Bri Hermanson Illustration | Blog

Bringing it into Focus

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:03:00 +0000

Here is a new illustration for the Feb/March Edition of AV Technology Magazine. The article is about 3D/HD video, so I played with the idea of focus. It's always a pleasure to work with AVT. Thanks again, Margot and Nicole!

Stepping into the Digital Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:14:00 +0000

This illustration is the cover for an e-book produced by AV Technology Magazine. I had a great time coming up with an interesting solution. I wanted to incorporate the idea of technology fueled learning spaces, their users (both students and professors), with a nod to the idea of moving forward into the future. I always love working with AVT -- illustrating for a technology magazine has unique challenges that I truly enjoy. Thanks, Margot and Nicole!

Multicasting

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:16:00 +0000

This illustration is in the January issue of AV Technology. I love coming up with interesting solutions for very technical ideas, so I am always thrilled to work with AVT. I'm working on some illustrations for upcoming issues now. Thanks, Margot and Nicole!

From the article: "Creating a tree-shaped network, with the root at the source of the media stream and customers at the end of the branches, and combining multicast addressing, makes efficient use of the network."

Double Dog Dare

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:19:00 +0000

Lacey, one of my dearest forever-friends, commissioned me to scratch these dachshund portraits for her husband Jarod. She sent me reference photos of their pups Charlie and George, and I did my best to capture their personalities. The portraits are ink on clayboard panels with wood cradles, so they can be hung side by side without glass. I love drawing dogs, so I had a blast drawing these guys. Plus, I even got to meet Charlie and George when I was in Oklahoma over the holidays. Thanks, Lacey!

Polar Bears Love 3D

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:42:00 +0000

Any time I get the chance to draw an animal, I am thrilled, and a polar bear with 3D glasses? Well, you can imagine how much fun I had with this job. This little character was used for a holiday e-card for the magazine AV Technology. Thanks, AVT!

Instruction to Go

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:49:00 +0000

This illustration is on the cover of the December issue of AV Technology and inside the issue as well. The article deals with portable webcasting, specifically webcasting to smart phones and tablets for teaching and training. AVT is always a pleasure to work with. Thanks again, Margot and Nicole!

Telepresence & Videoconferencing

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:52:00 +0000

This is an illustration for an article about telepresence and videoconferencing in the November issue of AV Technology. It was a fun challenge to come up with a way of illustrating this subject in an interesting way. Thanks, Margot and Nicole!

For this same issue, I also did a portrait of one of the magazine's contributors.

Got Bandwidth?

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:58:00 +0000

This illustration is inside and outside of the October issue of AV Technology. It started as a full page interior illustration, and then, during the sketch process, they decided they wanted to use it for the cover as well. I had a lot of fun with this piece, and I also liked the way the Art Director incorporated the Wifi balloons into the page layout. I just finished up two illustrations for the November issue, and I will be posting those soon. Thanks, Margot and Nicole!

Back to the Society

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 21:37:00 +0000

I went to Sketch Night at the Society of Illustrators last night. It was a fun night as always (these are some 2 minute poses) but also a little bittersweet. Matt Black, the best bartender ever, had his last night behind that historic bar last night. I am going to miss him at the Society, but I am glad he'll be slinging drinks in Union Square. Cheers, Matt. You will always be my favorite bartender, and I feel lucky to count you as a friend.

Dog Park

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:51:00 +0000

This is a series of dog scratchboards that I exhibited at the FIT Museum to mark the culmination of my MFA in Illustration. I received an MA from FIT in 2007, and went back to grad school for one year as they expanded the program to an MFA. That added "F" marks the terminal degree in Illustration. Thanks to everyone at the museum, my incredible classmates, and the amazing program chair Melanie Reim for a great show.

From my statement:
Dog Park is a visual exploration of the canine companions who fill the negative space in our urban environment. In a place where both private and public space are coveted, many New Yorkers find ways to fit dogs of various sizes into their tiny apartments, jam-packed daily routines, and the densely woven fabric of the city itself. In the midst of tall buildings crammed together tightly, sections of outdoor space are preserved and left empty for dogs to run, play, and engage each other while embracing their intrinsic dog-ness.

On seven kaolin clay panels of various sizes, life-size illustrations of dogs twist, skitter, leap, and crouch, as they individually inhabit a portion of empty space in their own unique way while interacting with each other across the wall. Executed using a self-generated approach to scratchboard, ink is splashed with a brush into black silhouettes on the clay surface. After the ink dries, white lines are carved into these flat, dark shapes to build dimension. The two sides of the process come together to create dogs that move organically in ways that both defy and follow their form, dripping, splattering, and shattering to life.

