New illustrations for the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau

New illustrations for the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau!

In 2016, we designed the new graphic charter of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. We had opted for simplicity and concentrated on a typographic design that suggests a Parisian skyline: the drawing of the “A” directly evoking the Eiffel Tower. The result was a minimalist logotype.

We had also invited an illustrator to work with us on the iconography. It was the perfect opportunity to collaborate with Séverin Millet, Lyon-based illustrator, whose simple and colourful work perfectly matches our vision of the project. Opting for illustration allowed us to step aside from the usual postcard pictures of Paris, and offer a fresh, colourful and poetic look on the capital.

Check out the full project here.

A new season with Vincent Mahé

For 2017, the communication team of the Paris Visitors Bureau placed its trust in illustration again, asking Vincent Mahé, one of the most parisian illustrators, to work with them.

We had already presented on this blog his work for the Auditorium of Lyon.
Vincent excels in transcribing everyday scenes, chewing them with humor and elegance. His drawings blend clean lines and solid colors. His graphic style is sober, elegant and malicious.

Born in Paris in 1984, Vincent grew up in Brittany, France. He moved back to Paris to study drawing and animation at Les Gobelins for three years. He started his career in animation in 2008, keeping drawing illustrations when he had free time. He fully embraced his artwork career by creating L’Atelier Quatrebis with six other artists in January 2013.
Since then, his illustrations can be seen in the Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, Télérama…

Maps of Paris

With 1.2 million printed copies, the map of the capital is the main document offered to visitors for free. It is available in 10 languages.
On these maps, Vincent sketches everyday scenes. Some clichés of Paris, but always staged in a subtle and poetic way: the iconic chairs of the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Wallace fountains…

Work process

Vincent Mahé’s work process is pretty traditional. He starts with laying down quick sketches on a sheet of paper. It’s about drawing the fondamental composition. Then, he works the pose of the characters with a black pen. He scans this base, starts to add color on screen and draws again the black outlines. You can see that only the characters are outlined, the rest of the illustration is only composed of solid color backgrounds.

Paris as an inspiration

Check out how Vincent is inspired by Paris in this video:

The other editions

The Tourist Office publishes a large amount of documents for tourists and tourism professionals. The illustration work of Vincent Mahé is also spread on these documents.

What’s Up in Paris is a trend magazine for events and stays in the capital. It presents throughout its 32 pages the latest openings and renovations in terms of hotels, event venues, restaurants and shopping in Paris. We opted for a “dark” cover to foster the image of a city that lives by night.

We can’t wait for 2018!

What a treat to discover our graphic charter flourishing with such great work. Thinking that every year, an illustrator will create a new visual history truly enchants us. We look forward to seeing what’s coming in 2018!