Becky Brewis'Chicken on the Wall', Charcoal on paper, 2016
Rachel Louise Hodgson 'She is very good, very bad, very good', Oil pastel on paper, 2018
Introduction
A concertina book is a long sheet of paper folded in a zigzag or accordion pattern. It can be viewed fully unfolded, then collapsed for storage. Because the pages connect, it works well for telling a personal narrative.
Exercise 1
To create your concertina book, follow these steps:
Fold your large sheet of paper in half lengthways. Press firmly along the fold to create a clear crease.
Fold each half in half again lengthways, so the paper is divided into four equal sections.
Unfold the paper so it is flat again.
Fold the paper in half the other way (widthways), then fold again to create quarters. Press firmly along each fold to make clear creases.
Your page should now be divided into sixteen sections.
Cut the paper into four strips by cutting along the main fold lines.
Glue the ends of the strips together to make one long strip. Let it dry.
Refold the long strip into a concertina so you have sixteen evenly spaced “pages”.
Exercise 2
Recall a fond childhood memory. Think about what you could see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. Try to bring the memory to life.
Using your chosen drawing materials, begin on the first page with the beginning of the memory. You can include text like a comic, or use imagery only.
Continue across the pages until you have completed your narrative.
