Drawn On

by David Harris // November 5  

Drawn-on books are customized or altered books made by their owner to their liking, often adding drawings, pictures, or decorations. It may also refer to books rebound in more decorative binding styles than their original binding, typically created by children and young adults, but anyone can make one!

Drawn-ons often hold significant meaning for their owners and can serve as keepsakes, scrapbooks, or photo albums. As gifts or sales items, they can also be given away. Many people enjoy viewing drawn-ons in galleries or shows.

Drawn-on images can be created in any book, though certain varieties are better suited than others for creating drawings. Hardcover books with smooth pages work great for pictures, as do journals with blank pages. Books featuring textured or lined pages may be challenging for drawing purposes, and the ink may bleed easily.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to drawing on. Some people begin by picking out an empty book; others choose an existing title, which they modify further. Once your book has been selected, decorating it as desired can begin immediately.

One popular method of customizing books is adding photos. You can glue down individual images or use photo corners to attach them. Text can also be added manually or by computer printing; when adding text manually, it’s best to use a waterproof pen or pencil so the ink won’t bleed when writing out text.

Draw pictures inside a book as another common way of embellishing it, using pencils, pens, markers, or paints – waterproof ones will ensure no ink bleeds through to other pages!

Decorating a book offers endless possibilities. You could add ribbon, lace, buttons, beads, or embellishments; sew or embroider right onto it for even greater creativity!

Drawn-on can be as simplistic or elaborate as desired; it all depends on you deciding how much effort and time to invest in them. They provide an opportunity to express creativity while making them truly personal!

About the Author

David Harris is a content writer at Adazing with 20 years of experience navigating the ever-evolving worlds of publishing and technology. Equal parts editor, tech enthusiast, and caffeine connoisseur, he’s spent decades turning big ideas into polished prose. As a former Technical Writer for a cloud-based publishing software company and a Ghostwriter of over 60 books, David’s expertise spans technical precision and creative storytelling. At Adazing, he brings a knack for clarity and a love of the written word to every project—while still searching for the keyboard shortcut that refills his coffee.

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