In March, I’ll be teaching my month-long class all about making handmade books: March of Artist Books.
BUT, the books are first and foremost artist books.
What?! What’s the difference?!
Let’s break it down.
What Is a Handmade Book?
A handmade book refers primarily to how the book is made.
It means the book is physically constructed by hand:
- the pages are assembled by hand
- the book is bound by hand
- the structure is intentionally crafted by a maker
Handmade books often focus on craft, structure, and function.
A handmade book might be:
- a blank journal
- a sketchbook
- a recipe book
- a guest book
- a planner
- a photo album
A handmade book is a crafted object meant to function as a book. It can be beautiful, decorative, and meaningful, but its primary purpose is usually usability. You’re meant to write in it, draw in it, flip through it, and live with it.
What Is an Artist Book?
An artist book refers primarily to why the book is made.
In an artist book:
- the book itself is the artwork
- the concept or idea matters as much as the structure
- the book may not behave like a traditional book at all
Artist books often push boundaries—of materials, form, and even what we consider “reading.”
Artist books can include:
- drawing, painting, printmaking, or collage
- unusual page shapes or sizes
- unexpected materials
- pop-ups, pockets, fold-outs, or sculptural elements
- text, poetry, storytelling, or prompts
- or no words at all
Sometimes an artist book is:
- intentionally difficult—or even impossible—to fully open
- meant to be handled carefully
- meant to be experienced slowly
- meant to be viewed like sculpture
- not read in a linear order
Basically, what I’m saying is: an artist book is an artwork that uses the form of a book in order to express an idea. An artist book is more than pretty or functional. It has meaning.
Handmade Books vs. Artist Books (In Short)
This is absolutely an oversimplification, but sometimes that can be useful: Often, a handmade book is a container for art, while an artist book is the art.
Why This Difference Matters
If you think, “I’m making a handmade book,” you might start worrying:
- Is my stitching perfect?
- Are my pages aligned?
- Did I do it the “right” way?
But if you think, “I’m making an artist book,” different questions come forward:
- What am I exploring?
- What do I want the experience to be?
- How can the structure support the idea?
That shift moves you from trying to be correct to trying to be expressive. Knowing why you’re making the book helps guide every decision that follows. It actually makes art making soooo much easier because decisions are simple when you know the goal.
If you have want to explore making artist books, join me for the month of March.
Thanks for stopping by!
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