Brown Paper Bunny

Self Portrait

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Sun, 20 May 2012 20:35:00 +0000

A couple of months ago I signed up for the Art House Co-op self portrait project. They shipped me out a tiny little canvas and I set about painting a self portrait. I knew it probably wasn't going to be a good idea but I used watercolor anyway...turns out I should have listened to myself, it really doesn't behave very well on canvas!

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Snail Mail Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:30:00 +0000

I haven't had a lot of time to send snail mail since we moved to San Diego, but last weekend I set aside some time to paint a few cards for friends and family. The weather was beautiful, and we'd just picked up a little folding outdoor table, so I sat out on the balcony, soaking up the sunshine.

Do you ever paint or draw postcards while you're away on holidays? Or maybe keep a travel diary?

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Photo a day: May

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Fri, 04 May 2012 06:11:00 +0000

I've decided to participate in the Photo A Day project run by Fat Mum Slim (seeing as I spend my life on Instagram these days anyway). Are you doing it?

Here is the list for May, and you can find me on Instagram as @Illustrateur

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Stationery love

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:05:00 +0000

We only had three suitcases each, in which to put all our worldly possessions, for our move from Australia to San Diego, California. This meant that a lot of art supplies and stationery had to stay behind.

Unless you're new to the Brown Paper Bunny blog you know how much I love to send and receive mail, so I've been searching for good places to buy pretty stationery and writing supplies. Last week I popped over to the Kate Spade store in Fashion Valley and treated myself to some pretty cards.

And on the weekend I came across a cute little store called Ink, which is a short walk from our new place. I picked up these goodies, including the cutest bird cards by Susie Ghahremani (who is now a local San Diego illustrator).

If you're interested in swapping a bit of mail art, send me a message on Twitter and I'll send you my new address.

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Drawing class

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:20:00 +0000

Before we'd even moved from Australia to San Diego I'd been looking for a drawing or illustration class to take once we arrived. I enjoy taking classes because they force me to try new things I might not otherwise, and without being pushed I find it is easy to fall into a particular style and not challenge yourself enough.

I didn't have much luck finding any illustration classes that weren't part of a university degree, but I did find a drawing class at the San Diego Art Department.

I started class a week ago and thought I'd share my latest drawing attempt. So far our teacher has us drawing different angles of sculptures and busts, but I think next week we're drawing a still life of some sort.

When is the last time you took a class, workshop, or just tried something really different....and what was it?

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Home

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:07:00 +0000

We've been living in San Diego for a couple of weeks now, and are starting to get settled in. We've bought the important pieces of furniture and are trying to make the new apartment feel like home.

I was able to bring most of my 'art wall' with us from Australia so at least the office / studio is looking a little more colorful.

My art wall features the beautiful work of Katie Rodgers, Charlotte Vallance, Sepialepus, Catherine Campbell, Jeannine Saylor, Jessica Gowling and Effie Dee.

What sort of things make your place feel like home? I'd love to see. Post a photo to Instagram and tag me (@illustrateur) or on Twitter (@BrownPaperBunny) or post a pic directly to my Facebook page.

Leaving on a jet plane

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:11:00 +0000

Image courtesy www.missivemaven.com

I'm sorry for being so quiet on the blog front lately, but we've had some exciting news that has taken over our every waking minute!

We're leaving Australia for San Diego, California, and soon! We are due to leave in 32 days, which doesn't leave us long to finish up at our day jobs and pack up our lives before flying out.

I promise to get straight back to blogging as soon as we are settled, and if you have any tips or information about San Diego I'd love to hear it (I've only been there once, briefly).

If you are one of my regular mail-art buddies, I'll be sure to send you a change of address card, but until then my mailbox will have to remain sad and empty.

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Avatar

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:30:00 +0000

A friend at work wanted a line drawing avatar for use around the place, so I whipped this up last night. Then I was feeling the itch to do some watercolor, so I colored it in.

Which one do you prefer?

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Shorty Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:02:00 +0000

Are you feeling generous today? Nominate www.fashion-illo.com for a Micro-Blog Shorty Award.

Why do I think the blog deserves to be nominated? Because, without agenda, it aims to build community, encourage sharing, and showcase the work of student, aspiring, and established fashion illustrators from around the world.

Plus, it's just getting started, and every bit of help counts!

You can fill out your nomination here: http://shortyawards.com/special_awards/microblog and be sure to tweet about it afterwards! (That's how they create the shortlist).

