illustration

BYU Environmental Design Course Teaches Students Through Outdoor Observation

BYU Students and Faculty Collaborate Across Colleges to Launch a Creative Outlet for Young Readers

Illustration Student Mikayla Baird’s Very Un-Boring Journey in Writing and Illustrating a Children’s Book

Department of Design Faculty Member Justin Kunz Shares His Experience Designing for the U.S. Mint and Offers Advice For Design Students in This Q&A

Audrey White Day (BFA ’22) Is Returning to BYU as an Adjunct Professor and Has Spent Her Post-Grad Career Illustrating Children’s Literature

BYU + UVU Illustration Gallery Showcases Student Works, Fosters Connection Between Campuses

BYU Design Professors Reveal The Motivations And Inspirations Behind Their Esteemed Work

Sarah Hawkes Bypasses Cultural Barriers Through Her Portraits of Farm Workers in Southern California

Married Artists Ashley and Evan West Combined Their Skills to Create an Animation for LG Electronics That Was Featured in Times Square

Ashley Johnson West will graduate in April 2023 with a BFA in Illustration

Visiting artists included LDS portrait painter Casey Childs and graphic designer Brian Collins

The devotional will take place at 11 a.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center.

Grant Hansen originally chose illustration as a major while preparing to go to Medical School, but quickly his plans changed. One thing he enjoys about the illustration major is how it focuses on applying all he has learned. “You can’t get through this major by memorizing the answers to the tests. It’s an industry that demands you actually know your stuff,” Hansen said. While at BYU, Hansen traveled to California with fellow BYU design students. There he started networking with AMD Radeon an organization who later helped fund his senior project. For his senior project, Hansen created and directed a virtual reality version of Jack and The Beanstalk. Hansen worked with several other students from multiple disciplines over eight months to create the final project. Hansen is hopeful their project will spark more interest in virtual reality projects on campus. He hopes he left a legacy of collaboration that other BYU students will follow. “I think that I had some impact on the people I worked with during my time at BYU,” Hansen said. “I hope that I helped reinforce the idea that we can accomplish greater things together than we can alone. That we’re just as free to do as we are to dream.” Wise words to share with others: “If you find, as most of us do, that you are your own greatest limiting factor: stop it.” Teachers that impacted your education: “David Dibble with his ability to squeeze the highest possible quality out of his students. Justin Kunz with his energy, experience and faith in his students to succeed. Bob Barrett with his sage advice, his quotes, his quotes, his quotes, and his excellent instruction. Beth Anne Anderson with her relentless positivity, her love of life and art, and infectious exuberance.” Movie title for your life: “‘What to Do When Lost.’ My life has consisted a lot of figuring out what to do when I don’t know how I’m going to get through a challenge.” Unique superpower you wish you had: “Time manipulation. You could get all your sleep out of the way in seconds, be an incredibly good athlete, be able to undo bad things that happen, get all the answers if I was ever on Jeopardy. That sort of thing.” Most meaningful experience at BYU: “I think I'd have to say the whole process of executing my senior project. It was life-changing. We were mentored by three BYU faculty members who were there to give us help and advice when we asked but generally allowed me to carry the project forward as I saw fit. Bless them.”

Ashley Smith graduates this April with her BFA in illustration and will speak in the Department of Design convocation. During her time at BYU, Smith set herself apart by taking initiative to be involved. Recently she completed an internship in Salt Lake City with sculptor, Ryan Peterson. Peterson specializes in sculpting life-size Marvel characters, and has worked on numerous other projects in the entertainment industry. As part of this internship, Smith received a generous donation through the Mary Lois Wheatley Scholarship. This money funded her internship and allowed her to pursue sculpture as she otherwise would not have been able to do. After her internship, Smith was able to join professor Bethanne Andersen’s class for a character maquette assignment. She was able to share basic sculpting techniques that she learned during her internship. “After completing my internship, I was able to return to BYU and help other students, which I will always remember as a highlight of my university experience,” Smith said. Aside from her internship, while at BYU, Smith also won several local art contests including one held at The Wall, and another held by BYU Women’s Services. Smith is a native of Germany and lived in japan so she is currently applying for jobs in Japan and Europe. Her current dream job is to design book covers or work in children’s publishing. “For my BFA show I focused on children’s book illustrations,” Smith said. “They were all based on my life experiences, so the project was especially personal to me.” Smith’s convocation message centers on the concept of endings as a type of beginning and the importance of lifelong learning. “When you graduate college, you may feel like it’s the end of something and you could feel the urge to throw away any big dreams you had for yourself that you didn’t accomplish,” Smith said. “We can still accomplish those things. You don’t have to abandon your dreams just because they don’t fit right now.” Smith wishes to thank the many community members who frequently came out to support BYU students. She will miss spending time with her classmates and professors. Click here to the view the graduation live stream.

