"Ash Stone" Hillerich

30 y/o - Nonbinary - Virgo

Howdy! My name is Ash Hillerich, although I like to work under the alias of Ash Stone. I am a Graphic Designer, Cartoon Illustrator, and Costume Photographer based in Reno, Nevada. I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, where I received my BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Louisville Hite Institute of Art & Design.

I grew up with a massive interest in all things electronic media: online animation, video games, digital art. By the time I was 12 I was already comfortable with Photoshop and Flash. At age 14, I was invested in various fandoms across the internet, and really began to hone my skills as an illustrator. 6 years later I would start doing so professionally, traveling to various events and conventions to sell illustration commissions. In the interim, I worked various jobs while finally earning my degree in the winter of 2022.

I only recently moved to Reno in the Summer of 2023, and my goal now is to continue to hone my portfolio and find work within the area. Outside of my artistic career, I spend my time tending to my collection of house plants and spoiling my pet rats and husky.

Go Back Home >>

I made this neocities to serve as both my professional portfolio and a love letter to my childhood on the early internet. I have a deep love of all things 90s and Y2K, and I wanted to build a space on the internet that was reflective of that love.

The website itself is stylized after Y2K computer design, specifically the outlandish visual themes for Windows XP I used to get off Deviantart that I LOVED. The original concept was to be an alternate universe 1990s operating system that was somewhere between Windows and OSX.

Despite my code being a mess, I am very proud of the work I have put into this website so far, and can't wait to keep adding pages to it. I intend to add fandom shrines, listographies, blogs, tutorials, fashion stuff, and so so much. Neocities is so freaking cool and so inspiring. Shoutouts to Neonbandit and Toribytez for being huge insprations for me.

Work Experience

• Kroger Corportate Image Processor
  • Processed and ingested product images in preparation for print publication
  • Assisted with product photography and set production in studio
• Freelance Cartoon Illustrator
  • Digital & traditional cartoon illustration and animation by commission
  • In-person sales & promotional experience
  • Over 350+ unique works served since 2016
• PRStore Marketing In-House Design Intern
  • Designed marketing and logistics materials for local businesses
  • Created product labels and menus for local eateries
• Freelance Event & Portrait Photographer
  • Photo and video work by commission, including weddings, conventions, expos, and cosplay portrait photography
  • Over 200 clients since 2011
• Freelance Motion Graphic Artist
  • Visual design and videography for live music performances and large events, including stage visuals and lighting
• Moana Plant Nursery Receiver
  • Receiving of all new product arrivals to the store, including paperwork, labeling, and merchandising
  • Management of inventory, losses, and bad products
• Ice Cream Al Fresco Manager
  • Management of a team of 3-7 people in a food service environment

Things I love

In no particular order:

• Sonic the Hedgehog
• My Pet Rats
• My Husky Dog
• My Wonderful Partner
• Furry Conventions
• Electronic Music
  • 2 Mello
  • Lemaitre
  • Madeon
  • Daft Punk
  • Porter Robinson
• Alt(?) Rock
  • Battle Tapes
  • Twenty One Pilots
  • The Midnight
  • The Wombats
  • Paramore
• Dutch Bros Gem Berry Anything
• Youtube
• Linux Mint
• Retro Gaming, Tech, and Design
• Vans Shoes

Credits

• Design, Layout, and Graphics by Ash Hillerich
• "Pixel Operator" font family by Jayvee "HarvettFox96" Enaguas
• "W3$iP" font family by Jaydenlikesfonts
• Window icons from Google Material Symbols Library
• Literally none of my javascript would function without StackOverflow users