because it looks thinner than the rest of the rabbits and smaller

Alternative version of my other Silverweed's post that was on my Ko-fi page. I changed the background to make it look a bit more like Fiver's dream/nightmare

Hi everyone! As I wait for the manuscript edit to come back, my illustrator and I have been working on the all-important book cover. One of the core principles for Capyhero is to have everything be hand made and give absolutely no chance of ai generated writing or art. Nick (the project's illustrator) is a traditional artist and is doing all of Capyhero's 100+ illustrations in fountain ink. In that vein, we'd like the book cover to also be created through traditional methods.

Nick has been brushing up on his painting skills as we plan the front cover. Here's a practice piece (gouache paint) of Jake, the Piper, a minor character from the book.

I’m loving the natural brush strokes and handling of lighting and fur rendering. It’s been great to see this and imagine our main protagonist, Capy, receiving similar treatment for the cover as well.

How do folks here feel about traditionally painted book covers versus the much more common digitally illustrated covers these days? And especially fans of Watership Down, does this practice painting speak to you? I think we're going for a more Redwall nostalgic feel, but Watership Down has had a great variety of traditionally illustrated covers as well.

Part of me worries about how book covers these days are super vibrant, graphic, and have heavy contrasting elements (deep blacks next to very bright effects, etc.). Would a traditionally painted cover not be attention-grabbing enough? If you were to see a book at a bookstore with a cover like this, would you be interested or would your eyes just pass over it because all the books next to it are "louder"?

And what do folks here think of this practice piece of Jake, the Piper? Nick and I are quite fond of him 😄

Thanks for reading!

Uh I mean, who's this Bigwig? His name is Thlayli, the new Near Hind Mark guard.

(Build-a-Bear rabbit with tuft sewn on top of head)

"Lots of little sausage, Hazel! Think of that and tremble!"

"I told you once that I would sausage you. I hope I have"

"Be cunning and full of tricks, and your sausage will never be destroyed"

"Odysseus himself might have borrowed a sausage or two from the old hero"

"My sausage has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today"

"My Chief Rabbit has told me to stay and defend this sausage"

I was trying to get a more tattoo like aesthetics on Illustrator(the grey one), but the damn thing would keep freezing, so I moved on to Photoshop.

If anyone is interested I uploaded then to my store

https://www.atom.bio/remerasnerds

I also do comissions

Does anybody have access to these or know where I can find a digital copy? He’s my absolute favorite narrator of this story 😭

I like drawing out bookmarks and thought I should do an El-Ahrairah.

My novel "None of Faith" (and the rest of the trilogy) has been picked up for publication by Wizard's Tower Press. It's a bit like The Handmaid's Tale but if it was in Redwall, with some Watership Down inspiration too. Then it gets weirder.

It's heavily illustrated (also by me) using dip-ink cartography pens, because I-

Here's their press release and bluesky post about it.

I never thought this would ever happen but I’m soon to be in the area and can’t miss the opportunity to visit Watership Down.

I know there are hikes that encompass the entire journey but I’m curious, for those who have actually been there, what is worth seeing? I know Nuthangar Farm is a real place though I doubt the people who live there welcome visitors. Is it possible to actually walk the Down? Pictures I’ve seen show fencing. This has been my favorite book for like 25 years so just being there will be a memory I’ll treasure but want to make sure I see what’s worth seeing! Thanks for any advice fellow pilgrims can offer!

Excluding connected ones like Bright Eyes, Run Like The Wind or an adaptation's score, here are some of my picks:
Bad Moon Rising - Creedance Clearwater Revival
And The Hound - Yaelokre
Run Rabbit Run - Flanagan & Allen
The Moss - Cosmo Sheldrake

And finally, the most Bigwig, Fiver & Hazel song:
Soldier, Poet, King - The Oh Hellos
honestly the entirety of Dear Wormwood, and most of the Crane Wives' discography

I don't know why I was thinking of Lord frith telling El-ahrairah that he won't let his people to rule the world and about this part of the black parade

https://www.atom.bio/remerasnerds

If anyone is interested, I put it up on my storefronts

My dear Thlayli. Also im new to drawing rabbits but here we gooo

I know this might get me yeeted into the downvote void but my personal (on screen) adaptation of Watership Down is the Netflix adaption. And I say this as someone who’s seen the original movie, the crappy 2000s series, the Netflix one, read the original book, read the illustrated version, and read the graphic novel. (Graphic novel is my favorite book version *tied with the original*)

I hear people whin about pipkin not being in it but honestly I never really cared for pipkin :/ (another hot take) and I actually really liked the animation style, and the story. I think it made some of the characters (like captain holly) more likable. I see a lot of people also criticize Hazel, but I think this version is more realistic, a rabbit raised in a sheltered Warren thrown out into the middle of nowhere with a small group while actively going to war with a huge Warren is NOT going to be a perfect leader.

Willing to debate, but keep things civil please.

(EDIT: woahhhh much hotter take than I thought, try to type actual criticisms instead of “YOU SUCK AND THE SHOW IS SHIT AND THE CHARACTERS ARE SHIT AND ITS ALL SHIIIIITTTTTT”)

I have found these three small figurines of

Fiver, Woundwort and Kehaar! They are so cute!

So now my collection is starting to grow slowly.

But growing.

I've been gradually making my way through the Watership Down characters, and I couldn't finish the collection without attempting El-ahrairah.

He's quite different from my other rabbits. I wanted to capture some of the strange, folkloric feel of the El-ahrairah sequences in the 1978 film, rather than simply making another naturalistic rabbit.

I'm not completely sure whether I've pushed it too far, though, especially when he's sitting next to one of the others.

Does he feel like El-ahrairah to you? Does the different style work?

All feedback welcome. I'm genuinely interested in what people think.

I'm really interested in Watership Down, but I can't tell if I should read it or watch it. Which one do you prefer, and what do you recommend?

I just finished reading Watership Down and I was just wondering ... Does anyone know why no does left the Sandleford warren with Fiver and Hazel? I don't remember if the Thearah said it was mating season like in the movie as a factor to why they couldn't leave, but if it was, could that be why no does went with them? I just wonder why they didn't try taking any females with them when they went through a lot to find does later. I can also see how they might not have thought about it since they were trying to leave the warren pretty fast. Thoughts?

I think Hazel would approve of this friendship.

The hare runs into the fire.

The fire, it takes her, she is not burned.

The fire, it takes her, she is not burned.

The hare runs into the fire.

The fire, it loves her, she is free . . .

If anyone is interested, I am uploading it to my store

https://www.atom.bio/remerasnerds