Summary – Retired…

Extensive research & game development experience on AR, VR, PC and mobile platforms. Multiple game development cycles on the following consoles: 3DO, Nintendo 64, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. 

25+ years of experience as a 3D generalist, art director, technical artist, modeler, UI/UX artist, character rigger, animator and environment artist in the games industry.

Over 30 shipped game titles as a contributor and Art Director. Multiple titles were AAA in size and scope.

Experience with real-time lighting as well as post-process lighting using Mental Ray & V-Ray.

Experience managing and training internal art teams of 2 – 20 artists.

Extensive experience outsource managing art teams both in the US and overseas.

Very adaptive to new art production pipelines and developing under ambiguity of emerging technology.

Strong technical skills working with R&D teams on new technologies, tools and content pipelines.

Expert knowledge of 3DS Max, Maya, Substance Painter, Photoshop, Illustrator, Zbrush and a host of middle-ware packages.

Experienced at compositing and video editing with After Effects & Premiere as well as for VFX animation sequences.

Experience writing shaders in ShaderForge and Substance Designer.

Extensive background in reference gathering techniques including photographing for Photogrammetry in PBR workflows. HDRI photography and 360/VR video capture. Experience running teams on overseas photo shoots.

Experience working with and adapting to proprietary game engines as well as Unity and Unreal.

Teague
Sr. Design Visualization Designer
2019 – 2020

Creating aircraft interiors for real-time VR environments and off-line rendering.

• 3D asset creation using high & low poly pipelines.
• Conversion of CAD data to polygon data for use in Unity VR environments.
• Substance Designer material creation and custom Substance Painter detailing.
• Team building and teaching new pipeline processes.

Lowe’s Innovation Lab
3D Content Director
2017 – 2019

3D content art direction, management and creation for use in AR and VR environments.

• 3D asset creation using high & low poly pipelines.
• Involved in all aspects of content creation, scheduling, reference gathering.
• Photogrammetry, Lidar and structured light scanning.
• Art Directing and managing internal and external overseas vendor art teams
• PBR content creation workflow targeted at run-time engines.
• Asset database, tools and pipeline prototyping.
• Shader & material creation using Designer & Painter.
• Workflow optimization with proprietary tools for Maya and Perforce.

Virtually Live
Sr. 3D VR Generalist
2016 – 2017

Building environments and assets in 3DS Max and UE4 (Unreal engine). Focus is on real-world sports venues. Authoring content for a PBR workflow. Targeted for output on Oculus, Vive, Playstation VR and Samsung Gear VR.

North Star Games
Art Director
2015 – 2016

Art Director, Technical Art Director and UI design on digital conversion of board game. 3D environment development, modeling, texture & UV, lighting, character rigs and animations for Unity game engine. Authoring shaders in Shader Forge and Substance Designer including advanced texture atlas blending, UV animation and animated thresholds. Responsible for external art outsourcing and art direction.

Microsoft | Turn 10 Studios | Amaxra, Inc.
Environment Lead | Forza Motorsport 6
2012 – 2015

Environment Track Lead – Forza 6.  Previous project Art Lead for multiple track environments on Forza Motorsport 5.

• Involved in all aspects of content creation, scheduling, reference gathering.
• Art Directing and managing internal and external overseas vendor art teams.
• 3D modeling, texturing, PBR material, shader workflows, lighting, rendering and compositing. High poly & low poly workflows.
• Heavily involved in R&D of new art tools, techniques, processes and pipelines on new console. Documentation via Sharepoint and wiki website authoring.
• Develop new content creation pipelines using LIDAR laser scanned data, GPS data and 360 “Ladybug” videos.
• Assist in tools development and prototyping on Xbox One system.
• Mentoring, training and on-boarding of new artists.
• Product: Forza Motorsport 6 & Forza Motorsport 5.

Digipen Institute of Technology
Department Chair | Sr. Lecturer
2009 – 2012

Responsible for the daily operation of the Digital Arts Department as well as long-term oversight of planning, scheduling, and curriculum development. Teaching all aspects of beginning through advanced 3D using 3DS Max. Low and high poly modeling, advanced texturing, UV mapping techniques, lighting, rendering, shader creation, cinematic compositing, character animation, beginning through advanced rigging using bones and the CAT rigging system.

• Digital Arts Department Chair
• Established curriculum, syllabus and lesson plan for basic and advanced 3D modeling, texturing, rigging, lighting, rendering and compositing.
• Lectured to over 70 students daily.
• Created cinematics for 3D Alioscopy display system (fully 3D display without glasses).

Microsoft Research
Contract Artist
2010 – 2011

Executive demo team for Craig Mundie (Chief Research & Strategy Officer) – contract artist.

• Designed, prototyped and developed content for a fully 3D Stereoscopic NUI system using Kinect 3D motion input system. Utilized spacial input & gestures as Human/computer interaction.
• Textured & rigged next-gen avatar system using Kinect system.
• Created visualization of medical interaction scenarios using Kinect system and interactive wall display.

