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Episode 40 of Layer Explorer with Melissa Malone @melmaloneart

Full episode on YouTube! @thepedropedro link in my bio

In this series, we invite an artist and watch them unpeel their Photoshop files layer by layer, as they talk about their process.

In this episode, I talk with Melissa about her painting. She takes us from the idea to the final render of the Kitchen she imagined, how can she stay away from adding plants to her interior, and the plot twist when she turns on the final adjustment layers.

Edited by @marcobfs

#digitalart #photoshoplayers #conceptart #layerexplorer #artistinterview #artpodcast #speedpaint #digitalpainting #photoshoplayers #characterdesign

Going analog in March; A self portrait in gouache and knitted my first pair of (fingerless) mittens! What a feeling🌀🌀🌀

#selfportrait #gouache

Going analog in March; A self portrait in gouache and knitted my first pair of (fingerless) mittens! What a feeling🌀🌀🌀

#selfportrait #gouache

A couple of weeks ago we were bidding on a house that needed a whole new kitchen fitted. I am, of course, so type A that I started to gather research and reference the day we viewed it. We ultimately lost out on the house but I've been thinking of that sundrenched maximalist kitchen ever since.
#conceptart #visualdevelopment #backgroundart #locationdesign #photoshop

A wee drawing from a couple of weeks ago when I’d been playing with liquitex ink and listening to a lot of Joni Mitchell. Work’s been busy since and I’ve been painting some portraits again in my spare time. Creatively I feel like I can’t settle on one thing at the moment - I don’t know if it’s spring coming or the fact that I've taken all social media off my phone that's making me feel antsy. I find myself wanting to paint human faces more than ever which i'm sure says a lot about my hermetic freelance lifestyle 💁‍♀️

#illustration #liquitex #jonimitchell

Images from my latest newsletter

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #illustration

Images from my latest newsletter

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #illustration

Images from my latest newsletter

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #illustration

Hello! This October I’m taking part in Stride for Gaza; a virtual challenge in support of Medical Aid for Palestinians.
I will be completing 98km in 23 days by foot and bike, following the displacement journey of one of MAP’s Palestinian colleagues in Gaza. The challenge doesn’t start until October 8th but if you’d like to support me and MAP ahead of the start date, you can donate at the link in my bio now 🇵🇸

Hello! This October I’m taking part in Stride for Gaza; a virtual challenge in support of Medical Aid for Palestinians.
I will be completing 98km in 23 days by foot and bike, following the displacement journey of one of MAP’s Palestinian colleagues in Gaza. The challenge doesn’t start until October 8th but if you’d like to support me and MAP ahead of the start date, you can donate at the link in my bio now 🇵🇸

I’d planned to share a proper Summer roundup in my next newsletter, but things have been so busy I haven’t managed it yet. So instead, here’s a roundup in picture form.

1. Work, work, work; since relocating I’ve been lucky enough to be booked up with visual development work. I’m still navigating my work/life balance as a parent with two career lanes (more on that in the newsletter) but it feels a lot easier being out of a big city.
2. Summer began with me moving out of my studio space and saying goodbye to my lovely studio mates. I really miss the hustle and bustle of a studio and having a dedicated space outside of the house - I think the hardest part of not getting the sense of relief of returning home after the work is done (which I’m sure a lot of you can relate to!)
3. We moved home to Ireland after 6.5 years in London in mid-May with cat and baby in tow.
4. One of the positives of having a bit more free time has been getting to sketchbook. I haven’t shared a lot of it here because I am r-u-s-t-y 📢 but I really want to make it a regular practice (and one that doesn’t feel forced). Any tips/ resources - let me know!
5. Honestly, if there were a ‘wrapped’ for my most frequented activities, it would be scribbling at the living room coffee table with Moya. What a joy it’s been to just ‘play’ with cheap materials, without the lens of an audience - I believe it’s informed my illustration work in a big way.
6. In July, we got engaged in Dublin and then took a trip back to London to celebrate with our friends. We stayed in a ridiculous gothic hotel in Soho with a bathtub in the living room - not pictured but I’ll let you use your imagination. It was one of my favourite weekends ever.
7. Moya turned 2 years old in August (what is time?) and we had a little party in our backyard.
8. Being home after 15 years living in big cities, I’m struck at the beauty of the place I grew up (still a city, but a small one). I miss the spontaneity and the anonymity of London all the time… There are still moments when I have to sit with the quiet & the under-stimulation and learn to be comfortable with the stillness🌻

