{"id":1743,"date":"2015-05-05T20:29:20","date_gmt":"2015-05-06T03:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/?p=1743"},"modified":"2017-12-23T16:24:17","modified_gmt":"2017-12-24T00:24:17","slug":"painted-book-boxes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2015\/painted-book-boxes\/","title":{"rendered":"Painted Book Boxes"},"content":{"rendered":"

recap by Madison Comick, Grade 7<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On Monday, April 13th, teens gathered in the Studio on 4th at Central Library to paint paper mache boxes shaped like books.<\/p>\n

The materials we used were hollow-cardboard boxes<\/a>, acrylic paints, paint brushes, and stencils. With these materials, participants created a simple (or complex, depending on the painter\u2019s artistic level) design from their favorite book or just any picture.<\/p>\n

We first started with our base coat using\u00a0the color of our choice. After it dried, we painted our design onto the box. Some people just painted it directly onto their book, while others chose to use a stencil. Those who used a stencil, laid it flat onto the box and used a dry sponge to lightly dab a thin coat of paint onto it. Once the design dried, we painted on the title and author\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

Many of the teens caught on to the process while others struggled a bit. The reason for the struggle was mainly because it was their first time painting or their first time using acrylics. For example, one teen was a painter, but had never used acrylics before, and therefore was\u00a0following different methods\u00a0of painting (she was used to painting with oils). Other participants, including myself, used an excessive amount of paint, so the box took a long time to dry and we could not move on to designing it.\u00a0 Using less paint overall would improve the final results of each participant\u2019s creation.<\/p>\n

The event was fun and a great learning experience for painters and non-painters alike who were all able to experiment with different strategies. It provided a hands-on experience for everyone in this activity. Many first time painters learned some rules of painting while interacting with others with the same general goal. The participants were offered the opportunity to redesign their boxes if they were not satisfied with their final product. I recommend this program\u00a0for those who have a penchant for paint and a love of books.<\/p>\n