LENA ZERLAV

Visual Storyteller | Digital ARTIST

In the quest for helping creatives build imaginary worlds from nothing.

Let me bring your abstract ideas to life

VISUAL DEVELOPMENT

Need help creating characters, props, or settings?I can help you create the look, feel, and style of your work. Whether you are making a film, an animation or a game, I'll help you set the tone and style in the pre-production stage. Pretty much the bone-structure of your project. This is the first step

👉 What I will do for you

  • Conducting research on your screenplay and resources in order to create your upcoming project's assets.

  • Conceptualizing visual style elements and draft preliminary sketches according to the style of the game or film.

  • Developing the assets in different positions and from different angles.

  • Rendering, adding lighting and shading effects to all elements, ensuring consistency in color, intensity and lighting levels across all assets.

  • Providing sprite sheets of your characters, ready to be utilized in your future game.

Enhance your marketing with stunning visuals

DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION

Do you need illustrations to accompany the marketing in your web resources? You know, those placing ads that are shown on websites; that allows people to click and participate in your project?An illustration's strength lies in its ability to tell a story in a distinctive manner. In addition to their aesthetic value, illustrations have an impact on viewers.
You will attract viewers' attention by having me interpret your text visually.

👉 What I will do for you

  • Designing promotional materials, packages, posters and websites for the launch of your project.

  • Crafting materials for multimedia campaigns to help promote films, videogames and youtube videos.

  • Editing the layout of text and visual elements on flyers, ads, book covers, and other marketing material.

Would you like to share your story to the world?

ANIMATION

The world of animation has evolved over the years and has been impacted by every single field. My goal is to create motion for your visuals and ideas. This can be cinematics for your videogames, intro videos, and anything in between.

👉 What I will do for you

  • Creating storyboards and presenting ideas and sketches to clients for review.

  • Designing and illustrating frames to simulate movement.

  • Producing artwork for backgrounds and layering images against the backgrounds.

  • Presenting animations for review and editing animations based on feedback.

  • Integrating visual and audio effects in post-production and preparing animations for delivery.

Status: OPEN

COMMISSIONS

Before you order, please make sure to have read my Terms of Service. These terms apply to private commissions only. This information is NOT applicable for commercial work, therefore the art can only be used for the client’s personal purposes.All prices below are base prices. Things that might increase the price are number of characters, and not being able to provide a good visual reference.

Portrait
Illustration

  • 1 time-lapse video of your illustration

  • 1 Portrait colored illustration

  • 1 Portrait B&W illustration

  • 1 Flat color background as default

  • 1 Transparent background (PNG)

  • RGB files, ready to share online

  • CMYK files, ready to print

  • Additional Characters: +50% each

HALFBODY
illustration

  • 1 time-lapse video of your illustration

  • 1 half body colored illustration

  • 1 half body B&W illustration

  • 1 Flat color background as default

  • 1 Transparent background (PNG)

  • RGB files, ready to share online

  • CMYK files, ready to print

  • Additional Characters: +50% each

FULL BODY
ILLUSTRATION

  • 1 time-lapse video of your illustration

  • 1 full body colored illustration

  • 1 full body B&W illustration

  • 1 Flat color background as default

  • 1 Transparent background (PNG)

  • RGB files, ready to share online

  • CMYK files, ready to print

  • Additional Characters: +50% each

COMMISSION FORM

Please fill in this form or contact me via email lenazerlavart@gmail.com. By sending me this form, you've confirmed to read and agree to my Terms of Service.

If you cannot provide reference for the character (meaning you only have a text description), an additional %20 will be added to the price, since the ideation is a big part of the creative process.

Payment method:

I use Paypal & Stripe only! It is the most reliable international transfer service I have used so far.