Todd Rundgren for Guitar World

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:59:00 +0000

This portrait of Todd Rundgren ran in the August issue of Guitar World. The article was about Rundgren's new album of Robert Johnson covers. The AD wanted to play with the idea of putting Rundgren in Johnson's shoes at the Crossroads, an idea I instantly loved. I had a great time working on this. Thanks, Alexis!

Black Badger Book Club

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:37:00 +0000

This is a project I did for the Black Badger Book Club. They needed an illustration of an angry badger reading that they could incorporate into a logo, and I was thrilled to oblige. I designed the character, and created three versions, one with a book, one listening to an audiobook, and one on an e-reader, while maintaining the same basic character. This was a very fun job -- thanks, Aaron and Marlee!

Anti-Muslim Inner Circle

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:14:00 +0000

These 10 scratchboard portraits of the men and women who put gasoline in the fire of the uprising of anti-Muslim sentiment were commissioned by the Southern Poverty Law Center for their magazine Intelligence Report.

You can read the article online here. Thanks, Sunny and Russell!

Bascom Lodge

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:56:00 +0000

This is an illustration of Bascom Lodge at the summit of Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts near North Adams, MA. This was printed on the programs for the best Hurricane Wedding you could ever imagine. Congratulations, Christa & Sienna!

Bark for Life

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Mon, 02 May 2011 14:52:00 +0000

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with Stephen Gardner, Alison Stephen, and Joan Chiverton drawing dog portraits at the Society of Illustrators volunteer table at the "Bark for Life" fundraising walk for the American Cancer Society. For whatever reason, I decided I would try doing scratchboards on the spot. I've never scratched from life before, but It was a blast. Here's some photos from the event, thanks to Alison for sending some of the photos she took!

Big thanks to Sigmund, Bruce, Woody, Dori, Lola, Amber, Lucy, and Oscar for all being such great models.

Ponca Playhouse

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:24:00 +0000

These are some illustrations I did recently for the upcoming 2011-2012 season of plays at the community theatre in my hometown of Ponca City, Oklahoma.

Doubt by John Patrick Shanley

"Doubt is a brilliant and powerful drama. The plot involves Sister Aloysius, a Bronx school principal, who suspecting the young priest Father Flynn of improper relations with one of the male students, takes matters into her own hands. The play is less about scandal than about the fascinatingly nuanced questions of moral certainty."

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
by Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts

"A Musical/Comedy, The play is a series of vignettes connected by the central theme of love and relationships. Despite a large number of characters, the show is typically done with a comparatively small cast."

All My Sons by Arthur Miller

"The Post WWII story of the Keller's, a seemingly All-American family that is hiding a dark secret. There are two sons -- Chris comes home from the war, and Larry does not. Their mother, Kate, believes Larry still to be alive. It is this belief which has enabled her, for three and a half years, to support her husband Joe by concealing her knowledge of a dreadful crime he has committed."

How the Other Half Loves by Alan Ayckbourn

"The action takes place at two dinner parties given on different nights that happen simultaneously on stage. It begins with one couple having an affair and having to invent a quick alibi for a late-night out together. The alibi goes wrong, somehow another couple is involved and finally a third, probably the most innocent of the lot, and the well meaning efforts of one of the party to straighten matters out causes chaos, misunderstandings, a fight and a black eye."

Last Week at the Society

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:36:00 +0000

These are some sketches from last Thursday at the Society. It was a great time, and it was so great to draw while hanging out with Alison Stephen and Daniel Hertzberg. Dan did his sketches digitally (you can see them here), and Alison and I kept it old school with ink. I hope we all do it again soon.

Genus Cool Guy

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:55:00 +0000

These illustrations are in the April-May issue of Complex magazine. They wanted the illos to have a text book sort of feel since this section is a field guide to the different species of cool guys and includes lots of style and lifestyle ideas for guys who relate. This was a lot of fun, and I love how they incorporated the illos into the page -- thanks, Brent and Ryan!

ILLABORATE

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 03:04:00 +0000

Well, somehow I completely neglected to make a blog post about a project that is very near and dear to my heart. How did this even happen? I'm going to fix it right now.

