www.gamesartdesign.co.

uk

IN THIS ISSUE

manifesto

6 Life of a 3D ARtst - An insight with chris riddell.

The Journal grew from a desire to communicate the high standard and innovative work being produced
by the students on the course. The content has been developed and compiled by a group of students
led by Jess Magnus taking on the role of Chair, and consists of a group of students: Stina Sheehy as the
website and journals main designer and Graphics Artist, Robin Silcock as an editor and contributor and
also lecturers from the NUA BA Games Art and Design course. The team also includes the Course Leader
Marie-Claire Isaaman, and lecturers Kim Pace and Sharon Tolaini-Sage as mentors and editors.
The journal was developed as a space for students to be able to communicate ideas about their views
of the games industry and their visual and contextual work. The journal is not simply a means of displaying
work, but is intended as a genuine attempt to communicate original ideas in both textual and visual
forms. As games artists and designers aspiring to be part of the industry we are using the journal to
communicate what we do within the course itself and also provide a wider understanding of the games
industry for non-specialists and specialists alike. Through this we hope to provide insights into games
development for a wide audience from an academic and creative perspective.
The journal as it stands is an experimental project - an innovation for the University - an adventure in a
new and increasingly influential area of culture. The games industry is a burgeoning area and we hope to
be able to make our mark in this constantly evolvolving environment.

8 2014 degree show launch of the NUA Incident,

10 Inside Lunvark Studios.
12 dare to be digital 2014 NUA finalists.
13 introducing split path studio.
14 Norwichs first every gaming festival.
15 an evening with sophia george.
16 2014 NUA Games Art and Design Graduates.
28 A painting tutorial from concept artist

shaun slade.

editors note

contributors

Jess Magnus

Something that I have learned during my time

at NUA is that even though it may stress you
to your core, being involved in as many
opportunities as possible is the best way to progress. Because of this I was
extremely enthusiastic about being involved with the journal from the outset. As it has
progressed, my role has developed enormously, and as time has passed I have taken on more and more
within the project. My greatest pleasure is to be able to have a final working product and it has been
great learning curve for myself and those that have been involved as contributors both for content,
design and creation.
chair - www.jessmagnus.co.uk

Robin Silcock - Editor Shaun Slade - Artist Stina Sheehy - Designer

Jess Magnus - Chair
www.jessmagnus.co.uk www.robinsilcock.com www.shaunslade.com www.stinasheehy.co.uk

Being involved with the journal has been a great experience, and even though my role as editor will be
short-lived, because the journal will be passed on to future third years, it has been a fantastic experience
with a great team of contributors. I look forward to seeing the journal grow and progress, as I know its
aims and passions will bring great content, thoughts and ideas.

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Kim Pace
Editor

Sharon Tolaini-Sage
Editor

Marie-Claire Isaaman
Editor

www.gamesartdesign.co.uk

Note from Marie-Claire isaaman

Games art and design course leader

I am delighted to be involved with the launch of this first edition of

GamesAD, a journal created by students on the BA Games Art and Design
course at NUA. It is an innovative project that has taken Jess Magnus and
the student journal team a year of enormously hard work to bring to life.
This first edition can be viewed online but a special limited hard copy
exhibition edition has also been launched, celebrating graduation 2014 by
listing the graduating students and providing links to their individual profiles.
This years students are keen to pass the baton on, so the journal manifesto and ethos as well
as templates and formats will be passed down to the next graduating cohort to be further
developed in 2015, and act as a genetic imprint. As the course continues to develop strong industry links and its graduates and alumni continue to achieve success in the sector, I have no
doubt that the journal will act as a successful conduit for communicating exciting content,
articulating current debates and speculating about future developments in the field of games art and
design.

Note from KiM Pace, Artist and Lecturer.

Journals, zines, pamphlets, comics and magazines are widely recognised
as effective tools to distribute new ideas, controversial or ground-breaking
opinions and to reflect and disseminate the views of a particular group of
people about a time, place or area of activity.
It is established that avant garde art, design and music have all made use
of these forms of publication to communicate the new and sometimes
extraordinary developments in these areas. It is with this spirit and within this context that GamesAD
has come about and is being launched.
From an initial idea posited by Marie Claire Isaaman, GamesAD started and began to take shape
in spring 2013, amongst a series of talks, visits and brainstorming sessions hosted by myself, with
Helen McCarthy, manga scholar and writer.
The conception and development of this journal has been taken on with vigour by a group of
now graduating students from the BA (hons) games art and design course. It is due to the energy
and commitment from this group of students, who subsequently met at regular intervals to
push the form and content of the journal forward, that have made GamesAD a reality.
The high standards and professional attitude amongst these students, headed up by Jess
Magnus, is reflected in this, the first issue of the journal. We hope that the students following
on will grasp the opportunity to take the journal forward, to develop it further, and to continue
to broaden the awareness of the quality of work and thinking that is produced on the Games Art &
Design course at Norwich University of Arts.

Games art and Design At NUA

Amongst recent graduates, the course boasts three BAFTA-winning games desginers, the V&As
first Games Designer in Residence, and three teams of Dare to be Digital finalists and employees
of Apple, Sony and EA.
Lecturers help students to master fundamental art and design techniques and digital applications
using industry-standard game engines and to create assets using 2D and 3D game development software. You will develop a critical appreciation of mainstream and indie games, the
casual sector and cutting edge advancements.
We support you to develop art, design and technology skills in preparation for employment in
a fast changing and growing sector. The course has been awarded Creative Skillset accreditation,
was recognised with a nomination for Best Education Institution in the TIGA Games
Industry awards and has an academic team with strong industry experience. Sony Computer
Entertainment provide internships to selected students in the final year.

