Rêverie: The Art of Sibylline Meynet

by Sibylline Meynet, 3dTotal Publishing

For the first time, talented French illustrator and character designer Sibylline Meynet not only shares her beautiful artwork in this beautifully crafted book, but also presents specially commissioned tutorials, step-by-step techniques, and the story of her journey as a professional artist.

Rêverie: The Art of Sibylline Meynet is a must-have for aspiring artists and illustrators in need of career inspiration and a creative re-boot. Sibylline launched herself as a freelance illustrator straight out of high school in her native France, and now works as a comic artist, character designer, and illustrator for magazines and books. Her artwork features in abundance the girls and animals she loves to draw, characters who exude charm and whimsy as well as great narrative strength and depth.

Behind her artwork is a career in film and print, on projects from Scoob! (Warner Bros.) and Garfield (BOOM! Studios), to Cursed and Orange is the New Black (Netflix). In this book, Sibylline shares her experiences working in the industry, juggling work commitments with exhibiting, collaborations, and personal projects. For artists seeking new creative exercises, career inspiration, advice, and a chance to peruse the gallery of a talented and unique professional artist, this exciting new book is essential.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

152 pages, Hardcover

Published October 9, 2021

Reviews

[Chloe Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a stunning book about an artist's learning process & comes with tutorials! so so beautiful ✨❤️

[Florence Mullot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je suis Sibylline depuis… je ne saurais dire… Je crois que c'était à l'époque où elle avait un blog, bien avant que son compte Instagram ne voit le jour. J'ai toujours été charmé par son style qui dégage toujours une sérénité et un bien-être qui font un bien fou. Je ne compte plus non plus les nombreuses illustrations que j'ai chez moi de cette talentueuse artiste. Alors bien entendu quand Rêverie a vu le jour, j'étais plus qu'excitée ! Sibylline nous avait déjà offert des fanzines et un artbook mais travailler avec 3DTotal Publishing c'était une autre histoire.

J'ai la version anglaise de Rêverie. Vous avez la chance maintenant de pouvoir trouver l'ouvrage en français, ce qui est franchement génial. Etre traduit, c'est aussi la preuve de son succès. Dans tous les cas, le livre est un objet superbe. Je ne sais pas si les deux versions sont identiques à 100%, mais pour ma part, j'adore le travail réalisé sur la version de 3DTotal Publishing : papier de qualité, page de chapitre en papier opaque et transparent, mis en page élégante, tout est fait pour mettre en avant le travail de l'illustratrice.

Sibylline ne se dévoile pas beaucoup sur le net. J'ai eu la chance de la suivre sur Patreon pendant quelques temps, et elle s'ouvre plus, mais en règle générale, c'est quelqu'un de pudique et de discret. Je trouve que l'on retrouve aussi cela dans ses dessins. Rêverie permet de la comprendre un peu plus, ainsi que son art. Je ne sais pas si elle s'en est rendu compte en écrivant Rêverie, mais je trouve qu'elle nous offre beaucoup d'elle-même. Elle nous ouvre son jardin secret en quelque sorte. On en apprend plus sur son parcours, ses doutes, ses inspirations, ses outils de travail, ses méthodes, ses expérimentations… C'est très instructif. J'adore personnellement voir une oeuvre commencer part des doodles sans réelle forme, et ensuite prendre vie avec des traits plus assumés, des couleurs, les détails qui feront toute la différence.

Rêverie est très instructif, mais c'est aussi un livre qui nous offre de nombreuses illustrations. Pour suivre Sibylline depuis longtemps, j'ai été très heureuse de voir des dessins inédits, mais aussi d'autres que j'ai sur mes murs, ou bien que j'ai découvert sur ses réseaux. Rêverie n'est cependant pas un artbook. Si vous vous attendez à ne voir que des illustrations, ce n'est pas le cas, nous sommes bien ici dans une oeuvre qui parle de l'artiste et de son art sous toutes les coutures.

Je ne suis peut-être pas très objective, car j'adore notre jeune artiste, mais clairement, c'est un livre que j'ai eu plaisir à lire et à explorer. C'est un peu comme pousser la porte d'un atelier et d'être la petite souris qui observe l'artiste en secret. Une entrée dans un monde que j'affectionne et qui je l'espère permettra à Sibylline de trouver encore plus de personnes sensibles à son univers.

[Thought Bottle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so many things I have been silently hungering for without the terms or concept to seek out.

That it and its contents have found its way to me at the exact opportune time feels like nothing short of miraculous upon completion.

Basic backstory here is: I’ve been quietly consuming more and more art, art-related content and materials over the past decade or so in an accelerating and more diverse scope as I’ve neared present day in that timeline.

I have a collection of materials I’m too confused to apply meaningfully, so I started seeking out artists and teachers I like to try to figure out… anything.

