Overview
Hello,
My name is Elif, I am an illustrator. I have experience in creating illustrations, graphics and character designs for print. I also have experience in animation, character, prop and layout design within various digital productions. I enjoy the process of designing and creating illustrations while exploring different styles and aesthetics. I work with both analog and digital media, in varying styles. I have in recent years been lucky enough to be part of a few projects where I could create designs and illustrations for books. My background in animation helps me create characters and illustrations that are dynamic and full of movement.
While my primary focus is on children’s picture books, if you look at my sample images you will find that I have a wide range. Illustrating complex concepts is a great challenge that I enjoy immensely. Similarly creating cover designs for different genres is also something I find rewarding. I generally start with sketching out the concepts, stories or characters that will become the focal point of the work. I find that clear communication and deadlines are always helpful when working on a project. It is important for me that we are on the same page and working together to add this new dimension to your work. I think a bit of laughter and humor always helps us along be it in our own lives or in our work. I would love to help you visualize your work and make your stories more accessible to your chosen audience.
As a side note: I can also work in Turkish and German.
Services
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Languages
Awards
- Best Hand-drawn Animation (The Teacup) | Southampton International Film Festival
- Best Animated Screenplay (The Teacup) | Portsmouth International Film Festival
- Best Undergraduate Animation (The Teacup) | Royal Television Society, Republic of Ireland Student Awards 2016
- Honourable Mention(The Teacup) [Best Irish Graduate Film Category) | Dublin Animation Film Festival
- Special Mention (The Teacup) | 20th Boston Turkish Festival Documentary and Short Film Competition
- 3rd Place Short Film Competition | Ankara International Film Festival
Work experience
Festival on Wheels || Baskent University
2017-Current || Festival Programmer at the Festival on Wheels, Sessional.
• Selecting current animated short films for the festival program.
• Staying up to date with current styles as well as projects.
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2016-2022 || Faculty Fellow, Assist. Prof. Baskent University
Visual Communication Design Department, Faculty of Communication
• Planning, preparing and teaching courses on video production, 2D animation, moving images, and interactive storytelling.
• Preparing Syllabi and projects for students, guiding student projects, grading and marking.
• Fulfilling academic administrative tasks and academic research and publishing.
Tragic Mushroom Press Publishing House (WIP), Rene Barchmann, Germany.
• Creating Imprint Design for the publishing house.
• Creating Book Illustrations
Unicef Turkey
Unicef Booklet “Istanbul Convention for Youth and Children” Turkey. (Digital copy can be sent upon request).
• Illustrating complex concepts for children, with emphasis on equal rights for women and LGBT representation.
• Tailoring illustrations to written passages and text. Preparing images for print.
Ayizi Publications, Turkey
Writer and Illustrator for "Aramızda | Amongst Us" (Picture/Coloring book for adults), Ayizi Publications.
• Illustrating complex concepts in tandem with text, focusing on women's stories and relationships, as well as representation.
• Preparing images for print.
Various
2016-2017 || 2D Animator, Image/92 Studios
2D Animator for animated short Oslo, director: Matt Whittinton, Image/92, Australia.
• 2D traditional digital character animation from rough to clean.
• Clean line and colour.
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2015-2016 || Illustrator and Animator, Looball Studios
Layout Artist | Asset Designer - Builder (Character and Props)
| Animator (After Effects) for animated Short Talker, director: Adam Cullen, Looball Studios.
• Creating character designs from concept art.
• Preparing 2D digital puppets for rigging.
• Designing props and layouts.
• 2D puppet animation in Adobe After Effects.
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2014-2015 || Writer, director, Animator of Animated Short "The Teacup"
at the Irish School of Animation, BCFE.
Wrote, Directed and Animated Graduation Short - The Teacup
Won 7 awards and screened at over 50 International Festivals
Portfolio