Course Code: WL21

Contact: gad@nua.ac.uk
More Info Online: www.nua.ac.uk/bagamesdesign

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www.gamesartdesign.co.uk
W h at was t h e m o st i m po rta n t less o n yo u lea r n t w h en yo u sta rt ed yo u r fi rst
j o b?

My most important lesson was that you are a commercial artist so anything you do is going to be
wide open to criticism, dont take these comments to heart because its going to happen time and time
again. If you disagree with something explain why you feel that that change wont work but over all
follow what your lead says. In the case of when I was working with Guerrilla Amsterdam
for the first time we used to get regular reviews of our work with lots of changes but
after implementing these changes it improved my texture and asset creation quality tenfold!

Interview with principle artist Chris Riddellll

guerrilla games cambridge - scee

Jess Magnus
chair - www.jessmagnus.co.uk

W h at i s yo u r favo u r i t e pa rt o f wo r k i n g i n t h e i n d u st ry?

Apart from the unique characters I

have met over 15 years! Foremost,
my favourite part is the graphics
technology, I am a sucker for technology and each generation just
pushes the fidelity that much further.

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a day at SCEE Studio in Cambridge

and meeting 3D Artist Chris Riddell. Chris, an enthusiastic games artist, who
has had an interesting path into the Industry. Chris emphasised the constantly
changing nature of the Games Industry.
H OW D I D YO U G ET I N TO T H E GA M ES I N D U ST RY?
My route was slightly different as I didnt attend university or college. I started at the age of 11 or 12
programming computers such as the BBC Micro and Atari ST, this led to a few little text
adventure and side scrolling shooters. My friend Andrew joined with me to help do some
graphics but it soon turned out he was a much better coder than I was and I was much
better at producing graphics so we switched roles, anyway after that I learned as many 2D
applications as I could and produced some nice art... then this new thing came out, 3D!
3D back in the day was a very long-winded experience and modelling by typing in coordinates
was certainly no fun but things got easier when I got a PC. I saw an advert in Edge recruiting
artists, I then decided to send an email asking for an artist to look at my folio. I got a mail back
asking me to come for an interview.On the day I got a call saying that the job position probably
wasnt available but I was more
than welcome to come and
interview for them, I was a bit
disappointed but about 15 mins
later I got a phone call from another company called Attention To
Detail who said they saw my
folio and would I like to interview
for them instead?
I attended the interview all smartly
dressed after which I was told by
the lead artist to take off my tie
and chill out! The interview went
well and I got offered the job the
next day.

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W h at a r e t h e b est a n d wo rst
pa rts o f yo u r j o b?
The best part is when your game
gets the recognition it deserves
and if you receive an award like
the BAFTA we won for Little Big
Planet PSP it makes all that hard
work worth it, other good parts are
working with very talented people. Also people seem to love your job and think you are awesome.

The worst parts are that technology changes so rapidly so learning has to always continue and
sometimes what you have learned before is no longer relevant (this can also be a positive though).
Also, working for third party studios has its challenges such as financial instability and trying to get a
project signed by a publisher.
W h at wo u ld yo u li k e t h e fu t u r e to h o ld fo r ga m es?
Personally, I would like to see a lot more sharing of technology to make games creation
easier and more standardised allowing more focus on making a unique game than struggling to get
content to work on a machine. I am also a huge believer that this is probably the last generation of actual under the television consoles and that the future will be within the cloud with
a subscription based business model. I also see a great integration of technologies coming
together like iPads speaking to PlayStations, Smart phones talking to Xboxes eventually they
will all just do the same job and could end format wars!

Images provided with permission from Chris Riddell and SCEE.

Interview question s carried out through email [9th Dec 2013].

www.gamesartdesign.co.uk

2014 degree show launch of the NUA Incident.

A Game By GEorge Beard.

George Beard joined NUA as a Part Time Lecturer at the start of

the 2013 Academic Year. With experience in 3D Modelling and
Programming George has taken on the task to create the game The
NUA Incident, which is being showcased at this years Games Degree
Show. Here George answers a few questions on the game itself and
also his role as a Lecturer at NUA.

How are you currently finding working at NUA? Have there been any highlights so far?
Im really enjoying it! All the staff are friendly and extremely dedicated to student development. Im
pretty glad to be back in Norwich as well, its a lovely campus. In terms of highlights, I feel like I have a lot
more freedom and opportunities to introduce new content and projects to the students.
You are currently working on the game the NUA Incident , What made you decide to make the
game and where did the idea come from?

You have recently joined NUA as a Part Time Lecturer, what was your background
before this and how did you come to be part of the NUA team?
Well, firstly I graduated from this course around 4 years ago. Since then Ive been in Dundee in Scotland
where I did my Masters at Abertay University, MProf Games Development. Post Masters I worked in a
Dundee web and app company called Waracle creating a 3D Facebook game for a conservation charity
and some of their other projects. As the story is so often, things didnt go as planned and the company let
the whole games team of around 15 people go and I was then offered a teaching position back at Abertay
University. I fell in love with teaching and I find it hugely rewarding. As that position came to an end I was
told of a similar position here at NUA and I jumped at the chance to continue to teach and to work with
all my undergraduate Lecturers in a very forward thinking course.

I felt part of my remit joining the teaching team was to encourage further independent development.
I enjoy using the Unity games engine and have been using it casually and professionally since the final
year of my undergraduate degree. Unity is a big deal for independent development and I wanted to
create a series of projects and briefs to coax the students into becoming more familiar with it. The NUA
Incident is based off on an iOS game The Incident by Big Bucket Software. The basic premise is you
play as a character that must dodge falling objects and climb on the resulting piles of debris to get as
high as you can. The reason I chose this is because the falling objects can be absolutely anything and the
students can submit what they like. This gives a lot of students a chance to submit to a live brief for an
actual game rather than creating things in a void purely for portfolio. Ive also introduced the feature to
have the students names next to their object to act as a credits screen for the exhibition.

