Q: Tell us a bit about you — where do you work and what do you do?
I currently work at Naughty Dog as a Principal Environment Artist. In this role, my primary focus is creating the highest fidelity art possible while also supporting and guiding the team. I lead by example, helping to set visual benchmarks and mentoring artists.
My core specialties are modeling and texturing. I originally joined Naughty Dog as a Texture Artist, and I continue to focus on texture and material creation, as well as organic asset development such as foliage, rocks, and other natural elements. As a Principal, I also create training resources—tutorials, written breakdowns, and process guides—to support team growth and knowledge sharing.
I collaborate closely with Tech Art to establish pipelines, suggest new tool ideas, and improve existing workflows. Beyond my direct art responsibilities, I see it as my duty to support colleagues and foster a collaborative, growth-oriented environment. The tools I use most often include Maya, ZBrush, Substance Suite, SpeedTree, and a range of proprietary tools developed in-house.
Lastly, I take initiative as an ambassador to our external partners, such as SpeedTree, Adobe, and Maxon/Pixologic. This includes coordinating training sessions, troubleshooting software issues, reporting bugs, and pursuing personal and team growth opportunities.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your personal journey into games. Why did you want to get into it?
My journey into games began back in elementary school. I’ve always loved art—drawing, painting, and even sculpting with clay. A big inspiration for me was my older brother, Ben, who not only played a ton of video games but was also an extremely talented traditional artist. Watching him create art and immerse himself in games was one of the biggest influences that pushed me toward pursuing art myself.
In middle and high school, I focused heavily on art, taking as many classes as I could. Around that same time, I was playing games like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Doom 3, and of course, Final Fantasy X. The Final Fantasy series, in particular, had a huge impact on me. Most of my high school portfolio was filled with drawings of Final Fantasy characters like Cloud and Sephiroth.
One of my mentors at the time, Liz Schank, recognized my passion and encouraged me to channel my skills into creating art for the medium I love —video games. That guidance led me to attend Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida, where I studied video game art. From there, my professional journey began and the rest is history.
Q: What do you love about working in games and what inspires you about it?
There are many reasons I love making video games, but at the core, it comes down to the fact that I get to make art for a living. I feel extremely fortunate to have found a career that not only brings me joy but also gives me a deep sense of personal satisfaction.
I love building immersive environments—worlds with enough detail and atmosphere that players can truly get lost in them. Creating highly detailed pieces of art has always been a passion of mine, and I’m grateful that Naughty Dog has fostered that over the past 10 years, giving me the freedom to push my creativity.
Game development is also incredibly challenging, and I find that motivating. The problem-solving, the hard work, the collaboration, and the dedication it takes to bring a game to life inspire me to give my best every day.
Lastly, it’s about the people. Over the years, I’ve made lifelong friends, mentors, and connections—both at Naughty Dog and across the industry. Those relationships inspire me just as much as the work itself.
Q: Do you have a piece of work you’re most proud of in your career and if so, what is it?
For me, the answer is pretty easy—the Aquarium in The Last of Us Part II.
This level was by far the most challenging project I’ve worked on. Technologically, it required close collaboration across every department, with tremendous support from Tech Art and Programming to make it run as impressively as it did. From an artistic standpoint, it was also incredibly rewarding because we had the creative freedom to shape the environment the way we envisioned it. I owe a lot of credit to my close friend and partner on the level, Anthony Vaccaro, who pushed me and helped us achieve so much. And truly, it took the contributions of many talented people to bring the Aquarium to life.
On a more personal note, I’ve always loved the ocean and aquariums in real life, so I naturally had a lot of interest in this level. In the game, of course, it’s not a happy place—quite the opposite—but that’s what makes it so powerful. The Aquarium elicits a lot of emotion and carries real weight, which is why it remains such a meaningful project for me.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you early in your career?
I think the biggest piece of advice I’d give is to live in the moment and cherish the people close to you. I sacrificed a lot of time chasing my dream, and while that drive was important, I also learned how essential it is to balance it with personal relationships.
Your significant other, family, and friends are often the ones supporting you along the way, but they also need your time and presence. So my advice would be: work hard, chase your dreams, but don’t forget to give back to the people who support you—and take time to enjoy the world around you.
Q: What inspired you to join Vessel Forge as a mentor and why?
What inspired me to join Vessel Forge is the company’s commitment to sharing knowledge from experienced mentors while taking pride in providing the best possible experience for mentees. I’ve also been a part-time instructor for video game art for the past seven years, and I truly enjoy teaching and sharing the knowledge I’ve gained throughout my career.
I’m particularly excited about the opportunity to provide more in-depth, one-on-one guidance to promising young talent, helping them develop and grow their portfolios. All of the mentors I’ve seen so far are artists I admire, and I look forward to growing as a mentor myself while contributing to the growth of the company.
Q: What mentorship program are you leading for Vessel Forge?
My mentorship program at Vessel Forge is Vegetation Art. It focuses on creating vegetation and plants for video games. I believe this course will be extremely valuable for anyone looking to create handcrafted foliage while sharpening their artistic eye.
Based on your individual needs and project goals, I’ll help demystify the workflows required to produce industry-quality foliage. This includes the entire process—from blockout to sculpting, SpeedTree, and finally getting assets into the game. We’ll also cover important aspects like polygon budgets, incorporating scanned assets into your workflow, and where foliage creation is heading in the industry.
Finally, we’ll focus on best practices for presenting foliage, ensuring your work looks polished and professional.
Q: Who are the ideal candidates for this mentorship and how can they sign up?
To get the most out of this mentorship, it’s important to understand my approach to creating foliage. I enjoy crafting every aspect by hand—modeling, sculpting, and texturing. Because of this, I require some prior experience with key tools: a modeling package like Maya, intermediate knowledge of ZBrush, experience with SpeedTree, familiarity with Substance Designer and Painter, and a general understanding of Unreal Engine.
I also occasionally use scans in foliage creation. There are many reasons for this—sometimes the industry doesn’t allow time to create everything from scratch, or it’s simply more efficient to start with an existing asset. Knowing how and when to incorporate scans is a skill in itself, and we’ll cover that during the mentorship.
If this sounds interesting, or if you’re eager to pick up new workflows, you can read more about the program on the Vegetation Art Mentorship page. If it sounds right for you, you can apply directly on the Vessel Forge website. Spots are limited, but if your application is approved, we’ll reach out to you and provide you with a code to purchase your program and officially begin your mentorship journey. I’m excited to work with you and help you grow as an artist!
To sign up for this mentorship, start by reviewing the Vegetation Art Mentorship page to make sure it is right for you. From there you can apply on the Vessel Forge website. Spots are limited, but if your application is approved, we’ll reach out to you and provide you with a code to purchase your program and officially begin your mentorship journey!
