I’m Christopher Hilbig, an illustrator and graphic designer based in San Antonio, with 20+ years of experience across watercolor, mixed media, and print-ready design for publishing and branding clients. My work is character-driven and warm, inspired by classic American animation and traditional watercolor methods, with the added advantage of deep pre-press training—so concepts move smoothly from sketches to clean typography, accurate color handling, and press-ready files. I also author-illustrated three published children’s books, where I owned everything from artwork and typography through full layout and production specifications. In addition, I’ve spent years bringing visual work to mass-market impact through national retail merchandising, which sharpened my sense of seasonal storytelling, shelf presence, and audience appeal. I’m especially drawn to repeat patterns, surface design, and coordinated graphic collections that stay consistent across many formats.…

Christopher J. Hilbig

I’m Christopher Hilbig, an illustrator and graphic designer based in San Antonio, with 20+ years of experience across watercolor, mixed media, and print-ready design for publishing and branding clients. My work is character-driven and warm, inspired by classic American animation and traditional watercolor methods, with the added advantage of deep pre-press training—so concepts move smoothly from sketches to clean typography, accurate color handling, and press-ready files. I also author-illustrated three published children’s books, where I owned everything from artwork and typography through full layout and production specifications. In addition, I’ve spent years bringing visual work to mass-market impact through national retail merchandising, which sharpened my sense of seasonal storytelling, shelf presence, and audience appeal. I’m especially drawn to repeat patterns, surface design, and coordinated graphic collections that stay consistent across many formats.…

Available to hire

I’m Christopher Hilbig, an illustrator and graphic designer based in San Antonio, with 20+ years of experience across watercolor, mixed media, and print-ready design for publishing and branding clients. My work is character-driven and warm, inspired by classic American animation and traditional watercolor methods, with the added advantage of deep pre-press training—so concepts move smoothly from sketches to clean typography, accurate color handling, and press-ready files.

I also author-illustrated three published children’s books, where I owned everything from artwork and typography through full layout and production specifications. In addition, I’ve spent years bringing visual work to mass-market impact through national retail merchandising, which sharpened my sense of seasonal storytelling, shelf presence, and audience appeal. I’m especially drawn to repeat patterns, surface design, and coordinated graphic collections that stay consistent across many formats.

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Language

English
Fluent
Spanish; Castilian
Beginner

Work Experience

AI Trainer & Multimodal Evaluation Specialist at Handshake AI; Outlier; Welo Data (Welocalize); RWS Group
September 1, 2025 - Present
Evaluate AI-generated outputs (image, video, text, and audio) against detailed visual and editorial quality rubrics for leading AI research labs. Assess generated visual content for composition, style consistency, and audience fit, and deliver structured written critique used to refine model behavior.
Author-Illustrator, Designer & Art Director at Second Half Studios Publishing
January 1, 2023 - Present
Direct end-to-end publishing workflows from concept through final production files for three book titles. Own full layout and typography decisions including cover design, interior spreads, type hierarchy, and pacing of image and text. Prepare production-ready print files to publisher specifications, including trim sizing, bleed setup, CMYK conversion, 300 DPI export, and wraparound cover template/spine calculations. Review physical press proofs and correct for screen-to-print color shift; maintain documentation across multilingual adaptations and track edits for consistency. Research market/category trends to guide subject matter, palette, and cover direction.
Illustrator & Graphic Designer at Chris Hilbig Art (Freelance)
January 1, 2023 - Present
Create original illustration and design for publishing and branding clients across traditional and digital media, including watercolor, mixed media, digital painting, and photographic compositing. Work within client style guides and brand standards while maintaining consistent quality and visual voice. Develop character sets, motifs, and coordinated color palettes for use across multiple surfaces and formats. Manage revision rounds with clear documentation and deliver finished files on schedule, working independently and remotely.
Retail Merchandiser — Direct Store Delivery at Mondelēz International (Target, Walmart & H-E-B locations)
March 1, 2016 - November 30, 2022
Deliver and merchandize product to shelf across multiple Target, Walmart, and H-E-B locations for a national consumer-packaged-goods brand. Build and maintain seasonal and holiday displays using store fixtures, signage, and equipment to execute promotional sets. Rotate date codes, remove out-of-code inventory, and protect brand presentation. Partner with store staff and management to secure placement and maintain merchandising standards.
Graphic Designer at Production Graphics
March 1, 2001 - January 31, 2003
Develop and finalize digital layouts for print client projects, proof files, troubleshoot production errors, and ensure accuracy for press-ready deliverables. Maintain structured workflows while managing multiple concurrent design requests under deadline.
Pre-Press Intern (Paid) at Focus Direct
September 1, 1998 - July 31, 1999
Produced layouts and pre-press files using QuarkXPress and Photoshop. Managed timing, sequencing, and registration of multi-layered print assets. Delivered press-ready output through quality checks, plate production, and film negative development.

