Technical Art Director

Technical Art Director

Artistico (Remote) | Jan 2025 – Feb 2025

• Developed custom shaders, 3D meshes, and advanced VFX for an interactive museum application showcasing periodic table elements with dynamic merging capabilities.
• Project exhibited on a 52-inch tactical display at the New Museum of Science in South Arabia, enhancing visitor engagement.

Head of Art

XR Workout (Remote) | Jul 2024 – Current

• AI-driven tool development, automating Skydome environment generation from prompts and reference images.
• Led the creation of VR assets, including new animations and VFX, improving visual quality and user engagement.
• Developed and optimized Unity Editor tools.
• Adapted existing code for the new Cue system, ensuring seamless integration and improved performance.

Technical Art Director

FitXR (Remote) | Nov 2020 – Dec 2023

• Created 3-year (3YP) and 1-year (1YP) plans for the Technical Art department.
• Established animation pipelines and developed art roadmaps.
• Developed various Visual Effects (VFX) and shaders for multiple projects.
• Conducted research and created prototypes for Virtual Reality (VR) applications.
• Estimated and planned timelines for art development.
• Developed VR tools to enhance debugging and navigation in VR environments.
• Investigated new possibilities for VR Avatars, Vulkan, and dynamic environments.
• Engaged in Proof of Concept (POC) discussions with the Unity team about roadmaps and technical graphics requirements in VR.
• Focused on optimization and performance profiling of the game.
• Collaborated with the Creative Director to develop Art direction and documentation.
• Built and led a team of technical artists and VFX artists; acted as hiring manager.

Senior Technical Artist

Immerse VR (Remote) | Apr 2020 – Apr 2021

• Upgraded project to Unity Universal Render Pipeline (URP), Vulkan, and post-processing for Quest.
• Created VFX, custom Ubershaders for artists, and supported transitions in objects/scenes.
• Animated transitions and timelines for FX.
• Profiled and optimized performance for Facebook and Nespresso projects.
• Designed layout and modeled hospital rooms for another project.

Technical Artist (Contract)

DigiFarm (Remote) | Apr 2020 – Apr 2020

• Contract work for creating a realistic terrain matching Glensaugh forest for a VR project using Unreal Engine 4.
• Delivered high-quality terrain, foliage, paths, a custom Sycamore tree, and lighting.

Head of Technical Art & VFX Specialist

Rossie Reality (Remote) | Jan 2018 – Apr 2020

• Responsible for pipelines and workflows to create high-quality short films using Unity HDRP.
• Developed high-quality Ubershaders, tools, documentation, and videos.
• Created FX, shaders, and pipelines for AR games, including intros and transition FX.
• Developed Unity, Photoshop, and Maya tools.
• Profiled, performed optimizations for mobile devices.

Head of Technical Art & VFX Specialist

SpatialFlow (Remote) | Feb 2018 – Aug 2018

• Designed and developed tools for a digital car instrument cluster using Unreal Engine 4.
• Created blueprints, master materials, and example designs for car dashboard creation.
• Developed 3D content and shaders for Augmented Reality (AR) and VR.
• Designed UI and styles for the simulator; created test driving levels for in-house tech prototypes.
• Managed lighting and post-process settings for final look.

Senior Technical Artist & Lead VFX Artist

FoxCub Games (Remote) | Dec 2016 – Feb 2018

• Collaborated with Art Director on the look and style of 3D environments and VFX.
• Created 3D environments, lighting, and VFX content for all game themes.
• Worked with Lead Developer on rendering techniques and efficient artist workflows.
• Developed Maya tools for exporting animations and assets to Unity.
• Created Unity tools to improve FX style.
• Profiled and optimized game performance on different platforms, identifying GPU bottlenecks.
• Provided technical support for animators and VFX artists.

Creative Director & 3D Artist (Freelance)

Self-Employed | Jun 2016 – Dec 2016

• Provided creative vision and produced a photorealistic 3D illustration (photogrammetry, voxelization, modeling, rendering) for a book cover, exhibited internationally (Client: Digital Archaeology, London).
• Designed and created the main UI for a mobile drone application (Client: Hotgen Ltd, London).

Senior Technical Artist & Interim Technical Art Director

Microsoft (Lionhead Studios), UK | Apr 2012 – Jun 2016

• Developed a tool to launch games with various options/flythroughs, profile XBOX performance (CSV data for frame, threads, GPU, drawcalls, etc.), display interactive graphs, and send console commands.
• Conducted profiling and performance analysis to identify bottlenecks.
• Led and mentored technical artists (TAs).
• Led LOD pipeline tools requirement from Maya to Unreal using Simplygon.
• Trained artists on Physically Based Shading (PBR) models.
• Advised artists on best practices for asset optimization.
• Created, organized, and led training sessions for artists on tools and methods.
• Supervised design, integration, and validation of graphic data in the engine.
• Collaborated with programmers, tools teams, art, and design to ensure art pipelines met visual ambitions for "Fable Legends".
• Tested tools pre-deployment and throughout production.
• Drafted documentation on tools, methods, training, processes, and engine constraints.
• Created tools (Maya, ZBrush, Photoshop, Unreal plugins) to improve artist productivity and automate repetitive tasks.
• Assisted team in learning new technologies and processes.
• Participated in team strategic and operational planning.
• Drove in-game material creation, including master materials (Ubershaders) and shaders for environment/character teams (e.g., Parallax windows, Rock, Metal, Terrain, Moss, Water, Eye, FX shaders).
• Troubleshot problems and identified art workflow issues, working with Technical Producers to solve them.
• Identified and prioritized development needs; accountable for integrating technology in art workflows.

