[6] Melvin studied under the guidance of Robert Anning Bell, Maurice Grieffenhager, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Caley Robinson,[1] and Ann MacBeth.
[3] Melvin discovered her passion for illumination whilst studying on scholarship to London's British Museum, and was given special permission to recreate some of the works.
[7] Courses that she taught, between 1920 and 1927, included: Melvin also worked as a scribe for the Corporation of Glasgow, making illuminated addresses for significant people.
[1] One of Melvin's most notable works is the Books of Remembrance for the Canadian Engineers of World War I that she created, which is on display in St Paul's Cathedral in London, England.
[3] She completed illustrations for many books by Marius Barbeau,[1] including "The Indian Speaks" from 1943,[10] and "Le Rêve de Kamalmouk" from 1948.