PROJECT: THE CODEX

TEACHER: MARK OLIVIER

SCHOOL: SOUTH LOUISIANA CENTER FOR THE ARTS, HOUMA

E-MAIL: madolivier@hotmail.com

EARLY FORMS OF BOOKS
HISTORICAL INFORMATION

PEOPLE BEGAN TO WRITE SOME 5,000 YEARS AGO.

THEY HAVE KEPT RECORD ON A VARIETY OF MATERIALS. THESE MATERIALS HAVE BEEN CLAY, WAX, POTTERY. PAPYRUS, ANIMAL SKINS, AND FINALLY PAPER.

EARLY BOOKS WERE CALLED TWO THINGS: A ROTULUS OR A CODEX. A ROTULUS WAS A CONTINUOUS ROLLED STRIP, OR SCROLL. A CODEX WAS SIMULAR TO MODERN BOOKS BECAUSE IT WAS MADE UP OF SHEETS OF BOUND ON ONE SIDE.

THE CODEX REPLACED THE SCROLL AS THE MAJOR BOOK FORM IN THE WEST.THE CODEX REPLACED THE SCROLL AS THE MAJOR BOOK FORM IN THE WEST. A CODEX WAS MADE BY FOLDING A LARGE SHEET OF PAPER THREE TIMES, CUTTING IT, AND THEN SEWING IT ON ONE SIDE.

UNTIL THE INVENTION OF PRINTING, ALL BOOKS WERE MANUSCRIPTS, THAT MEANS, WRITTEN BY HAND.
THE MANUSCRIPT OFTEN INCORPORATED THE USE OF LETTERS AND PICTURES TOGETHER. MANUSCRIPTS DECORATED WITH GOLD AND COLORS WERE SAID TO BE ILLUMINATED.

HEAVY COVERS MADE OF WOODEN BOARDS COVERED WITH LEATHER FUNCTIONED AS A PRESS TO KEEP THE CODEX PAGES FLAT.

PROJECT - THE CODEX PART I (Ages 10 and up)
MATERIALS - THREE SHEETS OF PAPER, INK MARKER, SCISSORS, PENCIL, ERASER, GLUE, AND A RULER.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CODEX
YOU WILL CREATE YOUR OWN SIX PAGE CODEX. FIRST, USING THE THREE SHEETS OF PAPER, TAKE AND FOLD THEM IN HALF. SECOND. USE YOUR RULER AND SCISSORS AND TRIM THE PAPER DOWN. NEXT, USING YOUR IMAGINATION ALONG WITH YOUR PENCIL AND INK MARKERS, WRITE AND ILLUSTRATE A STORY ABOUT A KING, A DRAGON, A KNIGHT, AND A PRINCESS. YOU HAVE SIX PIECES OF PAPER TO WORK WITH, ONLY WRITE AND ILLUSTRATE THE FRONT OF THE PAPER AND NOT THE BACK. MAKE SURE THAT THE FIRST PAGE HAS A LARGE LETTER WITH DECORATIVE PATTERNS. ONCE THE STORY AND THE ILLUSTRATIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY YOUR INSTRUCTOR PROCEED TO COMPLETE THE CODEX. GLUE THE SHEETS OF PAPER IN POSITION. AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED THE PROJECT, YOU WILL CLEAN UP YOUR WORK AREA.

PROJECT - THE CODEX PART II
MATERIALS PAPER BOARD, CONSTRUCTION PAPER, INK MARKER, SCISSORS, PENCIL, ERASER, GLUE, AND A RULER.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CODEX COVER
ONCE THE STORY AND THE ILLUSTRATIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY YOUR INSTRUCTOR PROCEED TO COMPLETE THE CODEX. (SEE DIAGRAM BELOW) TAKE THE GLUE AND GLUE THE SHEETS OF PAPER IN PLACE. USING THE PAPER BOARD CUT IT A LITTLE LARGER THAN THE PAGES OF YOUR CODEX. FOLD IT IN HALF. USING THE CONSTRUCTION PAPER CUT AND PASTE A COVER OVER THE PAPER BOARD. (LIKE THE LEATHER ON THE COVER) THEN CUT AND PASTE CONSTRUCTION PAPER ON THE INSIDE COVER. NOW GLUE YOUR PAGES TO THE COVER AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED THE PROJECT, YOU WILL CLEAN UP YOUR WORK AREA.

SELF EVALUATION
IF ASKED ABOUT A CODEX, CAN I ANSWER WITH CONFIDENCE? DOES MY ARTWORK DEMONSTRATE GOOD CRAFTSMANSHIP? IS MY WORK AREA CLEAN?

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