Give old prints a new life in an explosion book
I was going to say “use up your old duff prints”, but it is more positive to think of this activity as transforming your less than prefect proofs, giving them a new and exciting life, and sharing them with other people in a different way.
When I am developing a new print I always end up with a pile of ‘practice’ ones which may have nice sections in them but generally are not top quality. It is hard to actually chuck these out so they tend to accumulate in the studio.
Some people use these for cards or collages but I really like making explosion books with them.
What is an Explosion book?
These little books pack a punch – even when you know what to expect, you still get a thrill when the contents pop out at you.
They are very tactile and encourage people to explore the shape, turning it over and opening and closing it. I think this also encourages people to look at the sampler of prints in side in a new light.
The way the book folds up into itself and closes makes each new opening feel as if you are discovering a secret.
Watch a video here, showing prints displayed in explosion books.
Here are some examples of explosion books I have made
These ones all feature sections of prints which didn’t quite make it! I often use old plates to make the covers, these give a lovely tactile surface which adds an extra dimension to the whole experience of looking at the book.
Marbled paper samples
Paper marbling always produces piles of decorative papers – this book is a sampler of different marbled patterns.
Wave
These prints are made from combed cement plates, which I have used to make the cover.
I had a plan for them but got distracted, so when I rediscovered them an explosion book seemed a good way to preserve them.
The idea of a wave moving and tumbling links well with the form of the explosion book.
Babel
This was an experiment with text to accompany a larger print. Thinking about language and how it can divide us, I used a quote from Genesis about the tower of Babel.
In its new incarnation the print has been fragmented which continues the idea of words and mis-communication.
Kingfisher
I got really excited when I saw a kingfisher for the first time last summer. I spent ages trying to make a print that expressed the experience of seeing an electric flash of blue in a dappled shadowy brown river.
Somehow, it didn’t really work, (however I might return to it) and I have re imagined the print in this explosion book. The covers for this one are also made from tile cement printing plates.
Once again, the fragmenting of the print suits the subject as it reflects the momentary experience of glimpsing a kingfisher in action.
Make your own explosion book
You will need:
3 squares of paper, in this example I used 20cm square.
2 squares of cardboard, 11cm x 11cm
A glue stick
Fold your paper
1. Fold the first piece in half, bringing opposite edges together. Open it out and fold in half the other way.
Open it out.
2. Turn the paper over so the folded edges point upwards (aka ‘mountain fold’)
Fold it in half diagonally by bringing one corner across to the opposite one.
3. Press it in the middle so the small triangles fold inwards. Collapse it down into a 10cm square and press it flat.
Do the same with the other two squares of paper.
Glue the 3 sections together
Arrange the 3 sections with the first one pointing towards you, the middle one pinting away and the third one pointing towards you.
Slide the squares on the middle section inside the squares of the sections on either side.
Glue the squares together where they overlap.
Congratulations! You have now made the inside pages of your explosion book!
Add a stiff cover
Use mountboard or any stiff cardboard for the cover, you can also use an old printing plate if it has nice textures on it.
Make the cover a centimetre bigger than the folded pages; glue it on so it sticks out half a centimetre all round, this will protect the edges of the pages inside.
Fill your explosion book with images
I used cut up prints, leaving a gap all round the edge so the book will still fold easily. Instead of cutting up prints you could make small ones specially – a great project for the tiny printing press!
You dont need to limit yourself to prints, why not add photos, drawings or text as well?
This is one of those lovely activities that is great for all ages, from young children upwards. I hope you enjoy it, send me a picture if you make an explosion book yourself.
18 thoughts on “Make an Explosion book to display your prints”
Thanks. I will try one.
Excellent!
What a great idea, thanks for showing us this. I’ve made three so far! I wondered whether you had ever made them double sided ie with images on the inside and outside of the paper? Perhaps that would that make it too cumbersome?
So glad to hear about your explosion books Ian. I haven’t made any double sided ones, but if the stuck on paper wan fairly thin i guess it would be fine. If you want a variation it is fun to stick the sections together in different ways (ie not in a straight line) and make a book that changes direction…..
Just made my first explosion book. Made it double sided as thought a blank side looked a bit odd, paper wasn’t too thick so is okay. I think in future though I will use add a monoprint to the reverse, and add the prints to the front.
Its a good idea to have a ‘backing paper’- I think the structure lends itself to lots of variations……
Making some backing papers by trying out my new wood graining tool ! Sadly, it doesn’t have as good a grain as yours, but still interesting images.
Maybe you just need a bit more time messing about with it?
I think it is a wonderful idea: I have hundreds of gelli prints that would work beautifully!
It sounds as though you will be busy for a while!
Thank you Emily for your generosity in showing us how to make these ( excellent video) and for the inspiration of your beautifully made ones. All printers have so many cast offs that have something about them that makes them hard to throw out and now there’s another lovely product that can be made from them.
Thanks for your lovely comment Susan – I hope you will enjoy making some books yourself as well.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Emily….can’t wait to have a go and experiment! can I ask – what kind(s) of glue work best please? I’ve mostly made folded books before, and rarely used glue.
Hi Sue
for small areas of paper I think Pritt stick works well – easy to put on, and to get off before it dries and holds fast. As it is (sort of dry) you don’t get the issues of sticking wet paper to dry which can lead to cockling.
Hi Emily,
Is your kingfisher print a collograph? I love the combination of colours and shapes…can you discuss your method?
Britt Gow
Yes it is collagraph – I used bathroom tile adhesive to make it. An old piece of netting laid onto he plate and the tile cement spread on top; when the net came off it left the ‘blobby’ patterns where the cement had gone through the holes.
THIS is amazing