Bunny Book Cover Illustration- Step By Step

(below: close-up)


The new children's book I am working on is called "Duncan's Magical Garden" written by Julia Wilkinson. The story is about a beautiful black bunny named Duncan who finds he has magical powers. Duncan discovers he can transform his environment in to a magical garden beyond any bunny's wildest dreams! There are broccoli trees, carrots that tower over his bunny head and every yummy greenery a rabbit could ever want. Of course, Duncan does run into some troubles along the way...but you will have to wait for the book to find out just what sort of mischief Duncan finds himself in!

Tonight I finished illustrating Duncan in his garden; the enormous broccoli and carrots are still only inked in. These will begin to take shape as I apply watercolor and layers of colored pencil.

Below is the initial sketch for Duncan's Magical Garden cover, giving you some of the step by step procedure in developing the painting. Also below is a close up of the delicious items Duncan had found in his Magical Garden.






Inside the book, many illustrations will have ornate borders like the one I've painted here. In this illustration the bunny (Duncan) and the ornate Ivy frame are two separate paintings that I have graphically combined. This graphics technique will give me the flexibility of interchanging images and frames.



Earlier in the illustration process I created a small painting (below right) with Duncan as the subject in order to practice capturing his beautiful ebony coat.



I've also included another portrait of Duncan and one of his bunny family (below left). In this piece I experimented with a different surface, one I was not ultimately pleased with. I find it very helpful to try a few supports (paper/board) and techniques before I launch into the actual book illustrations.



Duncan is a member of a bunny family Julia calls the "Fabbitz", (as in the Fab-Five-Rabbits) Cute, right? You can find out more about the Fabbitz here, and below are the Fabbitz, seen in my Triptich painting of their "Big Birthday Bash"!



All of the finished pieces are available as prints from my Etsy and Art Fire stores.

Enjoy!!

Tiny Art Form Known As ACEO

Below are a few of my recent ACEOs "in hand" so that you can get a sense of the size of these little (2.5" x 3.5") works of art.

In 2004 the unique little art form known as ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals) was born on eBay. ATC (Art Trading Cards) have been around for centuries and are usually traded or exchanged rather than sold. In contrast, artists primarily create ACEOs with the intention of selling them. ACEOs came to be as a result of the public's interest in acquiring and collecting these tiny works of art that were (up until the ACEO) stricly traded between artists. Today ACEOs are flourishing, (on any given day at least 100,000 ACEO originals are sold somewhere on the internet) More and more people are collecting ACEOs and art supply stores are beginning to stock specialized materials that help artists create them. Two of the greatest appeals for the ACEO are that they small enough to fit inside standard card-collector pockets, sleeves or sheets, and they are an affordable way for people to acquire original art.

I personally discovered ACEOs on eBay in 2005 and began creating the little works of art that same year. My versions of this small format began to sell immediately on eBay and I found myself inspired to create more. Over the years I've been able to perfect some interesting techniques and mediums for my little ACEOs. Below is one step by step of my ACEO "Houdini".

One of my ACEOs step by step:
This is the third portrait of little "Houdini". This special mouse has a sweet story that you can read here.








After I had created and sold over 500 of these little paintings, I began to think of other ways to use the images. The result was eight unique virtual "shops" where I sell prints of the small paintings as well as hundreds of art gifts such as magnets, bookmarks, greeting cards, tiles and jewelry boxes!

Although I now paint in a larger format and illustrate children's books, I still occasionally create ACEOs (here is my most recent original ACEO) as a way to revitalize my creative inspiration. The creative process of painting ACEOs "Miniature Masterpiece", is still such a joy! I have to include this piece written by my friend Carol Rosinski because her words beautifully express my feelings about creating these tiny works of art.

The Secret of Miniature Art

The secret about miniature art is the intense sense of intimacy that is experienced when you hold a piece in your hand. When a piece of art is so small that it can rest in the palm of your hand, you are being gently invited to bring it a little closer to your eyes. You bow your head a bit and bring your hand nearer to your face. This is a very intimate pose. At this moment, you have let the piece of art enter into a vulnerable personal area. You would never hold anything dangerous this close to your face. This is the way you would hold a butterfly or a small kitten; very gently and close. Miniature art is a gift, a treasure, a secret and special friend.

~Carol Rosinski

Art iPhone App Revisited

Sampling for the Summer Collection of my miniature paintings found on my little iPhone Art App:





As many of you know I have an iPhone art app which now has had over 5019 downloads! The app is a revolving pocket gallery of my miniature paintings which change seasonally. I've included here a glimpse of the Summer Miniature Art Gallery for your app. Below is the story of how this exciting art endeavor came to be, (if you've already read this cool background bit, skim on through).

My Twitter friend Dave Carpenter, who also lives in the beautiful Berkshires of Massachusetts and I had lunch together over the winter. At lunch, Dave and I were talking about my art (which is predominately ACEO's -miniatures 3.5” x 2.5”). Suddenly his eyes lit up and he said, "an iPhone app!" Of course, these little paintings would be just perfect for viewing on an iPhone. So I hurried home and contacted my brother, Matthew Revenaugh, who is a computer programmer (@TheSoftWareMan), and before we knew it, a great little iPhone app was born.



