Explore pop-up book design with Shawn Sheehy, learning foundational structures and creative techniques to craft fun and engaging pop-ups.

There are no available registration dates at this time.

Note: This workshop will be held in a live, online format utilizing the Zoom platform.
Class meets on four Tuesdays, Oct 1, 8, 15 & 22 from 1-3pm ET.

This online workshop is part of the Pop-Up Intensive series:

Parallels and Angels (Sep 3-24)

Combinations (Oct 1-22)

Movement and Form (Oct 29-Nov 19)

Take classes individually or save $130 by taking all 3! Register for the entire intensive.

You have explored the pop-up how-to books and you are ready to make your own pop-up project. You are stymied by the question “How do I adapt these foundational structures to make MY OWN pop-ups?” This workshop series will help you answer that question by exploring nine structures, each of which is frequently used throughout trade publishing to introduce a sense of movement or animation.

You will begin with a straight build of the classic structure. Next, you’ll glue additional parts (provided) to the classic structure to see how a mechanism becomes an image. After that, you’ll build a fully transformed version where the mechanism and image are seamlessly integrated. Then you’ll repeat the process with YOUR OWN ideas.

Monkey pop-up book design - by Shawn Sheehy

To add to the fun, you will employ an innovative roll-up binding approach (think scroll rather than codex) for the pop-up folios. In the end, you will have three tidy bound collections of 12 study models each to propel you to the next step of pop-up invention. 

Each workshop in this series is delivered in four sessions that allow plenty of time for independent work, and each workshop operates independently from the rest. 

Take one, two, or all three!

All levels are welcome, and experienced participants will be challenged in new ways.

Tools needed:

  • ruler
  • self-healing mat
  • X-Acto knife
  • pencil
  • bone folder
  • micro spatula
  • tweezers
  • scissors
  • screw punch (optional)

Materials required per individual workshop: 

  • at least 6 sheets 8.5″ x 11″ white 110 lb index stock
  • at least 2 sheets 8.5″ x 11″ color 80 lb cover stock
  • at least 3 sheets 8.5″ x 11″ white copy paper
  • 1 sheet 8.5″ x 11″ 140 lb cover stock (another sheet of 80 lb cover is OK)
  • PVA or other strong craft glue
  • low-tack masking tape
  • 1 roll of 1/4″ 3M “415” tape

Triple the paper quantities if you are taking the series of three. One roll each of 3M “415” tape and low-tack masking tape is sufficient for the entire series.

Share This

Instructor: Shawn Sheehy

Shawn Sheehy has been teaching book arts courses and workshops on the national level for 20 years, including stops at MCBA, Center for Book Arts, Penland, Arrowmont, FOBA, Pyramid Atlantic, San Francisco Center for the Book, and PBI. His broadsides and artist book editions have been collected by Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, University of Chicago, Library of Congress, UCLA, and Harvard. He has created two trade pop-up books: Welcome to the Neighborhood (2015) and Beyond the Sixth Extinction (2018). Both were published by Candlewick Press and won numerous awards. He holds a Book Arts MFA from Columbia College Chicago.