It is my hope that year after year students will submit objects and the game will fill with an endless supply
of interesting and varied objects for NUA to display.
What challenges have you faced when making the game?
Ive never had any formal training in programming and have been learning in my own time since before
university. Luckily Ive made a lot of programming friends over the years which is a great help. But yes
programming is my largest hurdle. Luckily it is a reasonably simple game.

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Have there been any highlights or particularly memorable moments for any of you in this last
year?

inside lunavark studio.

nua graduates and 2013 dare to be
digital finalists.

The most memorable moment was probably moving to Manchester and seeing the concept come to
life, because for a long time it felt like we were at a standstill and nothing was happening due to the
amount of time we had to wait for contracts. Another memorable moment was the realisation that we
were actually making a game we wanted to make, this happened when we had played our first game
build.
What inspires you as games artists and how have you retained creative ownership over your
ideas?

Lunavark Studio began in early 2013, the team

originally consisted of Elbert Lim, Dominic Beresford
Webb, Daniel Robinson and Martin Reimann - NUA
Students - and Jordan OHare from Abertay University,
who were finalists of the 2013 Dare to be Digital competition and have now grown and gone on to become
an Independent Studio. Here we see what they have
been working on in the last year.

With this particular title weve managed

to retain our creativity through good
friendship, hard criticism and team
work.
Were inspired by games such as
Metroid, Limbo, Machinarium, Abes
Oddysee. Basically games that have an
artistic aesthetic with retro game play.

How has the last year been for you all since
graduation - both with your time at Dare to be
Digital and after?
Dare to Be Digital 2013 gave us the opportunity to work as a game studio for the first time, it
gave the team an understanding of how game
production works. During Dare we received
professional criticism from big studios such as Microsoft Lift London and Sony XDev, which really
helped us to raise our quality bar and design ethics. Towards the end of Dare we had to
promote our game to the general public of Dundee and we learned a lot through working with
people and how they interact with games. At Dare we won two awards, one for Artistic
Achievement and the other Best Team by the other competitors.
What is the current situation for the studio? would you be able to give a brief description of
your current position and what you are currently working on?
We cant mention our third party publisher due to the fact we havent been announced yet, but
we are in development working as an external independent studio on a game designed by our
Lead Designer/Character Artist Daniel Robinson, Lead Artist Martin Reimann, Sound/Designer Elbert
Lim and Producer/Animator Jack Bennett. Unfortunately we cant mention too much about the
title due to third party restrictions.

And finally would you give any

particular advice to this year's
graduates? What they could expect
for the future and what could they
do to benefit themselves and their
career?
Create a team who work well together
and compliment each others abilities.
Understand your role and the roles of
others around you.
Learn to take criticism well and adapt
from it.
Learn how to run a business (be
organised as it can become very difficult).
Friendship is key, youre not going to do
this on your own.

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introducing split path studios.

dare to be digital 2014 nua finalists.

2014 Graduates Independent Studio.

Split Path Studio is an independent games

developer based in Norwich founded by like
minded university students from Norwich University
of the Arts with a passion for games development.
The teams journey started after winning the
university-based enterprise competition Brainchild,
for which they developed and pitched their debut
game concept. This concept, titled The Dry Sea
was then prototyped as a part of their final
degree project.
Image courtesy of Norwich University of the Arts, Marketing Department.

Dare to be Digital is an international game development competition, which involves 15 teams

competing to create a game in 7 weeks. The 160 teams that apply are cut down to the
final 15 that are given the opporutunity to meet industry professionals and gain constructive
feedback as they develop their prototype game. Prototypes will be displayed in the final week
event, Proto Play. The winning three teams are awarded prizes of 2,500 per team and selected
to form the nominations for the Ones to Watch award at the 2015 BAFTA Games Awards.
NUA has had teams reach the finals of the competition for the last four years, and this year the
University has been particularly successful with three teams reaching the final. Each team was
required to create a video pitch showing innovation, creativity and the basic core idea of their
game. Having successfully negotiated this stage, they were given interviews and finally they reached
final 15.

The Dry Sea is a side-scrolling platformer in

which the player takes control of Zoe, a young
girl lost and alone in a 0new and alien world, the
sole survivor of a shipwreck. For their final year
of university, Split Path developed a short, five
minute prototype, incorporating the art-style and
basic platforming gameplay devised over the past
year and half; basic elements were designed
to serve as the foundation for a much larger and
ambitious game.
The over all concept of The Dry Sea is based around
the way in which differences in human perception
change their view of the world.

This year weve achieved unprecedented success, with three NUA teams and their game concepts
reaching the final 15 of the competition. Over 160 teams from Calcutta to California applied this year
and the positive results confirm our place as a leading international provider of specialist education in
video games. - Marie-Claire Isaaman, Course Leader.

It does this by presenting

choices based on the playing
style of potential players of
the game. Instances where
players are required to make
a decision are subtle enough
to ensure that players are
not conscious of the fact that
theyre making a choice.
Where one player may follow signs and
symbols deliberately manifest in the level
design and art style, others will intentionally
operate in contradiction to them - looking
for secrets, easter-eggs and the like.
It is players of this stripe that will find
something more cerebral and slow; suiting
the decision they have made - while the former is presented with fast paced, flowing
levels that are clear and easy to understand
whilst being challenging at the same time.

The Split Path core team currently consists
of Jonathan Pace, Dominic Littler, Pieter
Jollans, Ross Parke, Dexter Camilleri, Lee
Gregory, and Kai Creedon. Furthermore,
the team has also worked with other
students, graduates and professionals such
as: Alex Alden, Corin Harper, Sarah
Fletcher, Kevin Smy and Robert Philips.

