illustrator ● surface pattern designer ● eco enthusiast
About Me
Hello, my name is Yuliia and I'm an illustrator and surface pattern designer from Ukraine currently living in India with my husband Rohan and our cat Toothless.
I graduated as an artist with a speciality in graphic design. So, I started my professional career as a graphic designer. After a few years of working in this field, I realised it wasn’t for me. I knew my real passion was in illustrating, so, in 2012, I did the big thing, left my job and started freelancing and moving towards illustration. And I love it!
Creating surface pattern designs is one of my passions and I always enjoy the process of drawing them.
I love to draw detailed and busy patterns, sometimes funny and cute, but mainly about nature, especially animals and birds. I worked for various brands on apparel, fabric, home decor, accessories and stationery projects, and also for my own brand.
I was always passionate about nature. I grew up surrounded by nature in a beautiful city with coniferous forests on a bench of a huge river. Each summer I spent in the countryside, where we were roaming and discovering nature the whole days with my sister. Nature is my home.
So, at one stage of my illustrator career, I realised that I want my art to be useful so that's how I decided to spread awareness about the environment through illustration.
Inspired to do this I took a course in International Environmental Law And Governance and continue getting my education in ecology and environment to have needed knowledge to spread information through my art.
Among other, I have a great experience in creating illustrations for colouring books and magazines and also for apparel and mobile apps, and also published my own colouring book.
I enjoy creating detailed illustrations, especially in zentangle and doodle styles.
Drawing imaginary wonderworlds for kids is another kind of illustration I love to do. I like to fill in illustrations with cute and funny details so it's interesting for kids to look at the illustration and observe.
I regularly do my professional development by taking classes on illustration and different art techniques, improving my skills and knowledge in the illustration field. In 2021 I won Domestika Scollarship and it's such a great opportunity for professional growth.
My work has appeared in magazines, books, packaging, board games, home decor, advertising, apparel and other products.
I'm always happy to work on surface pattern designs, eco/wildlife illustrations, colouring books, and children's books.
For work inquiries, or to say hello, please email me at yuliia.bahniuk@gmail.com
Education
2004-2008
Cherkassy State Business College
Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design. During education participated and won in many contests and took part in exhibitions.
Not once were recognized as one of the best students and awarded the Director's Scholarship.
2008-2010
National Academy of Culture and Arts Management
Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and Advertising.
Skills Development.
2010 - Present
Professional Development
Various courses on illustration and art, environment and ecology.
Exhibitions
2004
All-Ukrainian exhibition-contest "I want to live in a high-quality world”,
1 place at regional level, Cherkassy Scientific and Production Center of Standardization, Metrology and Certification
Graphic design exhibition “In Ten”, Cherkasy Art Museum
Cow Design Festival, Dnipro
Competition of posters on language theme, Ukraine
“Holodomor. Memory symbols” inter-regional poster action in memory of victims of the Holodomor 1932-1933, Cherkasy Art Museum
“Vytynanky” exhibition, Cherkasy State Business College
“My Native Land”, The Cherkasy Local History Museum
An exhibition of illustrations from the second volume of the book "She Did It" at the Museum of Khanenko, Kyiv
2007
2007
2008
2008
2009
2013
2018
Selected Clients
• ZOX
• KAZOO magazine
• WWF
• Andhra Pradesh Forest Department
• Intelligent Idiots
• Vydavnytstvo
• Eco Games
• TURN4TURN
• Alam Santi
• Orner
• PRIMO
• Colorkid
• Sumoing
• Lil City
• GROUNDESIGNS
Publications
• The Holodomor. Memory Symbols
• KAZOO magazine(Isuue 02)
• Coloring Notebook(01 Edition)
• Pure, 2016
• BENTO magazine(Issue 03)
• KAZOO magazine(Isuue 07)
• Coloring Notebook(02 Edition)
• "She did it"(2 Volume)
• ArtPage 500 Children's Illustrations by Worldwide Artists