Tag Archives: guy billout

8 Parsons Students Selected for the 3×3 Illustration Annual

Parsons Illustration students Kristen DavisKatie GrossMasuko JoRachel LevitMonica RamosMeghann Stephenson, Janet Sung, and Linnea Gad were selected by a distinguished jury to be included in the 3×3 Illustration Annual. It will be printed and distributed worldwide in hardcover this fall. Congratulations to them and their teachers!

Scroll down to view the 11 Selected works:

 

Kristen Davis, Go to the Devil, Junior Concepts, Sergio Ruzzier (faculty)

davis_kristen_devil_web

 

Katie GrossPlay Ball Part 1, Silkscreen, Scott Nobles (faculty)

gross_play_ball_01_web

 

Masuko JoOdori, Senior Thesis 2, Jordin Isip (faculty)

jo_masuko_odori_web

 

Rachel Levit,  Sad Girls, Senior Thesis 2, Jordin Isip (faculty)

Levit_Rachel_sadgirls_web

 

Monica RamosHuman Hairstyles, Senior Thesis 2, Jordin Isip (faculty)

ramos_monica_hairstyles_web

 

Meghann StephensonWet and Dry, Junior Concepts, Sergio Ruzzier (faculty)

stephenson_wet_web

 

Janet SungCity Murder, Junior Concepts, Guy Billout (faculty)

sung_janet_citymurder_web

 

Linnea Gad, Series of four (clockwise from top left): Gentlemen of the Press Set, Celotex OfficeStasi ClosetMGM Property Department,  Senior Thesis, Jordin Isip (faculty)

gad_linnea_4interiors_web

 

 

Parsons 2012 Zankel Scholar nominees

This past spring Juniors Franca BaroneKristin Chae, Leigh CunninghamMeghann Stephenson, and Janet Sung were selected by the faculty as our school’s nominees for the the Society of Illustrators Zankel Scholarship. The annual competition is open to full-time Illustration majors completing their Junior Year from schools throughout the United States. A renowned jury of illustrators chooses one student- the best of the Junior class- and financially supports the student’s Senior year with a scholarship of $20,000. We were very proud to have them represent the Parsons Illustration Program.

Please scroll down to see sample images from each student.

below: Franca BaroneGirl That Smokes (detail), Advanced Drawing, Jeff Quinn (faculty)

 

below: Kristin ChaeTroll Etiquette, Illustration Design Studio, Noel Claro

below: Leigh Cunnignham, Confession, Materials and Methods II, Chang Park

 

below: Janet SungCity Murder, Junior Concepts 4, Guy Billout

 

below: Meghann Stephenson, January (left); February (right), personal

 

8 Parsons students with 11 images selected for American Illustration 31 annual

Parsons Illustration seniors Iain BurkeKatie Dunham, Sukyung (Hannah) LeeRachel Levit, Chelsey Pettyjohn, and Julee Yoo, and recent graduates William Hatch Crosby and Rachel Friedman (class of 2011) were selected by a distinguished jury to be included in the American Illustration 31 annual. It will be printed in full color and distributed worldwide in hardcover this fall.

From 8,000 pieces entered by over 1,200 illustrators, magazines, agencies, publishers, and schools, the jury selected only 439 images to appear in the book and represent the best pictures from 2011. Students and professionals were juried altogether and when the dust settled 30 student images were selected. With an unprecedented 11 of the 30 coming from the Parsons Illustration Program, Parsons ruled this year! Congratulations to them and their teachers!

Scroll down to view the 11 works selected:

Iain Burke Hell 02, Junior Concepts, Guy Billout (faculty)

 

William Hatch Crosby, Wandering Giant, Printamking Studio, Paul Marcus (faculty)

 

Katie DunhamAshtray, Senior Thesis 1, Jordin Isip (faculty)

 

Rachel Friedman, Los Angeles 1953, Senior Thesis 2, Jordin Isip (faculty)

 

Sukyung Lee, Ice-cream, Senior Thesis 1, Jordin Isip (faculty)

 

Rachel Levit, Little People, Senior Thesis 1, Lauren Redniss (faculty)

 

Chelsey Pettyjohn, 4 drawings from the Night Religion series, Senior Thesis 1, Jordin Isip (faculty)

 

Julee Yoo, The Last Queens, Senior Thesis 1, Juliette Borda (faculty)

Wendy Popp curates “Gifted” featuring Parsons Illustration Alumni and Faculty members

The Voracious Reader invites you to join them for “Gifted”, a book signing event and exhibition of the art of the children’s picture book!