The final three teams consist of NUA students Robin Silcock, Jessica Magnus and Shaun Slade in
Team Insert Imagination, who will be making Kuria; Team Desk Jockeys, creating the game
Reshuffle, made up of NUA students Jonathon Pace, Dexter Camilleri, Pieter Jollans and Lee Gregory,
and the final team A Fox What I Drew, made up of NUA students Kai Creedon and Dominic Littler and
alumnus of the course Cian McNabola, who are making Baum. The competition is held at Abertay
University where the teams will be staying for the 7 week development period and begins on the 16th
of June. To keep up to date with the teams progress keep an eye on the Dare to be digital website:
www.daretobedigital.com.

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first ever norwich gaming festival.

an evening with sophia george.

organised by NUA Student Robin Silcock.

Norwich gaming festival event.

robin silcock

editor - www.robinsilcock.
com
There were several talks across the ten days
from developers talking about how creative
processes and game development as a whole.

This year I was lucky enough to help organize

the first ever Norwich Gaming Festival which
was hosted at The Forum in the centre of the City.
Organising the ten-day event challenged me in
many ways, but the final results were fantastic over the ten days the festival ran we saw over
75,000 visitors to The Forum. This opportunity
has given me experience and skills I could
not have learnt withina classroom, and I am
so glad I was able to make the most of it, supported
by NUA.
The event was principally sponsored by GAME, in
association with Norfolk Indie Game Developers
and NUA, with support from local communities
such as Developers Accomplice, Future Radio,
FXHome, Dorkbot Anglia, the University of East
Anglia, and Zanas Media, alongside excellent
industry support from Unity, Yoyo Games, and UK
Interactive Entertainment. These generous supporters, and our amazing volunteers made the
event successful.
The gaming festival aimed to get as many
people in Norfolk engaging in games in a way
that they might not have done before. An Art
Exhibition curated by myself and fellow Games
Art and Design Student Shaun Slade, celebrated
the varied and exciting disciplines within Games
Art, whilst hoping to lift the veil on how such
artwork is created.

issue 1 > 30th june 2014

The Forum hosted a large Arcade of Retro consoles and games in their Fusion area.
We aimed to give people a range of experiences, encouraging those that might never
have played games or even thought
about games to come and experience the
event. The festival also provided a great
opportunity to promote and advertise the
local game development community and
showcase what happens behind the scenes of
games.
During the festival we were extremely lucky
to have prestigious visiting speakers, including
Imre Jele from Bossa Studios, makers of
Surgeon Simulator, Tom Hegarty from Roll7 who
developed Olli Olli, and Sophia George, NUA
Graduate and the first Games Artist in Residence
at the V&A Museum.

Sophia George is co-founder of Swallowtail Games.

She founded her company a week after finishing her
Masters Degree at Abertay University. After the studio
released their game Tick Tock Toys in February 2013,
Sophia embarked on her Games Design Residency at
the V&A Museum. Sophia having recently completed
her residency, gave an evening event An Evening with
Sophia George, answering questions on her experiences
since graduating from NUA.
What was your experience with games growing up?
I was quite lucky to have quite tech-savvy Parents, so having an older brother and sister, my dad
bought us Omega 500 for Christmas, and from then I got really into it and loved Nintendo
consoles, and I was so excited by it that it didnt bother me that it was more of a boys thing, I
just loved it so much that I didnt care.
what were you thoughts on the gaming festival happening in Norfolk?
I was really thrilled that there was going to be a Norwich Gaming Festival and I was really happy
that I was asked to do a talk, because I feel like that sometimes Gaming can be quite London
Central and we need to bring things like gaming culture to unlikely places like Norfolk, so that the
young people here can feel like they can get involved in the Industry.
What has your Journey been from your time at Norwich to today?
It has been an interesting journey starting
off during the games course at NUA where I
competed for the competition Dare to be
Digital 2011, which won me and my team and the
BAFTA Ones to Watch Award 2012. Then
I went on to do my masters degree at
Abertay University, and after finishing, founded
my own company. It was the success of Tick Tock
Toys, that helped me get my residency at the V&A
and I am currently working on my V&A game
at the moment to be released in September.

Images Courtesy of Tim Stephenson.

What is the game you are working on?

I am working on a game inspired by William Morriss Strawberry Thief attern and the Arts and
Crafts Movement, and trying to bring the pattern to life and bring his work to new audiences.

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Images Courtesy of Tim Stephenson - www.timstephenson.smugmug.com

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david allan.
www.davidrallan.co.uk

My main focus throughought my degree has been

3D modelling. This final project has been a great
opportunity to develop my 3D skills across a range
of software which has enabled me to grow as a 3D
artist. Additionally it has been a platform to
consolidate my personal interests into one project.

stacey bone.
www.staceybone.co.uk

I am a 2D artist with a keen interest in fantasy,

mythology and animals. My project is The Explorers
Guide to Mythical Beasties; an interactive eBook
based on mythical creatures. Creating it has allowed me to improve my writing, art and software
skills. I am confident with programs such as Adobe Photoshop
and Indesign. I am inquisitive, eager to learn, and look
forward to working with others. In my free time I enjoy reading, playing video games and looking after
my menagerie of pets.

Andrew booth .