I’d planned to share a proper Summer roundup in my next newsletter, but things have been so busy I haven’t managed it yet. So instead, here’s a roundup in picture form.

1. Work, work, work; since relocating I’ve been lucky enough to be booked up with visual development work. I’m still navigating my work/life balance as a parent with two career lanes (more on that in the newsletter) but it feels a lot easier being out of a big city.
2. Summer began with me moving out of my studio space and saying goodbye to my lovely studio mates. I really miss the hustle and bustle of a studio and having a dedicated space outside of the house - I think the hardest part of not getting the sense of relief of returning home after the work is done (which I’m sure a lot of you can relate to!)
3. We moved home to Ireland after 6.5 years in London in mid-May with cat and baby in tow.
4. One of the positives of having a bit more free time has been getting to sketchbook. I haven’t shared a lot of it here because I am r-u-s-t-y 📢 but I really want to make it a regular practice (and one that doesn’t feel forced). Any tips/ resources - let me know!
5. Honestly, if there were a ‘wrapped’ for my most frequented activities, it would be scribbling at the living room coffee table with Moya. What a joy it’s been to just ‘play’ with cheap materials, without the lens of an audience - I believe it’s informed my illustration work in a big way.
6. In July, we got engaged in Dublin and then took a trip back to London to celebrate with our friends. We stayed in a ridiculous gothic hotel in Soho with a bathtub in the living room - not pictured but I’ll let you use your imagination. It was one of my favourite weekends ever.
7. Moya turned 2 years old in August (what is time?) and we had a little party in our backyard.
8. Being home after 15 years living in big cities, I’m struck at the beauty of the place I grew up (still a city, but a small one). I miss the spontaneity and the anonymity of London all the time… There are still moments when I have to sit with the quiet & the under-stimulation and learn to be comfortable with the stillness🌻

I’d planned to share a proper Summer roundup in my next newsletter, but things have been so busy I haven’t managed it yet. So instead, here’s a roundup in picture form.

1. Work, work, work; since relocating I’ve been lucky enough to be booked up with visual development work. I’m still navigating my work/life balance as a parent with two career lanes (more on that in the newsletter) but it feels a lot easier being out of a big city.
2. Summer began with me moving out of my studio space and saying goodbye to my lovely studio mates. I really miss the hustle and bustle of a studio and having a dedicated space outside of the house - I think the hardest part of not getting the sense of relief of returning home after the work is done (which I’m sure a lot of you can relate to!)
3. We moved home to Ireland after 6.5 years in London in mid-May with cat and baby in tow.
4. One of the positives of having a bit more free time has been getting to sketchbook. I haven’t shared a lot of it here because I am r-u-s-t-y 📢 but I really want to make it a regular practice (and one that doesn’t feel forced). Any tips/ resources - let me know!
5. Honestly, if there were a ‘wrapped’ for my most frequented activities, it would be scribbling at the living room coffee table with Moya. What a joy it’s been to just ‘play’ with cheap materials, without the lens of an audience - I believe it’s informed my illustration work in a big way.
6. In July, we got engaged in Dublin and then took a trip back to London to celebrate with our friends. We stayed in a ridiculous gothic hotel in Soho with a bathtub in the living room - not pictured but I’ll let you use your imagination. It was one of my favourite weekends ever.
7. Moya turned 2 years old in August (what is time?) and we had a little party in our backyard.
8. Being home after 15 years living in big cities, I’m struck at the beauty of the place I grew up (still a city, but a small one). I miss the spontaneity and the anonymity of London all the time… There are still moments when I have to sit with the quiet & the under-stimulation and learn to be comfortable with the stillness🌻

I’d planned to share a proper Summer roundup in my next newsletter, but things have been so busy I haven’t managed it yet. So instead, here’s a roundup in picture form.

