Has it really already been almost a year since I first read Moby-Dick? It seems like just a short time ago I was wrapped up in Melville’s language and subsequently discovering Matt Kish’s illustration project, One Drawing for Every Page of Moby-Dick. Matt finished his whale of a project in January, and his artwork is being published this fall to coincide with the 160th anniversary of the novel’s publication.

Completely self-taught and refusing to set any boundaries for the kinds of images he would make, Kish used a wide variety of materials, including found paper, ballpoint pens, markers, paint, crayons, ink, and watercolors to create art inspired by lines from every single page of the 552-page Signet Classics paperback edition of Moby-Dick. A hallmark of the project has been his use of pages torn from old, discarded books. Layering images on top of existing words and images, Kish has crafted a work that aptly echoes the layers of meaning in Melville’s narrative. His approach is deliberately low-tech, a sort of counter-response to the increasing popularity of born-digital art and literature. Kish started the project in August 2009 and spent nearly every day for eighteen months toiling away in a small closet converted into an art studio.

Simply amazing. Wishlisted.

This typographic pop-up book by Victoria Macey is swoon worthy.

An alphabet pop-up book, which displays the font Bodoni while telling a charming tale about a quest for the “Dees” that have been captured by the evil Dee Catcher. Written, illustrated and constructed by Victoria Macey.

See Bodoni Bedlam in action and be sure to check out Victoria’s portfolio for more stunning work.

Can a book text or tweet? Those are just two of the questions asked in IT’S A BOOK, the latest from writer and illustrator Lane Smith.

The story features a book-loving monkey and a tech-savvy donkey whose conversation about Treasure Island pokes fun at the great print vs. digital debate. To add to the humor, the book is being promoted with its own trailer.

Check out Smith’s site and his recent interview with The Wall Street Journal to learn more about how the book came to be.

The Hyperactivitypography from A to Z activity book has just landed at the top of my wish list. I love the combination of typographical knowledge with grade-school elements like cut-outs and ruled paper. Flip through the book to see all the type nerdiness for yourself.

via @overheardatmoo

I’m reading Moby-Dick for the first time, and it’s obvious how much Melville loved words and playing with language.

All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby Dick. He piled upon the whale’s white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart’s shell upon it.”

So I think it’s fantastic that librarian Matt Kish is in the process of illustrating passages from each page of his edition. Drawing at the rate of one page a day, that’s 552 illustrations—all using found paper like maps, schematics, tables, and repair guides. The results are simply amazing.

Page 074 : I was also aware that being a green hand at whaling, my own lay would not be very large; but considering that I was used to the sea, could steer a ship, splice a rope, and all that, I made no doubt that from all I had heard I should be offered at least the 275th lay — that is, the 275th part of the clear net proceeds of the voyage, whatever that might eventually amount to.

Page 109 : I will have no man in my boat,” said Starbuck, “who is not afraid of a whale.

Read more about the project on Matt’s blog, and view the drawings he’s done so far on his website.

I don’t know what bookstore I was in when I first came across the illustrated version of The Elements of Style, but I know I was with Pam, and I know I dragged her over to the display so I could show her the artwork inside.

So I was thrilled to read The 99 Percent’s interview with the talent behind all that loveliness, Maira Kalman. In “The Pursuit of Happiness”, Kalman talks about how she became an artist, what inspires her, and her latest project. But I especially love what she has to say about the art of storytelling in relation to her illustrations:

I think everything I do is narrative, but it’s not just a story, it’s a movie – a movie of my life. And usually I’m trying to put too much information in one image. But because I thought that I would be a writer, and that’s how I started out – as a writer and not as an artist – then when I decided to start drawing, it was going to be narrative. It’s things that are from my life, and things I’ve seen, and things I’ve seen in books. It’s always telling stories.”

Picture Book Report just launched February 1 and I’m already hooked (thanks @juparnell).

Picture Book Report is an extended love-song to books. Fifteen illustrators will reach out to their favorite books and create wonderful pieces of art in response to the text that has moved them, shaped them, or excited them. [...] Together we will try to excite readers both new and old and capture some of that magic of storytelling.”

I love the inspiration behind this new project, which includes one of my favorite books, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, drawn by illustrator John Martz.

Check out the project to see how the artists continue the tradition of illustration and books by sharing their thoughts, creative processes, and own stories.

A few of my latest starred items in Google Reader, all lovely and inspirational:

From the Daily Drop Cap series by Jessica Hische

Book-harp by Swiss designer Hanspeter Steiger, via swissmiss

From Steiger’s website:

The strings of the book-harp are a play of light and statics, three-dimensional picture and bookend, transparent and complete simultaneously. Depending on the angle of the literary instrument it seems once closed, sometimes translucent – and turns to life upon passing. It captures the passer-by at the corner of his eye and draws attention to itself, the variegated content, or out into the sky.

“The Tea Factory” by Sollinero, via Grain Edit

To continue with the academic project inspiration, check out Mikey Burton’s thesis project: redesigned classic book covers.

Mikey, who did the project while at Kent State, says this is:

An integrated branding campaign based around the illustrative reinterpretation of classic book covers directed toward junior-high-school students.

The design carries over to the spines and box sets, making for a visually stunning collection of must-read books that is directed at book lovers and design fiends as well.

More photos of the project are available on Mikey’s Flickr. I recommend also checking out his other work, which utilizes graphic design, illustration, and letterpress.