Michalina Wanda Trabinska
Graphic Communication and Illustration
Although created using digital techniques, my artwork retains the charm of traditional material and textures. Creating detailed characters full of personality and making story-driven illustration is my specialism.
Final year project
Fences
Fences, A Graphic Novel
Based on the real experience of an Afghan translator's family. Mohammed is forced to flee with his family after the US military retreat to Italy.
Snakes and Submarines, Board Game and Cards
Snakes and Submarines is a game for children aged 8-12 interested in or learning about marine life, the ocean and scuba diving. The game contains questions for the real driving exam. The diving instructor, or the tester such as a parent or grandparent, possesses the answer cards and the student possesses the question cards. The student explores across the playing board, using playing counters, in the same way as they would in snakes and ladders. As an extension, the game would also be made for online exams, in an online gaming format. The image above is of cards to be used by the instructor to test children on their knowledge of the ocean and diving sign language.
Cookie Icing Illustrations
This project is just one of a collection of prints for Olga Anderson’s seasonal subscription gift box; these illustrations are currently being printed on top of cookies. The brief required the print to be inspired by landscapes and walks through mountains and forests.
The Tales of Prix The Pilot, Stanislaw Lem
An illustrated concertina format book (comprising of 9 panels and complete with a slip-case), includes newly phrased excerpts and is designed to provide both a vibrant introduction to the text for younger readers and a fresh take for longstanding fans of Stanislaw Lem. Entry into the V&A illustration competition.
Chivas D&AD Brief
I was brought on to develop whiskey illustrations for the label, packaging and activation for Chivas whiskey. The branding aims the whiskey for hustlers aged 18-25 who love gangster and crime movies. The characters I illustrated are straightforward in what they want, determined and ironically represent each generation of viewers. I listed the most important and iconic movies that fall into the crime-gangster category since the creation of the Chivas brand.
"Because blended is better, in life and in scotch."
Anthology Magazine Cover Competition
A cover promoting eco-tourism in Costa Rica. As a tourist, this illustration represents the journey you will face and the thrilling experiences to discover such as eat-farm-to-table, coffee farming and fruit and vegetable markets to try and buy from locals.
Michalina Wanda Trabinska
Final year project
Fences
Awards
Highest Achiever Award, Graphic Communication and Illustration (2018-2019).
Work Experience
Olga Anderson Limited
Graphic Designer/Illustrator
I rebranded The Anderson Club to Olga Anderson and created new logo variations for a new website blog and a chocolate gift box packaging. In addition, I created cookie icing illustrations of seasonal flowers and holiday celebrations for a subscription gift box of seasonal flowers and holiday themes. My favourite part of this experience was creating London scenery illustrations for social media and their official website. The wide variety of projects and responsibilities taught me to use Adobe software efficiently and use my imagination to its full extent. The vast creative freedom in my illustrations made this a hugely rewarding and stimulating experience.
Gutenberg, Poland, Lodz
Graphic Design Assistant
I was mentored in preparing impositions for magazines/books/packaging for hardback/ case/perfect for bounding, creasing and cutting, and at the end of the experience, I created impositions on Preps (Evo Processing) for Trapping on Adobe Acrobat. At the production line, I folded, creased and arranged first drafts of magazines and folders to prepare for Offset Lithography printing. Learning about technical processes involving printing and overseeing company designs to prepare them for printing was my main role.
WIMAT Poland, Lodz
Graphic Designer, Illustrator
I worked with Mazowian Muzeum in Plock to licence a painting and print it on a luxury gift box. Prepared designs for UV structural printing for braille keyboards, camera covers, glasses and gift boxes.