How To Add A Dutch Door Cover Page To Your Sketchbook
In case anyone thought that filling a sketchbook was about page after page of blank canvases that are all the same, guess again, there are so many ways one can customize the pages of a sketchbook or journal by adding cutouts! Imagine that? I recently turned a page into a frame for the artwork underneath it, and one can do this in so many ways, with craft punches or simply using a craft knife and ruler, or, yes, quite simply scissors! Another way to customize a sketchbook or journal, and especially a bullet journal, is to work with the idea of the dutch door, namely cutting a page, or pages, in half horizontally, and possibly even removing one of the portions. There are many ways to go with this idea, and I have given the vertical dutch door (not really a thing, but hey we can get creative can’t we?) botanical silhouette idea a try, and it is truly so simple and adds interest that is simply not achievable in any other way. A vertical dutch door makes a great title page if you are dividing your journal according to months, or is just a fun way to play with juxtaposition of sketches. I love how the strip of geometric doodles peeks out from the next page, and invites one to turn the page! So lets take a closer look at this fun way to add interest to your sketchbook or journal…..
If you are wondering what is on the next page, I posted that earlier this week, and you can take a look here.
How To Make A Botanical Dutch Door Cutout:
- First, in pencil, draw the subject matter of your choice. Botanicals work really well for this, but it could be any shape you like. One could plan to remove half of the page, but realistically, removing a third of the page looks the best, generally.
- Go over your pencil lines/refine your drawing with ink, markers etc.
- Now cut around your sketch, and do think about leaving vertical edges at the top and bottom of the page, (this looks the nicest) and voila, your sketchbook just became something else entirely!
As you can see here, the vertical dutch door idea is an exercise in the juxtaposition of pattern and or color, so have fun with it! Wondering what is on the next page? I’ll be posting that soon, so stay tuned for the never-ending sketchbook journey!
