Natalya Zahn
studio/animaux
Boston, MA, USAAs an artist, illustrator, writer, and designer, I seek to engage as broad a contemporary audience as I can with the same sense of discovery I find so infectious about the natural world. My work ranges from children's illustration to identity design, but all of it is heavily inspired and influenced by science, nature, and animals. I am a champion of unique content and am tireless when it comes to crafting whole stories from a spark of inspiration.
Work Experience
Studio/animaux
Illustrator, Designer, Maker
I make pictures that help people tell stories. Sometimes those pictures illustrate books, sometimes they are logos that brand businesses. Surface design, concept art, story-boards, product illustration, editorial... with a focus on science, nature, and animal content. I am well-versed in traditional and digital media - all inquiries welcome.
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
University Of Vermont
Adjunct Faculty Instructor
Instructor of Drawing & Painting Botanicals, taught through the Plants & Soils Department. This class is an introduction to drawing, with plants as subjects, and covers media including graphite, pen and ink, colored pencil, watercolor, and mixed media. Students learn the value of careful observation; what makes a strong composition; how to accurately depict scale and perspective; and techniques for successful application of assorted media - also covered is basic plant, flower and fruit anatomy.
January 2022
-
Burlington, Vermont, United States
Lesley University
Adjunct Illustration Faculty - College of Art & Design
Instructor in the Illustration Dept. Course title: Design for Illustration. This course introduces students of illustration to typography, the principles of page layout, and effective content hierarchy. Through a variety of assignments, students create increasingly complex layouts that merge images and type, always with an emphasis on cohesive visual communication.
January 2017
- June 2019
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
New Hampshire Institute Of The Arts
Adjunct Faculty - Illustration Dept
Teaching 'Introduction to Illustration' and 'Traditional Medias' to freshmen and sophomores in NHIA's BFA studio arts programs (Fall 2012 semester). Lectures, demos and discussion facilitate student understanding of basic concepts in illustration (composition, narrative, color, form and technique).
September 2012
-
Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
Ideo
Contract Illustrator & Designer
I work as a contract creative for IDEO contributing to a wide range of illustration and design projects, including but not limited to: story-boarding, concept illustration, product illustration, packaging design, branding, and presentation design. Traditional and digital media is used, depending on the nature of the project. Deadlines are often tight... it's exhilarating work. I have worked collaboratively with the Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Munich offices.
2006
- 2012
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Zutano
Designer
Zutano is an internationally acclaimed, boutique baby and children's clothing company based out of Cabot, VT. The Zutano brand is defined by vibrant, whimsical, contemporary design, and all product is based on a unifying palette that enables easy mixing, matching, and coordination of individual pieces.
Working directly under the company founder and art director, my role as Designer included a broad range of responsibilities, from creation of advertising campaigns, printed and web marketing strategies, retail signage and merchandizing, product design, and original illustration of textile patterns (many of which became top selling prints).
Working directly under the company founder and art director, my role as Designer included a broad range of responsibilities, from creation of advertising campaigns, printed and web marketing strategies, retail signage and merchandizing, product design, and original illustration of textile patterns (many of which became top selling prints).
2001
- 2006
Cabot, Vermont, United States
National Geographic
Contract Illustrator
Over the course of 3 years, I was hired to create 3 separate series of illustrations for an online children's coloring book (individual pages can be printed out for coloring). Set one included 35 different wild animals - mammals, reptiles, birds and insects; set two included 12 "Crittercam" species of marine mammal and shark; and set three included 10 Ice Age mammals. All drawings were finished as inked, black and white line art, and digitally colored versions were generated for promotional purposes.
2001
- 2003
United States
Education
Rhode Island School Of Design (RISD)
BFA Illustration
1996
- 2000
Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Pont-Aven School Of Contemporary Art
Summer Session Abroad (Studio Arts)
Studied the studio arts of Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking in the Breton town of Pont-Aven
1998
- 1998
Pont-Aven, France
University Of New South Wales
Summer Session Abroad (Studio Art & Art History)
Completed a studio course in Drawing & Painting in the Outback, and an Art History focus on the history of Australian Art - from ancient Aboriginal art, to Colonial work, to contemporary Aussie painters.
1999
- 1999
Sydney, Australia
Johnson State College
Summer Session (Ecology & Biology)
3 classes completed: Wilderness as Classroom - The ecology of Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons (included 2 weeks of immersive camping and hiking in said National Parks); The ecology and biodiversity of Vermont freshwater streams; and classroom-based Ecology 101
2000
- 2000
Johnson, Vermont, United States
Skills
Adobe Illustrator,
Adobe InDesign,
Adobe Photoshop,
Graphic Design,
Sculpture,
Storytelling,
Acrylic Painting,
Drawing,
Pen & Ink,
Surface Design,
Teaching,
Watercolor Painting,