An esteemed group of artists will gather for the opening of this very special show, curated by local artist and Parsons Illustration Adjunct Wendy Popp.

The show will open on Sunday, Dec 5th at 2pm and run through Dec 19th. Exhibiting artists include Parsons Illustration alumn Peter DeSeve (The Duchess of Whimsy) and Parsons Illustration faculty members Wendy Popp (One Candle/Where the Sunrise Begins), Guy Billout (Journey/The Frog Who Went to See the Sea) and Sergio Ruzzier (Amandina/Hey! Rabbit!).  Other featured artists include Istvan Banyai, Rudy Gutierrez, Susan Jeffers, Javaka Steptoe, Shaun Tan, Ed Young and Lisbeth Zwerger. Many of the artists will be on hand to sign their books. Original and printed  artwork will be on sale as well.

Don’t miss this rare and wonderful gathering of gifted artists as we celebrate the many gifts of the season! Refreshments and opportunities for little ones to share their gifts as well.

Sunday, December 5, 2:00pm – 5:00pm
The Voracious Reader
1997 Palmer Avenue
Larchmont, NY

Follow-Up: Gilles & Cecilie Workshop at Parsons Illustration

[slideshow]

The dynamic duo of Gilles & Cecilie recently visited Parsons Illustration Concepts III classes to hold a collaborative workshop with students.  Below is their write-up about the experience and you can see pictures from the workshop above.

BRIEF:
What is your uniqueness when all is unified?
Are we going towards the same currencies/ unions of countries/ mega corporations/ mass productions/ same social networks/
listening to the same music/ dress styles/ same level of educations/
SCHEDULE:
20 min brainstorm (messy and non-critical)
15 min selecting ideas (critical and relevant)
1hr10 min visualising ideas (quick, enjoyable, experimental)
40 minutes presentation (6 min per group) (clear, concise, contextual)
ORGANISATION:
45 students divided in 5 groups. Each group had three tables and a selection of materials (papers/ tape/ rope/ pencils/ markers/ glue.)  We asked all the students to take their chairs out of the room so that they could move and interact better during the process.
THE IDEA PROCESS:
challenging, frustrating, profound, exciting, hard work, collaborative, wild, questioning, curiousity, breaking borders, mind-blowing, intellectual, involving, intuitive, world changing!
THE EXPERIENCE:
During the process of the workshop we visited each group with help from Isabelle, Guy and Sean to motivate the students to interact with each other, be working together as a whole group, be curious, develop new ways of thinking and drawing.
The students made different stories and answers to the brief and one group also involved volunteers in their presentation of an interactive puzzle on how to fit in.
Group 1 were illustrating the female with animalistic characters; group 2 developed a new way of high five human reproduction, group three made a puzzle of creatures to represent: with some alterations we all fit in, group four illustrated each other within the group visualising how they see eachother as forexample a cartoon character or just a lot of beautiful hair (as this was one students way of recognising her friend in the street) and in the end group five where making a twist on the game exquisite corps by creating several unique people with elements from all the students within the group.
As designers, we often use this speed workshop in our studio to get as many thoughts and ideas as possible about a brief from a client.  In this way we often find themes or elements to continue the conceptual process.
Thanks to Gilles & Cecilie!

Guy Billout written up at “Lines and Colors”

Charley Parker over at Lines and Colors did a great little write-up about longtime Illustration faculty member Guy Billout.  Here’s a taste:

Like all of those artists, Billout excels at that aspect of art that brings us to a refreshingly different point of view on the world. He lays out a a geometric grid of stillness to quite our minds, and then drops a pebble of irony into the pool, allowing it to gently ripple through our unconscious mind until it dawns on us that, indeed, something’s not quite right here; but not quite right in a most delightful way.

You can read the rest of the article here and then find more of Guy’s work at his own website.

