Benjamin Nicholas

Environment Artist at 343 Industries

belgianbooleancg@gmail.com

Summary
Portfolio: http://belgianbooleancg.com/

Experience
Environment Artist at 343 Industries
March 2014 - Present (1 year 3 months)
Creating hard surface art for the Halo franchise
World Builder and Environment/Prop Artist at Camouflaj game studio
April 2013 - March 2014 (1 year)
I model and texture environment art and props; while also doing world building and lighting levels.
Contract Artist at Camouflaj game studio
January 2013 - April 2013 (4 months)
Offsite prop and weapon artist working on Camouflaj's flagship title Republique.
3d Concept Designer at adidas group
June 2012 - April 2013 (11 months)
As Adidas' only dedicated 3d concept designer, I develop new design languages and help generate ideas
for top tier product within the Advanced Team. My responsibilities include: Using 3d tools such as
Zbrush and Maya to design, concept, and iterate on key products that help define the future design and color
languages of the brand Sitting in on reviews with both design and marketing to find a consistent visual
direction Rapid prototyping models for presentations and critiques Teaching designers how to use 3d
tools to help with the design process
3d Designer and Instructor at Adidas America
September 2011 - June 2012 (10 months)
I worked in the Direction group within Sports Performance and was part of a team that created the first 3d
based virtual pipeline in Adidas. The end goal was to develop 3d tools for designers while meeting their
creative needs and the practical requirements of the pipeline. My responsibilities included: - Modeled and
textured for both internal and external presentations/advertisements - Project Management for 3d initiatives
and projects - 3d Tool development for changing the development and pipeline of product creation globally
- Instructed designers on how to use developed tools at the Adidas headquarters in Germany and in

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Portland - Supported designers here in Portland and in Germany while providing them with any resources/
troubleshooting they needed
1 recommendation available upon request
Art Lead at Sony Mentorship Program II
April 2011 - September 2011 (6 months)
As art lead, I oversaw the creation of all models and textures for Sony's second mentorship program with the
Art Institute of Portland My responsibilities included: - Giving art assignments and helping keep track of
assets over the course of the game production - Critiquing all models and texture to ensure they met with the
art style and quality standards - Met regularly with other leads to maintain overall direction and milestones
for the production
4 recommendations available upon request
Contract Modeler and Texture Artist at Stumptown Game Machine
June 2011 - July 2011 (2 months)
I created 3d models and hand painted textures for a canceled mobile and social game
1 recommendation available upon request
Freelance Modeler and Texture artist at Nike
August 2010 - March 2011 (8 months)
I modeled and textured for various Nike ads and promotions
Freelance modeler and web designer at BBlesse Pro
January 2010 - January 2011 (1 year 1 month)
Assisted in multimedia projects such as videos and web design Developed a jQuery turnaround app that
allowed clients to manually turn around 3d model online
Lead Modeler and Art Director at Sony Mentorship Program
July 2010 - September 2010 (3 months)
I worked on the first Sony sponsored game production team within the Art Institute of Portland. As
modeling lead and art director - I oversaw my portion of the pipeline and ensured that all models met
our personal standards and those of Sony - Helped ensure that all changes Sony requested were made
in a timely and efficient manner - Studied the art and gameplay of Sony's Planetside IP so that we could
stay loyal to the subject matter - Worked with the texturing lead to develop an asset list and maintain
assignments for all artists - Critiqued all art regularly and requested changes
1 recommendation available upon request
3d Modeler and Graphic Designer Intern at Slate Technologies
January 2010 - May 2010 (5 months)
I created 3d and 2d assets for web design, mobile applications, and mobile games. This included development
for the iPhone and iPad.

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Skills & Expertise

Unreal Engine
Zbrush
3D Studio Max
Maya
Unreal Engine 3
Modo
Occlusion
Mudbox
Photoshop
Illustrator
3D
UV mapping
Texturing
Hard Surface Modeling
3D Modeling
Character Animation
Game Development
After Effects
Digital Sculpting
Concept Design
Texture Artist
Modeling
Computer Animation
Traditional Animation
Texture Painting
Game Art

Education
The Art Institute of Portland
BFA, Video Game Art and Design, 2007 - 2011
3 recommendations available upon request

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Benjamin Nicholas
Environment Artist at 343 Industries
belgianbooleancg@gmail.com