Please make sure to check the FAQ Page prior to reaching out.

frequently asked questions

Below you can find answers to the questions I get asked the most about my background, services, and commissions. 👇🏻

  • WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

I was born in Los Angeles, California, but despite that, I consider myself Mexican more than anything else. This is due to the many years I spent in Mexico, and because my family lives there. Throughout my life I've moved around a lot. Currently, I live in New York City with my lovely husband, enjoying coffee shops and the culture of this wonderful city. 💜

  • What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

My creative career started working for the city of Santa Barbara, CA, in connection with the Santa Barbara Arts Alliance, where I worked on many art projects such as painting murals and mentoring teenagers to channel their inner artists' side.A year later, I was an intern for Arts for Humanity, where I had the opportunity to make promotional videos about communities in Santa Barbara. After that, I was able to help at the Boys & Girls Club, providing photographs and videos of their events. Then, mentoring kids to connect with strengths and their imagination, be encouraged to believe in themselves, be inspired to share their ideas, and to learn creative skills and problem solving.Later, I worked for the University of California, Santa Cruz as a contract illustrator, designing thesis presentations for the MA & Ph.D. Developmental Psychology program. This opportunity, gave me my start in the freelancing world as an illustrator while I was still finishing college.I graduated from college with a degree in Multimedia/ Interactive Media from the California State University, Northridge, where I learned that I could put my talents to use in the games and entertainment industry. Afterward, I decided that my career path was in this industry.

  • Do you take commissions?

I strongly believe in quality rather than quantity. For that reason, I only take three commissions every month. Check my Commission Page to see its status and price list.

  • I will not do...

  • Hentai ( Pornography and NSFW )

  • Hateful art

  • Imitate others' artstyles

  • Overly exaggerated proportions

  • Political figures

  • What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

I start with a series of questions to establish your needs or by you filling the Commission Form. Then I proceed with an appropriate quote with options on minimizing or maximizing your budget.Once a quote is given and agreed on, a secure invoice is sent via PayPal or Stripe. The projects starts as soon as the payment is made. I have been asked for sketches prior to payment but unfortunately that is something I am very strict on. This is why I have just made it a policy to expect payment prior to beginning any new project, unless otherwise discussed.

  • What's the difference between Commissions and services?

Commissions are usually small projects that take a couple of hours to complete, such as portrait illustrations. For more information, please visit my Commission Page.For big projects, I can offer you services that last a couple of weeks or even months, until the project is completed. See how I can help you on my Services Page.

  • Do you have a standard pricing system for your services?

It depends on the complexity of the project. For those more complex designs requiring a combination of splash illustrations and animation it may go up depending on how much detail is involved. I would go over the specifics via email or chat when I give you a quote.

  • TERMS OF USE

By purchasing any commission or services from me (Lena Zerlav) you agree to be purchasing my services only, not the license nor copyright of the artwork. If you have a problem with any of the below conditions, they may be changed if discussed with me prior to paying for your commissioned piece.Please read the terms carefully:I, Lena Zerlav (the artist):I reserve the right to cancel and refund the order at any time for any reason.I retain all copyrights over the commissioned artwork.I will NOT claim the intellectual property (IP) of the commissioned artwork, when share in social media, videos or personal projects. This, however, does NOT mean you own the IP of any artwork.I will NOT profit further from the commissioned artwork unless you (the customer) break any of the terms.I reserve the right to post the commissioned artwork online, in my portfolio as well as in publications such as art books.You (the customer/commissioner):You may upload the commissioned artwork on any website and social channels.You may NOT make profit from the commissioned pieces (reselling, redistributing, uploading to Print On Demand services, make prints to sell, etc.)You may NOT alter the commissioned artwork without my consent.You may NOT use the commissioned artwork for commercial purposes.You may NOT use the commissioned artwork for hateful, pornographic, political purposes.

Read before you agree

Terms of Use

By purchasing any commission or services from me (Lena Zerlav) you agree to be purchasing my services only, not the license nor copyright of the artwork.If you have a problem with any of the below conditions, they may be changed if discussed with me prior to paying for your commissioned piece.

  1. GENERAL TERMS

All drawings may or will include a subtle sign that you may not remove. I might record the drawing process and post it on my social media. Prices are subject to change based on demand. I have the right to reject any order that I do not feel comfortable drawing for any reason.

  1. PAYMENT

Since I'm based in NYC, currency accepted is in USD, and can be paid only through PayPal or Stripe payment services.Commissions can be paid either 100% upfront or split 50% upfront and 50% after sketch approval. Don't send me any payment before I have agreed to give you a slot and send you an invoice.

