Vinh-Luan Luu

Designer Artist

Fort Worth, TX, USA
The heart of my art is the ability to be a good story teller. My job is to tell an audience an engaging, memorable narrative; no matter the medium, topic, or industry. My design heart belongs to branding. I enjoy the research and exploration to find the right voice of an idea. I've done this in a variety of capacities: guidelines, interactive experiences, social media campaigns, and video production.

By day, I'm a corporate designer; working as the in-house designer as well as temporary freelance. I've worked with brands such as Neiman Marcus, American Airlines, JC Penney, IBM, GameStop, and the US Military. I assisted the marketing and social departments with internal initiatives and graphics, establishing the company brand and voice. I also spent time at various agencies such as Ivie & Associates, Veritas, Pavlov, Green Thumb Agency, and Tic Toc.

By night, I'm a designer artist; working on personal projects as well as fun freelance client work. I've worked with musician, artists, trade shows, political groups, art advocates, and non-profit organizations. I exhibit/sell my personal works at comic book, sci-fi, and anime conventions. I collaborated with a few of my comic book peers under Space-Gun Studios, where I produced various projects such as a digital comic, a print anthology, and a nation wide marketing event. I currently run Fully Artomatic with my wife, a pop-up art store assisting artists off all skills and experience. We focus on helping the working illustrator and comicker traverse the modern market.

Work Experience

Fully Artomatic

Owner

Pop-up art supply store and design/art studio by Ruby and Luan, two formally educated, working artists. We cater to illustrators of all types, genres, and skill level; exhibiting at anime, comic book, sci-fi, and tattoo conventions all over Texas and surrounding states.
February 2013 - Present Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Skyline Sector 5

Art Supervisor

Under my Art Supervisor hat, I traffic incoming projects from the sales department to the design staff. I assess the scope of the work and timelines to assign the best available design resource to that job. I interact with project managers, account executives, staff designers, and freelancers on a daily basis. I also work with upper management to improve our design workflow as the company continues to grow.

With my designer hat, I work on static and motion graphics for a variety of branded experiences that include trade shows, retail locations, road shows, and other marketing activations. This ranges from booth graphics, motions graphics for (interactive) screens, and video editing. I'm also the photographer for client and internal events as well of product photography.

I was a member of the Brand Task Force that was formed to rebrand the company from Skyline DFW to Skyline Sector 5. I developed the new company logo, tag line, office building graphics, printed collateral pieces, forms, and video graphics. I also developed the logo for Sector 5 Digital; Skyline Sector 5's digital partner.

I was elected into the inaugural "The Council", a group of five employees that act as a conduit between the employee base and upper management.

Clients include:
IBM, Airbus, Ericsson, American Airlines, GameStop, NEC, British Airways, Gates Corporation, Wilsonart, Funimation, Gold's Gym.
September 2013 - April 2018 Texas, United States

Space-Gun Studios

Co-Founder

Lead creative on visual branding and social media presence. Graphic designer for web and print collateral. Project manager, art director, production artist, illustrator, and comic book creator.

Comic/Creative Clients include:
Indy Comic Book Week (Co-Founder, Social Media Manager), Synesthetic Anthology (Co-Founder, Project Manager/Editor), Solomon Azua (Branding, Letterer), God of Rock (Web Design), DreamTales (Graphic Design for web banners), Dragon Slayer (Coloring Direction, Flatting)

Corporate Clients include:
University of North Texas (Mascot redesign: 2013), NORML DFW (Illustrations), GrapevineStar Entertainment (corporate and product design, production), KLP Fine Arts (website), RiverRain Productions (website and promotional collateral), Phoenix Entertainment (promotional collateral), WorldPainter (book production).
October 2002 - January 2015 Texas, United States

Neiman Marcus

Production Artist

Production work on printed materials for The Neiman Marcus Group (Neiman Marcus, Horchow, CUSP, and Bergorf Goodman.) Materials include collateral, direct mailers, in-store signage, magazine & newspaper ads, magazine inserts, billboards, The Book, and Bergorf Goodman Magazines.

NM The Book & BG Magazine: Develop and maintain file templates. Work closely with project managers, senior designers and art directors to collect, submit, and organize photography. Work with senior designers and copy editors to create pages, implement changes, and format copy. Keep the mechanical integrity of the publication throughout the design process. Work closely with retouchers to convey changes and notes from senior designers and art directors.

Collateral/direct mail: Work with project mangers to prepare design files for print and troubleshoot file issues.
February 2010 - September 2013 Irving, Texas, United States

The Creative Group

Freelance Designer/Production Artist

Freelance Graphic Designer and Production Artist (print, prepress, web) for business collaterals, publications, POP material, direct mail; illustrator; ad writing

Corporate Clients Includes: JC Penney, Reuters, Hagger’s, Harcourt Inc., Centex, Cookies by Design, The Urban Alternative

Agencies Clients Include: Concussion, Tic Toc, Ivie & Associates, Vertis
September 2006 - January 2010 Dallas, Texas, United States

Planet Anime Dallas

Assistant Manager

Maintained store front, handled bank deposits, hiring/firing, store maintenance, product ordering, ran company booth at various conventions. Worked until store closing in 2004.
December 2001 - May 2004 Plano, Texas, United States

Education

University Of North Texas

Communication Design

August 2001 - May 2006 Denton, Texas, United States

Languages

English (Native),

Skills

Creative Writing, Graphic Design, Illustration, Illustrator, Indesign, Photography, Photoshop,