Hello!
My name is Val Costanzo, I am an illustrator/graphic designer based in West Chester PA. I've been illustrating and designing since I was a little kid. If you include the countless drawings of ninjas and dragons, bedroom door "keep out" signage, teen angst art, etc., I have nearly a lifetime of experience. As a pro, my experiences range from a staff illustrator position complete with a cubical and a 9-5 schedule, to an "all-hands-on-deck" production role in a bustling high-volume photo studio, to meeting clients at the Starbucks down the street, to discussing logo design at a neighborhood barbeque, to ongoing freelance contracts set up with a single phone conversation. It's also worth mentioning that I've been successfully working remotely for 5 years, so I understand the need for discipline and good communication.
I have (had) a wide range of experiences, styles, employers, clients, and goals. Because of this, I can say with confidence that I'm comfortable with just about any task, in any setting. For the majority of my career, I held a Sr. Illustrator position at a healthcare industry media company. In this role, we were often charged with coming up with illustration and graphic solutions with little more than a headline for context. We got quite good at creating something from (next to) nothing. In my current role, I produce illustrations and digital assets (including logos, icons, infographics etc.) as a contractor for SNAP Inc. Here, I cross-team collaborate with instructional designers and animators to create Self-Paced-E-Learning videos and animations for various clients. In between I worked on lifestyle and ecommerce photo retouching for some high visibility fashion and home goods retailers.
Additionally, with such varied experiences one can't help but pick up some valuable soft skills along the way. These skills including tight deadline management, concept-to-completion project ownership, comfort working independently and collaboratively, ability to work within established style guides or create outside of the box, and responding well to feedback. If there is something I need to know to accomplish a task, I’ll learn it. I'm always willing to help out, remain composed under pressure, and work really hard at NOT being the guy that holds up anyone else. In other words, I play well with others.
As a seasoned illustrator/graphic designer, it is increasingly important to continue to grow both technically and creatively. I am excited for the opportunity to grow as a positive contributor to your creative vision. Please feel free to check out my portfolio (www.behance.net/valcostanzoart). I’m pretty versatile, so you’ll see a variety of styles and techniques represented. Perhaps you’ll see something that resonates with you, and we can work on something cool together!
