So some fucker keeps making posts about her goddamn comp books and after enough posts about them and obsessing over how cool and fun it looked, I decided to make one...
under the conditions that I was a) not keeping it and b) not blogging about it.
The last thing I needed was to be self conscious while I worked on this bullshit, especially since I have been posting so much of my art on instagram. Actually working on this project made me realize I have to cut back on that, even at the cost of not being as "present" on social media. As much as I don't do well in a void, I don't do well without my void to retreat to, either.
The reason I didn't want to keep it was the same. I wanted to be able to put whatever I wanted in it without worry about who around the house picked it up and read it. Without worrying about myself reading it.
With that said, here's the cover and the 6 pages (out of 40+) that I am ok with sharing. It's been sitting under my desk in an envelope for a few weeks now, I really gotta get it mailed off.
The cover. This comp book was a Christmas gift, otherwise I would never have just had one on hand and therefore never done this project.
Learned a few pages in that you really need to tape 2 pages together or you get bleed through awful. I should have just bought, idk, a fucking sketchbook.
Also. I go through a stupid amount of black watercolor.
There are definitely a good few completely silly pages. It is Deep Dark Secrets AND Happy Thoughts, after all. I lost my shit the entire time I was making this page. Still lose my shit looking at that mug sometimes.
Over arching theme.
This magazine clipping will never not make me laugh.
Stamp tests.
And the truth. I have always had a really weird hatred for comp books, probably the standard size, thin pages, boring covers, unforgiving binding, weird warping if you look at them wrong. But in a way, I actually enjoyed all those things while working on this. I liked that I had to tape pages together, I liked that it getting fucked up and crinkly and weird was inevitable, I liked the obnoxious lines through my drawings. It kept it casual.
I want to make another, or else adopt the lax nature into my written journals.
Probably not in another comp book though.
Those decomposition ones are at the art store, extra spency just cause.... I do something similar (but still a bit self curated/censored) in spiral bound notebooks. But it's all in there....
ReplyDeleteI like the look of the decomp books, but from other people who have had theirs longer than I had mine, they do kinda start to degrade and have binding issues pretty fast...
DeleteWhat I don't entirely get is why spiral and comp books instead of proper journals that hold up? No honesty without crinkles?
Just got it today! Will respond more via letter, but just wanted to tell you: I saw the painting of James before I read about it. The minute I saw it, I said to myself, "Oh. Met drew herself with a beard! Cool!" and then I read the words, and cracked up! :-) He's awesome tho. As is the whole book, and I'm only halfway through it.
ReplyDeletegoddamn it, I mean, I know y'all aren't wrong, but still. Goddamn it.
DeleteGlad the abomination against god made it to you and that you're so far enjoying it. :P