# Tanisha Cherislin **Senior Art Director & 2D Illustrator** — New York, United States > Senior Art Director and Illustrator with 7+ years directing 2D visual systems and campaigns for major entertainment brands like Disney Junior. Blends polished design craft with AI workflows to move fast without sacrificing quality. Career Archetype: **Beacon Summiteer** (RE-DX) — One of the first Beacon Summiteers on Saywise ## Links - Portfolio: https://tanishacherislin.portfoliobox.net/portfolio ## Experience ### Character Designer, Picture Business International (2024-07 – 2025-12) ### Senior Art Director & 2D Illustrator, Independent Creative (2024-07 – present) New York, NY · Direct visual strategies and polished 2D illustrations for merchandise, fashion capsule collections, and publishing campaigns. Act as creative strategist for high-profile clients, translating ambiguous briefs into actionable gameplans and visual metaphors. Experiment with AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) to streamline ideation and templatize assets while maintaining craft quality. ### Character Designer, Spin Master (2023-08 – 2023-09) ### Lead Visual Designer & Illustrator, Wild Canary Animation (Disney Junior) (2022-07 – 2024-06) New York, NY · Built and managed comprehensive illustration systems for in-house creative team supporting Disney Junior's Ariel. Moved rapidly from brief to execution while collaborating with designers, engineers, and creative leads. Provided actionable feedback to team members and maintained strict brand consistency across all verticals. ### Character Artist/Illustrator, Paramount (2022-03 – 2024-04) Remote · Implement character art that translates the values of the properties for off-channel use Ensure a strong presentation of the properties voice across all businesses Ensure regular modeling and styling of the properties characters Develop resources of talent that can provide for current and future needs for the property Work with Art Director to complete character art Work with Art Director to produce character art for styleguides, packaging, apparel, publishing, and other lines of business Collaborate with Animation Studio to ensure accurate representation of characters Learn the style and vibe of the characters To be thoroughly acquainted and maintain awareness of the property, characters and current programming Blue line and correct character art to ensure accurate representation of the property Work with West Coast AD to develop character art for concept boards for new business based on creative strategy ### Character Designer, Awesome Inc (2022-02 – 2022-07) Remote · “Jodie” Movie Concepting and designing new characters that aligns with the artistic style of the show. Creating multiple design variations and revisions based on internal & external feedback. Providing character turnarounds in addition to hand packs, mouth shapes, expressions, and props ### Concept Artist, PaintFree Culture and Media Group (2021-12 – 2022-01) Remote · Created concepts and turnarounds of villagers and animals. Followed Art Director’s instructions and notes regarding style, perspective, and attention to detail of characters. ### Character Designer, Magnetic Dreams Animation Studio (2021-06 – 2021-01) Remote · Unannounced Project Efficiently prioritize and manage workload working closely with Art Director meeting deadlines Assist in the storytelling process by developing the look, personality, and feel of the characters paired with their design and attire through sketches and final delivery ### Character Designer, SpindleHorse Toons (2021-03 – 2023-02) Remote · “Helluva Boss” created by Vivienne Medrano Created character designs based on storyboards and line ups of character incidentals Developed character designs/concepts, turnarounds, poses, mouth charts, and expression sheets Efficiently prioritize and manage workload while meeting tight deadlines ### Graphic Designer/Illustrator, WEBTOON (2019-08 – 2021-02) Remote · Created and edit series, designing, and other materials to make them suitable for translation Efficiently prioritize and manage workload ### Visual Art Director, Agency & Independent (2019-08 – 2022-06) New York, NY · Developed unique visual identities and large-scale digital campaigns for creator platforms and consumer brands. Balanced detailed craft with rapid execution, knowing when to templatize assets and when to push visual boundaries for high-growth clients. ### Freelance Illustrator, Random House/Ravensburger/Macmillan Roaring Brook Press (2015-04 – present) Illustrated graphics for websites and promotions for marketing purposes Collaborated with the art directors to implement an artistic vision Developed design concepts, painted backgrounds, and produce mascots Contributed to the creative process through original ideas and inspiration Researched drawings of characters and environmental elements for inspiration Anticipated design issues and invented successful solutions Created costumes, gestures, shape variation, stylization, and attitudes while forming original characters ### Comic/ Manga Illustrator, Webtoon, Bandai Namco, Boom Studios (2014-12 – present) Created, self-published, and sold original artwork of comics/manga and children’s books Drafted, sketched, and storyboarded for pages and covers Developed character designs, turnarounds, poses, mouth charts, and expression sheets ### Freelance Senior Brand & Visual Designer | Art Director, Freelance (2014-01 – present) Operate as a strategic leader and hands-on creator for various B2B and consumer brands, shaping overarching visual identities and ensuring consistency across all market touchpoints. Develop and implement comprehensive visual style guides and refined brand guidelines from the ground up, scaling creative production to support rapid company growth. Audit existing campaigns and brand materials for clients, identifying immediate gaps and delivering quick wins that measurably improve baseline engagement and performance. Translate high-level marketing objectives into clear, compelling, multi-channel campaigns that successfully drive brand awareness. Conceptualized and developed comprehensive "brand worlds" from the ground up, ensuring all visual communication was deeply rooted in strategy and directly answered client business needs. Managed the full end-to-end design lifecycle—from initial brainstorming and conceptual sketching to high-fidelity visualization and final production of client deliverables. Integrated multidisciplinary techniques, including motion design workflows, to break traditional creative formulas and push the boundaries of digital world-building. Collaborated cross-functionally with strategy, digital, and advertising teams to build cohesive, memorable brand ecosystems within a fast-paced agency environment. Executed high-craft designs with an uncompromising approach to typography, layout, color theory, and illustration across all standard and emerging creative platforms (including 2D/3D animation). Proactively navigated complex design challenges, applying creative problem-solving and rigorous time management to deliver innovative branding solutions strictly on deadline. Continuously analyzed emerging cultural trends and technologies to keep brand identities relevant, experimental, and visually compelling. ### Freelance Senior Brand & Visual Designer | Art Director, Unknown (2014-01 – present) Operate as a strategic leader and hands-on creator for various B2B and consumer brands, shaping overarching visual identities and ensuring consistency across all market touchpoints. Develop and implement comprehensive visual style guides and refined brand guidelines from the ground up, scaling creative production to support rapid company growth. Audit existing campaigns and brand materials for clients, identifying immediate gaps and delivering quick wins that measurably improve baseline engagement and performance. Translate high-level marketing objectives into clear, compelling, multi-channel campaigns that successfully drive brand awareness. Conceptualized and developed comprehensive "brand worlds" from the ground up, ensuring all visual communication was deeply rooted in strategy and directly answered client business needs. Managed the full end-to-end design lifecycle—from initial brainstorming and conceptual sketching to high-fidelity visualization and final production of client deliverables. Integrated multidisciplinary techniques, including motion design workflows, to break traditional creative formulas and push the boundaries of digital world-building. Collaborated cross-functionally with strategy, digital, and advertising teams to build cohesive, memorable brand ecosystems within a fast-paced agency environment. Executed high-craft designs with an uncompromising approach to typography, layout, color theory, and illustration across all standard and emerging creative platforms (including 2D/3D animation). Proactively navigated complex design challenges, applying creative problem-solving and rigorous time management to deliver innovative branding solutions strictly on deadline. Continuously analyzed emerging cultural trends and technologies to keep brand identities relevant, experimental, and visually compelling. ## Education ### Bachelor's degree in Computer Animation, Full Sail University (2018-03 – 2020-09) Art 2- Character Design Course creating, conceptualizing, turnarounds, expressions and special poses. Production Modeling- Learned more about Zbrush and created a good quality character model ready for production. ## Projects ### Model Student ### After the Bells Rang ### Last Entry ### Before The Bells Ring ### Precious Gift ### When I Met You... ## Skills Cross-functional Communication, Prints, Materials, Colorways, Tech Packs, Footwear, B2B Marketing, Figma (Software), B2C, B2C Marketing, Surface Pattern Design, Branding & Identity, Conceptual Art, Brand Design, Product Design, Fashion Illustration, Graphics, Elastic Security, Elastic Search, Elastic Observability, 2D Illustration, 3D Illustration, Art Direction, Visual Strategy, Brand Experience, Illustration Systems, Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma Weave, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Merchandise Design, Fashion, Apparel, Digital Experiences, Social Media, Product Launches, Storytelling, Animation, Design Leadership, Vibe Coding ## Credentials - **Salutatorian** — Full Sail University (issued 2020-09) - **Terry’s Many Hats** - **The Sunshine Queens** - **My Name, My Crown** - **The Pass** - **Artists in the Americas: Talents of Tomorrow in Manga, Game and Animation** - **Defying Gravity: The Story of Mae Jemison** - **Freedom For Addy** - **The Glass Bead Bracelet** - **Happy Birthday! Amu and Friends!~Fanbook** - **When I Met You...** - **Swift Dragonfly** --- Source: https://saywise.com/member9677 (last modified 2026-10-01T21:06:28.883Z)