STEPHANIE SHIMERDLA
Illustration | Concept Art | Graphic Design
Design Tools
- Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator
- Procreate
- HTML/CSS
- Watercolor & Mixed Media
Education
Continuing Education
2015 – Present
After deciding upon illustration as a career, I have been taking numerous online classes every year to help develop my craft. I am entirely self taught, since my last art class in school was when I was in the National Art Honor Society in high school! I love to learn and am currently working on branching out into children’s illustration and including more stylization in my work.
Methodist University
1999 – 2002
BS: Computer Science, Mathematics
Graduated Summa Cum Laude
University of South Florida
1997 – 1998
BS: Computer Science (Started)
State College of Sarasota-Manatee-Florida
1992 – 1995
AA: General
Work Experience
Freelance Ilustrator
May 2015 – Present
Concept Artist, Book Cover Design, RPG/CCG 2D Artwork, and other professional commissions available. I have designed multiple book covers and numerous fantasy illustrations for publication.
Graphic Designer & Stock Resource Creator
Jan 2006 – Present
Designer of unique, quality resources for Photoshop, GIMP, Procreate, as well as stock graphics through ObsidianDawn.com.
Brush Designer - ON1
Sept 2020 – Mar 2021
Collaborated with ON1 to provide brushes for their software. The ON1 Landscape Brush Collection was and is wildly popular, and I also provided them with several other default brushes that came with the program upon installation.
Freelance Illustrator - Heroes' Tears RPG
May 2017 – Jan 2018
Worked as a concept artist and illustrator for the Heroes’ Tears Role-Playing Game. Brought to life both environments and creatures, completing 8 commissioned projects with them for their game manual.
Photoshop Brush Designer - NAPP
2007 – Jan 2010
Collaborated with Photoshop User Magazine (Kelby Media Group) to create original Photoshop brushes for their users.
Manager - Movie Gallery
1996 – 1998
Assistant manager to manager within 1 year. Manager for 1½ years.
Sales - Paperback Booksmith
1993 – 1996
Sales position at a locally owned bookstore. I’ve always been a lover of books & stories. My time here absolutely helped to shape my love of telling stories through my illustrations.
Honors & Awards
Exposé Excellence Award
Apr 2017 – Ballistic Publishing
Excellence Award and featured in the book EXPOSÉ 12 for ‘Can’t Reach my Soul’
Army Arts & Crafts Contest
2016 – US Army
Won 1st place in the 2016 Army Arts & Crafts Contest in the Digital Art category for ‘Ocypete’
Editor's Choice Award
2014 – CG Society
An “Editor’s Choice” badge was granted to ‘Some Clouds Have Wings‘ by cgsociety.org