Hi, I'm Heather Dittmar, a passionate and experienced Art Director, Graphic Designer, and Illustrator with a deep love for creativity in all its forms. With a background that spans graphic design, publishing, and fine art, I thrive in bringing visual stories to life and teaching children to embrace art without limits. My work combines traditional techniques like paintbrushes and charcoal with modern digital tools, making each project uniquely vibrant and engaging. I enjoy working with talented teams, managing projects, and delivering quality creative products on time. Outside of work, I love painting, walking my dogs, spending time with my family watching movies, and indulging in great coffee and chocolate. I believe everyone is born a creative genius and that there are no mistakes in art – just opportunities to explore and grow.…

Heather Jeanne Dittmar

Hi, I'm Heather Dittmar, a passionate and experienced Art Director, Graphic Designer, and Illustrator with a deep love for creativity in all its forms. With a background that spans graphic design, publishing, and fine art, I thrive in bringing visual stories to life and teaching children to embrace art without limits. My work combines traditional techniques like paintbrushes and charcoal with modern digital tools, making each project uniquely vibrant and engaging. I enjoy working with talented teams, managing projects, and delivering quality creative products on time. Outside of work, I love painting, walking my dogs, spending time with my family watching movies, and indulging in great coffee and chocolate. I believe everyone is born a creative genius and that there are no mistakes in art – just opportunities to explore and grow.…

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Heather Dittmar, a passionate and experienced Art Director, Graphic Designer, and Illustrator with a deep love for creativity in all its forms. With a background that spans graphic design, publishing, and fine art, I thrive in bringing visual stories to life and teaching children to embrace art without limits. My work combines traditional techniques like paintbrushes and charcoal with modern digital tools, making each project uniquely vibrant and engaging.

I enjoy working with talented teams, managing projects, and delivering quality creative products on time. Outside of work, I love painting, walking my dogs, spending time with my family watching movies, and indulging in great coffee and chocolate. I believe everyone is born a creative genius and that there are no mistakes in art – just opportunities to explore and grow.

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Work Experience

Art Director at Brand K New Publishing
December 31, 1997 - August 28, 2025
Directed and managed all aspects of adapting an existing adult English language programme for middle childhood learners, focusing on teaching Xhosa-speaking children English using recognizable brand names. Collaborated with directors and oversaw budget for production of interactive books, posters, storybooks, puzzles, playing cards, and cassettes. Managed a small team including layout artists, illustrators, and copywriters while supervising traffic, print, and production. Maintained client communication and prioritized multiple projects to meet tight deadlines.
Art Director & Graphic Designer at Africa Geographic
December 31, 2002 - August 28, 2025
Held responsibility for two monthly magazines, Africa Geographic and Africa - Birds & Birding. Managed all aspects of publishing including storyboarding, designing layouts, editorial changes, overseeing graphic designers, reprographics, and printing in Singapore. Acted as a 'one-stop' shop handling design, corporate identification, illustrations, advertising, quotations, invoicing, and print production schedules, while building strong client relationships. Utilized both digital and traditional creative techniques to complete projects from start to finish.
Owner at Applesed Graphic Design
December 31, 2015 - August 28, 2025
Operated a freelance graphic design business focusing on illustration of children's books, educational materials, colouring books, posters, and wrapping paper. Completed art commissions and held art exhibitions. Worked as a children’s art teacher emphasizing creativity without rules and the philosophy that everyone is born a creative genius.
Owner, Fine Artist & Art Teacher at Self-employed
January 1, 2015 - Present
Created and exhibited fine art works and taught children art focusing on creativity and expression. Continued freelance illustration projects and art commissions while nurturing the artistic talents of young learners.

Education

Matriculated / Graduated at Rustenburg Girls High School
January 1, 1984 - January 1, 1988
BA Fine Art Degree at University of Stellenbosch
January 1, 1989 - January 1, 1992

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Education, Media & Entertainment, Non-Profit Organization, Consumer Goods, Professional Services
    uniE621 Illustration Styles - Digital
    Various digital illustrations in Corel Painter. artist illustrator fineart digitalart…
    uniE621 Priscilla
    Original acrylic painting artist acrylic fineart branding realism illustration…
    uniE621 Original Mixed Media
    artist photo graphicdesigner logo illustrator branding designer webdesigner…
    paper Fine Art

    Original, mixed media fine art artworks.

    uniE621 Monty on the Mountain
    Illustrations for a 24-page softcover children's book called 'Monty on Table Mountain', which was published in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2004. Illustrations are all original, high-resolution digital art created using Corel Painter.…
    uniE621 Afia's Tale
    Digital original illustrations for a 32-page softcover children's book published by Paula Blessman c/o Blessman International, Des Moines, Iowa, USA in 2023. photo logo graphicdesigner branding webdesigner designer…
    uniE621 Monty's Picnic with the Penguins
    All original digital illustrations for a 32-page children's book illustrations published in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2002.…