Hi, I’m Nate Maldonado, a multidisciplinary illustrator and designer with over two decades of experience crafting branding, packaging, toy design, and original artwork for a range of consumer products. I enjoy turning concepts into polished visuals, from concept sketches and 3D sculpting to production-ready files and branding systems. I’m passionate about collaboration, iterative design, and helping teams translate ideas into compelling, market-ready visuals. I blend traditional illustration with digital tools like Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Procreate, and Substance 3D to deliver consistent, publication-ready graphics for branding, packaging, and product design. Remote-friendly and accustomed to fast-paced environments, I’m always eager to take on new challenges in toy, consumer goods, and media projects.

Nate Maldonado

PRO

Hi, I’m Nate Maldonado, a multidisciplinary illustrator and designer with over two decades of experience crafting branding, packaging, toy design, and original artwork for a range of consumer products. I enjoy turning concepts into polished visuals, from concept sketches and 3D sculpting to production-ready files and branding systems. I’m passionate about collaboration, iterative design, and helping teams translate ideas into compelling, market-ready visuals. I blend traditional illustration with digital tools like Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Procreate, and Substance 3D to deliver consistent, publication-ready graphics for branding, packaging, and product design. Remote-friendly and accustomed to fast-paced environments, I’m always eager to take on new challenges in toy, consumer goods, and media projects.

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Nate Maldonado, a multidisciplinary illustrator and designer with over two decades of experience crafting branding, packaging, toy design, and original artwork for a range of consumer products. I enjoy turning concepts into polished visuals, from concept sketches and 3D sculpting to production-ready files and branding systems. I’m passionate about collaboration, iterative design, and helping teams translate ideas into compelling, market-ready visuals.

I blend traditional illustration with digital tools like Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Procreate, and Substance 3D to deliver consistent, publication-ready graphics for branding, packaging, and product design. Remote-friendly and accustomed to fast-paced environments, I’m always eager to take on new challenges in toy, consumer goods, and media projects.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Design Lead at Nacelle / NacelleToys
January 1, 2024 - Present
Product design - conceptual sketches, 3D sculpting & rendering; Packaging design - visual and structural; Branding - logo and pitch graphics; Web graphics - website and advertising.
Design Lead at Schylling
January 1, 2021 - January 1, 2024
Toy design - original toy concepts, turnaround drawings, 3D sculpting & rendering; Packaging design - visual and structural.
Creative Director at Westminster, Inc.
January 1, 2017 - January 1, 2021
Toy design - original toy line concepts, turnaround drawings, 3D art direction, factory communication; Packaging design - visual and structural; Branding - company and product specific logo and look design; Support graphics - web, email, pitch deck, signage, catalog.
Senior Art Director at Strottman
January 1, 2008 - January 1, 2017
Kid and Family Premium Design - branding, concept illustration, toy/product/plush design, booklet layout, character design, instructional illustration, retail packaging, signage, in-store environment, product photography.
Designer / Illustrator at Elmer’s
January 1, 2005 - January 1, 2008
Licensed and Original Activity Set and Book Design - packaging, illustration, page/game layout, concept illustration, licensor-approved illustration, booth graphics.
Illustrator at Crayola
January 1, 2004 - January 1, 2005
Core and Licensed Product - character and product illustration, packaging design, logo design and branding, booth graphics, website UI illustration.
Computer Artist at DART Container
January 1, 2003 - January 1, 2004
Disposable cup and packaging graphics - logo design, layout, illustration, production work, physical mockups.
Design Lead at Nacelle/NacelleToys
January 1, 2024 - Present
Remote/Contract role focusing on product design (conceptual sketches, 3D sculpting & rendering), packaging design (visual and structural), branding (logo and pitch graphics), and web graphics for website and advertising.

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts at Northern Michigan University
January 1, 1997 - January 1, 2002
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Electronic Imaging at Northern Michigan University
January 1, 1997 - January 1, 2002

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Manufacturing, Professional Services, Consumer Goods, Retail, Education