#icon10

[theillustrationconference]

#myICON: Featuring Artist & Educator Héctor Casanova

ABOUT HÉCTOR: Héctor Casanova is an Assistant Professor in the Illustration Dept. at the Kansas City Art Institute, and an Instructor at The Illustration Academy, teaching courses on Comics & Sequential Art, Illustration and Muralism.

He has been working as a fine and graphic artist for over 20 years, doing work for collectors, magazines and corporations nationally and abroad. He was staff Editorial Artist at The Kansas City Star from 1999 - 2014. His comics work includes the graphic novels Screamland with writer Harold Sipe (Image Comics, 2008, 2010) and The Lurkers with writer Steve Niles (IDW, 2006), as well as his own weekly comic strip Guffman & Godot (2000 - 2003). He was co-founder and curator of the Green Door Gallery, an alternative art space dedicated to showcasing the work of established and emerging artists from Kansas City and beyond. He has received awards from American Illustration, Print, and Society of News Designers, and was the recipient of The Pitch’s 2008 Mastermind Award for his artistic contributions to Kansas City.

Where did you first learn about ICON? 

I first heard about ICON from my colleagues when I started teaching Illustration at the Kansas City Art Institute. ICON8 was my first time attending.

Tell us about the best part of your ICON experience.

Being able to soak up so much information and inspiration is a fantastic experience as an attendee. I was a presenter at ICON9, and that was also a thrill and an honor.

How has your experience with ICON impacted your creative career?

The networking opportunities have led to new friendships and professional relationships, which in turn have led to new projects and being invited to participate in other art and comics-related conferences.

Any advice for ICON first-timers?

The Education Symposium presentations are great, but they can lead to information overload. I highly recommend taking a workshop to allow your brain to reset and process all that information, while you learn some new skills, meet some new people, and let the right side of your brain take over for a little while.

[theillustrationconference]

Getting Lost in Process: An Interview with ICON11′s President, Bri Hermanson

Bri Hermanson is the President of ICON11: The Illustration Conference. Her inky scratchboard drawings can be seen worldwide—on book covers, gin bottles, and theater posters. Hermanson's clients include Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, SKYY Vodka, Tor Books, and Denizen's Brewing Co. She received an MFA in Illustration from FIT in NYC in 2011.

What's your favorite memory from past ICON conferences?

That's a difficult question—there are so many! But the memory that will always be closest to my heart is meeting Kim Rosen at ICON5 in NYC. It was the start of one of my most treasured friendships, and since then, Kim has helped me through so much, both professionally and personally.

Tell me about your practice!

I work in scratchboard. My drawings are made by working in reverse, using knives to cut white lines into inky silhouetted shapes. It's a really immersive, meditative medium, and there's something so satisfying about letting my brain click into that mode. Forms make more sense to me working this way. I feel like I draw much better in scratchboard than I do using an additive process — even pencil.

What is your studio/office space like?

I share a studio space with my partner in our home, a little blue house that was built in 1865. When we originally moved in, what is now the studio was an upstairs kitchen from the house's stint as a two-family dwelling. We were happy to find the original hardwood floors intact under laminate, plywood, peel and stick linoleum, and paint. There's still more I want to do with the space longterm (an integrated floating desk! skylights!), but for now, it's really functional. I do all of my computer-based work at my desk, but when I'm scratching, I prefer to work on my lap. We have a sunroom off the main studio that gets great natural light and provides a cozy space to get lost in my process.

Where is your hometown and where do you currently live?

I'm originally from Ponca City, OK, which also happens to be the hometown of illustrator James Yang. After living in NYC for seven years, I'm now based in Northampton, MA — it strikes the perfect balance for me: culture, community, and easy access to the city.

Who are some of your favorite emerging creatives?

For ICON10, I produced the mural panel with Sydney G. James, 0uizi, and Ellen Rutt. All of them are more established than "emerging", but I've been so taken with each of their work — there is an inherent excitement to the large-scale nature of their murals. Each of them are blazing new pathways, redefining what it means to be an artist today.

[angelasouthern]

My Great Grandfather was a signpainter in Petoskey, Michigan. I talked about the lineage of artists in my family in front of everyone at #icon10 this summer! Here are the images of my Great Grandpa’s work that I shared! Swipe for a taste of Northern Michigan. 💚 (at Petoskey, Michigan) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoPJp7hhtAU/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1vrwrgavglfdp

[pzilla]

Sonnet IV and Sonnet V which I made for the Chicago Public Library in May this year were recently sold while I was at ICON10 Detroit. Thanks to Vick and Sydney for adopting these two <3

[angelasouthern]

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Oh hi! 👋🏻 Back to work, lettering up a few projects. I don’t even have time to write this post. 😬 #ICON10 was amazing, and real, and I met so many of you brilliant people. Overall I’m reminded that what we do is IMPORTANT. ✍🏻💥 (at Austin, Texas)

[heyemilychu]

Been drawing a lot more since #icon10 🎨 Today’s sketches with the kind, talented @hilindayan at @yegmuttart 🌿🌴🌵🌺 . . . . . #illustration #illustrator #yegarts #yegillustrator #yegmade #yeg #sketchbook #lamy #penandink #inkdrawing #drawing #sketch #doodle #dailysketch #plantdrawing #botanicaldrawing #exploreedmonton #heyemilychu (at Edmonton, Alberta)

[primaryhughes]

A few shots from my wanderings around Detroit during #ICON10 last week. . . . #get lost #igblacknwhite #bnw_society #urbanphotography #ig_masterpiece #photographyeveryday #justgoshoot

[nanuillustration]

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Drawings and notes from last week at @iconconference featuring some of the Illustrators, designers, art directors, and makers who presented. #icon10