Me

jeff@environmentartist.com


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Summary

Artist and leader in the video game industry since 2005. Focused on setting artistic direction, organizational leadership, talent development (including hiring), and team health. Teaching experience includes teaching classes at the university level along with guest lecturing at multiple colleges. Experience with both art outsourcing (overseeing and directing internal efforts) and as an external outsource contributor. Contributed to over 25+ projects.

Experience

Blizzard Entertainment (9/2016 - current)
- Associate Art Director
World of Warcraft
Art direction and vision setting for multiple areas across World of Warcraft
Including overseeing and driving art outsourcing efforts

- Director Development Operations
World of Warcraft
Supporting the team of developers on World of Warcraft
Career coaching/1:1s of discipline managers
Onboarding support of discipline managers
Leadership development
Oversee team building and growth


- Senior Art Manager

World of Warcraft
Manage the art team for the World of Warcraft
The hiring manager for the art team
Career coaching/1:1s
Art Leadership development
Onboarding & mentoring framework
Team alignment and overall health
Artist development across multiple disciplines/levels

- Art Manager
World of Warcraft
Helped manage some of the artists on the art team for the World of Warcraft
The hiring manager for the art team
Career coaching/1:1s
Onboarding & mentoring framework

California State University, Fullerton (8/2023 - 12/2023)
- University Lecturer
Course Lecturer for BFA class: Capstone: Game Art, Animation & Immersive Media
Worked with ~15 students on their BFA portfolio pieces

Laguana College of Art and Design (8/2020 - 12/2020)
- Adjusnct Professor
Worked with students during senior portfolio 1 class

Telltale Games (9/2013 - 9/2016)
- Lead Environment Artist
Minecraft: Story Mode Episodes 1-8
Helped create visual look for game along with define environment art pipeline
Guided and mentored environment art throughout the creation of the game
Modeled, textured, lightmapped, and set up real time lighting for various scenes and props
- Environment Artist
Game of Thrones Episodes 1-3
Modeled, textured, lightmapped, and set up real time lighting for various scenes and props
Tales from the Borderlands Episode 2
Modeled, textured, lightmapped, and set up real time lighting for various scenes and props
The Walking Dead: Season Two Episodes 1-5
Modeled, textured, lightmapped, and set up real time lighting for various scenes and props


Freelance 3D Environment/Prop Artist/Concept Artist (7/2010 - 8/2013)
- Offsite Artist

Battle Beach
Painted over 3d renders (adding damage, upgrade states, and animations)

MechKnight Chronicles
Modeled and textured multiple modular level pieces

Kinect Sports Rivals
Modeled various props.

Supreme League of Patriots
Created level for adventure style game.
Including modeling, UV mapping, texturing, lighting, and polish work

Oceanhorn
Created various assets including sculpting, modeling, retopologizing UV mapping, and texturing

Wreckateer
Created multiple assets including sculpting, modeling, retopologizing UV mapping, and texturing (using normal, specular, and diffuse maps)

Shoot Many Robots
Created multiple props including modeling, UV mapping, and texturing


Full Sail University (7/2009 - 8/2013)
- Course Director

Texture Painting & Sculpting class
Students gain an understanding of current generation pipeline techniques for creating video game art using Photoshop, Zbrush, CrazyBump, UDK, and xNormal


24 Caret Games (7/2008 - 4/2013)
- Art Director

Retro/Grade
Created art pipeline for company
In charge of visual style, and artist management

3D Motive (12/2011 - 8/2012)
- Freelance Instructor

Maya UV mapping 101
Created video lessons for 1-hour introduction to UV mapping in Maya
Also created props and examples used in videos

Maya/ZBrush Prop Sculpting Parts 1 & 2
Created video lessons over 8 hours long covering prop creation
Including block out mesh creation to presentation of final prop


High Impact Games (6/2006 - 7/2008)
- Environment Artist

Jax and Daxter: The Lost Frontier
Model, UV map, texture, and light levels, and props alongside environment art team

Secret Agent Clank
Model, UV map, texture, and light levels, and props alongside environment art team

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Modeled, UV mapped, textured, and light levels, and props for multiplayer


Climax Group (1/2006 - 5/2006)
- Senior Environment Artist

Canceled Unreal Engine 3 Tech Demo
Oversaw implementation of Unreal 3 engine and defined pipeline
Helped maintain art style and lead Junior Artists to complete project

Silent Hill: Origins
Resolve art technical issues and bottlenecks in the pipeline
Assisted programming department in testing and implementation of new tools


Genuine Games (6/2005 - 1/2006)
- Environment Artist

Canceled Unreal Engine 3 project
Created workflow and art guides in Unreal Engine 3

50 Cent: Bulletproof
Modeled, UV mapped, and textured levels, props, particles, and pickups
Used proprietary tools to edit and light levels


Freelance 3D Environment/Prop Artist (4/2005 - 6/2005)
- Offsite Artist

Visa Championships Torino 2006
Modeled, UV mapped, and textured various props

Wild Tangent Mojo Masters
Modeled, UV mapped, and textured level

Education

UCLA Extension - Technical Management Program, Organizational Leadership (2019)
Week long technical management program (TMP)
Classes included:
Managing the Millennials with Chip Espinoza, MA, PhD
Creating and Sustaining Excellence in the Workplace with Robert Maurer, PhD
Mastering Difficult and Sensitive Situations with Johanna Hollowich, MSc
Emotional Intelligence: Leading and Working in a Diverse Workforce with Jorge Cherbosque, PhD

Schoolism.com (7/2012 - 9/2012)
Digital painting with Bobby Chiu

Savannah College of Art & Design (9/2010 - 9/2011)
Masters of Arts in Interactive Design and Game Development
Honors award scholarship

Full Sail University (4/2002 - 5/2003)
Associate of Science in Computer Animation

Central Michigan University (8/1998 - 7/2001)
Bachelor of Applied Arts in Graphic Design
Computer science minor.

Arizona State University (8/1996 - 5/1998)
Completed general requirements, transferred

All work copyright Jeff Parrott 2024. All rights reserved. For more information contact jeff@environmentartist.com