Who am I?

I am a British game developer. I can draw both traditionally and digitally; I can also use 3D modeling software. I have been drawing for over a decade and digitally drawing for the last 4 years, as well as using 3D modeling software for the last 3.

 

I practice programming and writing scripts from time to time using Javascript. I avoid scripting if possible but I am capable of managing a script with 20 lines or less.

 

I can create pixel art, a method I have used to create sprites for my first mobile game: BOOSTY BOT. It is a simple and effective way of creating characters, UI and environments for games in a short amount of time. 

 

What are my specialties?

I like drawing animals, monsters, aliens and other bizzare creatures, as well as giant monsters. I spend time sketching up designs for creatures, and when I find something I like I scan the drawing and refine it digitally on a PC tablet.

 

It does not matter if it is cute or creepy, I try to capture a bit of everything in my work!

 

I love to draw and sculpt even in my spare time. I have been drawing monsters ever since I was very young and I still do. Sometimes a design may not work conceptually but that is all a part of trial and error. It is great to experiment!

 

What do I want to achieve?

I want to create videogames, which is something I have always wanted to do since I was very young. I research about videogames and videogame art to learn more about how developers create their games.

 

The tools of the trade

I use a variety of different things to complete my tasks:

Traditional

• Mechanical Pencil - A pencil which does not require sharpening.

• Pen - Helps to illustrate more finalized designs.

• Plain Paper - None of that fancy stuff. Simple and effective.

 

Hardware

• Surface Pro 3 - A high-end PC Tablet running the Windows 8 operating system. Comes with a pressure sensitive stylus; great for digital painting and sculpting.

• Logitech Keyboard - A bluetooth keyboard with a built-in trackpad. Great for a tweakable desk setup.

• Manhattan USB Numpad - Seperate from wireless keyboard for added convenience. Great for software which utilizes a numpad.

• Logitech Wireless Mouse - No wires to get tangled. Also has a long battery life.

ardwareSurface Pro 3

Software

• Microsoft Paint - While it certainly is not the best piece of painting software its limited toolset and quick load time makes jotting down roughs quick and easy. Plus it was pre-installed onto my Microsoft PC. 

• GIMP - Gimp is the free alternative to Photoshop, which is great because I cannot afford a subscription for the service.

• Krita - An opensource painting program, also free. Perfect for drawing concept art although it can be used for professional art too. I use it for sketching and colouring artwork.

• Pixeluvo - A paid photo-manipulation program. I use it for touching up areas of a drawing.

• Pixlr - Quick and easy image editor. Great for cropping images, changing the contrast, etc.

• Blender - Another opensource program. I create models and sculpt creatures with it. Think of Maya and Zbrush rolled up into one, it is that good.

• 3DCoat - Another modelling application with a variety of additional functions Blender lacks by default. Ideal for organic sculpts but it can be used for objects with solid surfaces.

• Unity - A simple, free game engine ideal for indie developers like myself. Not the best game engine out there but it runs beautifully on my Surface Pro 3. I use it to make apps for mobile devices.

• Unreal Engine 4 - The most favourable game engine used by both indie and professional game developers. Not only is it free but it is capable of making in-game environments look gorgeous. Unlike Unity it has a visual scripting tool which requires no programming to put together and allows you to make prototypes in minutes, which is great for people will very little programming knowledge. It chugs slowly on my Surface Pro 3 but I would still recommend it to anybody who asked.