The Ungalled Hart

I am excited to share that I have completed my first hidden fore-edge book painting. The chosen book, Tolkien's Beowulf, needed a bit of work since it originally came with a damaged dust jacket. After sewing a new fabric cover for it some time ago, I couldn't resist the urge to paint and gild it. Fore-edge painting requires careful planning, as there's little room for error. While I may create a step-by-step guide with pictures in the future, for now, I’ll just share some helpful tips. Painting Tips: First, ensure the edges of your book are sanded smooth and free of any dust. Using a book press or clamps , you can gently fan out the pages and secure them firmly in place. Then you can lightly pencil out your design. Keep in mind that erasing pencil marks on a book's fore-edge can be difficult, so it's crucial to have your design already planned out and measured. When it comes to painting the fore-edge, pens and markers that won't bleed into the paper are great ch...

I often work on multiple projects simultaneously. Such is my enthusiasm for exploring new hobbies. One of my latest endeavors involves creating a fore-edge painting book press. The design isn’t complicated so I figured it would be simple and less expensive to make one myself. However, as I quickly discovered, having the right tools is essential for woodworking projects. After struggling and unfortunately destroying some beautiful purpleheart wood, I turned to my father for help. He made the press but turned it into a collaboration project by leaving the sanding for me. The end result is a beautiful and unique press that will allow me to fan out the pages of a book at a specific angle, without causing damage to the book covers. I can then paint the fanned-out pages with a creative design. If I gild the book edges with gold, that design will be hidden from view when the book is closed. This traditional method of fore-edge painting dates back to the 15th century, and I am thrilled for a...