About Me

My name is Lori Young. I am an illustrator, collage artist, photographer, and graphic designer.

In May 2012 I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a BFA in graphic design and a minor in English. I grew up surrounded by art so I always knew I wanted to create things; when I took my first graphic design class in high school I knew that was what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing.

I first realized I wanted to be a graphic designer in my junior year of high school; the project was to create a movie poster using an element of design. I opted to make a poster of The Lion King based on the colors - specifically the orange-like fur coat of Simba against a blue background. As a kid at heart this was a project I was able to connect with from the very beginning and it's a feeling I take into every design that I make. No matter what the idea, the subject, or the platform, I always do my research before starting and find something that I can connect to.

I am very focused when it comes to graphic design. I never go onto the computer without first sketching ideas. Even when I am struggling with a design I'll doodle instead because I strongly believe that a great design can come from anything. If I find that drawing in general is ineffective sometimes I use photography for inspiration. Some of my proudest designs have come from abstract photos; when one image isn't enough sometimes something as simple as lines and color can bring so much to a design. I enjoy bringing drawing or photography into my designs as it shows a full extent of what I am capable of.

In my spare time I create text portraits - collages of characters or celebrities created from magazine text. Some I will put up for sale, while others I give to friends or family. Creativity, whether it's through design, collage, drawing or writing, I believe is a gift that always has to be shared; seeing the smile that my designs can put on someone's face is at times the most satisfying thing I could ever ask for.

Although I am currently working as a cashier I still find ways to incorporate art into my job. When it's time to ask for donations to breast cancer or Island Harvest I don't want to simply leave it at "thank you for donating". So I draw pictures, most often of animals or cartoon characters, and give them to people who donate. Not only do I show I mean it when I say thank you, but I always find a way to keep art in my life and find creativity in anything that I do.

This is my path. Where I see it going is to be doing what I love every day - sharing my creativity and passion on a much larger scale. And ultimately, to becoming a graphic designer. That is my dream.