I am an adaptive and dedicated illustrator with 6+ years of experience working with clients and teams on a variety of projects. I have worked in many different environments: from in office settings with precise photo editing and mockups, to spot illustrations, book covers, self-published zines, podcast brand design, and more- I am known for being able to bring any project to life with precise detail, passion, and diligence. I have an affinity for representing diverse stories, science fact + fiction, and anything with creative use of color. I look forward to working together!…

Kris Merola

I am an adaptive and dedicated illustrator with 6+ years of experience working with clients and teams on a variety of projects. I have worked in many different environments: from in office settings with precise photo editing and mockups, to spot illustrations, book covers, self-published zines, podcast brand design, and more- I am known for being able to bring any project to life with precise detail, passion, and diligence. I have an affinity for representing diverse stories, science fact + fiction, and anything with creative use of color. I look forward to working together!…

Available to hire

I am an adaptive and dedicated illustrator with 6+ years of experience working with clients and teams on a variety of projects. I have worked in many different environments: from in office settings with precise photo editing and mockups, to spot illustrations, book covers, self-published zines, podcast brand design, and more- I am known for being able to bring any project to life with precise detail, passion, and diligence.

I have an affinity for representing diverse stories, science fact + fiction, and anything with creative use of color. I look forward to working together!

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Special Education Art Instructor at Their Place
May 31, 2025 - Present
Employed diverse teaching techniques according to DDD guidelines to promote independence, skill building, and creativity for adult individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Developed lesson plans that expand on fine motor skills, self advocacy, and self expression. Focused on communicating directly with individuals to collaborate on projects and accommodate for sensory needs. Saw a 400% increase in class size and participation as a result of new engaging class format.
Print and Marketing Associate at Staples
August 19, 2024 - January 20, 2025
Assisted with design, production, and finishing of print products to meet customer needs in a fast-paced team-oriented environment where quality customer service is key. Demonstrated strong communication, organizational, and multitasking skills, ensuring the efficient execution of multiple projects in a deadline driven environment. Consulted customers on their projects using vast knowledge of products and equipment capabilities. Employed computer skills and expertise with the Adobe Suite to edit customer files on site to best fit order specifications.
Graphic Artist at Merolatile Distributors of America
June 20, 2019 - July 15, 2024
Focused on the development of digital templates for showcasing products while communicating with multiple departments to ensure quality content through seamless collaboration. Developed 100+ digital templates for showcasing products that have been used to create 1000’s of product images. Utilized project management software to update, track, and communicate the status of multiple projects in real time. Implemented knowledge of color and light to create and improve digital product content and trained peers in the process.
Design Intern and Editorial Illustrator at SciQuel
February 8, 2024 - Present
Collaborate with writers to create spot illustrations that supplement scientific articles. Provide input on visual brand identity, website formatting, and brand messaging. Create a personalized portrait style to be used for all writers contributing for SciQuel.
Freelance Illustrator at Self-Employed
January 10, 2019 - Present
Manage all supplies and software needed to produce, sell, and ship thousands of orders containing merchandise of original work. Built relationships with artists and publishers across the globe, resulting in opportunities such as book covers, internal spread illustration, brand design, editorial work, and conventions.

Education

B.F.A. in Communications Design at Pratt Institute
August 1, 2019 - December 1, 2023

Qualifications

Presidents List
January 11, 2030 - March 26, 2026

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Retail, Professional Services, Education, Software & Internet
    paper When Possum Plays Dead - Unreleased Client Project.

    I developed the logo and promotional material for an unreleased podcast. The cover art was painted with gouache and all further deliverables were created with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. This was such an exciting project to work on. I love being able to see one illustration transform into a full brand design! I plan to work further with this client upon podcast release to create further design content.

    This project can be seen [here](https://www.twine.net/signin

    paper Editorial Illustration

    I am currently a design intern at SciQuel, a science magazine focused on making science accessible to all. I have developed a unique portrait style for them alongside a growing number of spot illustrations for various articles. I have also assisted them with their brand design, specifically assisting with their website and color palette.

    My work for SciQuel can best be seen [here](https://www.twine.net/signin

    paper Book Design & Illustration

    I have worked with a variety of clients (along with my own personal projects) to develop book covers, game board spreads, poster pages, and more! My work has been printed in four publications:

    • Terraqueous Distributors, “The Unofficial Dr Who Annual 1988” and “The Unofficial Dr Who Annual 1997”
    • Nova and Mali, “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Art History”
    • 77 Years Team, “The History Between Us”

    This work can be seen on my website [here](https://www.twine.net/signin

    paper Character & Game Design; Luminesce Laboratories

    A photon scientist and an android mechanic form an unlikely bond due to their joint boredom and loneliness at work. Together, they work on a machine that is part of a vital experiment and quest: complete the project their late colleague started decades ago that resulted in their disappearance.

    This character design project began as a quick class assignment and quickly became a passion project. I used simple visual code on GDevelop to draft a few levels for my game, Luminesce Laboratories. I am so excited to create more with these characters in the future.
    You can see my character design work and test out the first two levels of this game [here](https://www.twine.net/signin
    paper Experimental Portraits

    I have made 30+ tailored experimental portraits for a range of clients. These portraits are a test in style adaption as they are based on the art of the video game Disco Elysium. My experience painting with gouache informs my brush strokes and use of color in every portrait I create.

    These portraits can best be seen [here](https://www.twine.net/signin

    paper Photo Editing and Mockups

    At Merolatile Distributors of America, I developed hundreds of mockup templates for roomscenes to showcase products alongside formatting templates for product scale, grout color, and product patterns. My knowledge of light and perspective is what made me succeed at this role.
    You can see examples of my work at Merolatile [here](https://www.twine.net/signin