A little about me…

I’ve always believed that creativity is innate—some people just stop exploring it. I’m one of the ones who never did.

Growing up, I spent countless hours designing video game characters, levels, and UIs. By high school, I was teaching myself Photoshop and HTML to share my creations on the burgeoning internet. That passion for combining technology and creativity led me to study Graphic Design at the University of Georgia, where I honed my skills in digital art and illustration under renowned artists like Mark Braught, the concept artist for the first Harry Potter movie.

After graduating, I dove into the gaming industry as a concept artist, animator, and technical artist, building vibrant characters, intuitive UI, and immersive gaming experiences. Over the years, I’ve expanded my technical toolkit, mastering programs like Unity and Blender, and coding in C#, Python, and HLSL to push the boundaries of what digital art can achieve.

In 2014, I launched EMLstudio, LLC, to combine my passion for art, technology, and teaching. My journey has taken me from collaborating on indie games to designing innovative tools for developers and artists. Most recently, I’ve pursued traditional art studies to explore new perspectives, blending the timeless with the cutting-edge.

For me, art isn’t just a career—it’s a lifelong journey of exploration and sharing.

EMLstudio, LLC

Owner, Unity Developer, Technical Artist, Manager, 2014–Present, Austin, TX

Tech Art and Development

  • Create optimized shaders using GLSL and HLSL

  • Integrate art assets while optimizing for mobile and desktop

  • Develop custom tools in Unity and Python for art and asset production

  • Develop in-depth systems in Unity using C#

  • Create prototypes in Unity and Godot

  • Profile and debug to resolve performance bottlenecks

  • Create asset libraries to accelerate project timelines and standardize pipelines

  • Optimize UI systems, lowering draw-calls using batching and canvas-groups

Artist

  • Quickly iterate concepts for characters, environments, UI/UX, and logos

  • Develop high-quality concept art for characters, environments, level designs, UI/UX, and weaponry

  • Design and implement finalized 2D production assets for Unity Game Engine

  • Set up lighting in 3D environments for Unity and Godot

  • Craft engaging animations, utilizing Adobe After Effects, Animate, and Spine

  • Apply rigging for puppeting and skeletal systems in Spine.

Aristocrat, Inc.

Senior Technical Artist, 2021–2023, Austin, TX

  • Led the transition of Aristocrat’s engine from a C++ inheritance-based system to a .NET C# component-based architecture.

  • Developed tools and shaders in HLSL to replace After Effects and Photoshop filters, enhancing workflows in Unity.

  • Designed and optimized art pipelines and workflows for land-based gaming systems.

  • Streamlined sprite atlases and reduced UI draw calls, increasing overall game performance.

  • Coordinated with global teams to align technical standards across multiple studios.

  • Played a key role in transitioning the company’s repository from SVN to Git, GitHub, and Git LFS.

  • Collaborated with designers, mathematicians, developers, and producers to create visually and technically optimized gaming experiences.

Cadillac Jack

Artist/Animator Promoted to Lead Artist, 2008–2014, Atlanta, GA and Austin, TX

  • Designed and painted characters, backgrounds, and effects for various themed slot games with fast 1–2 month turnarounds.

  • Concepted, storyboarded, and led the design of highly interactive slot games.

  • Modernized and redesigned UI, speeding up production by 20%.

  • Managed the establishment of a new studio in Austin, including hiring and training new team members.

  • Acted as branch manager during the studio’s expansion, overseeing art direction, deadlines, and cross-department collaboration.

Additional Experience

Austin Dojo Atelier
Art Teacher
2018–2020, Austin, TX

  • Taught Artistic Anatomy classes and led figure studio sessions for adult learners.

  • Organized workshops and guided visiting artists during their programs.

Cordovan Art School
Art Teacher
2014, Austin, TX

  • Taught foundational art skills to elementary and middle school students.

  • Designed and led summer school classes on comic-book drawing and other creative topics.

Education

Barcelona Academy of Art
Daily Classes in Drawing and Sculpture
2023, Barcelona, Spain

Charles H. Cecil Studios & Studio Galleria Romanelli
Daily Classes in Drawing and Sculpture
2019, Florence, Italy

The University of Georgia
BFA, Graphic Design
2004–2008, Athens, GA

Skills

Programming: C#, Python, HLSL, GLSL, GDscript

Art & Design: Concept Art, Illustration, UI/UX Design, Animation, Logos

Software: Unity, Godot, MonoGame, Visual Studio, Maya, Blender, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Spine