About William M. Sullivan
I started in the video game business in 1992 at Stormfront Studios. I was hired because of my skills as an artist. I had no computer experience at that time. I thought it would be good to learn how to make art on the computer, especially if I got paid for it. I thought I would last about 6 months in front of a computer. I remember about a year later thinking "I'll never get this," and then realizing I had a Mac mouse in one hand, a PC mouse in the other hand, and that I had used at least six different programs that day-not bad for someone who just didn't get it. Well, I still don't consider myself an expert on the computer, but as a Lead Artist I have had an outstanding track record. In the 11 years that I have been at Edge of Reality in Austin I have been the Lead Artist on 8 shipped games on 9 different platforms using 4 different game engines.
I think that what sets me apart from other artists in this industry is my strong background in "fine" arts. My art work has been exhibited in many galleries and museums including several one man shows at the Sherry French Gallery in New York City. I love drawing, painting and studying art history. Unlike most game artists, I think games should be fun first, on budget second, and beautiful third. In other words, the art needs to support the gameplay. Few games succeed if they are not fun to play, and few ship if they are not on budget (money, time and memory.) I'm sitting here thinking about why these two ideas belong in the same paragraph - my fine arts background and my belief that the appearance is not the most important thing about a game - and it's because both give me a unique approach to being a Lead Artist, and it seems to work.
I have lasted so long in the game business because as a landscape artist, it's magic to make a world in which you can walk, run, drive, fly and fight. And with the right team, the lighting can change, the sun can set, it can rain! Not only that, you can make a character that can walk, run, drive, fly and fight in that world. If I can imagine it, we can make it. And that's really cool-that's magic!
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If you are looking for a leader with the passion and skill for art direction contact me