Tutor and book artist Sylvia Waltering will guide you through a range of book structures, from simple but effective folding moving on to more complex folds, and going further to learn how to make hard-backed covers and different stitching and binding techniques. Spread over a total of 30 weeks this course is aimed at anybody looking to learn how to make books and explore and develop ideas through the form of the artists book.
There are also weeks with guest tutors showing you how to print with relief print, letterpress and screenprint so your own hand-made books can be interlaced with your own imagery or designed around your own artwork.
You will develop a sound knowledge of materials and techniques and will learn how to make a variety of book structures. These range from simple, yet fascinating structures to more challenging multi-section case-bound books. You will also learn how to make two different portfolio boxes to house and protect loose prints or some of the great books you have made on the course. Whether you have never made a book before or have some experience already, if you like books and you like making, this course is for you.
As well as equipping you with technical knowledge, the course will also dip into exploring narrative, sequencing, text & image and consider the relationship between form and content. If you are new to creative practice you can use the book form to discover your own creativity. If you already have an established visual practice you will be able to explore how this might be translated into the form of the artists book. In addition to bookbinding, the course includes an introduction to some of the other facilities available at Hot Bed Press, such as screen printing, lino-cut and letterpress spread out over the year.
Complete Book Arts is tutored on Tuesday evenings between 6pm and 9pm. The course fee includes a year's membership and an additional 4 hours access to the workshop throughout the week where you can work independently. [Open hours are Mondays to Fridays 10am - 5pm plus Thursday evening to 9pm and the last Saturday of every month 11am - 4pm.] All students wanting more than 4 hours access per week will also be able to top-up their hours with usage in the workshop at any time during open access throughout the week at the hourly rate.
Students are required to sign up for the full 30 weeks. The first payment of £300 secures the place on the course, with further instalments of £100 per month from March to December, payable by standing order on the 15th of the month. (We will send you a standing order form on booking.) Alternatively you can pay the full fee up front.
Basic materials are included in the fee. Students can top up their materials/pay for extra materials throughout the course should they wish to do more. We also include membership of Hot Bed Press for the 20 weeks plus 4 hours a week access so you can carry on in-between taught sessions.
The course is not accredited, but students graduate with a Hot Bed Press certificate in Book Arts.
Course tutor
Sylvia Waltering
Sylvia is an established book artist and has exhibited widely in the UK. She is Senior Lecturer in Photography at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she has worked since 2002. Sylvia has taught at Hot Bed Press for 8 years, and is our expert book artist. As well as running weekend and evening courses Sylvia runs The Complete Book Arts yearlong course.m
