Overview
This overview presents highlighted projects from my work at Causeway Studios, the Tesseract Center for Immersive Environments and Game Design, and Saatchi & Saatchi X. While not exhaustive, this curated sample illustrates the range of design, art, and software skills acquired through my experience during these steps in my career.
Causeway Studios
Springdale, AR
From the Deep
is a survival horror game set inside an abandoned Monastery built upon the Cosmic Shoreline at the universe’s edge.
On this project I concepted environments, props, weapons, characters, creatures, and built 3D models and shaders.
The Axis Mundi:
The central environment of From the Deep, an energy column spreading its roots below and its branches above. The ancient civilization that lives here has built its culture to study it and use its energy. It's waters have magical and spiritual properties.
Concepting:
Using Blender3D and photoshop I utilized 3D modeling and drawing techniques to ideate on the form, color, and lighting of the axis Mundi.
3D Lighting Thumbnails
3D Structure and Color Concept
Structure Diagram
3D Structure concept
Key Image of Monastery built around axis emerging from the surface of the edge of the universe.
Screenshot of Strucutre in development
The Vial and Spirit Water
The water that flows through the veins of the axis mundi powers the rest of the gameplay elements throughout the environments in From the Deep. A fundamental interaction of the game was to pickup water with the "Vial" and to use it to fill interaction points, powering doors and other interactions. The Water needed to be distinct, as well as the tool used to wield it.
Concept of Water Material
Water receptacles interaction concepts
Water receptacles form variation 3D concepts
Water receptacle key visual
Water shader test built with Unity Shader Graph
Water receptacles in game with shaders and models I created.
The Vial
The Vial is a tool used in the environment to receive and dispense water which is how different areas and machines receive power.
2D Concepts of the Vial:
Water receptacles interaction concepts
"Filling" of the vial with a shader I devloped
The Pursuer
is the main antagonist of From the Deep. It silently hunts the player when they enter it's range. We wanted a deadly creature with an alien and cryptic feel.
Concept of the Pursuer
Concept of the Pursuer
Concept of the Pursuer
Ideation for armature of the Pursurer
Animation test
Animation test
Project Janus
a game about community, growth, and rediscovering your past.
I created character concepts, environment and prop concepts, texturing, modeling, and foliage creation during this project.
Environment key art
Environment key art
Environment key art
I was tasked to create concepts for the 7 characters the player is introduced to. Each had iteration processes between myself and the creative director for narrative and stylistic fit.
Characters
Character concepts lineup
Headshot concepts
Texturing guide
Outfit and Masks concepts
Color concepts for character
Spikey the plush dragon concepts
Texturing
In addition to concepting and 3D modeling Spikey, I also textured him in substance painter.
I hand painted a large variety of natural elements throughout the game.
I developed how billboarded foliage would look and move.
Tesseract Center
for Immersive Environments and Game Design
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Walking in Francis Guy’s Brooklyn: Constructing Interactive Histories in VR
2019-2021
Purpose: A public humanities project designed to tell the cultural history of early 19th-century Brooklyn through immersive exploration of Guy's large-scale composition, "A Winter Scene in Brooklyn." The project focused especially on African American identities and institutions in the period of gradual emancipation in New York. In close collaboration with Crystal Bridges staff and the staff of the Brooklyn Museum, a playable prototype was developed to serve as the basis for a Level III NEH grant. While the grant was not funded, a video rendering based on the project was highlighted during the 10th anniversary of Crystal Bridges. Created in the Unity game engine.
My Role: Concept art, Background art, illustration, level design
Funding: Chancellor's Innovation and Collaboration Grant, University of Arkansas, $51,405
Concept art
Background Art
Background Art
Screenshots of game
Frankly Senior Show Collaboration of Tesseract and the School of Art: Design
2020
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Purpose: Redesign of an existing interactive 3D curation tool (created for Crystal Bridges 2014-2015) to serve as a virtual space for the senior graphic design show in May 2020, when Covid prevented an in-person show. Frankly was published as a web-based interactive application, allowing parents, faculty, and potential employers to explore the work of graduating seniors in graphic design, in the (virtual) setting of Gallery 5 at Crystal Bridges. Created in the Unity game engine.
My Role: Project management coordinating the content and layout of student work with the programming and art team of Tesseract, in alignment with faculty expectations for the show.
Funding: Graphic Design program in the School of Art, University of Arkansas, $10,000
3D graphic I made to promote the show
The video above is the digital opening reception of the Frankly Senior Show. I present a walkthrough of how to navigate the application.
Screenshots of Gallery 5
Housing the Human and the Sacred:
Fay Jones and Mid-Century
Modern in the Ozarks
2020-2023
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Purpose: A public humanities project that extends the interactive exploration of the architecture of Fay Jones from the Fay Jones House to three additional structures (Sequoyah House, Stoneflower, Thorncrown Chapel), with a first-person character and sketch mechanics; playable on kiosks and through the web. Created with the Unity game engine.
My Role: material and texture artist, UX/UI designer, typeface designer
Funding: National Endowment for the Humanities - Digital Projects for the Public Level III Grant, $249,818
I designed how the player would interact with the sketchbook during gameplay.
Stevie Comic Regular
This was the typeface I created for this project. We needed something that was handwritten for the sketchbook UI, so I used my own printed handwriting. To further the connection to the player character, we also used Stevie Comic Regular for the dialog.
What's 3D??
3D Crash course for AIGA design students at UofA School of Art
University of Arkasnas
School of Art
After an AIGA event, students from the UofA asked me to do a crash course for them on 3D fundamentals and Blender, I enthusiastically agreed. During our 2 hours I presented the basic building blocks of digital 3D I had the students walk through creating a rudimentary sword in Blender3D. I also created a document of basic hot keys and definitions. It was a an absolute joy to do this.
Download the PDF of the slides here!
Saatchi&SaatchiX
Springdale, AR
During my time at Saatchi&SaatchiX I worked with clients, project leads, and art directors to deliver data backed tactics to convert shoppers into buyers in store and online, executed client work for Olay, Old Spice, Always, Native and Downy and ased 3D tools and sketching to ideate on in store end caps and wow displays
Branded Content Storyboards
School of Swagger Branded Content Storyboard
Before animation can happen I created layered Photoshop storyboards with descriptions for the animators to follow and use for final content.
Always Night Branded Content Storyboard
Innovation Meets Sustainability:
P&G Display at Walmart Home Office
I was tasked with creating a display to showcase the innovations made by P&G to create sustainable products. Each product had it's own smaller display on the tables with a larger backdrop and signs on the front of the table. The gridded backdrop suggests a technical or scientific tone in contrast to the flowing branches connecting environments and flowing in and out of the cells.
Display Concept
Display at Walmart Home Office
Closeup of product Standees
Secret & Olay Walmart Brand Shops
Walmart allows brands to create their own shops on Walmart.com. I was given the opportunity to create the first impression to these brands with the hero banner and category bubbles for Olay and Secret. I really enjoyed working on these for the big splashy imagery possible in the header image.
Secret brand shop header Image
Secret brand shop hop with category hubs on Walmart.com
Olay brand shop header Image
Olay brand shop hop with category hubs on Walmart.com
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GAME ART
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