Email: rthompson@whizbangdw.com
Summary:
With a serious passion for art, I strive to craft captivating worlds that incite emotion and produce a completely immersive user experience. An accomplished, dedicated leader and artist with almost 20 years in the video game industry, I am looking for a studio with and imaginative, inspired team to join forces with and create amazing content.
Qualifications:
Proficient in all aspects of game art creation and implementation from initial creative concept work through final in-engine setup
Skilled in both hard surface and organic modeling
Excellent at setting and driving a vision
An exceptional understanding of architecture as it applies to level design, light, and color
A thorough understanding of the level design process
Works closely with game design to ensure art enhances the player experience
Asset pipeline creation and documentation
Project planning – including estimating, task assignment, scheduling, resourcing and workflow management
Leading and managing artists, providing actionable constructive feedback as well as mentoring fellow artists
Excellent communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate between design, art and programming
Extensive experience with 3D Studio Max, Adobe Photoshop CS 4,5,6, Zbrush 4R7, CrazyBump, XNormal, NdO and Hero Engine
Experienced with Substance Designer 5, Marmoset, Unity 5
Experience:
04/2011 to 12/2014 - Senior Biome Artist - Zenimax Online Studios
Created models and textures for numerous prototypes, setting and driving the visual standards for various environment assets
Established a new asset creation pipeline with the assistance of a teammate. This new pipeline greatly enhanced the visual quality and realism of the terrain for the Craglorn expansion and for future environments
Designed and built multiple Biome Alpha pockets, effectively capturing the look and style of environments as well as providing a visual guide for terrain/world building artist to use in the creation of various zones
Collaborated closely with Level Design to create key areas of Elder Scrolls Online, including the Elden Root, the Aldmeri Dominion Capital City, creating and translating 2d layouts into fully realized 3d spaces
Reviewed asset dailies and provided constructive criticism to team members, always pushing for quality and consistent aesthetics
11/2009 to 04/2011 - Senior Artist Level II - Volition Inc
Designed and built numerous levels for Red Faction Armageddon, from early 2d conceptual phase to final in-game product. Worked closely with Level Designers and Art Director, executing on feedback and ensuring that visual targets, key game play requirements and console budgets were met
Created various game ready low poly terrain assets for Red Faction Armageddon.
Built various city areas for Saints Row the Third
07/2004 to 10/2009 - Lead Dungeon Artist/Environment Artist - Mythic Entertainment/Electronic Arts
Led a team of 5 to 15 artists in creation of numerous dungeons and dungeon assets for Warhammer Online, including but not limited to The Bastion Stairs, Altdorf Sewers, Sigmar Crypts and the Call to Arms expansion.
Responsible for managing and maintaining a consistent look to all artwork throughout each dungeon set
Identified and implemented pipeline processes and standards – Streamlining workflows by making use of reusable and modular building sets and assets
Worked with Outsourcing Lead, reviewing and providing constructive feedback and art direction for dungeon related art assets
Worked with Lead Designers in level design and preproduction phases for Warhammer Online: Call to Arms (Tomb Kings), work included creating and translating 2d layouts into fully realized 3d spaces
Created game ready production assets for various dungeons for Warhammer Online
Mentored junior staff by providing training, guidance, and feedback
03/2002 to 06/2004 - Environment Artist - Stainless Steel Studios
Created various low poly environment art assets for AAA RTS titles
Responsible for all phases of asset creation, from initial creative concepts, modeling and texturing of assets, animations and final in engine setup
2000-2001 - Project Lead/Lead Artist - 3dvillage.com/Medascope.com
Led a team of 5-8 artist throughout all production stages for various multimedia projects, clients including GlaxoSmithKline and Federal Express
Managed field research and on site reference gathering for projects, then responsible for creating highly detailed model and texture assets from reference data
Project planning – including estimating, task assignment, scheduling, resourcing and workflow management
Modeling and texturing of low poly assets for various architectural and pharmaceutical multimedia projects
1996 to 2000 - Artist/Lead Artist - Random Games Inc
Created various assets for a number of PC titles
Education:
1994 to 1996 - Associates Degree – Computer Animation/Multimedia, Art Institute of Pittsburgh
Shipped Titles:
Zenimax Online Studios
Elder Scrolls Online
Volition Inc
Red Faction: Armageddon
Saints Row: The Third
Mythic Entertainment
Warhammer: Age of Reckoning
Warhammer: Call to Arms
Dark Age of Camelot: Catacombs
Dark Age of Camelot: Epic Collection
Dark Age of Camelot: Darkness Rising
Stainless Steel Studios
Empires: Dawn of the Modern World
Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War
Random Games Inc
WarHammer 40K: Chaos Gate
Upwords
Scrabble 2