Hi there! I'm Summer Hayes, a freelance illustrator and visual designer based in Mesa, AZ. I specialize in art for apparel, prints, stickers, and other merchandise, and I pride myself on clear communication and collaborating closely with clients to realize their vision. Since 2017 I’ve built a practice around delivering polished, on-brand artwork on tight timelines. My experience includes working with Selena Comics and Resilience Inc., managing a social media presence to showcase my work, and designing visuals for a variety of projects and merchandise.…

Summer Hayes

Hi there! I'm Summer Hayes, a freelance illustrator and visual designer based in Mesa, AZ. I specialize in art for apparel, prints, stickers, and other merchandise, and I pride myself on clear communication and collaborating closely with clients to realize their vision. Since 2017 I’ve built a practice around delivering polished, on-brand artwork on tight timelines. My experience includes working with Selena Comics and Resilience Inc., managing a social media presence to showcase my work, and designing visuals for a variety of projects and merchandise.…

Available to hire

Hi there! I’m Summer Hayes, a freelance illustrator and visual designer based in Mesa, AZ. I specialize in art for apparel, prints, stickers, and other merchandise, and I pride myself on clear communication and collaborating closely with clients to realize their vision.

Since 2017 I’ve built a practice around delivering polished, on-brand artwork on tight timelines. My experience includes working with Selena Comics and Resilience Inc., managing a social media presence to showcase my work, and designing visuals for a variety of projects and merchandise.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Self-Employed Artist (Freelance Illustrator) at Self-Employed / Independent
May 1, 2017 - Present
Hired to draw to client specifications with email correspondence, communicating progress and confirmation to ensure final product satisfaction. Creating designs and illustrations for physical merchandise including shirts, prints, stickers, water bottles, and coffee mugs. Managing a social media presence to advertise and promote other online platforms.
Retail Associate at Beall’s Outlet
August 1, 2021 - November 1, 2021
Operated the cash register; cleaned the sales floor and cash wrap area; organized the sales floor and processed returns; monitored customers for suspicious activity and assisted with questions.
Retail Associate at Target
November 30, 2021 - Present
Organizing the products on the sales floor; customer engagement and service; communicated with coworkers via walkie-talkies, escalating issues to team leads; maintained time efficiency; lifted heavy objects unassisted; gained exposure to multiple product areas; received training with powered equipment.
Background Artist (Internship) at SELENA Comics, Resilience Inc.
November 30, 2021 - March 31, 2022
Background colorist before taking up linework; followed directions and completed a limited number of pages; collaborated with a small team; frequent email correspondence, weekly Zoom meetings, and onboarding to a company website service.
Self-Employed Artist (Freelance Illustrator) at Self-Employed
May 1, 2017 - Present
Hired to create illustrations to clients' specifications via email; maintained progress updates and client confirmations to ensure satisfaction; designed merchandise including shirts, prints, stickers, water bottles, and coffee mugs; managed a social media presence to advertise and promote platforms.
Background Artist at SELENA Comics, Resilience Inc.
December 1, 2021 - April 1, 2022
Hired as background colorist, later contributed linework; followed directions and completed pages as needed; collaborated with a small team of artists and writers; frequent email correspondence and weekly Zoom meetings; familiar with a company website service for teams with many paid employees.
Exhibitions & Commissions
January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2021
2018: Private Commission, book cover (digital image) in AZ; 2020: Academics in Pandemic, Ethical Metalsmithing (remote); 2021: Beautiful Bizarre, Gallery 100 at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
Retail Associate at Beall's Outlet
August 1, 2021 - November 1, 2021
Operated the cash register; cleaned the sales floor and cash wrap area; organized the sales floor and processed returns; monitored for suspicious activity and assisted customers with questions.
Background Artist (Intern) at SELENA Comics, Resilience Inc.
December 1, 2021 - April 1, 2022
Hired as background colorist before taking up linework; followed directions and completed pages; collaborated with a team of artists and writers; required frequent email correspondence, weekly Zoom meetings, and onboarding to a company website.

Education

Art (Drawing) major at Arizona State University, Tempe - Herberger Institute, School of Art
January 1, 2017 - January 1, 2021
Art (Drawing) major at Arizona State University, Tempe
January 1, 2017 - January 1, 2021
Bachelor of Arts in Art (Drawing) at Arizona State University, Tempe, Herberger Institute, School of Art
January 1, 2017 - January 1, 2021

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Retail, Professional Services
    uniE621 SELENA Comics with Resilience Inc. Background Art Ex. 2
    This was part of the internship I had with the company Resilience Inc., I worked with a project manager that set me up with a set amount of pages I was responsible for. They gave me a rough outline of the story and I had to run it by the group chat a couple times with everyone before moving on to the next 2 pages. Sometimes it was a quality check, then it was the writing team telling us to fix the pages so it fit the story better. This is another shot of the cafe I did, though visually this ended up not conveying very well to my team so I had to adjust it a little to make it clearer that these were glass jars of tea leaves and coffee blends. illustrator…
    uniE621 SELENA Comics with Resilience Inc. Background Art Ex. 1
    This was part of the internship I had with the company Resilience Inc., I worked with a project manager that set me up with a set amount of pages I was responsible for. They gave me a rough outline of the story and I had to run it by the group chat a couple times with everyone before moving on to the next 2 pages. Sometimes it was a quality check, then it was the writing team telling us to fix the pages so it fit the story better. The comic had to fit the themes of both mental health awareness and environmental sustainability. The city and the cafe had to be designed with a "green city" concept in mind. illustrator…
    paper Book Cover for a Sci-Fi Adventure Novel

    This was my first private commission, an author asked me to draw their book cover for their novel debut. I’m more of a fantasy illustrator but I decided to do the job anyways, hence the sword on the cover resembling more of a realistic saber. I waited to hear from her to see if she wanted any more details but she was fine with the product so I sent it off for her to publish.

    uniE621 Mona Lisa but Navajo
    Based on the Mona Lisa, so much so that I couldn't think of different thematic name, it is a Navajo Woman with the desert as the background. illustrator…
    uniE621 The Birth of Changing Woman (incomplete)
    Based on the The Birth of Venus, this is an interpretation of the Navajo creation story that tells where Changing Woman came from. A figure that is associated with the woman's coming-of-age ceremony, the kinaalde, she was born from a turquoise figurine being laid down and wrapped in white buckskins facing west and east respectively. I thought it was fitting enough to be drawn in the same way as the painting of Venus emerging out of the ocean. On the left is Talking God, the one who called First Man and First Woman, on the right, to witness the birth of their new child. illustrator…
    uniE621 Girl with the Turquoise Earring
    This was based on the painting Girl With the Pearl Earring, but to give it the Navajo twist, she is wearing turquoise instead. illustrator…
    uniE621 Navajo Beauty Looking Back
    This was based on the Japanese painting called Beauty Looking Back, but instead of a woman in a red kimono, I draw a Navajo woman dressed in a velvet shirt and skirt with the same color scheme. illustrator…