Valerie Hernández is a versatile Illustrator, Designer, and Painter with over seven years of experience in design excellence. As a first-generation Mexican-Puerto Rican-American, she has a proven track record of delivering high-impact visuals for Fortune 500 brands, and has a demonstrated ability to adapt to a wide range of styles and mediums, from painting expansive, large-scale murals to crafting the intricate details of a children's book. Her work spans the fields of publishing, animation, and branding.

She currently is a Background Painter at Disney Television Animation where she expertly adapts to the style of over 15+ Disney properties. She works closely with art directors and production teams, enhancing visual storytelling for the magical worlds. Previously, she was a Children’s Book Designer at Albert Whitman & Company where she provided artistic direction to illustrators and designed 20-30 books per season.

She also maintains a robust freelance practice, eagerly trying her hand at different projects and industries to apply her design skillset in new ways. Her clients and collaborators include global brands and publishers such as Smucker’s, TruRoots, Riley Animation Studios, Dandelion Chocolate, and Happy Newspaper—among many others. She holds a BFA in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design, where she graduated with Honors. Her artistic training was further enriched by studying abroad in Florence and attending an Undergraduate Residency at the New York Academy of Fine Art.

When she's not immersed in her work, you can find her traveling to new places with her frequent-flyer dog Saki, playing video games, learning languages with her husband, or doom-scrolling outrageous homes on Zillow.

For projects and commissions, contact her at paintbyvalerie@gmail.com