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demmiblue

(36,742 posts)
Sat Sep 19, 2015, 09:41 AM Sep 2015

There Are Many Ways To Illustrate Books, But None So Breathtaking As These

Source: ViralNova

Artist Su Blackwell illustrates books. That might not sound very unusual, but Blackwell's illustrations turn books into detailed, haunting scenes -- quite literally. That's because the art she creates is made using the books themselves, the pages cut, folded, and pasted into intricate, three-dimensional scenes that capture not only the narrative, but the feeling of the books.

Using strategically placed lighting, the scenes glow with inner light that's at once warm and lonely. Blackwell is drawn to solitary places, like the forests, coastlines, and isolated houses that make up so many folklore and fairy tale stories. She uses minimal color to emphasize certain items, but for the most part, the images keep the black and white print pattern, with shape and texture identifying them. Wires hold up some pieces, making them appear to float in midair.

If her work seems a bit unsettling, it's because Blackwell intends for it to be so, and strives to capture the full range of emotion covered by the stories. "I tend to lean towards young girl characters, placing them in haunting, fragile settings, expressing the vulnerability of childhood, while also conveying a sense of childhood anxiety and wonder," she explains. "There is a quiet melancholy in the work, depicted in the material used, and choice of subtle color."


To Kill A Mockingbird, 2015


Red Riding Hood, 2010


The Master and Margarita, 2014


Matilda, 2014

More: http://www.viralnova.com/su-blackwell/
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There Are Many Ways To Illustrate Books, But None So Breathtaking As These (Original Post) demmiblue Sep 2015 OP
Their title is a bit edhopper Sep 2015 #1
The world of books has never been so enchanting! ananda Sep 2015 #2
What a beautifully unique, and intriguing, concept. nt procon Sep 2015 #3
Where's "50 Shades of Grey"? AlbertCat Sep 2015 #4
We have to wait for the leather bound edition to come out. demmiblue Sep 2015 #9
Remember Edward Gorey? AlbertCat Sep 2015 #11
These are beautiful. Thank you for the post. oldandhappy Sep 2015 #5
I have illustrated many books... gregcrawford Sep 2015 #6
I have seen many of these types of "book carvings." demmiblue Sep 2015 #8
What a wonderful concept beautifully executed. justhanginon Sep 2015 #7
Incredible...Thanks for posting! KoKo Sep 2015 #10
Almost as good as Kramer's Coffee Table book! world wide wally Sep 2015 #12
My reaction came in stages. Binkie The Clown Sep 2015 #13
 

AlbertCat

(17,505 posts)
11. Remember Edward Gorey?
Sat Sep 19, 2015, 11:58 AM
Sep 2015

He used to fool around with the form of what a "book" could be.

I seem to remember an amazing one that...when flat looked like any book, but it had a "window" in the front cover, and all the "pages" were actually accordion pleated together like the bellows of a still camera. So when you looked in the "window" with the bellows extended, it looked like you were looking down a long path of topiary. There were tabs in the bellows at intervals that when manipulated would make creatures peak and come out of the topiary.

gregcrawford

(2,382 posts)
6. I have illustrated many books...
Sat Sep 19, 2015, 11:09 AM
Sep 2015

... and I've been a professional model builder (yes, there really is such a thing!), so I know what went into creating these images. And to say these really are breathtaking is not hyperbole at all; it's just true!

LOVE 'em! Well done.

demmiblue

(36,742 posts)
8. I have seen many of these types of "book carvings."
Sat Sep 19, 2015, 11:25 AM
Sep 2015

I am always gobsmacked by the creativity.

What sets these apart, for me, is the use of light and shadow to create mood. I adore Red Riding Hood. Perhaps it is the most simplistic of the bunch, yet it is the one that draws me in the most.

Thank you for chiming in!

justhanginon

(3,287 posts)
7. What a wonderful concept beautifully executed.
Sat Sep 19, 2015, 11:23 AM
Sep 2015

Thanks for posting this. It is always nice to see new ideas brought forth in art. Loved it!

Binkie The Clown

(7,911 posts)
13. My reaction came in stages.
Sat Sep 19, 2015, 12:33 PM
Sep 2015

The first one: Oh! That's really cool!
The second one: That's nice too.
The third one: Oh, that again.

Kind of the way I reacted to Thomas Kinkade or Manheim Steamroller.

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