NUA 2014 Graduate student Catalogue

www.andrewbooth3d.com

Andrew is a 3D Environment and Asset Artist with

some 2D skills that come from a Graphical
background, who enjoys 3D modeling, ageing
his model to give a sense of realism and uniqueness.
He enjoys using his problem solving skills to
overcome any obstacles. Andrew has a vast range of
advanced skills, from Photoshop, Illustrator, Maya,
Mud-Box, CrazyBump and UDK. He is a philosophical
thinker and ambitious with ambitious goals. One of his long-term ambitions is to pass on his
knowledge and experience to the next generation of students.

dexter camilleri.
www.dextercamilleri.co.uk

I am a 3D artist and animator specialising

in the entire process of character modelling,
rigging and animation. Originally starting off as
a low resolution modeller years ago when I
wanted to delve into more artistic endeavours,
time has allowed me to acquire a myriad of skills
culminating in bringing characters to life in video
games. My time at NUA has been indispensable to getting to where I am now, working
on team projects, one called The Dry Sea (winning our team the Brainchild enterprise competition
at the university) as well as Reshuffle, a Dare to be Digital entry.

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Jack eastoe .
Auberi chen .
www.auberichenart.weebly.com

I am a 2D artist who specializes in character design

and 2D illustrations. Alongside this I am a confident
storyboard artist and concept artist and have experience
with 3D modeling. I also enjoy working in a team and
collaboration with others. During my degree studies
at NUA I have become very familiar with a number of
programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Maya, After Effects and Final Cut Pro. In my three years at
university I have developed as a confident digital painter as well as continuing to develop my skills with
more traditional media such as watercolour, oils, etching and pen/ink work.

kai creedon .
I am a Games Designer with a degree from Norwich
University College of the Arts in Games Art & Design.
I was designer on a 5 minute prototype in a large
group for our final project. I am also a finalist in Dare
to be Digital. These have taught me to design game
mechanics, levels and game flow. I have strong experience in Unity building levels and prototyping mechanics
in C#. I also have a good fundamental knowledge of visual
theory and most industry standard software such as Autodesk Maya and 3DS Max, Adobe Photoshop,
Flash and After Effects.

www.jackeastoe.co.uk

Creating 3D environments is a passion of mine

and one in which I constantly strive to improve.
Going from a concept to exporting my creations into
a game engine is something that really excites me
and is what makes me focused on producing 3D
environments. This church scene was created as part of one
of our second year projects and was inspired by the many different churches around Norwich.
Using the church I incorporated it within my scene for my Final Major Project, being able to
do this meant I could create a scene full of details that bring together a great environment scene.

joey everett.
www.joeyeverettgad.tumblr.com

A strong set of core values dictate my creative process. I

feel the base-level of any design has to be strong enough to
support anything added on top of it. Applied to any
medium, this ethos describes my way of approaching
creativity. Coming from a background in illustration, I
prioritise initial line-work and concept over superfluous detail.
Applying this approach to games design, I believe the mechanics
and structural gameplay elements of a game dictate its success.
I strive to ensure continuity and consistency throughout the components of my designs, to
help produce surrounding atmospheres that are distinct and recognisable.

LIAM GALLAGHER-VAES.

juliette desforges.
www.juliettedesforges.com

Lack of confidence in my drawing abilities led

me to create a unique style of art that uses shapes
and blocks of colour to create images and express
my ideas. My work is characterised by simple and
uncluttered illustrations, focusing only on what I
see as important - beauty spots, uneven eyebrows, and so
on. Although I enjoy my artwork I also have a passion for
writing which has led me to write both for personal projects and an online publication.
My ultimate ambition is to write, illustrate and design interactive book apps for children.

Aisha Dickins.

www.liam3258.wix.com/lgvportfolio

I am very passionate about studying and playing

Video Games, and I have been focusing on bringing
this passion of mine into my own video games, by
creating 3D environments and assets, in which
my design ideas can thrive. I aspire to work with
technology, be it in digital games design or building and
repairing the hardware that makes them. Being a keen, self motivated person, whenever I am set
a task/project that needs doing I cherish every second of it. Even when there is a tough time
stopping situation or a hair wrenching problem I always think about the end result and how
excited I am about my work and what other people are going to think.

tom gates.

www.gadaisha.blogspot.co.uk

19

Having originally been interested in working with computers, I decided

after taking my N+, A+ and MCDST qualifications to combine
my interest in computers with my gaming hobby. At NUA, I
discovered my interests in digital painting, 3D sculpting and
pixel art. Through the resources and tuition offered by the
university, I was able to take my self-taught skills to a more professional
level. I learned to apply my talents to group projects, taking a technical
or creative role depending on what was required. Going forward, I am
eager to continue to learn new styles, techniques and practices within the
games industry and art world.

www.gadtom.blogspot.co.uk

I am a 22-year-old 3D artist who comes from a strong fine

art background, and possessed of a life-long love of video
games. My dream is to combine my creative skills with
my passion for the exciting medium of video games.
Modelling is the part of the process that appeals to me the
most. Working in Maya seems to harmonise with the way that I
conceptualise visual ideas. It is creative but there are very well defined
boundaries in the way you are pushed to work. It would be wonderful
to see my contribution appear in a game, and I hope to realise this ambition in the future.

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www.gamesartdesign.co.uk

william johnson .

jac gatfield .

www.williamjohnson3d.weebly.com

www.jac-gatfield.com

I am an artist who specialises in concept art, especially

character and creature design. I work mostly in 2D
and have experience with programs such as Photoshop
and MyPaint. I am, however, flexible and can turn my
hand to 3D sculpt work as I have experience working with
Mudbox. I have a big passion for animals and prehistory, having
studied both subjects in depth over a number of years (I
achieved a certificate in continuing education in ornithology from the UEA in 2007). This enhances
my design work in terms of form and colour, particularly in the natural world.

katie gilman .

