David Houry

As a game's Art Lead, my main strengths are:
1. Maintaining a cohesive, high-quality artistic vision for a game from start to finish, while balancing schedules and playing to the strengths of each artist on my team.
2. Foremost, designing art to enhance and clarify the gameplay experience, utilizing strong art fundamentals to direct the eye with intuitive visuals.
3. Openly sharing new techniques I learn with members of my Art Team, either through one-on-one demos, or more formal group presentations, so we may grow together.
4. Communicating with my Engineers before and throughout a game project to ensure delivered art is easy to implement, and ideal for hardware limitations.

Leadership aside, my favourite specialties are Illustration, Animation, and Storyboarding cinematic sequences.

PUBLISHED GAMES WORKED ON - EVERI:
The Mask, Genie’s Prize, Fu Lu Shou, Orb Lock Dragon, Emperor's Tree, Emperor's Frog, Grand Avenue, Diamond Blaze, Blazing Ice, Diamond Rain, Secrets of the Jaguar

At IGT I served as both a leader and individual contributor, by designing, illustrating, storyboarding, animating and implementing characters, backgrounds, logos, user interfaces, themes and more in a wide variety of visual styles and tones.

Additionally, I painted textures for 3D models, did motion graphics and character animation for attract sequences, and implemented art within the Unity game engine myself, composing the UI, making realtime 3D animations, particle effects, shaders, and taking as much burden off my Engineers as I could.

I was also utilized as a concept artist, inventing new IPs, themes, and gameplay mechanics.

PUBLISHED GAMES WORKED ON - IGT:
Cleopatra Gold, Triple Red Hot Sevens Free Games, The Keystone Kops, Jenga: Tower of Money, Bonus Bubbles, The Dark Knight, Dia de Muertos, Golden Gecko, Red Rhino, Pink Diamond Free Games, Ascent of the Queen, Age of Aurora: Aries, Electro Max, Star Rise, Tokidoki, Valley of Gold: Egyptian, Valley of Gold: Mayan, Tango de Oro, Spooktacular, Garden Party, Bells of Ireland

I designed and created all visuals for an educational tradeshow video game, who's purpose was to educate attendees on the various expertise of our client's company, while engaging them with a fun and challenging interactive experience. This involved a topdown 2D environment in which to avoid enemies, plus storytelling sequences with a quiz element. I brought it to life with the help of engineer over the course of a couple months, and the result was a success of which the client was very satisfied and happy.

I worked with various clients (Disney, Wal*Mart, Playtex, etc.) to create custom eCards for advertising on American Greetings' websites. Other products included online games, interactive desktop wallpapers and banner ads. I did research to match branding styles of individual clients and generated fresh content through a variety of digital and traditional artistic techniques.

As a theme park caricaturist, I believe the most valuable thing I learned is breaking someone's proportions down into simple abstract shapes, which can be exaggerated or stylized in infinite ways, while staying instantly identifiable as that unique individual. I've found those principles apply greatly to visual design in general.