Nathan Karinen

Graphic Designer / Web Designer / Illustrator / Artist

I am an artist and graphic designer currently based in Detroit, MI, bringing over a decade of experience in graphic design with a specialization in branding, packaging, UI design, illustration, and web design.
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My primary objective is to produce design work that holds enduring value. Dedicated to captivating my clients and their audiences through research and authenticity within my work.
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During my free time, I enjoy painting, traveling, creating music, and running my non-profit. Art Night Detroit is an event series that serves as a space for local artists to foster creativity, collaborate, and showcase their talents. Art Night has successfully provided a platform for artists to promote themselves, their work, and gain valuable exposure.
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Most recently, I was working in the Collectible Trading Card industry for zerocool and Topps where I was given the opportunity to design for brands such as Star Wars, Stranger Things, Major League Baseball, VeeFriends, Jackass, and more.
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I am currently available for full-time, contract, and freelance work. Open to nearby on-site or remote work opportunities. Don’t hesitate to reach out via the contact page with any opportunities or collaboration ideas!

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Branding

Creating memorable brands and working with new and existing business owners to achieve their vision is one of my favorite aspects of being a designer. My logo designs are often combined with original illustrations to create a one-of-a-kind product. My projects often feature not only a logo, but a system of colors, fonts, styles, and more that create a memorable brand feeling. This system is meant to be flexible enough for the brand to grow, yet rigid enough to maintain the original characteristics that make the brand unique.

Illustration

Illustration has always been the backbone of my identity as a designer. Given my background in fine arts, illustration has become an integral part of my process. I hand draw and digitally illustrate to add a distinctive touch to logos, posters, websites, and various other design projects. Combining the core concepts of graphic design and with my unique talent as an illustrator makes for a more captivating design. From my personal logo to the Benzinga Options Bootcamp logo you can see my core skills as an illustrator shine.

UI Design

There's nothing quite like the feeling of creating and publishing websites and applications. Over the years, I've learned to create sites on a variety of platforms: Dreamweaver, Muse, Wordpress, various template builder sites, and my current favorite Webflow. I have experience with HTML and CSS coding as well as creating UI mock-ups for websites and apps. My UI Design style can be characterized as clean and polished, with an emphasis on conversions and responsive functionality.

Fine Art

Fine art is where I keep the ARTIST in NK Artist & Designer. From an early age, I have been drawn to creating art and that curiosity has led me to where I am today. A recurring focus of mine is capturing the essence of important people through portraiture. I've created at least 50 different portraits of various people from my mother to Jimi Hendrix. I've created several award winning pieces in high school and college. I created the letterhead illustration for my hometown's foundation. My art has been displayed in Flint and Detroit, Michigan, and I have participated in live-art competitions.

Nathan Karinen

Graphic Designer / Web Designer / Illustrator / Artist

Services

Branding

Illustration

UI Design

Fine Art

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