The scope of art is so enormous in a way I could not have conceived before starting this endeavor, but the more I see, the more I hunger, so I’ve slowly progressed along this path more seriously in the past few years.

I now have a collection of terms, some familiarity with concepts and tools. A vague understanding of the areas of study and their relative importance.

What I need now are bridges and road maps. Connect this style preference to areas of greater study to peruse. Connect this knowledge of materials to a work flow for practice and pieces I actually want to see the final results of.

This book is exactly what I was looking for in this point of my progression.

The initial reason I purchased this book is that here style is a heaping amalgamation of aesthetic I want to learn to employ in its entirety.

Rather than collected bits and pieces, I love everything about her style. The line work, color palates, proportion, composition, personality aspects and their cohesion are all aspects of her work I’d like to implement into my own as a whole.

But what really drew me to her work, the have-to-have-it instant soul connection I felt instantly upon seeing it, is how she conveys emotion.

Her emotional expression is conveyed through the elements of the piece. Mood through color palette and body language. Personality through fashion and creature companion. I had to see it to understand that’s how I naturally communicate. My native emotional language. How I want to communicate in my art.

I had previously been looking and not finding this aspect in other artists teachings about how to convey through facial expression. I had unconsciously been attempting to transfer my real-life masking to art and couldn’t figure out why it felt so false.

So this book really facilitated that enormous break-through for me.

Taking it a step further, she outlines in perfect scope and detail her materials, how she exercises her skills, her creative flow and her process from inspiration to completed piece through sketch, experiment, color and method.

It’s all so brilliantly intuitive I can’t believe I hadn’t put it together myself. After reading about her system and looking at my own disjointed practice, how obviously she connected all the different pieces felt like it was staring me in the face the whole time.

If you connect with her work and feel lost in your piles of collected data and practice, this is the book you need to bridge together the pieces into a functional work flow.

If you’re just looking to admire a collection of beautiful photos, this will work as well-not a single eye sore in the bunch.

Genuinely can’t recommend enough.

[Natalie Champion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reverie by Sibylline Meyet is a visually stunning collection that beautifully captures her whimsical and dreamlike style. Each page is filled with rich colours, delicate details, and a sense of magic that makes it a joy to flip through. The art is undeniably gorgeous, making this book a wonderful addition to any illustrator’s collection.

However, while I love the artwork, I wish the book delved deeper into the artist’s journey. Further insights into Meyet’s inspirations, challenges, and artistic evolution would have made it even more compelling. Additionally, the tutorials and process breakdowns, while present, should have been more in-depth. A more detailed look at her techniques would have been invaluable for those hoping to learn from her style.

Overall, Reverie is a beautiful book, but it feels more like a portfolio than a comprehensive art guide. It’s perfect for visual inspiration, but those looking for deeper artistic insight may find themselves wanting more.

[isaa✩ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Rêverie was one of my most anticipated artbooks, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. A true visual delight, it perfectly showcases Sibylline’s vibrant and enchanting art style through stunning illustrations and impeccable graphic design.

That said, I would have loved even more content—perhaps a deeper look into the artist’s creative journey or insights into her traditional art process. While the book felt a bit short, it’s still a breathtaking collection that any fan of Sibylline’s work would adore.

I’m incredibly grateful to have received this artbook as a gift, and it’s something I’ll treasure for years to come.

[Keelah Butts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is delightful. Sibylline's art is simple yet endearing. I somehow didn't realize these were physical paintings, and that makes me love them even more. As an artist, its enlightening to have these windows into another creator's process. Whether we're conscious of it or not, we are always absorbing little tidbits of technique from other artists. The insights on color relationships and visual forms here are quite useful. Wonderful book.

[Cecillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've followed Meynet in instagram for some years now, and was super happy when she announced the kickstarter for this! And my copy came today, so I decided to have my first read through immediately. This is such a cozy book, and I'll be having a closer look at all the illustrations when I come back to this. I usually used my artbooks as inspiration when I draw myself.
So happy I got this!

[Izzy Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this before but it’s always so inspiring to go back and read through. Sibylline Meynet has inspired me for so long so it’s SUCH a treat to get to wander through such a detailed account of her process, inspirations, and background. The sketches and process images are so cool to get to see!

All around a great art book filled with so much talent and inspiration

[Swan Creates · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Sibylline had me thinking about art in a new yet old way and I had to stop multiple times from reading the book to pick up my sketchbook and sketch an idea I had. It was truly inspiring.

[Chey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first art book I’ve ever purchased! It was quite beautiful and came with a print of the cover design!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful art book.

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful! Informative too. I read this in one sitting and will definitely be revisiting it frequently.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

sibylline will always be one of my favourite artists of all time 🥹

[RyeMi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I followed Sibylline for quite some time on IG and I had to have her book.
The art is beautiful and we get few tutorials too. It is such a beautiful read. I will for sure come to this book many more times to flip through art.