wreath all the more suitable for my home). Just ask at your local library, or even a used book store, to see if they have any books they are discarding or giving away. I am always picking up discarded books to save for future projects. The only other materials I used are scissors and a hot glue gun. You could probably also use regular Elmer's Glue instead of hot glue, but I was impatient and I also thought that the hot glue might be a bit sturdier in the long run.
I separated the book pages from the glued binding by ripping the book into a few smaller sections and then carefully tearing the pages off one by one. It came apart pretty easily and I hardly had to use the scissors at all. I quite like the slightly ragged edges that some of the rolls of paper have from ripping them instead of clean cut edges.
After separating the pages, I then rolled them into tubes, securing them closed with a strip of hot glue at the end of the roll. I started hot gluing the rolls of paper around the cardboard ring. The first layer of paper rolls was glued so that half the roll was on the cardboard ring and half was sticking out. The second layer was then glued on top of the paper rolls, moving in towards the center of the ring. Eventually there were three of four layers of paper, with the top layers being made of paper rolls that were cut in half to add some shape variety.
Ideally, I should have more carefully planned out the spacing of the tubes before gluing them, something I figured out too late into the project. I may have also been slightly distracted by watching Dr. Who on Netflix while I was sitting on the carpet working. Oops! There are a few gaps I might try and fix, but I only have a couple pages from the book left over and I don't want to mix in pages from another book and risk having the difference in paper color stand out. I might try again at some point with a different style of wreath, but overall it's not too bad for a first attempt.
All in all, the wreath measures about 18 inches across. It's not heavy at all, and all of the layered rolls of paper actually make it quite sturdy. I cut a U-shape out of cardboard and hot glued it to the back of the cardboard ring to make a hook for hanging it on the door. The wreath is easily lightweight enough to hang from a 3M hook. I'm pretty happy with the way it came out, and it didn't cost me a penny since I either had the supplies on hand or was recycling.
I've seen people make wreaths out of books and sheet music before, so I thought that would be fun to try with some discarded library books that I had. Originally, when I thought of the project a while back, I was going to cut out lots of leaves, but I decided that would take too long. I had seen one made of sheet music on Etsy before where the papers were rolled, so that seemed like a good method to try for this project. I flipped over a large pad of newsprint drawing paper to use as a work surface, since I was sitting on the carpet and didn't want to get any stray glue on it.
I started off by cutting a base ring out of a cardboard box. If you have trouble drawing even circles, and don't have a compass, you can use different size plates and bowls to trace. The book I used for this project is a discarded paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone that I took from the free pile at the library (I feel that the choice of book makes the wreath all the more suitable for my home). Just ask at your local library, or even a used book store, to see if they have any books they are discarding or giving away. I am always picking up discarded books to save for future projects. The only other materials I used are scissors and a hot glue gun. You could probably also use regular Elmer's Glue instead of hot glue, but I was impatient and I also thought that the hot glue might be a bit sturdier in the long run.
I separated the book pages from the glued binding by ripping the book into a few smaller sections and then carefully tearing the pages off one by one. It came apart pretty easily and I hardly had to use the scissors at all. I quite like the slightly ragged edges that some of the rolls of paper have from ripping them instead of clean cut edges.
After separating the pages, I then rolled them into tubes, securing them closed with a strip of hot glue at the end of the roll. I started hot gluing the rolls of paper around the cardboard ring. The first layer of paper rolls was glued so that half the roll was on the cardboard ring and half was sticking out. The second layer was then glued on top of the paper rolls, moving in towards the center of the ring. Eventually there were three of four layers of paper, with the top layers being made of paper rolls that were cut in half to add some shape variety.
Ideally, I should have more carefully planned out the spacing of the tubes before gluing them, something I figured out too late into the project. I may have also been slightly distracted by watching Dr. Who on Netflix while I was sitting on the carpet working. Oops! There are a few gaps I might try and fix, but I only have a couple pages from the book left over and I don't want to mix in pages from another book and risk having the difference in paper color stand out. I might try again at some point with a different style of wreath, but overall it's not too bad for a first attempt.
All in all, the wreath measures about 18 inches across. It's not heavy at all, and all of the layered rolls of paper actually make it quite sturdy. I cut a U-shape out of cardboard and hot glued it to the back of the cardboard ring to make a hook for hanging it on the door. The wreath is easily lightweight enough to hang from a 3M hook. I'm pretty happy with the way it came out, and it didn't cost me a penny since I either had the supplies on hand or was recycling.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Inspirations: Vintage Books no.10
I hadn't been to the local used book store in a while, so last night I went to check it out and see what was new. I found a few great vintage childrens' books to add to my collection, including the one below.
Alexander, by Harold Littledale and illustrated by Tom Vroman, was published by Parents' Magazine Press in 1964. The illustrations in the book make great use of strong lines, simple shapes, and vibrant colors. The pages in the book alternate from full color to black and white with red accents on every other page. Many of the color pages make great use of utilizing the white space around the images, with the little boy in the book often moving around on the white of the page while Alexander the horse is in the main color image.
