Regardless of how very much I enjoy working in my art journals, they present one special problem that I have trouble dealing with, and that’s the seam down the middle of the spreads. I’ve constructed the journals in a way which is supposed to allow them to be opened flat, and they will do that, though more so towards the middle of the book and less so towards the front and back.
But, even so, the seam is such a limiting feature. I have to be very careful what part of the spread I put there. Certainly it can’t be anything particularly important to the design and it can get lost in the crease or damaged with repeated opening and closing of the book.
So, effectively, the seam divides the piece neaty in two. What to do?
As I reviewed my spreads in my mind, it seemed I was using the same tired composition over and over again. This one in these four examples -
The focal point on one side, and other stuff on the other side.
So, how big a problem is this? Maybe not that bad. It does work. And I do have other types of compositions, but I'd say this is the one I use most. Perhaps it's because so many of my spreads include "portraits" of animals, and it would be if-y to have part of a portrait in the seam.
Anyway - onwards!
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