1. Work, work, work; since relocating I’ve been lucky enough to be booked up with visual development work. I’m still navigating my work/life balance as a parent with two career lanes (more on that in the newsletter) but it feels a lot easier being out of a big city.
2. Summer began with me moving out of my studio space and saying goodbye to my lovely studio mates. I really miss the hustle and bustle of a studio and having a dedicated space outside of the house - I think the hardest part of not getting the sense of relief of returning home after the work is done (which I’m sure a lot of you can relate to!)
3. We moved home to Ireland after 6.5 years in London in mid-May with cat and baby in tow.
4. One of the positives of having a bit more free time has been getting to sketchbook. I haven’t shared a lot of it here because I am r-u-s-t-y 📢 but I really want to make it a regular practice (and one that doesn’t feel forced). Any tips/ resources - let me know!
5. Honestly, if there were a ‘wrapped’ for my most frequented activities, it would be scribbling at the living room coffee table with Moya. What a joy it’s been to just ‘play’ with cheap materials, without the lens of an audience - I believe it’s informed my illustration work in a big way.
6. In July, we got engaged in Dublin and then took a trip back to London to celebrate with our friends. We stayed in a ridiculous gothic hotel in Soho with a bathtub in the living room - not pictured but I’ll let you use your imagination. It was one of my favourite weekends ever.
7. Moya turned 2 years old in August (what is time?) and we had a little party in our backyard.
8. Being home after 15 years living in big cities, I’m struck at the beauty of the place I grew up (still a city, but a small one). I miss the spontaneity and the anonymity of London all the time… There are still moments when I have to sit with the quiet & the under-stimulation and learn to be comfortable with the stillness🌻

I’d planned to share a proper Summer roundup in my next newsletter, but things have been so busy I haven’t managed it yet. So instead, here’s a roundup in picture form.

1. Work, work, work; since relocating I’ve been lucky enough to be booked up with visual development work. I’m still navigating my work/life balance as a parent with two career lanes (more on that in the newsletter) but it feels a lot easier being out of a big city.
2. Summer began with me moving out of my studio space and saying goodbye to my lovely studio mates. I really miss the hustle and bustle of a studio and having a dedicated space outside of the house - I think the hardest part of not getting the sense of relief of returning home after the work is done (which I’m sure a lot of you can relate to!)
3. We moved home to Ireland after 6.5 years in London in mid-May with cat and baby in tow.
4. One of the positives of having a bit more free time has been getting to sketchbook. I haven’t shared a lot of it here because I am r-u-s-t-y 📢 but I really want to make it a regular practice (and one that doesn’t feel forced). Any tips/ resources - let me know!
5. Honestly, if there were a ‘wrapped’ for my most frequented activities, it would be scribbling at the living room coffee table with Moya. What a joy it’s been to just ‘play’ with cheap materials, without the lens of an audience - I believe it’s informed my illustration work in a big way.
6. In July, we got engaged in Dublin and then took a trip back to London to celebrate with our friends. We stayed in a ridiculous gothic hotel in Soho with a bathtub in the living room - not pictured but I’ll let you use your imagination. It was one of my favourite weekends ever.
7. Moya turned 2 years old in August (what is time?) and we had a little party in our backyard.
8. Being home after 15 years living in big cities, I’m struck at the beauty of the place I grew up (still a city, but a small one). I miss the spontaneity and the anonymity of London all the time… There are still moments when I have to sit with the quiet & the under-stimulation and learn to be comfortable with the stillness🌻

I’d planned to share a proper Summer roundup in my next newsletter, but things have been so busy I haven’t managed it yet. So instead, here’s a roundup in picture form.

