Hey there! I'm Joana Croft, an illustrator, designer, maker, and full-time people-pleaser.
So I'm super thankful that you want to learn more about me. <3
I'm currently based in Porto, Portugal, and I'm looking for freelance or on-studio work anywhere in the world.
I'm pro-human art. I come from a background of handmade artwork, and I am a lover of analog-everything. When the deadline allows, I am keen to create illustrations by hand in several techniques, giving the project an expression and emotion that can only be given offline.
Although I love real and tangible things, I am fascinated by the digital world, so yes, I also do 3D modeling illustrations and designs. From time to time I illustrate in vector art and know a little bit of HTML/CSS. Besides, I don't hate AI. I usually am very polite with it, and I say hello, thank you, and goodbye.*
*Disclosure made so I don't end up dead by a machine in the future.
Editorial illustration, Book cover, Picture books, Pop-up Books, Paper Engineering, Graphic Design, Book design, Advertising
I co-founded a successful papercraft studio in Portugal called Oupas! Design, and worked there for 15 years. I decided to quit to learn something new and find another challenge that would make me feel goosebumps of excitement again. (Spoiler alert: It's happening!)
As a partner of a small studio, I was involved in every stage of a project, from sales, to art direction, design, creative direction, 3D modeling, and production. I am usually very comfortable dealing with all kinds of clients, understanding their vision and finding the best path to deliver an original idea.
Some of the client list include: The Atlantic, Hermès, Claus Porto, Salesforce, Sonae, Porto., Thought for food, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, W.I.R.E., Josefinas, Roche, Livraria Lello, Navigator, Zalando, Primavera, FES Agency, Symington, Natixis, Teatro Municipal do Porto, Dashlane, Amorim, and many more.
The down side from this experience is that my CV now only has one item in "work-experience" and it's super hard to explain the skills I got there.