You can click the tags at the bottom of this post to re-visit the previous books and inspiration posts.
Alexander, by Harold Littledale and illustrated by Tom Vroman, was published by Parents' Magazine Press in 1964. The illustrations in the book make great use of strong lines, simple shapes, and vibrant colors. The pages in the book alternate from full color to black and white with red accents on every other page. Many of the color pages make great use of utilizing the white space around the images, with the little boy in the book often moving around on the white of the page while Alexander the horse is in the main color image.
You can click the tags at the bottom of this post to re-visit the previous books and inspiration posts.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Inspirations: Vintage Books no.9
Last weekend I visited the local used book store and found two more vintage hardcover books to add to my collection. Both were in beautiful condition, with the only markings being either the previous owner's name inked on the inside cover or a stamp from the school library the book used to belong to.
The first one is a cute early reader book published by Beckley-Cardy, Chicago in 1953 titled Bucky Button by Edith S. McCall, with illustrations by Jack Faulkner. This book has the two color printing scheme that I find myself drawn to in many of the vintage books that I pick up. I particularly like the design of the cover, with the truck being off center and cropped halfway out of the frame.
The second book is titled Eight Fairy Tales, edited by Watty Piper, and published by The Platt & Munk Co., Inc. As far as a publication date, the book is listed with a copyright for 1934 and 1938, and the former owner wrote 1958 on the inside cover. The book is in really good shape, so I'm leaning more towards a 1950s printing. There is no artist credit listed for the illustrations save for a signature that says "Eulalie" on several of the illustrations (there is a mix of color and black and white pictures throughout the book).
The eight fairy tales told in this book are Peter Pan (which I think has the best illustrations), Cinderella, Dick Whittington, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss In Boots, The Three Bears, and Tom Thumb.
The first one is a cute early reader book published by Beckley-Cardy, Chicago in 1953 titled Bucky Button by Edith S. McCall, with illustrations by Jack Faulkner. This book has the two color printing scheme that I find myself drawn to in many of the vintage books that I pick up. I particularly like the design of the cover, with the truck being off center and cropped halfway out of the frame.
The second book is titled Eight Fairy Tales, edited by Watty Piper, and published by The Platt & Munk Co., Inc. As far as a publication date, the book is listed with a copyright for 1934 and 1938, and the former owner wrote 1958 on the inside cover. The book is in really good shape, so I'm leaning more towards a 1950s printing. There is no artist credit listed for the illustrations save for a signature that says "Eulalie" on several of the illustrations (there is a mix of color and black and white pictures throughout the book).
The eight fairy tales told in this book are Peter Pan (which I think has the best illustrations), Cinderella, Dick Whittington, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss In Boots, The Three Bears, and Tom Thumb.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Inspirations: Vintage Books no.8
I thought that today would be a good day to spotlight a few more vintage books from my collection.
This first book, Our State Birds by Mary I. Curtis, was found at an estate sale for a family that was getting ready to move - not too shabby for $1! I mainly picked it up because I liked the cover design, but there are also some nice black and white bird illustrations in the inside, including a few amusing ones of Betty Draper-esque women feeding birds and watching them with binoculars. The end papers that are inside the cover also have a great map illustration with all of the state birds. The book is from 1947, published by Lyons and Carnahan, and illustrated by Julia Morrison.
This second book, Make and Make-Believe by Arthur I. Gates and Miriam Blanton Huber, was found at one of the used book stores in Syracuse and was also a case of picking it up because I liked the cover and the end papers. The inside illustrations aren't too shabby either, and are printed in a mainly blue and orange color scheme to match the cover. The cover design itself looks like it was drawing inspiration from Maxfield Parrish. The book is from 1931, published by The Macmillan Company, and illustrated by George M. Richards.
This first book, Our State Birds by Mary I. Curtis, was found at an estate sale for a family that was getting ready to move - not too shabby for $1! I mainly picked it up because I liked the cover design, but there are also some nice black and white bird illustrations in the inside, including a few amusing ones of Betty Draper-esque women feeding birds and watching them with binoculars. The end papers that are inside the cover also have a great map illustration with all of the state birds. The book is from 1947, published by Lyons and Carnahan, and illustrated by Julia Morrison.
This second book, Make and Make-Believe by Arthur I. Gates and Miriam Blanton Huber, was found at one of the used book stores in Syracuse and was also a case of picking it up because I liked the cover and the end papers. The inside illustrations aren't too shabby either, and are printed in a mainly blue and orange color scheme to match the cover. The cover design itself looks like it was drawing inspiration from Maxfield Parrish. The book is from 1931, published by The Macmillan Company, and illustrated by George M. Richards.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Inspirations: Vintage Books no.7
Here are a few more recent additions to my collection of books, picked up at a household sale. I scanned in the front and back covers from six books out of a series called Little Folk's Library. Each book measures approximately 5.75" wide by 4.5" tall. They were all published by Newson & Company in 1928. I love the cover illustrations on these, with simple but bold color schemes. I particularly like the Tom Thumb one that is pictured first below. All of the books have interior illustrations as well, printed in black, white, and one additional color.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)