Mel Nerell

Toy Design/Apparel/ Product/ Textile/Art Director

Los Angeles, CA

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About

Mel Nerell is a multi-talented artist living in Southern California. She has a broad creative background that started out with animation, and making FX's monsters just to name a few. She likes to sculpt, paint, and create using everything from clay to the computer to express her creativity. Her career as a creative has taken her all around the creative spectrum, everything from working for companies like Disney and various companies ranging in size. Most of her experience is in consumer products, Toys, Production, Branding, stationary and gift and fashion. She loves to draw and illustrate sketching by hand and or using the computer to explore her passion.
Education
- Sculpture and Life Drawing courses-Golden West College
- Bachelor of Arts Graphic Design-Brooks College of Design
  
  not provided
  
  2001
- Private
  
  Airbrush Course
  
  1998
- Job Training in Special Effects
  
  Regional Occupation Program
  
  1996
Experience
- Freelance Toy Designer/2017
  
  Wicked Toys INC
  
  Present
  
  Created full color illustrated trend boards for new fashions for the Cabbage Patch Kids doll line. Conducted extensive market place research on tween trends.
- Graphic Designer/December
  
  Hybrid Apparel
  
  My role at Hybrid was focused mostly on designing the graphics for all of Disneyland parks, Resorts, and Cruise lines. Besides creating graphics with licensed characters like Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Dr Suess, Crayola, and artist like The Beatles, Pink Floyd and David Bowie. I would also create realistic CADS of the cut and sew fashions, create mood boards, create colorways, Took photos of samples, pantone color matching, along with creating new dye/washes/textures to match back to fashion CADS. I also organized and labeled folders of new art in the extensive online server library.
- Temp Product Designer
  
  Disney Stores North America
  
  This was a long- term freelance position. Duties include concept design for all Disney licensed brands for dolls, play sets, stationary, gift, souvies, collectable, and sporting goods. Daily duties include: concept creation to presenting design sheets to Disney team members and attending design meetings. Creating highly detailed tooling, overlays and design sheets, construct mood boards and presentation boards, creating to scale models, and drawing character turns for dolls and play sets. Having the hands on crafting ability to style and enhance product for meetings and production. Working under strict corporate deadlines combined with technical design. I also analyzed current product sales figures to create new and improved product lines as well as to build totally new products off of the best selling licensed character lines.
- Product Designer/August
  
  Funrise Toys Corp
  
  Working extensively on plush and fabric toys. For lines like My Little Pony, Pound Puppies, Littlest Pet Shop, Transformers, Mad Balls, and Mr. Potato Head. I sew patterns to send samples directly to HK factories while managing product lines by sending control art and illustrations to overseas factories. Allot of my day to day I'm Redline samples, approve samples, and design and develop product while working closely with our sales reps, and with the retail chains that carry our products to drive sales.
- Creative Director/Senior Graphic Designer
  
  Digital Corp
  
  I created an entire new toy division by sourcing toy manufactures in China all the way from development and design, working closely with every aspect of the line. I designed and managed twenty-six products within a six month time period. I directed the design team. From packaging to the product point of purchase displays and managed everything from the ground up. I worked along side the VP and managed freelance designers while working to meet very tight deadlines and ensure all sales expectations were met and the products were in line with what was trending in the market place. I sourced factories and materials needed to complete the toy lines and that also meet our desired deadlines. I conducted market research and established strong business contacts.
- Senior Graphic Designer
  
  Coin Star
  
  Designed toys, stickers and displays for vending machine channels. I created new products as well as managed existing programs. I worked with vendors to create new product lines.
- Senior Graphic Designer
  
  Strategic Partners
  
  Designed CADS with licensed characters for companies such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Fox and Warner Brothers, using the textile program NED graphics.
- Graphic Artist
  
  P.J. Salvage
  
  Designing women's apparel textiles and screen prints for companies such as Rampage, Hot Topic, Clothestime, Nordstrom, Disney Vintage and many other clothing chain companies.
- Freelance Graphic Designer
  
  Heritage Candy
  
  Los Angeles, CA
  
  Jul 2016 - Aug 2019 (3 years 1 month)
  
  freelance graphic designer for candy packaging.
Awards

Awards for best new product 2010

Designed the Bratz Pets that made the company MGA, Millions.

I design and help create award winning products of all kinds.
Industries
Skills
On Coroflot

@melmel5, member since 2008
- Following 8
- Followers 36