10 people have recommended Benjamin

"Ben has been a great hire at adidas. He has a highly evolved skillset in 3D design and has been a great
resource internally when creating photo-real product visualizations. Ben's work ethic, patience and
persistence in the studio has proven that he is continually looking to improve his skills and that he can be
relied upon to get the job done !"
Andy Shearer, Recruiter, adidas, worked with Benjamin at Adidas America
"Ben is a natural. He is super approachable guy. He know 3d super well. He knows how to manage priorities.
I can't think of a better person who could have been the art lead on this project. The down side is he didn't
have much chance to really model on his own for this project, but don't let that lack of work from this project
fool you. He helped deliver a truly beautiful game due to his leadership over the other artist to maintain a high
quality bar. He did more for the project helping maintain that standard than he could have by making a few
more assets. He knows how to work on a team. Ben is one of those people you meet and you know you want
him on your team. He is a stand up guy. I couldn't recommend him enough."
Patrick Wren, Student, The Art Institute of Portland, worked directly with Benjamin at Sony Mentorship
Program II
"Benjamin is a dedicated, skilled and professional artist. While working together on the production team his
experience proved to be a valuable asset. His compassion and interpersonal skills round him out as a great
worker and person. I'd work with Ben again on any project."
Erik Knapp, Student, The Art Institute of Portland, reported to Benjamin at Sony Mentorship Program II
"I had the pleasure of working with Ben in the Sony Online Entertainment Mentorship Program II at the Art
Institute of Portland. Ben was the art lead, and worked closely with all artists to ensure the highest quality
modeling and texturing techniques were implemented for our game. Ben did an excellent job at overseeing
other artists, and critiquing new assets every week, as well as helping us figure out the style of our game. I
would work with Ben on any project in a heart beat. He Is easily the most talented 3d Artist I've ever had the
honor of working with, and an all around great person."
Curtis Cavallucci, Level Artist, Sony Mentorship Program II, worked directly with Benjamin at Sony
Mentorship Program II
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"Benjamin Nicholas is a fellow student I met attending the Art Institute of Portland. We met when we both
became leads during our school's production team. Together we have helped run 1 finished production
team, and soon to complete a second with similar roles. During that time our team benefited from his
professionalism, his artistic and technical talent,as well as his leadership and knack for working with others,
all while under the stress of a suffering project. I would easily recommend him for any job or position, and
hopefully will have the pleasure of working with him again sometime soon. Alexander"
Alexander Dracott, Student, The Art Institute of Portland, worked directly with Benjamin at Sony
Mentorship Program II
"Ben is a great friend and a great worker. I met him a few years back during the first Sony Mentorship
Program at the Art Institute of Portland and he has never ceased to amaze me with his hard work and
dedication. He is a great person to know and work with and I would love to work with him any time."
Jacob Stone, Contract Modeler and Texture Artist, Stumptown Game Machine, worked directly with
Benjamin at Stumptown Game Machine
"Ben shows dedication and maturity beyond his years. He is smart, articulate, and a good listener -- all good
qualities for a lead position. He would be an asset to any team."
Lucas Haley, Full-Time Faculty, The Art Institute of Portland, managed Benjamin at Sony Mentorship
Program
"I had the pleasure of working closely with Ben over the course of a game production team at the Art
Institute. Ben showed an astute ability to lead, providing valuable feedback and guidance to those working
under him while collaborating and problem-solving with fellow leads. Ben was fun to work with while
maintaining a high level off efficiency and professionalism. I would work with him again without reservation
and recommend his work to anyone."
Chad Asbjornsen, Student, The Art Institute of Portland, studied with Benjamin at The Art Institute of
Portland
"I had the honor of studying with Ben throughout our respective careers at the Art Institute of Portland,
including the first two Sony Mentorship Programs. He has an incredible passion for the field, and rises
to meet new challenges with dedication, gusto, and an insatiable appetite to learn new things about his
craft. He can be counted on to offer helpful insights, as well as thinking outside the box in order to solve
unconventional or challenging problems. His extraordinary capacity for listening, strong work ethic, and great
sense of humor work in concert with his aforementioned qualities and made him an invaluable asset to the
projects he has been involved in."
Chris Rice, Student, The Art Institute of Portland, studied with Benjamin at The Art Institute of Portland

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"Ben and I worked over multiple terms together, across two successful production teams under the
mentorship of Sony Online Entertainment. The reason these production teams succeeded was, in no small
part, due to the qualities Ben possesses. Ben is a tremendous force, from Lead Artist to guiding work flow
and game production methodology. Not to mention finding the time and will to create high quality, high
priority assets. Mr. Nicholas carries a very real human element and sensitivity into his endeavors. His skills
as a raw modeler and texture artist are top notch and Ben's drive to better himself will only serve those who
work with him, to their benefit."
Luciano Alioto, Student, The Art Institute of Portland, studied with Benjamin at The Art Institute of
Portland
Contact Benjamin on LinkedIn

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