Donna Cross

I  graduated from Wellington School of Visual Communication and became a freelance illustrator in Sydney, Australia from 1979 to 1987 before returning to live in Breaker Bay, Wellington, N.Z.

I love illustrating and have made a living from it for thirty years, every day learning new and exciting developments, styles and illustrators and marvel  at the freshness of the illustrators who have been in the game even longer than me.

As an illustrator in such a small country I have become skilled in a range of media and styles from loose to tight, realistic to stylised. The media I use include acrylic, gouache, watercolour, pastel and colour pencil as well as computer applications including Photoshop, Freehand and Illustrator. I particularly enjoy combining the traditional 'hands on' techniques with digital  technology to create original images to suite a particular brief and that clearly reflect my personal style.

I have worked on many large successful projects that required consistency of characters and style. My experience has taught me to interpret scripts for editorials and detailed briefs from art directors for design and advertising. I like to think that I can add something more than is asked for, that indefinable 'rightness' of idea, composition, colour  and style that creates magic.