Microsoft
Art Lead | Technical Art Lead | Environment Lead
2001 – 2009

Art Lead on numerous products released on the Xbox, Xbox 360 and PC, including two Platinum (1M+) selling AAA titles.

• Team leader and manager of 15 environmental artists in Aces Studio.
• Led a team of artists in modeling, texturing, character animation and lighting on multiple race tracks for Forza Motorsport and Forza Motorsport 2 on the Xbox and Xbox 360 console.
• Identified and facilitated improvements in art pipeline as a Technical Art Lead on Forza Motorsport 2. Worked with tools programmers to develop new technologies and improve game performance.
• Art directed an external overseas developer on Midtown Madness 3 (Xbox). Cut scene cinematic and motion graphics art direction.
• Oversaw vendor contracts and asset creation on numerous projects.
• Generated complex content production schedules across studio wide products with varying deadlines.
• Assist in developing UI designs, 3D assets, FMV video assets & character animations using Photoshop, CorelDraw, 3DS Max, Illustrator & After Effects.
• Awarded US Patent based upon work with MS Research. Use of Scientific Models in Environmental Simulation- #325465.01 (Microsoft)
• Products: Forza Motorsport 2, Forza Motorsport, Flight Simulator, Train Sim 2, ESP, Midtown Madness 3, RalliSport Challenge.

Gas Powered Games
Art Director | Character Animator
1999 – 2001

Built up a team of artists and animators for a startup studio. Determined 3D animation system and software usage for entire company. Developed implementation production plan, art pipeline and production schedules.

• Led a team of 7 artists & animators.
• Character rigging and key-frame animation on numerous bipedal and multi-legged creatures.
• Schedule and task management for entire art team.
• Prototyping, conceptual wire-faming, logo design, product UI design, web site design & product POP design material.
• Product: Dungeon Siege.

Sierra Studios
Art Director
1998 – 1999

Finalized production schedule and directed a team of artists and animators.

• Led a team of 10 artists & animators.
• Designed user interface concepts and prototypes.
• Provided research and development for emerging 3D games at company.
• Product: Gabriel Knights III.

Creative Software Designs, Inc.
Art Director | Technical Art Director
1997 – 1998

Team lead and art production for all in-game assets and UI elements.

• Sole creator of a prototype that won a $2M contract.
• Managed and directed outsource contractors.
• Provided storyboarding, user interface designs and implementation.
• Created and implemented all 3D 360 degree virtual landscapes used in product.
• Responsible for all technical art direction issues.
• Product: Exploring the Planets.

Sierra Online
UI / UX Designer
1997 – 1998

Conceptual design and creation of in-game UI elements.

• Designed UI pages, buttons, stats pages for sports game.
• Other projects: concept designs & prototypes R&D, terrain system R&D.
• Product: Front Page Sports – Baseball ’98.

Trilobyte, Inc.
Project Director | Art Department Manager
1995 – 1997

Provided leadership and development team management for emerging products.

• Project Director of engineers, artists and designers in developing an early version of a web based MMO computer game.
• Provided management, training, and scheduling of Art Directors and team of 8 computer artists.
• Product: Tender Loving Care, Clandestiny, Uncle Henry’s Playhouse.

Dynamix, Inc.
Producer | Senior Art Director | Art Director
1989 – 1995

Producer for numerous products and conversions. Sr. Art Director for entire studio.

• Art Directed numerous award winning titles.
• Provided management, training, and scheduling of Art Directors and studio artists.
• Art Directed launch title and cinematics for 3DO console.
• Prototype simulation development on Nintendo 64 system.
• Awarded US Patent based upon research and development of virtual sampling system. Computerized Flight Simulation Control Sampling and Production System and Method – #5,689,682 (Sierra Online)
• Product: Red Baron, Aces of the Pacific, Aces over Europe, RAF, WWII: 1946, Stellar 7, A-10 version 1.5, Draxon’s Revenge, Heart of China, Space Quest, A10 II, Red Baron II, Outpost 2, RAMA, Aviation Pioneers, Wings Over Europe, Alien Legacy

Oregon State University

• B.F.A. in graphic design and illustration

Accomplishments
Speaker

• Gamefest 2007 – Track creation from real world assets
• Game Developers Conference – 3D Asset Management
• University of Washington – Character creation for computer and console games

Author

• Introduction to Game Development (2nd Edition) – Charles River Media, Visual Design chapter.
• Game Developer Magazine – Feature, monthly column and product reviews.
• Articles: Arachnophobia: Animating a multi-legged creature, Unmasking Photoshop’s Layers, File organization and Naming Schemes, Interface Design for Games, Building a Game Font, Terraforming, Tiled Terrain, Bryce 5 product review, Texture Anarchy product review.

U.S. Patents