Wise fools and fish on leashes. Dragons and dwarves. Boats and beetles. Flying pigs and goblin princesses. The imaginative images of myths, fables and fantasies depicted by James C. Christensen will live on in myriad mediums, despite the death of the artist recognized for his works of fantasy and faith. Christensen, a world-renowned LDS fantasy artist and former BYU art faculty member, died Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017, in Orem after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 74. READ MORE FROM THE DESERET NEWS >>> Former CFAC faculty member passes away James C. Christensen passed away Jan. 8, 2017 at the age of 74 after an ongoing battle with cancer. Born in Culver City, California in 1942, Christensen was a well-known American artist of religious and fantasy art. He studied at Santa Monica College and UCLA, and graduated from Brigham Young University with a Master’s Degree in Art. Christensen is an Honored Alumnus and was a Visual Arts Emeritus Faculty at BYU. He received many awards such as Utah’s Top 100 Artists by the Springville Museum of Art, the Governor’s Award for Art from the Utah Arts Council, and was inducted into the U.S. Art magazine’s Hall of Fame. Christensen and his wife, Carole, were co-chairs of the Mormon Arts Foundation. BYU illustration professor, Robert Barrett worked closely with Christensen. “Jim Christensen will certainly be missed as a creative contributor to the art world and to our community,” Barrett said. “Prior to his retirement, Jim taught and advised a number of students in the Illustration Program and was an effective teacher and mentor. While on the faculty at BYU, he would frequently visit the Illustration classes and following his retirement would open his studio for visits by the Illustration faculty and students.” Christensen wrote several books including: A Journey of the Imagination: The Art of James Christensen (1994), Voyage of the Basset (1996), and Rhymes and Reasons (1997). His work has been featured in many other books, including A Shakespeare Sketchbook (2001), which he illustrated. “In addition to his fantasy work, Jim contributed his creative energies to temple murals for the Nauvoo and Provo City temples as well as several scripturally based paintings and illustrations, Barrett said. “His impact on BYU and its creative culture as well as on the LDS Church as a whole will continue to be felt for years to come.” Christensen is survived by his wife and five children, two of whom, Cassandra Christensen Barney and Emily Christensen McPhie, are also alumnae of the College of Fine Arts and Communications at BYU and are notable artists.

Seduction, deceit, wild living, death. No, not the latest HBO Drama–these themes are just a few that the 11 student illustrators from BYU’s Senior Studio Design class attempted to capture for BYU’s upcoming performance of Manon, an opera about how the desire for fleeting pleasures results in one young woman’s regretful choices. Guiding the students through the process of creating the concert poster is Professor Robert Barrett. Barrett explained that his class is one of the last chances students will have before graduation to create commissioned pieces with a mentor. “It raises the level of expectation for the students. They work pretty hard on it,” said Barrett. “I think they put their best foot forward.” While not exactly a professional commission, the project gives students the experience of meeting a client’s expectations. Students consulted with opera director Lawrence Vincent and then researched the opera more themselves to best understand and portray its essence. More>>>>

