Brendan Monroe, Demetrius May and Ronald Kurniawan

Of all the role models one might expect an ambitious young illustrator to tap for inspiration, Jay-Z hardly qualifies as one of the usual suspects.  But unpredictability, in all its forms, has always been imperative to the outlaw mentality embraced by each of the panelists at “Most Wanted: Young Guns of Illustration,” this month’s lively discussion, featuring Illustration alums Ronald Kurniawan, Demetrius May, and Brendan Monroe. The three young mavericks enthralled the crowded Ahmanson Auditorium discussing the work in multiple sub-markets and the various facets of the industry. And, yes, the hip-hop mogul’s name was invoked, when May cited his sage advice to young entrepreneurs — “I’m not a business man, I’m a business, man…all of you are your own business.” – as a useful mindset vital to anyone determined to stand out in today’s crowded creative marketplace.

The panelists also stressed the importance of joining the ‘maker’ revolution. “I consider [Illustrators] as picture makers. You have to be a designer. You have to be able to create everything and anything out of your head. You have to be flexible,” said Kurniawan, an Art Center graduate (with honors), currently working at Dreamworks, whose work has been inspired by ideograms, letterforms and syllables. Kurniawan has a wide array of experience in feature and television animation, visual development, character design, advertising, and book illustration – both in-house and freelance. With extraordinarily realistic lighting and interplay of color, Kurniawan’s work is a feast for the senses. Kurniawan’s clients include Sony Pictures, LACMA, LA Weekly, Mattel, Inc. and Disney Consumer Products to name a few. His work has been recognized in several publications including Communication Arts, American Illustration and Society of Illustrators.

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