Senior Technical Artist

Electronic Arts (Criterion), UK | Apr 2012 – Mar 2013

• Developed a UI interface (QT) to control game debug settings from Maya.
• Created tools for cinematic artists to capture in-game races, modify in Maya, and export back to game, with real-time controls (time of day, DOF, exposure, car damage).
• Developed tools for shifting, fixing, and exporting animations.
• Created and rendered shots for "Need for Speed – Most Wanted" and "Need for Speed Rivals" trailers.
• Established name conventions, structure, and workflows for cinematic artists.
• Mentored artists on new features and best practices.

Lead Artist / Technical Artist / Programmer

Ensign Games (Remote), Spain | Jan 2011 – Apr 2012

• Modeled, textured, and rigged ultra-realistic female characters with dynamic hair, real-time soft bodies (breasts), dynamic cloth, and mocap animations.
• Created realistic skin and hair shaders.
• Developed a character customization tool and shaped character editor in Unity.
• Modeled backgrounds and exported assets to Unity Engine.
• (Alongside this, worked on a personal RTS/strategy game in Unity, handling design, code, animation, and art, implementing managers, tools, terrain shader, pathfinding, UI, custom cameras/shaders, and gameplay.)

Freelance / Personal Project Developer

Self-Employed, Spain | Dec 2009 – Jan 2011

• Developed a component-based game engine using C#/HLSL and XNA (Input, GPU Terrain, Skydome, Animation, Cameras, Shaders, Physics, Serialization, Deferred Rendering), later migrated project to Unity.
• Created a client/server tool in C# for Maya, allowing command exchange between the tool and Maya clients.

Lead Artist

Large Design - Story Worldwide, London | Sep 2007 – Dec 2009

Projects: Virtual Greyhound Racing, Virtual Horse Racing

• Collaborated with Executive Producers and Lead Programmer on product quality.
• Hired and managed contractors to meet deadlines.
• Modeled and textured greyhounds (ZBrush, Maya, Modo).
• Led, mentored, supervised, and inspired the art team.
• Created art project milestones, schedules, and weekly progress reports.
• Produced high-quality renders and DVD media for clients.
• Developed a simple game prototype using C++ and Gamebryo (shadows, cameras, terrain, skydome, animation, basic UI).

Senior/Lead Technical Artist

DEEP RED GAMES, Milton Keynes | Sep 2004 – Mar 2007

• MyPD (Senior Technical Artist): Developed MEL scripts for animator export & error detection, animation transfer tools, Maya optimization tools. Modeled/textured character parts for customization and special characters (riot police, SWAT, RoboCop).
• Hotel Manager (Interim Lead Artist / Technical Artist): Created art pipeline, prop/environment budgets. Assessed and documented Gamebryo for artists, including bug reports and best practices. Modeled standard male/female characters.
• Tycoon City: New York (Senior Artist): Modeled, textured, lit, rendered realistic New York landscapes/buildings (LODs, shadow volumes). Produced MEL scripts for team workflow (Maya sync, UV tools, road mapping, auto shadow volumes/LODs). Fixed technical issues across three productions.

Freelance Artist

DESQ, Sheffield | Jul 2004 – Sep 2004

• Created FMV intro/outro for an Acclaim title.
• Modeled, textured, and animated six high-resolution characters.
• Used Lightwave 8 to model, texture, light, and render (90 shots) an indoor background.

Senior Artist

TRAVELERS TALES, Knutsford | Jun 2004 – Jul 2004

Project: Chronicles of Narnia

• Modeled, textured, and lit a background level and a room with the wardrobe from original Disney illustrations.
• Level design and creation.

Artist

FREE RADICAL DESIGN, Nottingham | Jul 2002 – Feb 2004

• Timesplitters 3: Responsible for designing, modeling, texturing, and lighting multiplayer levels.
• Second Sight: Designed, modeled, textured, lit (vertex color) 'Russia' and 'Pipeline' levels; placed collision and cameras. Modeled some vehicles and weapons. Developed MEL scripts (Resizer, Vertex colors pro 1, Blockcounter).

Senior Artist

TRIPLANE ANIMATION, Barcelona | Nov 2000 – Jun 2001

Project: JUANITO JONES (TV Series)

• Modeled, textured, lit, and rendered backgrounds for TV using 3ds Max, Lightwave, and Photoshop.
• Set up shots for final render and composition.

Instructor

CENTRO RAFAEL DE LEON, Madrid | Sep 2000 – Oct 2000

• Taught graphic design (Photoshop, Corel Draw), Introduction to the Internet, protocols and security, Word, and Excel to multiple groups.

Web & Multimedia Designer

LA CASA DE AMERICA, Madrid | Feb 2000 – Jul 2000

• Designed web and multimedia solutions for www.casamerica.es.
• Responsible for live Internet broadcasts of conferences and seminars using Linux servers and IT support.

Web Designer & Programmer

DSG SOFTWARE, Barcelona | Dec 1998 – Apr 1999

• Responsible for porting Clipper code to GeneXus, a high-level user language.
• Web design and programming tasks.

Web Designer & Programmer

MCR (Medición Control y Regulación), Barcelona | Sep 1997 – Jun 1998

• Web design and programming using SQL, Visual Basic 4.5, Crystal Reports, Access, Word, Corel Xara.
• Programming PLCs.