[image by Guy Billout from Wired Magazine]

Quick Hit: Illustration Faculty Guy Billout in show at UWEC

billout planes
If you happen to be in the Eau Claire, Wisconsin area, make sure to drop by the Foster Gallery at the University of Wisconsion-Eau Claire to see “Meaning and Metaphor,” a show showcasing work by Illustration Adjunct Faculty Guy Billout. The official description reads:
A show demonstrating how four nationally renowned illustrators condense contemporary issues into single images. Featuring Anitz Kunz, Guy Billout, Jason Holley, Daniel Bejar.
This is a great opportunity to see the work of these illustrators in sharp focus.
Meaning and Metaphor
January 31st-February 21st
Foster Gallery
University of Wisconson-Eau Claire
Haas Fine Arts Center, 121 Water Street
Eau Claire, Wisconsion

Parsons Illustration Faculty included in Society of Illustrators show

billout anti-war

Several artists affiliated with Parsons Illustration are featured in “Artists Against the War“, a show presented by The Society of Illustrators in collaboration The Nation magazine. Parsons faculty members Wendy Popp and Guy Billout, as well as Illustration alum Peter Kuper all have works on view.

kuper anti-art

The official press release reads:

This show is the expression of over 60 of the top graphic artists and illustrators working in the United States and abroad whose anguish has compelled them to produce works that challenge the self-destructive ignorance, indifference, incompetence and corruption that is the result of US Middle East foreign policy. These works of art will give a voice to those whose views are not represented by the mainstream media. We will be using this forum as a way to support those most directly affected by the harsh consequences of military combat—the brave men and women who serve their country as well as their family members who must live with the affects of war long after the parades are over.

You can view images from the online show here and/or visit the Society before the show closes on January 26th, 2008. Additionally, there will be a panel discussion called, “The Media: The First Casualty in Iraq” which takes place Wednesday, January 23rd at 7 p.m. ($10/$6 for students).

popp anti-war

The Society of Illustrators
128 East 63rd Street (between Park and Lexington Avenues)
New York, NY 10021-7303
Tel: (212) 838-2560
E-Mail: info@societyillustrators.org

[Images by Guy Billout, Peter Kuper, and Wendy Popp.]

The Illustration Holiday Shopping List: Part Three

Another installment of the Illustration-related list o’ goodies is headed your way…now! If you missed the first couple of installments, catch them here & here.

 

hayes funeral

Future Watch: Illustration Alumna Leah Hayes will publish her first, full-length graphic novel in 2008, titled Funeral of the Heart. The official description reads:

“Funeral of the Heart” is Leah Hayes’ stylistic tour-de-force and graphic novel debut, featuring a series of short stories by Hayes and illustrated entirely using the otherworldly medium of scratchboard. Hayes creates a world of unease and ambiguity populated by obsessive characters, forlorn animals, and mysterious, inanimate objects; odd occurrences, unnerving deaths and unconventional but genuine love bind these characters and their stories together. In “The Bathroom,” a middle-aged couple discover a mysterious tunnel in their poolhouse after a neighbor’s child accidentally drowns in their pool–leading to an immaculate bathroom and another drowning. In “The Needle,” two sisters suffer the death of their grandmother as well as her possible resurrection at the hands of the woman with the needle.

The stories are hand lettered and juxtaposed against stark, highly stylized, graphically powerful, black and white images. Stories with titles like “The Bathroom,” “The Needle,” and “The Hair” sound innocuous, but they aren’t fables that should be read to one’s children–unless your children enjoy being made uneasy by beautiful things.

We couldn’t say it much better than that. Check out Leah’s website for images of her other work and keep your eyes out for Funeral of the Heart early next year. In fact, you can already pre-order it on Amazon and Powells, or you can wait and purchase it directly from Fantagraphics, who also published Leah’s earlier work, Holy Moly.

century girl

Illustration Faculty member Lauren Redniss published her first book, Century Girl, this year. Here’s a synopsis, taken from Lauren’s website:

When Doris Eaton was born on March 14, 1904, the average American could expect to live 47 years. Today, at 102, the 5′ 2,” blue-eyed Virginia native has already lived more than two of these life spans.

In 1918, Doris kicked up the youngest pair of legs in the bedazzling, feathered chorus line of Florenz Ziegfeld’s annual Follies stage spectacular. For her 100th birthday in 2004, Doris was back on the same Broadway stage, in black taffeta skirt and silver heels, leading a conga line of a dozen dancers.

