This month we’ll be taking you through the steps to making zines:
A zine is a small, self-published book that includes art, text, and images on a particular subject or theme. It is typically photocopied and bound by folding or stapling.
We've collated the following resources about zines for anyone interested in finding out a bit more:
Broken Pencil: https://brokenpencil.com
Book: Girl Zines: Making Media, Doing Feminism by Alison Piepmeier
UAC Moderator Charlotte Anderson has created this wonderful zine for our community about making zines to give us an overview of the process:
You can download a PDF of this zine and print it out if you like.
We hope that gives an overview of what is in store for the month, now let's get into week 1 - making the base of your zine.
Week 1: Making the base of your zine
There are a few different ways you can start your zine, and we've gathered a few examples that you can use below.
Pants Book: UAC Moderator Misty Granade created this little video showing how to fold a 'Pants Book' zine.
Single Sheet Zines: Clare Davis Etheridge recently share some reels on Instagram showing how to make zines using one sheet of paper. These are some of the more well known and traditional ways to make zines.
Week 2: Pick a theme for your zine and map out your story/plan
There are many different ways to start the zine-making process - some people are inspired by life events or issues they wish to explore further through art. Or perhaps you have a story to tell about your past or some feelings or emotions that have been troubling you. Whatever the subject, the process is pretty simple.
Pick your topic For example, choose a poem or write your own and base your zine on that. You could also think about an aspect of your life that you'd like to process through art journaling (e.g., the grief process, becoming a parent, changing careers, an experience from your teenage years) or tell a story you've been dying to tell. Check out the Monthly Zine Project for some ideas.
Map it out on your pages Put sticky notes on your pages so you can jot down your ideas. You can also make a rough version with notes, like Charlotte's 'zine about making zines' above.
Choose colour palettes and images Consider how you will tie the spreads together. Think about color palettes and find images that help tell your story. Sketch out some illustrations if that is your jam.
Now that you’ve made some plans, you might feel inspired to get stuck into the art side of things. Feel free to do just that and skip ahead and start working on your prepared zine.
Week 3: Create a cohesive background for your zine
Now we start the fun part - let's get ARTY!
UAC moderator Serena has got some tips for you about creating backgrounds for your zine.
Background Idea 1:
One way to create a one-page zine is to create an entire background first before folding or cutting. An example is this “blank” mixed-media x-fold zine, which includes layered acrylic paint colours, including gold.
Serena used two to three stencils and brayered on white gesso at different stages. She then kept building layers until she was happy. With each layer added, Serena was careful to put it only in small sections and not over the entire page. Otherwise, it would all be too homogenous and less interesting.
You can keep your background more neutral or go wild and colourful!
Use colour combinations that make you happy. Consider contrasts in colour, shapes, and textures. Have fun adding in white and/or black!
More examples of backgrounds Serena has created are below.
Background Idea 2:
Another option for quickly creating backgrounds it to make use of your excess paint. How do you ask?
Sometimes, when Serena has excess paint on her palette or brush, she uses a page from an old book or non-glossy magazine to clean her brush off. And sometimes, she folds those randomly created paint marks into an x-fold zine, like this one. You can even see the text peeking through!
Background Idea 3:
If you look closely at the photo, you can see that the background is composed of random collage materials, which were then pushed to the background with a very thin layer of white gesso (you could also use white acrylic paint).
Serena mostly collaged with papers she had created herself: gelli prints, stencils on text papers, hand-stamped papers, her handwriting, and excess paint swatches. However, she also used some scraps from magazines or similar sources.
This is a great way to use up those scraps you may have collected. If you’re anything like us, you have way too many!
The entire sheet/page was covered (before folding/cutting), and no white space remained. It was a wild and chaotic background full of pieces that meant something to Serena but were too exuberant (for her) to work on top of. So, she rolled on a thin layer of white gesso to pull it all together and then built up her little zine once that dried!
Background 4:
The final example of a background for your zine is gelli prints. We spent the month working on gelliprints earlier in the year, so I am sure you have plenty in your ephemera stash. Pick one or two and see how they might work for your zine.
Week 4: Complete your zine
This week we want you to continue to work inside your zine, telling your story, illustrating, collaging, painting your thoughts away, and finish your work of art.
There are no rules for this part. Let your imagination run wild, have fun exploring your chosen medium, and fill your zine with your own style of art.
Here are a couple of examples of completed zines to give you some inspiration.
Bonus Week: What to do with your finished zine
Some people choose to copy and share their zines with friends or other artists. And that is exactly what we are encouraging you to do.
Serena has shared the process of how to get your zine ready for sharing below.
Take a photo in good lighting or scan.
Adjust image as needed. I have to touch up the brilliance as mine were too dull and not true to my finished zine colours.
Print out.
Cut and fold. Or bind according to your zine style.
Trade, share, gift, sell!
Stay tuned while we prepare some other prompts that may inspire you for the month. In the meantime, it's time to get arty and put all of your love and creativity into making zines.
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