Alumni

Grad Illustrates the Cover of Women's Wear Daily

Visual Communications Graduate Amber Day is a successful freelance artist, print maker, book designer, and visual storyteller. Her colorful palettes and playful aesthetic has led Amber to working with clients such as The Guardian, Target, the Los Angeles Times, Kraft, Nordstrom, Hawaiian Airlines, Trader Joe’s, and The Washington Post, among many others. Most recently, an illustration of hers accompanied the cover story of the August 10, 2020 edition of Women’s Wear Daily.

Born and raised in Tempe, Arizona, Amber says she was “the kid doodling in my notebook when all the other kids were out playing.” She was awarded a George Lucas scholarship to attend FIDM in Los Angeles but quickly realized that Fashion Design wasn’t for her. “I could not wrap my head around textiles and garment construction,” she says. “I switched majors to Visual Communications and loved it!” After graduating in 2011, Amber worked in a public relations office and then at a lifestyle company where she worked as an Art Director, Set Stylist, and Storyboard Artist.

Always passionate about visual storytelling, she found that illustration was “a great tool to do just that.” Amber spent months working late drawing, watching online tutorials, and reading about the industry. “I then created several passion projects featuring my favorite restaurants and chefs and sent them my work with a thank you letter for being an inspiration,” she explains. “To my surprise, I was contacted by several of them and commissioned to create more work!” After being signed by a leading illustration agency, Amber’s work has reached a global audience.