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I am a creative leader, Art Director and entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience in game development, animation, publishing and visual storytelling. Throughout my career, I have led multidisciplinary teams, developed artistic visions for products from concept to release, and managed complex creative projects involving artists, designers, writers and external partners. As the founder and Creative Director of an independent publishing house, I expanded my expertise beyond art creation into product development, team leadership, strategic planning, marketing and business growth. I thrive at the intersection of creativity, leadership and problem-solving. My strengths lie in building strong teams, mentoring artists, establishing efficient workflows and transforming ideas into engaging visual experiences. I am passionate about creating meaningful products, fostering creative excellence and continuously evolving both as an artist and as a leader. While leadership is a key part of my professional identity, I remain deeply involved in the creative process and enjoy contributing hands-on to concept development, illustration, visual storytelling and artistic problem-solving.…I am a creative leader, Art Director and entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience in game development, animation, publishing and visual storytelling. Throughout my career, I have led multidisciplinary teams, developed artistic visions for products from concept to release, and managed complex creative projects involving artists, designers, writers and external partners. As the founder and Creative Director of an independent publishing house, I expanded my expertise beyond art creation into product development, team leadership, strategic planning, marketing and business growth. I thrive at the intersection of creativity, leadership and problem-solving. My strengths lie in building strong teams, mentoring artists, establishing efficient workflows and transforming ideas into engaging visual experiences. I am passionate about creating meaningful products, fostering creative excellence and continuously evolving both as an artist and as a leader. While leadership is a key part of my professional identity, I remain deeply involved in the creative process and enjoy contributing hands-on to concept development, illustration, visual storytelling and artistic problem-solving.

Mariana Krasteva

Album Art Designer, Art Director, Book Illustrator, +7

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I am a creative leader, Art Director and entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience in game development, animation, publishing and visual storytelling. Throughout my career, I have led multidisciplinary teams, developed artistic visions for products from concept to release, and managed complex creative projects involving artists, designers, writers and external partners. As the founder and Creative Director of an independent publishing house, I expanded my expertise beyond art creation into product development, team leadership, strategic planning, marketing and business growth. I thrive at the intersection of creativity, leadership and problem-solving. My strengths lie in building strong teams, mentoring artists, establishing efficient workflows and transforming ideas into engaging visual experiences. I am passionate about creating meaningful products, fostering creative excellence and continuously evolving both as an artist and as a leader. While leadership is a key part of my professional identity, I remain deeply involved in the creative process and enjoy contributing hands-on to concept development, illustration, visual storytelling and artistic problem-solving.…I am a creative leader, Art Director and entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience in game development, animation, publishing and visual storytelling. Throughout my career, I have led multidisciplinary teams, developed artistic visions for products from concept to release, and managed complex creative projects involving artists, designers, writers and external partners. As the founder and Creative Director of an independent publishing house, I expanded my expertise beyond art creation into product development, team leadership, strategic planning, marketing and business growth. I thrive at the intersection of creativity, leadership and problem-solving. My strengths lie in building strong teams, mentoring artists, establishing efficient workflows and transforming ideas into engaging visual experiences. I am passionate about creating meaningful products, fostering creative excellence and continuously evolving both as an artist and as a leader. While leadership is a key part of my professional identity, I remain deeply involved in the creative process and enjoy contributing hands-on to concept development, illustration, visual storytelling and artistic problem-solving.

Available to hire

I am a creative leader, Art Director and entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience in game development, animation, publishing and visual storytelling. Throughout my career, I have led multidisciplinary teams, developed artistic visions for products from concept to release, and managed complex creative projects involving artists, designers, writers and external partners.

As the founder and Creative Director of an independent publishing house, I expanded my expertise beyond art creation into product development, team leadership, strategic planning, marketing and business growth. I thrive at the intersection of creativity, leadership and problem-solving. My strengths lie in building strong teams, mentoring artists, establishing efficient workflows and transforming ideas into engaging visual experiences. I am passionate about creating meaningful products, fostering creative excellence and continuously evolving both as an artist and as a leader. While leadership is a key part of my professional identity, I remain deeply involved in the creative process and enjoy contributing hands-on to concept development, illustration, visual storytelling and artistic problem-solving.

Skills

Illustration

Book Illustration

Character Design

Editorial Illustration

Brand Identity

Experience Level

Illustration

Expert

Book Illustration

Expert

Character Design

Expert

Editorial Illustration

Expert

Brand Identity

Intermediate

Logo

Intermediate

Presentation Design

Intermediate

Language

English

Advanced

Russian

Intermediate

Work Experience

Founder and Chairman of the management board at Independent Publishers Association

January 1, 2024 - Present

Unites the efforts of independent publishers for joint distribution, shared resources, and the creation of collective media materials. Organizes events, festivals, and educational programs in children's literature, animated cinema, and theater. Participates in international projects, promotes cultural exchange, and works to establish professional standards in cultural activities for young audiences.

Teacher and creator of the "Book Illustration" course at How It All Began

September 1, 2022 - December 1, 2024

Teacher and creator of the 'Book Illustration' course.

Founder, Publisher & Creative Director/ Illustrator / Author at How It All Began (Independent Publishing Brand)

December 1, 2017 - Present

Established and grew an independent publishing brand from concept to market presence, overseeing strategic planning, editorial vision, product development, budgeting, marketing, sales and business partnerships. Led cross-functional creative teams and managed the full lifecycle of publishing projects, including books, educational products and animated adaptations. Secured and administered public cultural funding, coordinated large-scale collaborations and developed initiatives promoting contemporary Bulgarian children's literature and illustration. Represented the company in national and international publishing networks, built partnerships and expanded distribution opportunities.

Team Leader (maternity leave replacement)

October 1, 2011 - February 1, 2013

Managed the day-to-day operations of the Art Department, coordinating multiple artists across concurrent projects. Planned workloads, assigned tasks and monitored progress to ensure timely delivery of production milestones. Acted as the primary communication bridge between art, production and development teams. Reviewed and approved artwork, maintaining artistic quality and consistency across projects. Facilitated collaboration with international teams and external stakeholders on a daily basis.

Art Director

September 1, 2009 - November 1, 2015

Defined and drove the artistic vision for multiple game productions, ensuring visual consistency, quality and alignment with product goals. Led and mentored teams of artists, animators and designers throughout the production cycle. Established art pipelines, workflows and quality standards to support efficient content creation and delivery. Collaborated with producers, developers and international stakeholders to balance creative ambition with production requirements. Served as Art Director on 9 released game titles and contributed to 4 additional productions, including licensed projects such as Captain America, Baywatch, Spamalot and Don Quixote. Oversaw concept development, visual storytelling, UI design, animation and final asset approval.

Graphic designer

March 1, 2008 - September 1, 2009

Created game art, UI assets and marketing materials for multiple casino game productions. Contributed to the release of 9 game titles in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.

Concept artist & graphic designer at IMPERIA ONLINE

May 1, 2007 - December 1, 2007

Developed concept art and the overall visual identity for Galactic Imperia, including website design, logo and promotional assets.

Concept artist at NU IMAGE BULGARIA / WORLDWIDE FX

May 1, 2006 - May 1, 2007

Created character and environment concepts, matte paintings, storyboards and visualizations for film productions and visual effects. Contributed to more than 20 film projects.