Pieter Jollans.

www.pieterjollans.co.uk

www.killveous.com

Katie Elizabeth Gilman works in a variety of mediums an on

an extremely wide range of subject matters, from still life
studies, anatomy illustrations, abstract art and her favourite;
fantasy design. Recently she was picked up as the official
artist of an online sculpture company which she does
part time work for alongside her studies at NUA. She creates large
digitally painted images to promote products as well as helping to come
up with ideas for new sculpts. She and her life partner hope to one
day move to America to work onsite with the company in the future.

lee gregory.
In my final year I have worked with several other NUA
students to create a small playable prototype for a
project conceived at the start of our second year. My
role has primarily involved the creation of environments
for the game; producing concepts during the
pre-production phase and models and textures for
the prototype itself. My decision to work as part of a
small team this year has vastly expanded my knowledge of game design and production, providing me
with an insight into different areas of specialisation other than my own and subsequently
has strengthened my work for practical use.

elie harrison.

I am a 3D game artist, animator, and programmer.

I have a background in traditional art and an affinity
for code. I enjoy 3D modeling, rigging, and animation
as well as bringing my projects to life inside a game
engine. Currently I am working on Hop Higher; a
fast paced, precision jumping game for Android. I have also
spent a lot of time working on group projects, most notably
with Split Path Studio. I like to get away from the computer to sketch, have a game
of chess or play piano, but for the most part my free time goes into side projects.

dominic littler .
www.dominiclittler.com

Though I started out solely as a Concept Artist, I

have expanded my discipline to include digital 3D
art (building from my background in traditional
painting and sculpture). I prefer to specialise in
character and creature design as I feel these lie at the
heart of creating believable, living worlds, which keep their
audience immersed. I have worked on various team projects,
from game jams to Indie studios, which has helped me broaden my skillset to include 2D
asset, and sprite artwork, as well as more promotional oriented pieces. Im currently working with Split
Path Studio, on our game demo for The Dry Sea and with A Fox Wot I Drew on Baum for Dare to be
Digital 2014.

Sam lockwood .

www.elieharrison.com

I am an aspiring Game Designer with a serious passion for

gaming technology, as well as games and art. I try to keep
myself as up to date as possible with the latest gaming and
game technology news by watching, listening and reading
videos and articles by Kotaku, PC gamer, IGN and
Machinima. I find articles about games and technology highly
interesting and as such, I have tried to develop my reasearch and
communication skills (verbal and written) to the best of my abil ity. I work very well in teams
and have knowledge in Photoshop, Maya, Indesign, AfterEffects and Microsoft Office applications.

issue 1 > 30th june 2014

I specialise in 3D environment and asset design,

focusing on Victorian industrial themes. Often
these scenes are inspired by my extensive
visual research due to my strong interest in
historical photographs and locations. I am most
confident using Maya, Photoshop and Unreal Development
Kit to create projects. While I often work on my own, I do
enjoy being part of a team. I have a passion for creating game environments worlds and will often
create these in my spare time. My good visual imagination and attention to detail help in creating a
coherent and believable world space.

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www.lockwood3darts.webeden.co.uk

As a 3D Designer my main speciality is in environments, mainly for sports games. I use Autodesk Maya to
produce my work as it is where my skills are strongest
but I am always willing to learn new programmes
to further improve my skills. I have always had a
massive interest in sports, especially football. That is where
my main desire to become a 3D environment designer has come
from. During my time at NUA, I have benefitted from the help of my fellow students to help me
learn and improve my skills as a designer.

22

Andrew obrien .

www.gamesartdesign.co.uk

Jess Magnus.
www.jessmagnus.co.uk

3D is my passion, I revel in designing and creating

an environment and considering each element and
its place within the scene. I strive to show how 3D in
itself is an art form. I am constantly pushing myself
to learn more and do more, always twitching with
eagerness to create all things 3D. My current project delves
into 3D as art and an environment that contains a narrative
filled with influences from psychology, exploring our inner selves, and is over all an embodiment of life.

federico marchesi.
www.fedm.co.uk

This is one object from my groups FMP. I specialised in

texturing for this project however I also modelled this piece. This
final project was my favourite; I took the opportunity to
further develop my texturing skills which though having
worked consistently and keeping to schedule, have improved
considerably. Im technologically adept, learn new software quickly
and have an interest in new techniques, setting up batch and automated processes to speed
up my workflow to save time. Im motivated by interesting and challenging projects, work
well both in teams and by myself and am a willing organiser.

www.andrewobriengamesart.com

I have devoted a lot of my time to exploring every

aspects of game design, mastering its outcomes
through play and through my own design developments. Looking back over the past three years my
personal growth within game design has evolved
and I now have a goal to focus on. I am extremely interested
in the processes of texture mapping and I am constantly
working towards perfecting the skills I have already attained. My current project has been a real
learning curve but very rewarding, it shows my passion in this field, my eye for detail and my artistic skills. I hope to make a career for myself in texturing as I am creative, imaginative, patient, and
work well in a team.

Jonathan pace .

www.jonathanpace.co.uk

As a hopeful producer of commercial games, my love for

game creation is deeply rooted to the problem solving
aspects of development, taking a practical and efficient
approach to everything I set my mind to. I take great
enjoyment in working in teams and have spent the last
two years working alongside six other students in the roles of
producer and 3D artist in order to create a small prototype for our game concept The Dry Sea. Our
aspiration is to take our prototype into production post-university and eventually release it as a
commercial title. Textures and crystal assets courtesy of Lee Gregory

Aaron Pai.

jake masham.
www.jmasham3D.com

I have been studying art and design all my life,

developing skills within 2D and 3D elements of
design, allowing me to create a diverse portfolio
of work. I currently describe myself as a 3D generalist
as this has been the focus of my work for the
past three years. This paired with my design background has
enabled me to aid other designers in their graphic work. I aim to find work within a varied field of
3D media. I have a true passion to design and create, this is reflected in my work.

