3D Virtual Worlds & 3D Environments

I use Maya, ZBrush, and sometimes Max to create 3D environment art, depending on the project. For 3D natural landscapes, I use heightmap level editors .  For textures, I use Photoshop and ZBrush, and collect much of my own texture source.  My favorite genres and sci-fi and fantasy, with a realistic bent.

At Microsoft Game Studios, I created 3D environments for four shipped AA titles; including Forza2 Motorsports, Mechwarrior4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator.  Screenshots from some of the in-game assets I created for these games are above:  Forza2 5, 9 & 10;  Mechwarrior 14.     In 10, I need to give credit:  The trees with grey trunks and half the tents were created by other team members.  The remaining trees, objects, and skies I created.

The alpine terrain environment (14) was created for Mechwarrior4 when I was part of FASA Studio at Microsoft.  I built all 6 alpine and swamp environments for Mechwarrior4:  Vengeance, which are in game.  The FASA team won PC Magazine's Sci-Fi Game of the year for Mech4.  My environment art also appears in Microsoft Flight Simulator, Combat Flight Simulator, Mechwarrior Mercenaries , Black Knight, Godfather2, and LOTR Tactics (PSP game). 

Through My Fingers, Spystation, Biodome, Alien Homeworld, Portal, and Curio were built for independent projects. I'm always working on improving lighting and creating original materials in order to get the most out of the technology and the art.  (1,2,3,4,7,11,12,15)   16 is an alternate version of 2.

The gritty Cuban building (6& 8) I created for Godfather2 at Electronic Arts.  GF2 is set to ship 2/2009.  I created and applied the base textures for the building surface materials; other materials and various parts of the building were a group effort of the GF2 art team, as we had a modular building approach.

15 is from Mythica, a MMO created at Microsoft, but cancelled 6 months prior to shipping.  Still, the environment team rocked!  Other team members contributed to this scene in terms of textures and general terrain sculpting.  I did the terrain detail sculpting, applied the textures, created the water geometry, textures, and lighting.

17 and 18 - some dungeons...

My digital art has been shown in fine art galleries, computer conferences Siggraph and Eurographics, has been published in industry magazines, is in several private collections. 

Special wireframe page.

Credits: I designed and created all elements of these 3D environments, with two exceptions:   Some textures and some building parts were a team effort of the Godfather2 art team at EA ( images 7&8); and, in image 10, the trees with the grey trunks and half the tents were made by others on the development team of Forza2 (MS). 

For more project information, see Projects & Resume

Email:  karin at escapistimagery dot com