Fore-edge painting is an age-old art form that involves painting delicate designs on the edges of books. By creating these intricate blended designs and colorful scenes, artist Hanna Kiel has breathed new life into the traditional art of book decoration.
Hanna Kiel is a fore-edge painter based in Germany. She uses watercolors to paint the edges of books, but she doesn’t stop there: she also paints on their spines, covers, and even pages.
When the painting is finished, she sprays it with varnish matt to protect it from dust and dirt.
Books are Hanna’s canvas. The edges are often overlooked, but they have so much potential! They can be painted as a work of art or used as an advertising space for your business. Fore-edge painting is also a great way to personalize your bookshelf.
Because of a press, the paint won’t bleed into the book and its pages are still scrollable. It’s also possible to read the book carefully, but it is intended rather as an art product for your bookshelf so the painting doesn’t get damaged in long-term use
Understand the Concept of Fore Edge Painting.
Fore-edge painting is an old tradition that dates back to the 1600s when books and artwork were extremely valuable and costly. The idea of the art is to adorn the edge of a book in order to make it even more beautiful. In order to do this, the artist must carefully paint on a very thin strip of paper, which can be as narrow as 0.5 millimeters. This means that every brushstroke is a precise and precise skill and technique needed in order for the painting to come together successfully.
Fore Edge Painting and the Art of Hanna Kiel
Books are beautiful. It is so easy to forget that the covers of a book are not just a protective wrapping, but an integral aspect of the design, and a canvas for art. Hanna Reuschel brings this to the forefront with her “fore-edge painting” technique, where book edges are customized as canvases for watercolor paintings. The result is another layer of beauty added to an already iconic object, creating both a stunning piece of art and an unrivaled enhancement to one’s collection.
Hanna is an interesting person with a unique (and wonderful!) talent. And her work is stunning. I’ve always loved using books as a decorative element, so seeing it taken to such an extreme is really quite beautiful.
As a personal collection, such a book would certainly catch the eye and be the envy of everyone else you show it to. Fore-edge painting is an unusual art that has long been overlooked in our daily lives but has only been rediscovered quite recently by collectors.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZfB67kFNPq/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY1wRvRlGTp/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYRrdimlxHL/?hl=en
Hanna Book Paintings
Instagram | Etsy Store