Bradley Morgan Johnson.

www.aaronpai.co.uk

My artwork depicts three out of five characters

to do with Wu Xing from my final major project.
Ive used their dynamic poses. My main specialization
and interests are in character generation and
concepts. I have sped up my work flow and my
skills in general have improved dramatically - to produce
this quantity of artwork at this quality took dedication and sleepless nights. Before this
final project my concepts and designs didnt have enough depth and lacked themes so
I overcame this by taking inspiration from my own cultural background, the cultures of
Eastern mythology, Western fairy tale, and ideas about ancient depitctions of natural elements. I am
inspired by JRPGs and motivated by rich story and cultural fusion.

ross parke.

www.bradleymj.com

After a successful career as an architectural draughtsman and designer I decided to follow my passion
for game and film by retraining in pre-production
Art & Design. Honing my 2D skills in both traditional
and digital media, I also had the opportunity to
learn Maya and Z Brush, which have in turn introduced me to
the world of 3D printing. I take my main inspiration from nature and enjoy life studies of
flowers, which helps me discover forms to use in my designs, my favourite genres are Science fiction,
Art Nouveau and Buddhist/Hindu mythology which I have merged for my major project.

23

I specialise in 3D character artistry. Having a strong inclination to

wards creativity, I opted to pick a career path that could combine
my love for art with my methodical approach to work. I became
interested in character art due to my love of anatomy and joined
a team for my final year of study to work to my strengths as a team
player and better understand the pipeline that was involved in
the creation of videogames. This opportunity has allowed me to
improve artistically and I hope to continue to do so after university has
finished, in the games industry.

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www.gamesartdesign.co.uk

Nathan russell.

tyrone parker.

www.nathanjrussell.co.uk

www.tyrone-parker.squarespace.com/portfolio

An aspiring Games Designer/3D Artist, my passion

for all things in interactive entertainment started
ever since I played my first video game on the original
PlayStation. Since then games and gaming culture
has become a significant part of my life. I enjoy
keeping creatively active through developing my art and
design skills and playing guitar. Having a vivid visual imagination I am able to effectively
communicate my ideas both visually and verbally. Being well versed in a range of complex design
programs I am more than up for a challenge in this rapidly developing industry.

William Pateman.

Taz Selby.
www.facebook.com/ArtOfTazSelby

www.williampateman.wix.com/3dartist

Im a 3D artist with a passion for video games, I first

realised I wanted to do something in the games industry
about 5 years ago and havent looked back since. I now
have a strong knowledge of many different applications
such as Maya, UDK, Photoshop, Illustrator, UV Layout
and Sony Vegas Pro. Before University I went to College and
got BTEC national diploma in Graphic design this helped me
when I got to University as I already had the knowledge of Photoshop and Illustrator to help me.

I specialise in 2D concept art, with a main focus on

character and creature designs. Originally from a village
outside Haverhill, I grew up with three sisters, one older
brother and a house filled with animals. My hobbies
include drawing, playing games and spending time
with friends. I am most confident with both Adobe Photoshop
and Adobe After effects. I also have worked with Maya and
ZBrush. I work effectively on my own but exceptionally in a small team. My planning for
work is simple but effective and I am able to meet deadlines with ease.

stina sheehy.

Samantha Pillow.

www.stinasheehy.co.uk

www.sampillow.weebly.com

My current project is about using the knowledge. Ive

gained from researching tribal culture to create my
own tribe and the culture surrounding it. My interest
in games stems from the development in new
technologies and how the games industry has started
to use them in innovative ways, whilst also being able to create
an environment in which the audience can immerse themselves
in the game. Furthermore I enjoy seeing how these developments are being used in more traditional
art and how they give the audience further insight into an artistic piece.

daniel rigg .
www.danrigg11.wix.com/combatheads

I specialise in 3D modelling particularly Maya. I

am looking into various techniques, specifically
lowering the Polycount for the objects mesh as
shown above. Here is a small example produced
using the Display Smoothness tool. My passion
first began when I had my first adrenalin rush through
playing a game. I was hooked from then on and wanted
to find ways to create my own scenes, where people can experience the same thrill I did through playing
games.

issue 1 > 30th june 2014

I am primarily focused on 3D Environment and

Asset Design. 3 years ago the world of 3D was
relatively new to me, but since being introduced
to software such as Maya I quickly became
proficient in 3D, creating my own models for
personal use as well as for my degree. I find myself
looking at my surroundings, breaking them down in
to shapes and working out how to model them mentally. It is not only my profession, it is my
passion, and it is a way for me to express myself with confidence.

25

Beginning with a background in traditional media, I took

an interest in graphic design as a hobby during my
teen years - it grew into become a passion of mine when I
had the opportunity to further my skills within educational
and commercial environments. Primarily self taught, being
given feedback from lecturers allowed me to hone skills such as
composition and colour theory. My personal interest in games led
me to the study of Games Art & Design, in which I have been
able to gain experience in various fields such as UI and concept
art. Particular style traits of my work include being stylised
and minimalistic. I am open to new challenges and driven to creating projects to the highest
standard I can achieve.

Kai Shepherd.
www.kaishepherd.com

My journey through Games Art and Design

here at NUA, although varied has heightened my
focus and improved my abilities greatly. Aiming
myself in the direction of design through writing via
narrative creation and academic compositions, has
given me a great opportunity to start to graduate life. My current
project has included not only 2D and writing but has involved most elements of the
production pipeline improving my skills overall. I intend to take the valuable skills and
lessons I have learned from my time on the course and add it to my own creative
26
background in design and photography inching my professional image into the industry.

www.gamesartdesign.co.uk

Olivia Viles.

robin silcock.

www.oliviaviles.weebly.com

www.robinsilcock.com

My passion for 3D Artwork comes from the

power and effect that recreating worlds virtually can
have over an audience. Games allow for these worlds
to be explored and interacted with, and my final
project explores how environments can speak to a
player through their design. Although my current project is
an individual one, I thrive when collaborating with others,
and most recently organsied Norwichs first ever Gaming Festival - supported by GAME, UKIE, Unity
and local organisations - which ran for ten days at The Forum, seeing over 70,000 visitors to the
venue over the ten days of events.

shaun slade.

www.shaunslade.com

I am an enthusiastic and passionate concept

designer, specialising in the areas of fantasy,
science fiction and realism. I aspire to work in an
innovative industry, preferably the entertainment
industry working on advertising, films or games.
My strengths are largely based around 2D concepts, designs
and illustrations, whether its in a traditional or digital medium. Additionally, I keep up to date
with the basics of 3-D software. I always aim to achieve a high standard of designs that portray
environments, characters, vehicles and assets that inspire and intrigue my audience.

