Posted by: keegan (155 posts)
May 13, 2005 6:35 PM

Well I just finsihed up my first ten-week course at the Center For Book Arts. The CBA was recommended to me by the master book artist herself, Barb Zuckerman (make sure you check out her TRULY amazing books).

I took Bookbinding I with Nancy Loeber, and I thoroughly enjoyed the class. Bookbinding is one of those step-by-step crafts that requires an enormous amount of first-hand observation of someone who knows what they're doing (and my instructor Nancy clearly does...she was very helpful and patient– highly recommended!). There are many little tips and tricks that would be very hard to understand from the written word, or from a flat diagram - especially the stitches.

I made three books (each with a healthy assortment of mistakes and blemishes) and a cloth-bound case for my current sketchbook (complete with a handy compartment for my drawing tools). I joined as a member at the CBA, and will be periodically renting studio space so I can continue to hone my skills, and make some nice sketchbooks with my Rives Artist paper, fresh from Faulkiner Fine Papers in London (thanks Danielle!).

I whole-heartedly recommend checking out some of the classes at the CBA. It's such a cool workshop with tons of ancient, poweful (and deadly) machines, you will want to poke around and see what everyone is working on. They offer classes in all sorts of bookbinding, case making, letterpress, printmaking and typesetting.

Link: Center for Book Arts | Upcoming classes