"Hello! My name is Gary. I’ve been working for nearly twenty years as a concept artist and illustrator in the video game and entertainment industry. When I first moved to California, I had no idea that art could actually be a career, but after meeting more seasoned artists and learning more about how the art industry works, I was hooked. I’ve always been drawn (no pun intended) to the designing and creating of characters and creatures, which quickly became my focus. I’ve had the pleasure of working for many companies in my career, and after moving to freelance in 2016, my experiences became even more varied. I’ve had the opportunity to design for companies such as Blizzard, Wizards of The Coast, Ubisoft, and many more. I also work in publishing, illustrating for children’s books and writing and illustrating my own young adult fantasy novels.

Since 2015 I’ve been mentoring art students as well as artists already in the industry in order help them broaden their skills in areas such as, drawing and sketching, character design, painting (digitally and traditionally), concept art, illustrating, rendering, story-telling, problem-solving, and more. In that time, with hard work, nearly all of my mentees have found employment in the video game and entertainment industries. My favorite mediums are graphite, pen and ink, watercolor, and digital programs such as Photoshop and Procreate.

Without the guidance of more experienced artists, I would never have had the career or opportunities I’ve been lucky enough to have. My goal as a tutor is to not only give back to aspiring artists by sharing my techniques for character design and illustration, but to help by sharing my experiences in the industry and helping with portfolio development as well. I encourage you to reach out with any questions you might have. I will respond as promptly as I can." less...