Aurora Dream Rabbitry

The Ask

Aurora Dream Rabbitry needed business cards ready for the American Rabbit Breeder's Association annual show, one of the largest rabbit shows in the country, featuring over 17,000 rabbits. The rabbitry is run by a pair of friends who specialize in lionhead rabbits, and we were thrilled to draw some bun buns.

Initially, they wanted business cards featuring stylized caricatures of themselves holding rabbits. After seeing the initial drafts, they pivoted.

The caricature draft that made them realize they didn't want caricatures

They weren't interested in being the face of the brand; what they really wanted was an illustration of a rabbit they could use as their logo.

The Process

We shifted to creating character illustrations of lionhead rabbits. The clients provided a reference photo of one of their prized does, a fluffy rabbit with a soft, cloud-like mane in shades of cream, brown, and gray.

The reference: a prized doe with a mane like a cumulus cloud

We created an "8-up" sheet showing eight different stylistic approaches (A through H), varying the proportions, expressions, and level of stylization. Some were more realistic, others more cartoonish.

Eight buns, A through H, auditioning for the logo

The chosen direction, mid-refinement

From these options, we refined the direction toward a Disney-fied interpretation that captured the distinctive features of the lionhead breed while adding warmth and personality. The final illustration was created in Adobe Illustrator, ensuring clean vector artwork that would reproduce well at any size.

The Outcome

The final Disney-fied doe

The logo was delivered in time for the ARBA show. It was used on cage designation cards to identify Aurora Dream Rabbitry's rabbits among thousands of competitors, making their setup instantly recognizable on the show floor, and it went on to grace their merchandise too.

If you like the design, you can even buy it as a sticker.