1. Work, work, work; since relocating I’ve been lucky enough to be booked up with visual development work. I’m still navigating my work/life balance as a parent with two career lanes (more on that in the newsletter) but it feels a lot easier being out of a big city.
2. Summer began with me moving out of my studio space and saying goodbye to my lovely studio mates. I really miss the hustle and bustle of a studio and having a dedicated space outside of the house - I think the hardest part of not getting the sense of relief of returning home after the work is done (which I’m sure a lot of you can relate to!)
3. We moved home to Ireland after 6.5 years in London in mid-May with cat and baby in tow.
4. One of the positives of having a bit more free time has been getting to sketchbook. I haven’t shared a lot of it here because I am r-u-s-t-y 📢 but I really want to make it a regular practice (and one that doesn’t feel forced). Any tips/ resources - let me know!
5. Honestly, if there were a ‘wrapped’ for my most frequented activities, it would be scribbling at the living room coffee table with Moya. What a joy it’s been to just ‘play’ with cheap materials, without the lens of an audience - I believe it’s informed my illustration work in a big way.
6. In July, we got engaged in Dublin and then took a trip back to London to celebrate with our friends. We stayed in a ridiculous gothic hotel in Soho with a bathtub in the living room - not pictured but I’ll let you use your imagination. It was one of my favourite weekends ever.
7. Moya turned 2 years old in August (what is time?) and we had a little party in our backyard.
8. Being home after 15 years living in big cities, I’m struck at the beauty of the place I grew up (still a city, but a small one). I miss the spontaneity and the anonymity of London all the time… There are still moments when I have to sit with the quiet & the under-stimulation and learn to be comfortable with the stillness🌻

I’d planned to share a proper Summer roundup in my next newsletter, but things have been so busy I haven’t managed it yet. So instead, here’s a roundup in picture form.

1. Work, work, work; since relocating I’ve been lucky enough to be booked up with visual development work. I’m still navigating my work/life balance as a parent with two career lanes (more on that in the newsletter) but it feels a lot easier being out of a big city.
2. Summer began with me moving out of my studio space and saying goodbye to my lovely studio mates. I really miss the hustle and bustle of a studio and having a dedicated space outside of the house - I think the hardest part of not getting the sense of relief of returning home after the work is done (which I’m sure a lot of you can relate to!)
3. We moved home to Ireland after 6.5 years in London in mid-May with cat and baby in tow.
4. One of the positives of having a bit more free time has been getting to sketchbook. I haven’t shared a lot of it here because I am r-u-s-t-y 📢 but I really want to make it a regular practice (and one that doesn’t feel forced). Any tips/ resources - let me know!
5. Honestly, if there were a ‘wrapped’ for my most frequented activities, it would be scribbling at the living room coffee table with Moya. What a joy it’s been to just ‘play’ with cheap materials, without the lens of an audience - I believe it’s informed my illustration work in a big way.
6. In July, we got engaged in Dublin and then took a trip back to London to celebrate with our friends. We stayed in a ridiculous gothic hotel in Soho with a bathtub in the living room - not pictured but I’ll let you use your imagination. It was one of my favourite weekends ever.
7. Moya turned 2 years old in August (what is time?) and we had a little party in our backyard.
8. Being home after 15 years living in big cities, I’m struck at the beauty of the place I grew up (still a city, but a small one). I miss the spontaneity and the anonymity of London all the time… There are still moments when I have to sit with the quiet & the under-stimulation and learn to be comfortable with the stillness🌻

I’d planned to share a proper Summer roundup in my next newsletter, but things have been so busy I haven’t managed it yet. So instead, here’s a roundup in picture form.

