A little bit about me: my name is Bryon P. Steiner, and I’ve been an artist my whole life. As you can tell from my website, I enjoy creating all kinds of art, from comics to company logos and from wine labels to websites. Although mostly self-taught, I spent several years studying art and design in school. This is a brief summary of how I ended up doing graphic design.
When I was a kid, I used to draw pictures all the time. Most of them were of dinosaurs and robots – a lot of it was just from my imagination. After a while though, I realized that people were a lot more fun to draw. In grade school, I spent a good portion of my time creating caricatures of classmates and teachers on the back of my homework. In high school, I did pretty much the same thing but also took art classes and studied mechanical drawing and architecture. During my senior year at Folsom High School, I also designed our class's Sober Grad Night t-shirts. And speaking of shirts, it was around that time when I also began airbrushing clothes as well. It was then I realized there was a good chance I could make a living doing what I loved.
After graduating, I enrolled at Sierra College, Rocklin as an art major, taking classes in figure drawing, sculpture, screenprinting, and art history. After completing my general education, I shifted my focus to another type of art: graphic design. I decided to study graphic design because it was like a mix between art and mechanical drafting, both of which I really enjoyed. As a designer, you need to be expressive and creative yet at the same time focused and refined. In 2001, I graduated Magna Cum Laude from CSU, Chico with a B.A. in Visual Communication and an emphasis in Communication Design.
A school renowned for its graphic design program, Chico State is also home to the nation's most award-winning weekly college newspaper, The Orion. As a student, I worked at the Orion for several semesters, designing two sections of the paper as well as drawing three comics and plenty of illustrations. One of my editorial cartoons, "Tooned Out," took 3rd place in the nation-wide 2001 College Media Advisors competition. While I was a student working for the Orion, our paper also won the ACP Pacemaker award, considered by many to be the highest award for college journalism. It was there at the newspaper – working alongside many other talented writers, editors, artists, and photographers – where I learned many of my current professional skills, including working under tight deadlines and dealing with the responsibilities of a real job.
After graduation, I worked as a graphic designer, illustrator, and production artist for several companies, including Transcend Translations, MWH Engineering, and Gold Country Media Newspapers. I also found time to do freelance work which, in addition to my regular jobs, kept me fairly busy. Realizing the benefits and enjoyment of working directly with clients, I decided in 2003 to start my own business: Steiner Designs.
Since then, I have learned many things about owning a small business. You must always be disciplined, organized, courteous, efficient, adaptable, and you must always be looking for ways to improve upon everything you do. As the owner of Steiner Designs, I can honestly say that I truly enjoy working directly with my clients, and that few things make me happier than when a client says, "I love it!" That is what motivates me to give my best on any project.
So, if you see anything on this site that catches your eye, or if you have an idea about a new project, please click the “Contact” button above, or call me at (916) 247-3065. I’ll get back to you right away. Thanks for visiting my site!
– Bryon Steiner