Meet our alumni

Kristian Davidson - Game Art & Design

Original program: Game Art & Design

Alumni Information
School: LaSalle College Vancouver
Grad Year: 2004
Program of Study: Game Art & Design
Degree: Diploma

Employment/Professional Information
Company Name: Kristian Davidson
Location: Richmond
Job Title: Freelance 3D Character Artist
Primary Responsibilities: Modeling and texturing characters for games and film.

What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?

Being invited (and published) to contribute to the Secrets of ZBrush Experts book.

What are your creative inspirations or influences? Who are your heroes?

Most of my influences come from other game artists and the way they bring both the fantastic and the mundane believably to life. I’m a big fan of Tim Appleby who was the lead character artist on Brink.

What do you enjoy the most about your career?

I think the sheer variety of what I get to work on is probably the best part. Whether it’s a cute little fairy, CG abs for Taylor Lautner, or just a good old sci-fi crate, each job pushes me a different way and allows me to explore different styles.

How did your education at LaSalle College Vancouver help prepare you for your career?

My time at LaSalle College Vancouver was a little different than most as the program was really focused around design and I went into art. But in games, I’ve found it very useful to be able to design based on game-play and not just aesthetics.

What advice do you have for people beginning their careers in your profession?

Be patient and persistent. Even with a killer portfolio and all the contacts in the world it can still be incredibly difficult to get started as an artist in either games or film. Get yourself noticed online. Places like Polycount.com and CGtalk have a tremendous community of working professionals willing to share and teach what they can. Interact with these people and offer more than just praise and you’ll get noticed.