Discussion Post: Defacing Books

Black Moon

GGTVaV

I sometimes forget how well art and books go together, and both happen to be

something I’m fond of. I’ve always been a reader that hated finding writing/drawings

in a books’ pages or on the inside cover. I hadn’t really heard of defacing books

until Ashley asked me to deface one of hers. I was so nervous about it that I

sketched out what Ashley was thinking of for the blank black cover of

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. I used some

of the designs from the book dust jacket for my defacing of the cover. When

I had finished my sketch on paper, I carefully transferred it to the cover of TGGtVaV,

and then took a silver sharpie to make it stand out on the cover. When I had finished

the cover I still couldn't believe I had been convinced to draw on a book. Defacing

TGGtVaV was only the beginning.

I have since defaced Black Moon by Romina

Russell and got to show it to her in person at a signing, which was incredibly nerve

wracking. (She loved it (: ) I have a stack of books currently waiting for me to

deface and some others in mind, but time simply hasn’t been there with my first

year of college wrapping up and the horse show season being upon us.  Ash has

tried to convince me to open an Etsy shop to sell some defaced books, but I haven’t

gotten the courage to do so yet. Ashley asking me to deface TGGtVaV has allowed

me to combine my love a books and a talent I tend to keep to myself.

I may open and Etsy shop for books at some point, but for now I’m going to

stick to defacing books off our shelves. Keep and eye out for them on bookstagram!

What do you think of defacing books? Love it? Hate it?

Any books you’d want to see me do?

Let us know below.

~Mackenzie