Meet Your Mentors
Industry Veterans with a Passion for Teaching
JONATHAN BENAINOUSFounder and CEO of Vessel Forge
Specialty: Environment & Material Art
Jonathan Benainous has spent nearly 20 years in the video game industry, collaborating with studios around the world on major AAA titles such as The Last of Us Part I, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost Recon Wildlands, Heavy Rain, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. His work has been featured in top industry publications, and he is widely regarded as a leader in his field. His eye for detail and passion for knowledge-sharing has led him to serve on judging panels for awards like the Rookie Awards and to present at high-profile industry events such as the Game Developers Conference.
Jonathan spent the majority of his career as an Environment Artist, and over the last 10 years he’s specialized in material art. He’s worked at numerous acclaimed studios – including Naughty Dog, Guerrilla Games, Ubisoft, Quantic Dream, and Warner Bros. Currently, Jonathan is a Lead Material Artist at Lightspeed L.A. and the Founder & CEO of Vessel Forge.
Grayson CotrellTechnical Artist
Specialty: Houdini, Technical Art
Grayson Cotrell is a seasoned CGI artist with five years of experience across the full production pipeline, specializing in Technical Art and Procedural Workflows. He got his start at Naughty Dog as a Props and Texture Artist on The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II Remastered, eventually shifting into a Houdini Technical Artist where he builds tools to help teams work more efficiently and create high-quality assets.
Now focused on combining art and technical systems, Grayson crafts tools that empower artists to work smarter and faster in Houdini and Unreal Engine. His work has been featured in a number of articles, spanning prestigious academic institutions like Gnomon to well-known publications like 80 Level.
Outside of studio work, Grayson is passionate about teaching. Whether it’s breaking down complex workflows or mentoring one-on-one, he loves helping others bring their ideas to life.
Damon Woods3d Character Artist
Specialty: Character and Creature
Damon Woods has been a leading 3D Character Artist for the games, film, TV, and advertising industries for over 15 years. His work includes contributions to AAA titles such as Star Wars: Jedi Survivor and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. He has also worked on the renowned TV series The Flash. Currently, Damon is the Lead Character Artist at Respawn Entertainment and an Adjunct Professor at LCAD – Laguna College of Art and Design.
Through the years, Damon has collaborated and art directed for many clients including Marvel Studios, Lucas Film, Warner Brothers, HBO, MGM, and AMC.
At the same time, Damon has over a decade of teaching and mentoring experience, having guided some of the top up and coming artists in the industry.
Romain JouandeauSenior Concept Artist
Speciality: Concept Art
Romain Jouandeau is a French concept artist currently working at Sucker Punch Productions.
Before moving into games, he worked in animated films and advertising, building a strong foundation in visual storytelling and traditional concept art. He later joined studios such as Quantic Dream, Warner Bros. Games, and Naughty Dog, developing a keen eye for keyframes and moody cinematic moments. Over the years, he has contributed to multiple AAA titles including, The Last of Us, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and Ghost of Tsushima. Romain has refined a workflow that blends technical precision with strong artistic direction, drawing from his background in fine arts and 3D animation.
Passionate about the craft, Romain loves helping younger artists grow, push their limits, and develop the skills needed to thrive in the industry.
Ted MebratuSenior Lighting Artist
Speciality: Lighting Art
Ted Mebratu is a Senior Lighting Artist originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with over seven years of experience in the AAA video game industry. He began his career at Ready At Dawn, contributing as a Lighting Artist on Lone Echo 2, before moving to Naughty Dog where he worked on several projects, including The Last of Us series. He is now part of Lightspeed LA, working as a Senior Lighting Artist on Last Sentinel.
He is deeply passionate about creative lighting and the role it plays in shaping emotion and driving storytelling. Known for his eye for detail, he approaches each project with a strong balance of artistic vision and technical execution. Outside of game development, he enjoys exploring light and composition through street photography, which continues to inspire and refine his artistic sensibilities.
Edgar A. MartinezSenior Environment Artist
Speciality: Environment Art Modeling, Worldbuilder, Asset Creation
Edgar A. Martinez has been creating 3D assets and environments in the video game industry for over 22 years. His work includes pre-production and production in titles such as The Last of Us Part I and II, Uncharted: Lost Legacy, Uncharted 4 (story and multiplayer maps), The Order 1886 and God of War (PSP). Edgar started creating props and assets as an outsource artist for games such as COD MW2, Borderland, COD 4, Dragon Age: Origins, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, NCAA Football and more. He has worked at studios like Ready at Dawn and for the last 10 years at Naughty Dog where he continues pushing the bar and creating some of the best environments in the industry.
Edgar is known for his highly detailed environmental storytelling, organizing, planning, and designing complex scenes with his extensive modeling/prototyping skills. Throughout the years he continues to set examples, mentoring and training junior artists in his team.
In his free time, he customizes his Jeep to go off-roading in CA mountains/deserts, coaching Baseball little league, snowboarding, working out and spending time with family and friends.
