Flip it good

Shab Levy (left) and Becky Luening of the Portland book arts
group get ready for some flip book action.

Some tools of the trade in creating flip books, including a
Levy-generated template.

Shab Levy led us local book makers on a thorough, fun foray into the making of flip books over a couple of recent rainy days this month in his airy Northwest studio. My first flip book is too embarrassing to post here, but it felt good to craft with my hands again and get some creativity flowing after all the time I usually spend on words, words, words.

At first we sought inspiration from all kinds of creations, including Levy's own impressive catalog of flip books and, of course, a zoetrope (that green object on the table above). Always good to have a zoetrope on hand, just in case.

Then we got to work, drawing, cutting, and delving into computer programs to set up the perfect sequence—to spread across some 40 to 80 pages. Flip books "read" fast, but they come together    s   l    o   w.

The next adventures of the year look like this, in about this order.