Now your favorite Melody Lea Lamb ACEO's can travel with you, a quick pick me up as you navigate your day! There are about 35 images that appear as a slide show on your iPhone plus the most recent original art.





I am so thrilled to see the success of this little endeavor and the fact that its totally free makes me feel all "warm and fuzzy". Free is good!

Enjoy!

Graphic Interpretation

Occasionally I get to employ my graphic design background with my fine art creations. For example, in the new children's book I am working on, Duncan's Magical Garden, I've created a intricate border design (as a separate painting) then the portrait of a black bunny (the main character) which was also done as a separate work of art. In my computer graphics program I combine the two paintings to create a new composition (shown above) which will be the final illustration for the new book.

I often use this same technique to change one of my miniature paintings (ACEOs) into a format for bookmarks and greeting cards. Its fun to come up with a different composition and also to refine a piece or even change a certain part of the painting I am not happy with. Sometimes when I finish a miniature painting, there are parts of the piece that I am really pleased with, but other areas I'm disappointed in. In my graphics program I can take apart a piece and keep what I am happy with while removing what is disappointing to me. The little mermaid bookmark (below right) was created form an early ACEO in which I felt I had given the beautiful mermaid a nose and forehead that was perhaps a bit, er, too strong. Remember, these works of art are only a few inches square, so that little nose (being size of a pencil tip) was easy to make too big. So, I was able to give little mermaid a "nose job" in her new role as a bookmark!
Below is how Ms. Mermaid looked in my original painting;



Below are a handful of my unique bookmarks and their corresponding originals:

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Enjoy!

Miniature Bunny Painting Complete

"Spring Bunny 2010"
$125.99

3.5" x 2.5"India Ink, Colored Pencil and some White Acrylic

Today I finished my latest miniature ACEO ( a tiny 3.5" x 2.5" painting). The inspiration for this miniature painting came to me while jogging along the quiet country roads of the Berkshires Mountains. Every day or so, my dog and I head out for a 5 mile run (I am training for a 10K race in September to raise money for animal charity). This time of year there are many Cottontail rabbits out along the roads, sometimes hidden in the grass and sometimes darting across the path in front of me. The baby Cottontails often "freeze" in position, probably by instinct in hopes of remaining unseen. I can usually get so close to the little bunny that I can see his tiny white whiskers. There is something about rabbits that has always made my heart swell with happiness. There is such an innocence about them. Innocence, new life, spring, a fresh start... something soft, gentle and novel.

As with many of my miniatures, I'm inspired to bring the viewer to a place out of the ordinary. A place you would only find by really looking into the small world at your feet. Imagine that you were sitting on a tree stump deep in the woods, maybe resting after a brisk walk, and you look down at the tangle of grass by your feet...suddenly you realize that what you thought was a small rock was in fact a tiny bunny! His bright eyes looking forward and the only movement you see is the slight tremble of his fine whiskers

Here are some earlier posts describing the process and each step of this miniature:
Post One
Post Two
Post Three
Post Four
Post Five

Here is a slide show of each step in the creative process for "Spring Bunny 2010".

Enjoy!

Clever Cottontail - Work In Progress

I moved a little further on my latest miniature ACEO ( a tiny 3.5" x 2.5" painting) today. I began adding layers of Prisma colored pencil and redefining the areas of focus for this painting. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I plan on having the main focal point of the piece center around the little Cottontail rabbit and his bright eye. I believe in a great composition, the viewer's eyes needs to move around the piece in an enjoyable way. Almost like a visual dance where the eye starts at one point in the painting, is drawn to different areas, meanders along pleasant passages, and then is brought back to a main spotlight of the composition.

Right now this little painting is rather muddy and unrefined, but as I begin to layer and burnish the pigment, (as well as employ a secret technique that I invented), the strength, detail and richness will begin to emerge.

(Saturday's progress below)




Here is a slide show of each step in the creative process for "Spring Bunny 2010".

Enjoy!

Bashful Baby Bunny

On this unusually chilly June day, (it never warmed above 55 today!), I cozied up in my studio and worked on my newest miniature ACEO ( a tiny 3.5" x 2.5" painting). This step in the process of my miniature art involves layer upon layer of Prisma colored pencil. The miniature piece becomes very much a painting as I push the waxy pigment around and blend the many layers. Eventually I hope to have the little bunny-rabbit's eye as the focal point. It will be the point of strongest contrast and detail. Notice I've placed his eye at about 1/3 in and up following the rule of thirds for my composition. The challenge will be to have the Daisies strong, but not the main focus of the painting. If you were sitting quietly in a cool grassy spot, hidden away deep in the woods, gazing at a patch of wild Daisies...you might suddenly spot the gentle bright eye of a baby cottontail rabbit..then realize he is crouched motionless right by your feet! That's what I hope to capture here. So on to more colored pencil layers. Here is a Slideshow of each step in the creative process for "Spring Bunny 2010".

Enjoy!

Black Bunny On Art Gifts

Incorporating graphic design with one of my recent illustrations, I re-worked Mr Duncan Alexander (the black bunny in my newest children's book) so that he can now adorn a series of cute bunny art gifts. Just click on any image to find that item or go here to find Mr Duncan Alexander on a whole collection of art gifts.

Black Bunny Tote Bag:




Black Bunny Greeting Card:



Cute Bunny Ceramic Tile:




Enjoy!