My focus is 2D concept art, focusing on character design as I

have always been interested in the human form. My most recent
project consisted of me designing a disease and creating the
concepts alongside, which led me on a very interesting journey
both in research and in the images I created. I not only enjoy
the artistic side of design but the research side of it too. Regarding
the future, I hope to continue to develop my 2D art skills and aim to
find myself a place within the games industry.

kane winchester.
I am a 2d Artist As far back as I remember I have
been drawing, and coming from a pretty creative
family I was always soaking up my surroundings
and experiences. Finding games at an early
age was amazing, the characters, worlds and
stories always mesmerized me. Since then I
knew I wanted to create something that could
astonish others. Leaving school I attended a graphic
design course, this is where I learned the basics of Photoshop and Illustrator. I have been honing
my skills at university ever since, always pushing to create something which can mesmerize.

George woodford .

jess smith.

www.georgewoodfordart.weebly.com

Being creative has always been a substantial part

of my life. Ive always been inspired by the intricate
aesthetics games offer through environmental design,
visual storytelling and interaction. This has aided
my passion and development specialising as a 3D
artist for games. Im a keen horror enthusiast which
is demonstrated in my current university project
where I have focused on the implementation of horror within
a 3D environment. I have also been working on an entry to the games design competition Dare
to be Digital. Im excited to continue expanding my 3D design and modeling skills and aspire to work
with a studio who encourage creativity.

I am a specialist in 2D concept art and my passion for classic

video games began when I was a child. My current project is an
idea based around the legend of the Chinese zodiac. I have
enjoyed working in my final year at university and I hope to
continue in my game art design career by joining a small
independent group and make games that will capture the hearts of
many. I work well in a team and creativity is one of my greatest aspects.
I hope the future for video games remains strong and varied project.

Sophie Woollard .

charlie sykes .

www.sophiekwart.wix.com/portfolio

I am a 2D Artist and Designer. I love the way art can create

new worlds, new ideas and create an image which inspires and
captures people. Through this course I have developed both my
traditional and digital art skills, as well as learning to work in a
professional creative team. For my final project I had the
opportunity to go back to my traditional roots, creating masses of
drawings and watercolour paintings. The experience of creating my own
concept art book has also given me the knowledge of design and composition in books.

www.charliesykes.weebly.com

Games always appealed to me because they demonstrated

the next level of interactivity in art. Unlike a novel or a film, a
game can go one further, putting the audience in direct control
of the characters within. To take such a unique artform and do
it justice it requires a focused amount of motivation and
dedication. For this reason I have spent the last three years exploring
many different areas to seek out those I feel most passionately about.
This includes working both traditionally and digitally, in 2D and 3D, from level design to creating
characters and environments.

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www.gamesartdesign.co.uk

Digital Painting Tutorial from Shaun Slade

Freelance concept designer

www.shaunslade.com

1
In the early stages of development, I like to split my canvas up into
three or four sections. In this case Im now left with three identical
blank spaces ready to be filled with paint. Nothing is worse than
staring at a blank canvas, so I start laying down colours randomly.
Sometimes I dont even look at the screen when Im painting as this
gives me more freedom for experimentation. I always keep zoomed
out as much as possible so I dont concentrate on any of the details.

Shaun is a Year 3 student graduating 2014.

issue 1 > 30th june 2014

29

At this stage, I have to admit that I can be a little bit

enthusiastic at times and start laying down textures
too early. However, I still stay zoomed out and ignore the
textures and concentrate on the forms and colours. The
textures I use are simply old paintings that I put on top in
a new layer. I then change the layer blending modes to
something suitable that I like. The colours still stay a bit
random when continuing to paint on top of the textures,
but I do have a rough goal in mind now.

30

www.gamesartdesign.co.uk

I quickly decided on the image thats my favourite. I start to

block out and get rid af all the mess. I create a massive block
of grey on a separate layer to act as template for potential
building.

I continue to add
details and decide to
add a dramatic waterfall coming down the
building. Im not really
sure why I decided to add
this feature but it creates
a nice colour contrast
with the warm colours.

I now use layer masks to stop me from painting outside the

grey template. I decide that the building is going to be the
main focus for the painting so I concentrate the majority of
the detail and texture in this particular area.

In the final stages I play around

with different adjustments mainly
hue/saturation, levels and colour balance
adjustments. This stage entirely depends
on your painting and I find it can either
dramatically improve your painting or
destroy it so be careful not to over use
adjustments.

At this stage I created a bit more depth

by adding objects in the foreground of
the painting.

6
The painting lacked lighting and felt quite
cold, so I decided to add a warm light source
coming in from the left hitting the face of the
building. The warm light is also acting as a visual
guide to lead the viewers eyes to the area that I
want to showcase the most.

31

I always keep a black layer on

top of all my other layers set
to saturation blending mode.
When I turn the layer on it
changes my painting to grey
scale. By doing this I can keep
an eye on my values and make
sure they read well.
These techniques may work for
some people but not for others
so the best bit of advice I can
give is dont give up and keep
practising.

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