I have a collection of background stamps, some as large as 4 ½ x 5 ¾  that I love to use in books. Often I’ll use Frescoes inkpads on those stamps for their chalky quality, nice in the background. I also use “Magic Stamp” or a similar foam-like material that takes an impression when warmed with a heat gun, great for making impressions of laces, leaves, charms and such. I stipple, usually with the Frescoes, or a light acrylic, often iridescent. A good tissue paper, stuck down with lots of wrinkles and lightly rubbed over with color, gold, chalks, watercolor crayons (a personal favorite) etc. can be a good starting place. Some people pour paints down the page, but I generally  do that outside the book on a separate background paper and then glue it into the book. Nicely printed paper napkins, just 1-ply, also make a nice background, light enough to work on top of, but interesting enough to be an element on their own. Paste papers, marbled papers, maps (another personal favorite), handmade papers—all these ephemera are appropriate.

Using the existing text as a background offers many options. Sections of text can be masked with tape or masking fluid, the page painted/inked over and the masking removed. Collaging proceeds from there. Individual words of text can be masked in a poetic way that associates disparate words as they flow down the page, a word or two every line or two. It’s a fun way to spark a unique direction for your artwork. The page can be folded so that certain text shows. The text can be lightly gessoed, inked or painted over so that it shows through as a pattern rather than recognizable words.
 

“Midnight Flight” uses watercolor paper as a background. It was soaked and then sprinkled with powdered dyes (use a dust mask because they are a very fine powder).  They produce an effect I have been unable to replicate any other way as the individual granules of color “break out” into the water in kaleidoscopic bursts. I then applied a light black wash over the dry paper, let dry again and then drew in the mountain shapes with chalk  pastels and stamped the trees in the foreground.

	“Inside Front Cover” can be considered “all background”. It began with a green solid paper background. Darker green acrylic paint was sponged. That same dark green was dribbled and then the two pages smooshed together and peeled apart. The light pink is Brilliance ink on a formed soft foam material, stamped in a checkerboard pattern and the gold is embossing powder adhered to randomly smudged embossing ink. There is also a bit of black embossing powder scattered about.  These techniques are excellent for achieving a worn, antique or vintage look, using the colors of your choice.
"Nature Fairies" , right, is another spread in which the background is the featured element.  In this case it is a large sheet of multi-color pastel paste paper which is then tinted and stamped, with the block of text added last.
	"Sin and Virtue", left, uses the primary foreground element to frame text in the farthest background.  I also  like the effect of text layered on text  that you can see best at the lower left.
"The Butterfly", right, has text that was masked with torn strips of masking tape (use a very lightweight, low-tack tape as older book pages especially will tear easily).  Then the pages was decorated with Blo Pens (always check the kids' section of art supply stores!) before the masking was removed (do this promptly).

Persephone spread
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