Artists: would you do this?

[ChristianKitsune]

Sooo I'm starting to read more... regular books lately. and Today as I was re-reading one of my favorites, I got an idea and I wanted to knwo if anyone else has considered doing it or if my creative self has just...run amok?

We've all seen light novels from Japan, I'm sure. They usually have a few pages of illustrations in them. Has anyone ever considered drawing in the books that you own? Like your favorite scenes where there's a lot of space? Say, at the end of chapters?

I was just wondering because I have contemplated doing that with a few of my favorite books.
But I bet that's silly, right?

[Robin Firedrake]

Might be might not be... I sure would if i could draw anything that wasn't a stickman

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="palatino Linotype"]I have thought about doing that, and I have done it a few times before. XDDD

It can be fun, but it can either greatly lower the value (for people who look at the pristine quality of the book), or it can heighten it (for people who like your arts. ^_^)[/font]

[Robin Firedrake]

True true... But if you aren't planning on selling the book anytime soon and you would like the pictures for yourself why not?

[Radical Dreamer]

I personally wouldn't, just because I don't like to make lots of stray marks in any of my books. I have illustrated certain characters/scenes from books before, though, in my sketchpad. XD

[David]

Iv'e doodled in my books all the time. Not on purpose so it's funny when I draw on something I'm not supposed to and then remember the rule and attempt to erase as best as possible.

[minakichan]

How many books have enough free space to draw anything in?!

And not really. Any books that I would enjoy enough to feel compelled to doodle in, I'd want to reread in the future, and looking back at art I did years ago is hecka embarrassing.

[Robin Firedrake]

Looking at art i do now is embarrasing!

[Tsukuyomi]

I did that once... In my highschool math book XDD It was light enough to erase off completely, but still.. BAD TSUKU D:<

[MBlight]

I did that once... In my highschool math book XDD It was light enough to erase off completely, but still.. BAD TSUKU D:<

Sounds like my science book, but I thinks GeneD will testify that we doodled far too much to be able to erase it

Good memories...

As for actually drawing in my books... I've never thought of doing that... not that I'm good enough to any way:shake:

[Purplefire]

I wouldn't draw in my favorite books because I don't feel that I have the ability to do my favorite character any type of artistic justice. I might sketch a scene in my art journal though if I get really inspired.

[ChristianKitsune]

aww okay much just be me ^^;
Personally, I think it would be fun to see my older work in a book I really liked! That way I can remember when I read it...and stuff XD.

I dont' intend to sell my books so... XD

I dunno, it just seems to be more personally and stuff. like "This was what I imagined the very first time I read this scene!" Kind of thing.

[soul alive]

I totally get what you mean, about wanting to visually conceptualize characters and scenes from a book. I can't hardly read a book anymore without having to restrain myself.

Though, my books are my babies. I freak out if the cover or a page gets bent, let alone marking in them. I'm all for drawing in the sketchbook though.

Off topic: in the book 'Letters from Rifka', the title character writes home in the margins of a book of poems by Pushkin, intending to give the book/letters to her family when she meets back up with them.

[Maledicte]

I've seen some really nice "book art," where the person draws something over the writing of the book, usually in conjunction with the subject of the book. Like dreams or psychological concepts in a psychology book. Makes for some pretty interesting art.

Myself, I love both words and pictures equally, and so keep them separate, unless they are a comic.

[Gabriel 9.0]

I did it once or twice

[Taliesin]

Just draw on a piece of paper and stick it into the book. That way you can just remove it, and it still has all the advantages. Make sure you cut it down to size so it doesn't stick out, though.

[Sparrowhawk]

If I could draw decently I maybe would do it, but no, not with my artistic ability.

[F.M Disciple]

In the past I would ligthly sketch something in my book's. But today that's not the case.

what I do now is highlight certin passages in my text books or write questions/cometeries. but that's usualy the only markings I now make in my books.

Whenever I want to really draw something I'll whip out my sketch book.

However I don't think you are alone. when I recieved old books for school in the past
I would find little doodles made from previous students that forgot to earse them.

[PrincessZelda]

I probably wouldn't do it in the actual book itself, buuut... I have lots of times thought of how cool it would be to draw certain scenes from books. I never really get around to actually drawing them, though XD

[Mave]

Interesting question: I have never done this before.

If I was inspired by a book to draw, I would draw on a separate paper sheet but I would never draw directly into the book itself.

I do make highlights and pencil/pen notes at the side of the pages though (including my old grubby-looking bible).

[Shao Feng-Li]

If I thought I could do it well enough, I might. That'd be pretty cool

[mechana2015]

http://www.offbeatearth.com/dont-like-reading-other-uses-for-books/ and then there's this option.

[Scarecrow]

That would actually be pretty cool. I never thought about that. Have little drawings throughout the pages that relate to the story (or maybe don't) I wouldn't do it in a book that wasn't a hard back though. Anyway, that would be cool. I'm gonna do that ^_^ I have this huge book with Edgar Allen Poe stories, nice white pages, plenty of space for doodles... That was the first book that popped in my head when I read this idea. I almost felt like I was sinning the other day just writing my name in one of my books when I was lending it out. I really liked it when I did it though. It was fun to write in.

Plus I think it would be fun for anyone who borrowed the book or happened to get a hold of it later down the line. I always liked looking at all the doodles and stuff in library books in elementary school. Particularly stuff that was dated. Or looking at all the names of the people who checked the book out in the past that checked the book out 5-10 years before or whatever and wondering where they were now or who they were.

[Amzi Live]

I read an essay that dealt with a much similar topic.
It debated whether you truly owned a book if you didn't mark in it,and made notes in the adjacent blank spaces. It explained that to properly own a book one must first have clearly in their minds what does it mean exactly to own a book.According to the author there are three kinds of book owners.
The first one owns all the best sellers,and classics plus the books that "you just need to have",but he doesn't read any of them.The author says that this person only own"woodpulp,and ink".
The second type of owner has a lot of books,some of them read,but most of them only dipped into.This person might want to be able to make those books "his own" but is kept back by the false respect of their physical appearance.
The third type has few or many(it could vary),but has read everyone of them,and are totally marked,and scribbled.According to Mortimer J Adler(the author) this person owns the book.

Although this essay is aimed at marking book to gain the idea or essence of it I don't think your case is much more different.

CK,you are an artists,and I'm lead to believe this by the idea that you just had. I think it would be cool to draw in your novels(or any books) cause it would be a way to mark it as yours. Plus,I've seen that things that artists had usually tends to have a uniqueness to them because its owner did something to it or marked it as his/her. This gives them a greater value.
Or so I think.
Oh,here's the link of the essay http://radicalacademy.com/adlermarkabook.htm