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Cup art

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:45:00 +0000

I've had a ceramic Starbucks travel cup for the past couple of years, that I lugged back in my suitcase from New York, but unfortunately it met an untimely end recently. So on another trip to New York I picked up a new mug. This time a stainless steel one that you can slip paper into. I felt like it needed a little prettying up, so I had fun doodling with watercolors. I also added my name and favourite order, to keep it easy for the guys at my local cafe.

Mail Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

I recently ordered Natsuki Otani's collaborative zine. And check out all the goodies I was sent!

Stickers and badges and postcards, oh my!

If you'd like your own zine, head over to Illustration Rally, or check out Natsuki's amazing blog.

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Bespoke

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

I've been a fan of Bespoke, and a subscriber, from the very first issue. The latest edition just reached my postbox, and boy is it lovely.

Bespoke is an Australian zine put together by the lovely Jess from Epheriell Designs, and it's full of tutorials, crafts, art, photography, interviews and more.

If you haven't read it I recommend heading over to http://bespokezine.com and getting a copy of your very own.
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New Year Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:30:00 +0000

It's 2012, can you believe it? In order to get the year off to a rocking start I thought a little giveaway was in order.

THE PRIZE:

A copy of my 2012 Illustrated Fashion Calendar

Head over to my illustration blog www.illustrateuronline.com for details on how to win yourself a copy. And hurry, you only have until January 15, 2012!

Mail Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 01:35:00 +0000

I've been a bit slack in the mail art department lately, what with Christmas, family visiting, and three Sketchbook Project books to finish.

But I've still been receiving some lovely things in my post box!

I received this beautiful pack of goodies from Charlotte Vallance, a UK-based illustrator. I absolutely love her style and all of her products are of such a beautiful, high quality. I really can't tell you how much fun I had unpacking each item and marveling at them all individually!

Here's a close-up of the greeting card and bicycle broach.

And this beautiful silk-screened fold-out book!

Check out Charlotte's blog: http://charlottevallance.blogspot.com or find her on Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/charlottevallance

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Us Folk Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:19:00 +0000

With limited creative outlets for young people in Canberra Australia, two lovely young ladies are trying to make a difference. They are launching a magazine called Us Folk:

Us Folk is a new independent magazine providing a platform for young and emerging artists, photographers, designers, writers and performers from Canberra and the surrounding region to gain exposure and have their work published. Us Folk will feature a bunch of fun, quirky and inspiring content including stories, art, comics, photography, fashion, interviews, recipes, DIY tutorials and more.

Canberra has a bad reputation for being boring, but we know that’s not true. There are lots of young people in this city who are making Canberra a fun and exciting place to be, and Us Folk want to share their stories.We have already received many contributions, and are looking forward to publishing work by home grown talent.

They're raising money for the first edition, and it's going well, but they need your help to get it over the line. Even if you can only donate $1, visit www.pozible.com.au to contribute.

For more information on Us Folk visit: www.usfolkmag.com
And be sure to like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/usfolk

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Wacom Inkling Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:02:00 +0000

A few months ago I posted up a video of the Wacom Inkling which had yet to be released. I've been having a lot of trouble finding an Australian seller, but a friend lent me hers to have a play with. So, to help those of you who didn't get one for Christmas and are contemplating buying one, I've done a review for you.

Here's a basic overview of the Inkling's features:

Captures your pen and paper sketches in vector format, so you can upload straight to the computer.
Pressure sensitive for different stroke weights.
Stores hundreds of sketches between uploads to your computer.
Works with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Autodesk, and Sketchbook Pro.
Can be used on paper A7 to A4 in size.

To start using the Inkling, clip the receiver to your sketchbook. Turn on the receiver and wait until the pen shows a green light. Start drawing.

You can click a button on the receiver to signal the start of a new layer. For example, I drew my little abstract bunny on one layer, then colored it in on a new layer, then added the grass and flower on a third layer.

This is what it looked like once I had uploaded it to Illustrator. You can see the layers toggled on and off.

You can also use the Inkling to trace over a sketch or image that you've already created, if you just want the outline digitized. Here's an example where I used a thin piece of bond paper to trace the outline of a watercolor I painted last year.

Here's the finished tracing, just before I uploaded it to Illustrator.

As you can see, this one didn't come out as well. There are some missed lines where I obviously didn't press down hard enough, and there is also some movement where I must have shifted the paper slightly while I was working. I assume this would mostly be avoided if you use a sturdy sketchbook rather than loose sheets of paper.

