Brown Paper Bunny

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!

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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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Courtney's Moly_X

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

Here is the latest Moly_X to come my way. This one was started by Courtney, with the theme of flowers. There is some really lovely work in here. Have a look at it all together in the video. My contribution is the girl at the end.

Christmas competition

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:31:00 +0000

With Christmas coming up I've decided to run a little competition over on my fashion illustration blog IllustrateurOnline.com.

Send in your favourite fashion image and I'll pick one to use as inspiration for an illustration, then I'll send the original illustration to the winner as a Christmas gift!

The image can be something you found online, in a magazine, or a photo of you wearing your favourite outfit. It's up to you. If it's not a photo you took yourself be sure to tell me where it came from so I can attribute the image to its author.

Send your image to jess.illustrateur at gmail dot com before Saturday 26 November.

For extra entries, tweet about the competition (making sure to include @illustrateur_ so I can keep track), blog about it, share it on Facebook (mentioning @IllustrateurOnline), share it on Google+ etc.

I can't wait to see your favourite outfits!

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Moly_X from Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:29:00 +0000

Over the last few months I've been sent a number of lovely moleskines for the collaborative Moly_X project I'm participating in. The latest little book to cross my desk is the one started by Lindsay Wright in Canada, with the theme of travel.

The book is getting so long I couldn't photograph it all in one go, so here's a video instead. I'm not sure why my phone captures such a long skinny format...sorry about that...but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Thanksgiving invitations

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:30:00 +0000

Although Thanksgiving isn't something that is usually celebrated in Australia, some American friends and I have decided to have a little Thanksgiving dinner party.

I needed to quickly whip up some invitations. So I started by painting a simple watercolor pumpkin, scanning it in, and printing out some notecards (four to a page) on some watercolor paper. I trimmed the edges to give it a softer look, and just wrote in the details. Took me about 20 minutes all up. What do you think?

Drippy baubles

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:40:00 +0000

Using watercolor I quickly whipped up another batch of Christmas cards for friends and family. I call these ones 'Drippy Baubles', and they are certainly something you can (and should) try at home if you'd like to send out hand-made cards this year.

They're fun to make, and the color combinations are only limited by your imagination!

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Thanks grandma

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:13:00 +0000

On the weekend I was busy painting this little guy and putting together some Christmas card sets which are now up in the Brown Paper Bunny Etsy Store.

I reproduced the little guy using archival inks on really beautiful Italian cotton card stock. I'm a paper nerd, but this stuff really is lovely! Each card comes with a matching cream Italian envelope and there are five in a pack. So if you're tired of all the boring Santa and Christmas Tree cards out there... Brown Paper Bunny Store.

P.S. I'd love to know if you have an ugly Christmas sweater (or two) in the back of your closet!

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Handmade decoration swap

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:27:00 +0000

The lovely ladies over at the Creative Collective are running a handmade Christmas decoration swap this month. So if you'd like something pretty, and made with love, for your tree get on over there and sign up before 15 November!

Find the swap here.
You will need to enter the password CCDECSWAP to participate.
Because we like to support the handmade movement, all decorations sent MUST be handmade by you or bought from a handmade artist.
You will have one swap partner. The swap is open worldwide so you must be prepared to mail internationally. Please keep this in mind when making your Handmade Christmas Decoration.
The swap opens today and sign-ups close on 15 November 2011. You then have until 30 November to send your Handmade Christmas Decoration. Feel free to send earlier, we want to see the flickr pool and facebook page filling with photos of gorgeous Handmade Christmas Decorations.
By submitting your photos to the Creative Collective Flickr Group you are agreeing to letting these images be used on other Blogs associated with this challenge.
All photos you submit to the Creative Collective Flickr Group must not have copyright restrictions. This will allow the Creative Collective Members to feature your images on their blogs.

Learning to illustrate fashion

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:41:00 +0000

For the past 15 weeks I've been taking a fashion illustration course at the local Tafe (or Community College for you Northern Americans). I had been looking forward to the course for a long time, especially because it had been postponed twice due to venue and enrollment issues, and there really isn't much in the way of illustration courses in my home town.

We had an ambitious curriculum, and to be honest I think we only got through about half of it. The school allocated two hours a week, so by the time you got there, unpacked, talked about what you were doing for that class, you only had an hour to an hour and a half left. Not enough time to cover everything!

Some of the main things we did touch on included: 10-head croquis (basic fashion figure), basic shading, draping, simple faces / hands / feet, contextual backgrounds, collage, watercolor and ink, pastels and charcoal, drawing from magazines, and presenting a finished fashion image.

All of those were just brief overviews though, and we didn't event start to get into trade sketches, storyboards, using Adobe Illustrator, or get to expand on faces / hands / feet (something we were all struggling with). So, I guess now it is up to me to take what I have learned, practice, and try to expand on it. I have some good books, and it is just a question of finding the discipline to sit down and practice now that I don't have a class to go to.

I enjoyed learning how to stretch a regular-sized human into a 10-head croquis (most people are around 8-heads) but I think now that it is no longer a course requirement I might spend some time trying some more realistic 8 or 9 head figures.

Here is a little bit of the work I did during the course, I'd love to know what you think, and whether or not you can see any improvement over the last 15 weeks. You can click on any of the images to read more about them on my other blog, Illustrateur.

Here is one of the first finished pieces I did in class (rough draft and finished watercolor):

Some more pieces I worked on, using ball-point pen, watercolor, copic markers, and collage:

This piece I worked on for a bit longer, using watercolor and ink. If you'd like to see the process, check out the blog post over on my fashion illustration blog Illustrateur.

This is the last piece I submitted for class, also using watercolor and ink...but with a touch of glitter!

Brooklyn Art Library Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:30:00 +0000

While I was in New York I dropped by the Brooklyn Art Library twice, and tried to look at as many sketchbooks as I could. If time hadn't been a constraint I would have spent days there!

Here are just a few quick snaps from some of the sketchbooks I looked at. Is yours in there?

If you can't make it to the Brooklyn Art Library, don't forget that a lot of the sketchbooks are now digitized and available on their website!

P.S. Jess G. I kept making them search for your book, until I remembered it never actually arrived. :(

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Mail Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Mack) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:00:00 +0000

I've just received another wonderful package from Jess at Nature's My Friend. She always finds and sends the most wonderful little goodies!

You've probably already guessed that I like bunnies (what, no, really?) and Jess spoiled me with bunny stickers, pictures, jokes, an ad for raising bunnies for profit, and a crochet pattern for bunny overalls. How cute are the chubby little kids eating ice-cream! Thanks Jess!