  1. PROCESS AND DELIVERY

I will notify you when I have started on your commission and you, therefore, lose the rights to a refund (see point 7 further below for more info on refunds) While I'm working on your commission I will make reviews with you to make sure I make it just right for you! The amount of reviews depends on the complexity of the work.During the reviews, you will see work-in-progress ( WIP) and these images will usually include a watermark and be smaller than the finished piece.The time it takes to finish your commission varies depending on factors such as the complexity of the commissioned piece, other work and busy seasons.If anything comes up that will slow the progress of the initially estimated delivery time I will let you know ASAP.Once the piece is finished you will receive the full-resolution image along with a web-friendly size. Note that there is no physical product, only digital versions.
Depending on where you live, we can arrange to print your artwork. Just ask :)

  1. REVISIONS

You get 3 rounds of changes on the commissioned piece included in the price.A fee will be added if you want something changed on the final drawing - unless a misunderstanding from my side has been made.If you wish for me to change something in the drawing you have previously approved, I will charge you a fee to change it. The amount of the extra charge depends on the change you want me to make and is usually based on an hourly wage.If your reference is unclear to start with changes will come at an extra charge.

  1. COPYRIGHT / USAGE POLICY

I, Lena Zerlav (the artist), claim the rights to the produced visual art, not the buyer. Therefore I am allowed to use the copyrighted artwork to:-Promote myself with it everywhere-Publish books with it (art-books, etc.)-Display it everywhere to my liking (website, social media, etc.)-Post it wherever I want

  • The buyer is allowed to:

-Use the commissioned piece for personal use unless agreed otherwise (you can upload it on all your social media profiles, forums, etc.)-Print the artwork and claim the character(s) as their own, but not the artwork itself.-Use the artwork to promote themselves. You are not forced to give me credit when you post it but it is very appreciated.-Use the artwork on their Youtube channel and in monetized videos as long as the artwork itself is not the main subject for the earnings.

  • The following is considered Copyright Infringement:

-Reproducing/using the copyrighted artwork commercially - means making money off it in any way.-Claiming the artwork as your own-Removing my signature from the artwork-Altering the artwork without my consentI reserve the full rights to the image and it's use/distribution unless otherwise agreed upon (rights to the image for your own non-personal use may be purchased at any time).

  1. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

I will do everything I can to make my customers happy! If you have a problem with anything in regards to the commissioned piece please tell me right away so we can find a solution together. I am willing to change some of my terms for you if you ask before I start on your commission. If you, e.g., do not want me to post your art anywhere, we can discuss this.

  1. REFUND / CANCELLATION POLICY

The buyer is not allowed a refund once I started working on the commission. If for any reason I am unable to start your commission you will receive a full refund.If you cancel your order before I started it, you can get a full refund.
If you are getting a refund, do not request a PayPal or Stripe chargeback. I will transfer the money back to you myself.If you request a PayPal chargeback at any point when you were not allowed to ask for a refund you will lose all before mentioned rights to the commissioned piece and I will have the full right to profit further from it in any way. I will decline the chargeback and supply PayPal with our conversations in which we talk about the commission as evidence that I have completed work for you. Furthermore, you will be blacklisted for commissioning me again.If the buyer breaks any of the points stated above they will lose all the before mentioned rights to the artwork commissioned by me, Lena Zerlav (the artist), and I will have the right to profit further from the commissioned artwork in any way I see fit. If you have a problem with any of these statements, they may be changed if discussed with me prior to paying your commissioned piece.

Introducing myself

ABOUT

Hi! I'm Lena. I'm a New York City-based multimedia designer and visual artist. While my main discipline is life drawing, my experience ranges from concept design to animation, from mural painting to video editing.Throughout my childhood, I was always drawn to the visual arts and interactive media. As an adult, I enjoy using the latest technology to bring creative ideas to life.I strive to help others visualize their projects while creating timeless artwork that inspires engagement.

Let's create something together

CONTACT

My favorite part of my job is working with creatives who are dedicated to making this world a magical place. Together, we can accomplish so much. Let’s talk! ☺️Tell me more about your project 👇🏻

QUESTIONS?

Please check my FAQ Page. before sending me your question.