Participants - What We Need

SFG Blank Book participants need to do the following to make this adventure worthwhile:

• Contact Steph Doyle as soon as you receive the box.


• Take a photo of yourself holding the shipping box at a location near an interesting landmark.


• Take a photo of a small section of your illustration upon completion. We refer to this photo as a "teaser shot."


• Write a short background story to accompany the teaser shot.


• Send the photos and short write-up to Steph Doyle to be posted to the SFG Blank Book Flickr account. This will enable the map function to present participant image(s) and site locations.

What's This About?

You may be asking yourself, what is this project all about?

We have provided a few questions and answers that may shed some light on this project. If you have any additional questions that aren't covered here, please use the comments section, linked at the bottom of this post, and we will answer you as soon as we are able.

What is the SFG Blank Book Project?
For 500 days, a sketchbook will be sent from Washington DC to 50 illustrators around the world. The book will reach its final destination approximately mid-December, 2008.

Who can participate?
The first 50 illustrators to sign up. When signing up, we will need your name, actual address (no p.o. boxes), and a phone number. We will not share any of this information with anybody. This infomation is to be used to create a shipping list. We would also like a link to your portfolio site or to samples of your work posted to blog or sharing account like Flickr.

How much will it cost to participate?
Once we get the final list of participants, we will 'map out a route' and calculate the total shipping cost through a provider.

What if I sign up, but can’t participate when the book arrives?
Due to the process involved in getting this book from illustrator to illustrator, we ask for dedicated participants only. If the book arrives during an emergency situation and you are unable to participate, you may forward the book to the next participant. This will be strictly handled on a case-by-case basis.

Is there a theme for this book?
Yes. We want you to illustrate something that is significant or interesting about your geographic location. This will give the other participants the opportunity to visually experience your part of the world.

How many pages do I get?
Each illustrator is given 4 pages in the book (2 pages, front and back). The first page being a hand written introduction, the second and third pages will be used for the composition, and the fourth page will be left blank.

Are there any restrictions pertaining to the type of medium I may use?
No, but please be aware that the pages in the book are made up of a medium weight paper and will curl and buckle if certain types of wet medium are used. Also please keep in mind that pastels, chalks, or any other medium that will smudge should be protected with some type of fixative.

How can I protect my pages within the book?
We will be providing thin sheets of vellum in the shipping box that will accompany the book. Please place a sheet of vellum between the pages prior to shipping to the next illustrator.

Once I finish, to whom do I ship the book?
We will be providing a list of participants to accompany the book in the shipping box. Each illustrator will place a line through their name once the book arrives, and after completion, forward the book to the next person on the list.

What is going to happen to the book when it’s completed?
The book will be digitally published to PDF and placed on the blank book site for all to see. We may seek other venues to show the book.

Where can I go to see the progress of this project?
We will be posting the progress on this site. We strongly encourage all participants to shoot a teaser shot of their work along with a shot of themselves holding or standing next to the blank book box (see Shipping Box) prior to sending off to the next participant, then email the images to Jeff or Steph to be posted on this site.

Are there going to be other blank book projects?
Yes. We will do another launch this coming winter.

The Shipping Box

Here are shots of the box that will house SFG Blank Book during it's journey from artist to artist. Other items accompanying the sketchbook will be thin sheets of vellum to place between the finished pages for protection, a shipping list that will identify the person the box will be shipped to next, an outline intoduction including instructions on page usage within the blank book.

This image shows the SFG logo and type burned into the lid of the box.


You can see that this sketchbook will be packed nicely into the box for proection during the long journey it must take from artist to artist.


This image illustrates the size of the hardbound sketchbook.