Learn From Industry Professionals at Vertex School

At Vertex School our mentors are industry professionals who guide and train aspiring game artists and game developers to advance their skills and become industry experts. These mentors have extensive experience working in 3D industries and possess a deep understanding of the creative and technical aspects of game art and game development.

Our mentors act as personal guides to help students solve problems, break through roadblocks, overcome plateaus, and create their best work. These mentors help students structure their own study plans and tailor the curriculum to their study style. To add to that, our mentors help students with career planning, give tips and advice regarding landing a job, and often write job recommendations!

These industry professionals provide up-to-date learning and work at places like Blizzard, Ubisoft, CD Projekt Red, Naughty Dog, Fall Damage, Lighthouse Games, and more. Learning from people who are currently working in the industry provides an immeasurable benefit over learning from traditional university instructors who often give outdated lessons being that they’re typically no longer working in the industry and are instead full-time instructors.

Meet Some Of Our Mentors

Marcin Klicki

marcin klicki vertex school mentor

Royce made by Marcin Klicki for Cyberpunk 2077

One notable Vertex School mentor is Marcin Klicki who is an Expert Character Artist at CD Projekt Red and has been working in the industry since 2009. He has worked on titles such as The Witcher 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone. His most recent work is on Cyberpunk 2077.

Unlike with traditional 4-year schools, at Vertex School you focus on the specific skill sets that make you a job candidate. I’ve had many students who came to Vertex after attending a 4 year school because they still didn’t have the skills to get a career. At Vertex School you go straight to the meat of character art, environment art, or  game development.” – Marcin Klicki

Ashley Sparling

ashley sparling Vertex School Mentor

Empedocles – Head and Skin Texture created by Ashley Sparling

Another beloved mentor is Ashley Sparling. Ashley is CEO/ Character Art Director at K9 Digital Character Outsourcers Studio. He has 14 years in the games Industry working at studios such as Splash Damage, Ubisoft, Jagex, Lionhead, and Natural Motion.

Ashley mentored Game Art Program Graduate, Étienne Cardona Plourde. Étienne writes, “Thanks to Vertex School and a recommendation from my mentor, Ashley Sparling, I’ve been hired by Ubisoft as a 3D Character Artist. I was not expecting such an awesome conclusion to the program.” – Étienna Cardona Plourde

Jacob Claussen

Jacob Claussen Vertex School Mentor

The Great Hall of Hogwarts by Jacob Claussen

Next, meet Jacob Claussen. Jacob is another industry professional who has made a significant impact in the gaming industry and as a game art program mentor. He is a Vertex School Environment Art Mentor and Environment Art Director at Fall Damage. Jacob has been a mentor here at Vertex for over 3 years now and has been working in the industry since 2013. Projects he’s worked on include Overkill’s The Walking Dead, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2: Warlords of New York Expansion, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Alara Prime, and more!

In regards to learning at Vertex School Jacob writes, “So the exciting thing with our industry is that workflow and mindset will change at a faster pace than other industries.

Going to class with a teacher that is part of that can really help you in learning what matters right now but also what is important for the future. Both when it comes to workflow and fundamentals.” – Jacob Claussen

Filipe Magalhaes

Unreal Engine 5 Static and Skeletal Mesh Importing with Python by Filipe Magalhaes

Finally, we introduce you to Game Development Program mentor, Filipe Magalhaes Strazzeri. In addition to being a Vertex School mentor, Filipe is a Principal Technical Artist at Lighthouse Games. Before that role he worked as a Senior Technical Artist at ZeniMax Online Studios and as a RealTime Supervisor at NVIZ! Some of Filipe’s skills include:

  • C++ for gameplay programming / extending engine functionality and supporting teams with tooling.
  • Python for stand-alone tools or DCC automation (Maya/Houdini/Substance/Unreal/Reality Capture).

At Vertex School our mentors play a vital role in shaping the next generation of game artists and developers. These industry professionals bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table. They are dedicated to helping aspiring game artists and developers enhance their skills and achieve their goals. Marcin, Ashley, Jacob, and Filipe are just a few of the many talented game art and development mentors who are making a significant impact in the industry today! 

Learn More about the Vertex School Mentors now!