On the surface, books are merely paper, glue and card. For book lovers, however, they are so much more than that – books can be portals to other lands, eye-opening looks into other lives, and a chance to check out of reality for a while. So, without further ado, here is everything you need to know to create your very own book stack. Enjoy!
Tutorial Video
Step-By-Step Images and Instructions
1.
Use a gray pencil and a ruler and create a wide “V” shape towards the bottom of the page.
2.
On the left-hand arm of the “V”, add a short, curved line to the top, and use this to create a parallel line moving inwards towards the point of the “V”, joining to the bottom line with another curve.
3.
Now repeat this on the other side, reversing the curved lines to create a “solid V” shape.
4.
Return to the left-hand side, and bring a short, straight line pointing up towards the top right-hand corner of the page. On the top of this, add a curved line.
5.
Now, add another set of parallel lines heading towards the right-hand arm of the “V”, the ends of which are joined with a “C” at the end – this is the spine of the second book.
6.
Bring another line on the left, at a 45-degree angle from the top of the shape you just drew. Then, move to the “C” on the right-hand side, and bring two parallel lines up towards the top of the page.
7.
Add another wide “V” shape on top of the second spine, with a slight curve on the right-hand end, pointing slightly towards the left.
8.
Bring a line across from the top of the curve, in towards the straight line of the second “V”.
9.
Add another “spine” shape on top of the stack with your ruler, joining two curves with straight lines.
10.
Once again, add two parallel lines emerging from the bottom of the spine.
11.
And add a curved line to join the two lines immediately beneath this one.
12.
Return to the book on the top of the pile and add a slightly curved line emerging from the top left-hand corner.
13.
Add another “C” shape to the top right-hand corner and use a straight line to create another spine for the next book. Then add a curve to the opposite corner and join this with a straight line to create another book in the pile.
14.
Fill in the top book using a light green pen, leaving the bottom white, but adding green lines to the bottom edges…
15.
And use a blue pen to add color to the second book. Once again, add lines to the bottom to create the bottom cover.
16.
Grab an orange pen, and add color to the third book in the pile…
17.
Before returning to the blue pen for the next book down.
18.
With the purple pen, fill in the bottom book in the pile…
19.
And then choose a pale orange crayon, or a light brown pencil, to fill in the bottom and side pages, and complete your book stack.
And there we have it – the perfect way to keep your books neatly in place, free from dust, debris and harm. Now, all you need is to choose your favorite titles to include – a task which is often easier said than done!
We all know that curling up with a good book can be an amazing way to enjoy some human connection, even if you are reading alone. The written novel can transport us to new lands, unlock new challenges and adventures, and force us to see the world from the point of view of the characters, as well as introducing us to a whole new side of humanity. In some cases, however, this human connection goes even further – right up to the binding of the book, in fact.
While the majority of modern books are constructed from paper, glue and card, this was not always the case, as evidenced by the discovery of books now kept in Harvard University. The Houghton Library on campus here contains at least one title with a rather alarming binding – human skin. The tome is by Arsène Houssaye and is titled “Des destinees de l’ame.”
According to experts, Houssaye gifted the book to a friend named Dr Ludovic Bouland. It was Bouland who was to blame for the book’s grisly appearance – he is said to have found his friend’s novel with skin from a female mental patient, whose body remained unclaimed due to her lack of family, following her death from a stroke. According to his notes, Bouland believed the book to be a tribute to the human soul, and so decided that it deserved a human covering to match.
Thankfully, his opinion appears to have been a lone one and bookstores today are a haven of knowledge and new book smell, rather than frankly creepy establishments!