Education

Certificate in Fundamentals of Art at The Art Instruction Schools, Minneapolis, MN
September 9, 2009 - October 25, 2012
Activities and societies: Won the Blue Ribbon Art Award, Finalist in the 2010 Charles Schulz Cartoon Art competition, and 1st place in the 2012 Charles Schulz Cartoon Art competition.
Graphic Design at San Antonio College
October 25, 2000 - October 25, 2008
Attended San Antonio College for an training in Graphic Design (Print Media)
Graphic Design — Print Media Program (Certificate coursework) at San Antonio College
January 1, 2000 - December 31, 2008
Certificate in Fundamentals of Art (Illustration & visual storytelling) at Art Instruction Schools, Minneapolis, MN
January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2012

Qualifications

First Place — Charles Schulz Cartoon Art Competition
January 1, 2012 - September 20, 2026

Industry Experience

Retail, Media & Entertainment, Consumer Goods, Education
    "Reflection" - Digital Painting

    “Reflexion” is the fourth in a series of kitten paintings produced digitally by artist Chris Hilbig. This painting was created in Corel Painter and Adobe PhotoShop. It is stamped with the kana denoting the season of Spring in 2025. The original dimensions are 16 x 20 inches at 300 dpi.

    A small black kitten, set up against a white background, stares intently into a blob of black ink, envisioning itself as a white kitten with sparkling blue eyes. This leverages the concept of the Yin and Yang design. This painting uses color to immediately draw the eye to both the black kitten and its idealized reflection.

    " Reflection" started out mimicking the online meme of the cat staring into a mirror and seeing a lion in the reflection. This meme is often used in self-help webinars whenever the moderator tells the audience that you can determine your future self, even physically. But a cat, no matter what it does, isn’t capable of this ability.

    We all want to be richer, better-looking, et cetera. Looking at others, we assume that he/she “have it better” than we do. We have no idea of what that other person’s life is like, nor the struggles or burdens that he/she bears. If we could trade lives with that person, we might come to the conclusion that even though they have it better materially, you really wouldn’t want to live like that person. So, the grass isn’t greener on the other side. We should learn to love and accept ourselves.

    "Little Dogs Playing Poker" - Acrylic Painting on Canvas - 2021
    This is an acrylic painting on a 20x16-inch canvas, that was created in the Summer of 2021 as a part of a series of paintings referred to as "Little Spoofs". The series was intended for a skateboarding brand that I was a founding partner in. This painting spoofed "A Friend In Need" by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge using classic Little People dogs. The little dog toys were one of my favorites as a small child. This painting was re-released and made available as reproductions on the Chris Hilbig Art online store. (https://www.twine.net/signin…
    "Surf Kitty" Digital Painting - 2024
    “Surf Kitty” is a 16x20 inch digital painting completed in Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, and MidJourney. It is part of a three-painting series of kitten-themed paintings, which I plan to use for a special promotion, for Chris Hilbig Art. digitalpainting illustration painter photoshop midjourney…
    "Dino-Mite Summer Coloring Bonanza" - Published 2023
    "Dino-Mite Summer Coloring Bonanza" is a children's coloring book featuring dinosaurs participating in fun summer activities. It was published by Second Half Studios Publishing and was the imprint's first offering. The illustrations were created using a combination of MidJourney, PhotoShop, and Adobe Illustrator. The layout was completed in InDesign. The book is currently available in six different languages on Amazon. graphicdesigner illustrator midjourney vectorart Indesign…
    "Alphabet Adventures" Coloring Book (2024)
    A children's coloring book that teaches young children how to read and write the alphabet using large, easy-to-color illustrations. Published by Second Half Studios Publishing and available on Amazon. graphicdesigner pdf illustrator writer artdirector…
    "Baby Hopper Learns the Magic of Good Manners" Children's Book - English Edition (2023)
    This is a self-published children's book under my imprint Second Half Studios Publishing. I did everything, from writing to the final layout for both print and ebook. graphicdesigner pdf illustrator author…