BYU illustration professor Justin Kunz has given Lady Liberty a complete makeover while designing a new collectors item coin for the US Mint. The American Liberty 2015 High Relief 24-karat Gold Coin was highly anticipated by coin collectors across the U.S. It features a newly re-imagined Lady Liberty meant to reflect modern sensibilities including increasing cultural diversity. Unlike previous representations, Kunz’s is a woman whose features–from her physicality and dress to the items she is holding–represent an attempt to bring a contemporary sensibility to a traditional American icon. “It was difficult to portray Lady Liberty as a modern figure,” Kunz said, “I studied, sketched and finally, meditated on what Lady Liberty represents. I wanted the idea of her to be a simple visual statement expressed in an elegant way.' 'I wanted her to be recognizable as Liberty. I didn't want to put her in a hoodie.' As you look at the coin, you notice that Kunz’s Lady Liberty has a more rounded face with smaller, less pronounced eyes, nose and ears. Her robes are more fitted with a V-neck. Instead of a crown with spikes representing the seven seas, the modern Lady Liberty is crowned with the laurel leaf representing victory. In her left hand, she holds the staff of an American flag that flows behind her and in her right hand she holds a torch meant to represent freedom. Kunz drew upon his experience as a professional illustrator, developing drawings in graphite based on his rough sketches and photographs of two different models who posed for Liberty. He then scanned the drawings and used 2D graphics software to edit and arrange the images with typography in a circular format. At one point Kunz had Lady Liberty depicted with a drawn sword, though he was concerned reviewers might feel this pose would appear too combative. Fifteen talented artists submitted their designs for the coin and only two were chosen, one for the obverse (front) and one for the reverse (back). The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts reviewed all of the designs and made their recommendations, but ultimately it was up to the treasury secretary to decide which design would be minted on the coin. In the end, the secretary chose Kunz’s design for the obverse where his initials now reside. “It was an exciting experience to listen in on the CCAC’s meeting while they evaluated the designs,” Kunz said, “When they came to my design each member of the committee seemed to understand what I was trying to communicate, which is thrilling for an artist.” Although having his design chosen for the new coin is an honor few artists can say they’ve achieved, it’s not the first time Kunz’s work has won over an audience. Kunz’s designs have been featured on the following coin as well. 2008 Andrew Jackson’s Liberty (reverse) Kunz continues to work with the US Mint designing coins and medals. Next year, in 2016, a new America the Beautiful Quarter designed by Kunz with a depiction of the Shawnee National Forest will become available. It may even end up in your pocket. “It’s such a privilege to work with the US Mint.” Kunz said, “My skills and creativity as an artist have grown while working with them and it’s very rewarding to have my designs seen by thousands of American collectors all over the US.” The new coin, which will be limited to a mintage of 50,000 units, has an official denomination of $100, but is sold for nearly $1500. Initial inventories of the coin were sold out within the first day of its release and it’s on backorder until October. PHOTO CAPTION: Justin Kunz designed the new Lady Liberty on the coin for the US Mint. Photography by: Mark A. Philbrick/BYU. Copyright BYU Photo 2015. All Rights Reserved photo@byu.edu. From BYU News

The dream of starting a successful children’s publishing company is finally coming true for BYU graduates Ben Ehlert and Mitch Stevens, as their company, Dreamling Books, prepares to release its first book. The Boy Who Spoke To The Earth is a children’s book written by adventure photographer Chris Burkard and illustrated by Disney interactive artist and alumnus of the illustration program, David McClellan. The story follows a young boy who is on a long and difficult journey to find happiness. With the help of the Earth, the boy travels far and wide as the Earth show him his greatest creations. In the end, the boy discovers that there is happiness all around him and that he just needed to open his eyes. “This is our first book and we couldn’t be more excited about it,” said Stevens. “The Boy Who Spoke To The Earth is very inspirational and has great messages for both kids and adults. It encourages them to explore the outdoors and find joy in the journey.” Dreamling Books | Our Story from Dreamling Books on Vimeo. While studying at BYU, Ehlert and Stevens took Writing for Children and Adolescents from English professor Rick Walton. Professor Walton’s class affected them in such a strong way that they both became passionate about children’s publishing. “If it wasn't for Rick Walton, I never would have let the idea writing stories even become a reality in my mind,” said Stevens. “The first time I ever read one of my stories out loud was in his class, everyone laughed and applauded. I was shocked. But that was the first time I felt accomplished in story writing. It was an amazing feeling that has stuck with me over the years.” Elhert and Stevens’ friendship with Walton and their love for BYU is still strong as Dreamling Books continues to work with both the illustration and editing programs here at BYU. “We have been super lucky to work with the BYU editing and illustration programs,” said Stevens. “We pull many of our interns from both these programs. I know that BYU helped cultivate our dreams while we were here. I think that we are just trying to pass this message along to others.” Dreamling Books is currently running a Kickstarter to help raise funds to publish its first book. To help support Ehlert and Stevens’ cause and get your own copy of The Boy Who Spoke To The Earth visit their page here. The Kickstarter ends on April 3, 2014.