ILLABORATE is a collaborative illustration site that Kim Rosen and I created together. Illustrators collaborating to create a place for illustrators to collaborate made sense to us, and I feel so lucky to know someone like Kim who could make tackling a project like this not only possible but a total blast to make. Kim did a bang up job designing the site (including the fantastic logo) and I did the programing. The site has been live for several months, and it has been so cool to see the amazing collaborative pieces that have already been posted. Be sure to check out the site.

My first illaboration with Kim. The topic was Birth, a very appropriate way to get the ball rolling. Kim started the illustration, and I finished it.

My latest illaboration with the always awesome Daniel Hertzberg on the topic of Addiction. Again, Daniel started and I finished.

Back to the Society

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:27:00 +0000

I went to Sketch Night at the Society of Illustrators with the wonderful Alison Stephen last night. It was Alison's idea and a brilliant one. It's the perfect way to unwind on a Thursday night.

Here are a few of my 2-5 minute sketches -- the quick ones tend to be my favorites.

Scratchboard Menagerie

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:48:00 +0000

These are 13 large (18x24") scratchboard panels that I made for a gallery show in Oklahoma that just finished up. This was my first time exhibiting original scratchboards. I really enjoyed making these images and exploring ways I could imagine animals moving. My favorite part of the gallery opening was that so many people wanted to tell me which one was their favorite. It was a blast.

Sunday Social

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:42:00 +0000

Robert and I have been friends since I was 15, back when we both lived in a tiny town in Oklahoma. Now, we both live in this here big bad apple, and, as far as I'm concerned, he has become the King of the New York Gay Nightlife Scene. To say I'm proud of him would be an understatement.

This illustration is the poster for a weekly event Robert's incredible party planning organization 21st Century Life will soon be hosting on Sundays at Eastern Bloc, a gay bar in the East Village. It's been described as "a post-brunch, champagne-fueled romp," and it starts this weekend. Can you guess where I'll be this Sunday?

Here's the full poster:

Henrietta Skullclucker

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:47:00 +0000

This summer, I started going to grad school at FIT again. I graduated with an MA in Illustration from FIT in 2007, but they have since expanded the program to be an MFA. Past graduates were given the chance to complete the extra courses during a bridge year, and I jumped at the opportunity. One of the classes this fall that just finished was a character design course. This is a character of my own devising named Henrietta Skullclucker, and, naturally, she is a rough and tumble chicken on a human roller derby team.

These thumbnails were the start of the character. From here, I did the scratchboard illustrations, where I really started to get a feel for her.

These initial illustrations provided a point of departure to start thinking about the character in 3D. To start this process, a clay maquette was made from tinfoil, wire, mesh, and super sculpey. I had never done anything like this before, and though it was a struggle, seeing things in 3D helped me to start thinking about the structure of her face. It's far from perfect, but it provided enough of a foundation for the next step.

And that next step was to build a 3D model in ZBrush. I sculpted this in zbrush from 5 spheres (her head/neck, each eye, helmet, and chinstrap) that were then pushed, pulled, added to and subtracted from until it got to what you see here. I really
enjoyed ZBrush -- it was easier and much faster than working with clay, probably because we had an incredible instructor (thanks, Michael!). Here is a video of the sculpt on a turntable.

I'd love to go back now and make some new illustrations of Henrietta that reflect some of the things I was able to resolve in 3D.

Horsing Around

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:10:00 +0000

One of my favorite things to draw are my family's quarter horses. They have quite a herd (nearly 40 horses), so I always have plenty of models when I go back to visit Oklahoma. Here are a few of the horses: Brandy, Sooner, Chance, and Beau.

These are ink drawings I did for a solo show I'm having at the moment in my hometown at the Ponca City Art Center. All of these drawings are on 18x24" paper. There were many family friends at the opening who have spent time out at the ranch, and I loved that they were able to recognize who was who in my drawings. I also did 13 large scratchboard panels of animals for the show -- I'll post those soon.

Gaga for Gaga

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Hermanson) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:38:00 +0000

So, I have a confession to make -- I love Lady Gaga. She is both fantastic and fascinating. I think it's great that there is a pop star who challenges our preconceptions and who brings theatricality to a whole new level. There is something so inclusive about Gaga's attitude, and she is consistently sticking up for all the little monsters out there who believe in what she does.

This portrait was inspired by the "Telephone" video -- like her other videos, it is visually incredible with style in spades. Definitely check it out if you haven't seen it.