Overall the Inkling performed as I expected it to. I think there are some kinks that need to be ironed out, and given the quality of the uploaded image I'm not sure how useful it is in terms of cutting down workflow. You would still have to do a lot of tidy up on the computer, which makes me wonder if it is any easier than scanning or photographing your original image and tracing it in Illustrator. It is definitely a fun gadget though. Now if only it came with a felt tip or pencil adapter...

If you've used the Inkling leave me a comment and let me know what you think of it.

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Shhh, don't tell my sister!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:43:00 +0000

This year I've tried to make a lot of my Christmas presents, including this little notebook / sketchbook for my sister. I'm pretty sure she doesn't read my blog, so I think I'm pretty safe showing you.

Before I bound the book I painted little pictures and funny things on some of the pages and spread them out through the book. Then I bound it using the coptic binding method. I made the cover from book-board and covered it in a Paris map (my sister likes maps, and Paris). Voila, handmade book!

Perri and her friends

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:30:00 +0000

Lately I've been hand-binding a lot of notebooks and sketchbooks as Christmas presents. I almost exclusively use Coptic binding because I love how the book opens completely flat on every page.

On the weekend I decided it was time to make myself a new sketchbook using my favourite watercolor paper. I repurposed this old Disney Golden Book from 1974, keeping the original pages inside along with the watercolor paper.

There are some wonderful '70s photos and the storyline is....well....strange.

Peerless Paints

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:15:00 +0000

Recently I was introduced to Peerless Watercolours on The Bliss Artworks blog. They are highly pigmented paint applied to paper, which makes them really convenient for location painting. Have a look at this video by Jane Davenport on making your own portable palette.

So this got me wondering if I could make some myself out of paints I already have. I used a few different weights of paper and applied gouache to the top half and watercolor to the bottom. I applied three coats, waiting for each one to dry fully before applying the next.

They actually did work reasonably well. The colour came off again the way I had hoped.

However, the paper curled, and as the paint really dried out it cracked and started to flake off the paper. So my conclusion is this...put the Peerless paints on your Christmas wish list. They aren't very expensive, and they've been making them since 1885, so I guess they know what they're doing. ;)

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Narwhal mini books

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:01:00 +0000

To continue on from my last post, here is the finished product of my stamp-carving. I've popped these mini Moleskines up in the Brown Paper Bunny store too. They make nice little stocking stuffers.

P.S. I've just about convinced my boyfriend that Narwhals exist.

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http://www.etsy.com/listing/88259644/hand-stamped-moleskine-mini

Narwhal stamps

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:04:00 +0000

We are doing a Secret Santa at work and the theme of the presents is water. So last night I carved this little Narwhal stamp and have been testing it before I use it to make a little set of Narwhal notebooks.

My boyfriend saw it and asked 'what's with the sea unicorn'. He doesn't believe that Narwhals actually exist. So my dear, this is for you: Read about Narwhals

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Christmas ornament swap

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 02:15:00 +0000

This month I participated in the Creative Collective Christmas decoration swap. I sent off my little stocking ornaments, and check out what I received in return!

This awesome crocheted tree ornament was made by Casey over at plus3crochet.blogspot.com She has some really great projects going on her blog, definitely worth a look. Thanks Casey!

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Beginnings anthology

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:11:00 +0000

My new avatar, by Mike Perry

The very talented folk from the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) Comic meetup group are putting together an anthology. The finished product will be:

Sized to fit into a handbag/satchel/suit pocket (A5 sized).
One hundred glossy pages.
Full color.
A collection of stories about beginnings.
In a variety of genres - action, romance, autobiographical, super-hero, mythological.
Family friendly (though not specifically aimed at children or young adult).

The book will be printed locally, minimising the environmental impact and helping the local economy.

They need some help funding this awesome project, but they aren't asking for handouts. There are a range of fantastic sponsorship incentives. Personally I was keen to get a fun new avatar, so I donated $10 and then went back for a second round to get myself a pre-ordered copy of the book itself.

Check out their fundraising site and see if anything takes your fancy, or help out by spreading the word!

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Creative Collective decoration swap

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:30:00 +0000

Yesterday I sent off my little hand-made Christmas ornaments as part of the Creative Collective November swap.

I had loads of fun making these little guys! I used red and white felt, beads and red/gold ribbon. I hand sewed the beads onto the front of the stockings, before sewing the front and back together and gluing on the white trim.

Can't wait to see what I get in return!

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Thanksgiving turkeys

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:52:00 +0000

We had a late Thanksgiving dinner on the weekend, so I just had to make these little turkey finger puppets as party favors. I originally saw the idea on the Martha Stewart website but I didn't like her design so I've changed it a bit.

Do you usually make Thanksgiving themed decorations and party favors?

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