1. Work, work, work; since relocating I’ve been lucky enough to be booked up with visual development work. I’m still navigating my work/life balance as a parent with two career lanes (more on that in the newsletter) but it feels a lot easier being out of a big city.
2. Summer began with me moving out of my studio space and saying goodbye to my lovely studio mates. I really miss the hustle and bustle of a studio and having a dedicated space outside of the house - I think the hardest part of not getting the sense of relief of returning home after the work is done (which I’m sure a lot of you can relate to!)
3. We moved home to Ireland after 6.5 years in London in mid-May with cat and baby in tow.
4. One of the positives of having a bit more free time has been getting to sketchbook. I haven’t shared a lot of it here because I am r-u-s-t-y 📢 but I really want to make it a regular practice (and one that doesn’t feel forced). Any tips/ resources - let me know!
5. Honestly, if there were a ‘wrapped’ for my most frequented activities, it would be scribbling at the living room coffee table with Moya. What a joy it’s been to just ‘play’ with cheap materials, without the lens of an audience - I believe it’s informed my illustration work in a big way.
6. In July, we got engaged in Dublin and then took a trip back to London to celebrate with our friends. We stayed in a ridiculous gothic hotel in Soho with a bathtub in the living room - not pictured but I’ll let you use your imagination. It was one of my favourite weekends ever.
7. Moya turned 2 years old in August (what is time?) and we had a little party in our backyard.
8. Being home after 15 years living in big cities, I’m struck at the beauty of the place I grew up (still a city, but a small one). I miss the spontaneity and the anonymity of London all the time… There are still moments when I have to sit with the quiet & the under-stimulation and learn to be comfortable with the stillness🌻

Hello #KidLitArtPostcard Day 🌞 How did this come around again so quickly? This month I’m recycling a slightly older piece - life is BUSY. 🐝

About me: I’m a picture book illustrator and visual development artist in the Animation industry. I’m inspired by the Irish countryside, paintings, old homes full of antiques, big brave shapes and childlike magical thinking. You can see my full portfolio at the link in my bio.

🌀I’m represented by @kyle_wendylynnco at @wendylynnco
🌐 www.melmalone.art

#kidlit #kidlitart #kitlitpostcardday #kidlitpostcard #illustration #visualdevelopment #art #painting

Here’s the final image in my Moon-Faced Cat story 🌚 I would love to rework these into a book some day. Any takers? 👀

“We followed the cat with the moon white face, then beckoned our friends to join in the chase. But come the dark, she slipped from sight - now she watches from the sky each night”

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #illustration #art #drawing#childrensbookillustration #cat #panpastel #watercolour

“We followed the cat with the moon-white face…” 🌚

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #illustration #art #drawing#childrensbookillustration #cat #panpastel #watercolour

“We followed the cat with the moon-white face…” 🌚

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #illustration #art #drawing#childrensbookillustration #cat #panpastel #watercolour

“We followed the cat with the moon-white face…” 🌚

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #illustration #art #drawing#childrensbookillustration #cat #panpastel #watercolour

Here are some behind-the-scenes images for this piece which was used for @wendylynnco ‘s Spring/Summer Lookbook (technically this is just half the image but instagrams formatting isn’t landscape friendly so I’ll share the other part next week)

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #illustration #art #drawing#childrensbookillustration

Here are some behind-the-scenes images for this piece which was used for @wendylynnco ‘s Spring/Summer Lookbook (technically this is just half the image but instagrams formatting isn’t landscape friendly so I’ll share the other part next week)

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #illustration #art #drawing#childrensbookillustration

Here are some behind-the-scenes images for this piece which was used for @wendylynnco ‘s Spring/Summer Lookbook (technically this is just half the image but instagrams formatting isn’t landscape friendly so I’ll share the other part next week)

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #illustration #art #drawing#childrensbookillustration

Here are some behind-the-scenes images for this piece which was used for @wendylynnco ‘s Spring/Summer Lookbook (technically this is just half the image but instagrams formatting isn’t landscape friendly so I’ll share the other part next week)

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #illustration #art #drawing#childrensbookillustration

Collage + Pastel

#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #illustration #art #drawing#childrensbookillustration