By the time she received her honorary doctorate at age 101, Doris had starred in silent and talking pictures, performed for presidents and princesses, bantered with Babe Ruth, offended Henry Ford, outlived six siblings, wrote a newspaper column, hosted a television show, earned a phi beta kappa degree in history (at 88), raised turkeys, and raced horses.

Century Girl is a visual biography of Doris’s first 100 years.

Praised by reviewers, Lauren’s work is a combination of hand-lettering, collage, archival materials, interviews, history, and general fantastic-ness. More information about how to buy can be found here.

cummings museum boy

Future watch: Illustration Faculty member Pat Cummings has a brand new children’s book available January, 2nd. 2008 called Harvey Moon, Museum Boy. Here’s a brief description:

To liven up his class trip, Harvey Moon brings his pet lizard, Zippy, along to the museum.

Whoops.

When Zippy escapes, Harvey’s adventures begin. You’ll be laughing and wondering what’s next as knights, dinosaurs, and even mummies get into the act.

Cut loose in a museum setting with a brave boy, a lively lizard, a funny plot—and award-winning author and artist Pat Cummings at her entertaining best.

Pre-order the book here and visit Pat’s website for artwork from a host of her other great books.

billout frog who went to sea

Illustration Faculty Guy Billout’s latest children’s book The Frog Who Wanted to See the Sea has garnered tons of critical praise for its storytelling and artwork. One review describes Guy’s book thusly:

Our heroine is Alice, a little green frog who is growing restless within the confines of her small pond: Alice knew every inch of the pond’s murky bottom and every hiding place amoung the reeds. She knew too, that she could swim from one side to the other with 28 kicks of her back legs. Spurred by a loquacious sea gull, Alice gets it into her head to leave home, taking only a rolled-up lily pad- great detail- to venture forth and see the ocen. A quest narrative, as they say.

The psychological hook for young children (or midlife parents) is obvious. Fortunately, Billout, whose writing is as disciplined as his artwork, doesn’t drive home the point with a nail gun in the manner of, say, Katzenberg-era Disney animation. Instead his story unfold simply, with grace, nuance and high style. I particularly loved his description of Alice’s first sighting of the ocean, which comes after a troubled sleep adrift on her pad: When Alice awoke the next morning, all she could see was blue. She looked in every direction for green riverbanks. In a moment of both joy and fright, she realized that she had reached the sea. Alice croaked softly. … The only reply was a gust of wind that blew across the surface of the water. The hook here- the lostness- is again compelling, and the illustration, of Alice riding a wave that honors Billout’s debt to traditional Japanese printmaking, is a thing of subtle beauty. But it’s that moment of both joy and fright that rally gets me. Beyond encouraging feelings, how many children’s books bother with that kind of emitional duality, let alone conflict?

Guy’s book is available now and you can always visit Guy’s website for more artwork and information.

 

 

bubble yuckyhug life mcpherson alien ion mcpherson

 

Illustration Faculty Tara McPherson has a wide variety of items on the market now. Her most recent work produced the Bubble Yucky Dunny, Hug Life Hellboy, and the Alien Ion Dunny (seen above, in order), as well as other items available through Kid Robot and Tara’s own website. In other news, Tara is currently working on art for her upcoming solo show at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in New York, which will take place February 23rd-March 22nd, 2008.

 

One final installment of the list coming up soon!

Guy Billout’s book reviewed in the New York Times

billout-frog

The New York Times wrote about artist & long-time Illustration faculty member Guy Billout‘s newest book in their special Children’s Book section.  Here’s an excerpt:

“The illustrator Guy Billout works the narrow but fertile territory where clarity intersects with mystery. It’s a place where the graffiti might read “René Magritte Was Here (de Chirico, Too),” but Billout’s concerns are his own: his drawings (or are they paintings? or both?) often employ tricks of scale and perspective, along with large expanses of deceptively flat color, compositions that resolve in witty visual jokes while tapping deeper currents of unease. They’re bright, figuratively and literally, like dreams dreamt under a noonday desert sun rather than in the usual shape-shifting murk.”

Read the rest of the article about Guy’s book The Frog Who Wanted to See the Sea here.

Read other articles in the New York Times Children’s Book section here.