ABOUT ME

Hiya, I'm Vii! (she/her)I specialize in pixel art and 3D art.My interests lie in colorful styles, character design, and worldbuilding. I love games about adventures and stories!My favorite game is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I am also a big enjoyer of Pokemon, Atelier, and Rune Factory.Outside of gaming, I enjoy collecting artbooks, adoring cats, and jump rope.I'll always do my best, and my best will be different everyday!
---CONTACT:
artsyvii@gmail.com

• Email
• Twitter
• Tumblr
• Gamepad
• Bluesky

• RESUME

EDUCATION

Masters of Science (M.S.)
Games and Playable Media
University of California, Santa Cruz
SEPT 2023 - MAR 2024Bachelors of Arts (B.A.)
Art and Design: Games and Playable Media
University of California, Santa Cruz
SEPT 2017 - JUNE 2021

SOFTWARE EXPERIENCE

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

I have worked with companies including:

• Italic Pig
• 100 Thieves
• Team SoloMid (TSM)
and more

METAL BEANS

3D artist, pixel artist

CAT COVE INN

pixel artist

@ Code Coven with Facebook Gaming

BÌXIÉ

pixel artist

QUEST QUEST: THE QUEST FOR QUESTS

pixel artist

PROTECTED MATERIAL

@ Italic Pig

WAVES OF MEMORY

pixel artist

SPACE ZOOLOGIST

art lead, pixel artist

A STROLL AFTER CLASS

a solo project

PROTOTYPES

various mini solo projects

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GAME ENGINE: UNITY
TEAM SIZE: 9
PLATFORM: windows
GENRE: 3D, action, arcade, endless survivor, pixel art

PROJECT DURATION:
January 2023 - March 2024RELEASE DATE:
March 25, 2024

METAL BEANS

3d artist, pixel artist

METAL BEANS is a 3D Action-Arcade game where you control two desktop buddies in a computer space. Protect the PC from digital threats by charging up your way through virus creatures and upgrading Catbot and Robitz in the system!

MY RESPONSIBILITIES AS ARTIST:
creating all of the artwork for the game, including
• 3D models and animations
• 2D UI art
• 2D Visual Effects

• steam
• website
• twitter

RECEPTION
as of MARCH 2024, METAL BEANS has received over 450 wishlists and 290 downloads, with a 95% Positive Rating on STEAM.

3D MODELS

ART STYLE
Characters are low-poly with pixel art textures to give a retro stylization.• Each model retains a unique armature, which I rigged separately for all animation states, including the states in common across enemies such as an idle.

Visual Effects

INTENT
I made visual effects to support player feedback and indicate action.• Key Points: Pixellated, sparkly.

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GAME ENGINE: UNITY
TEAM SIZE: 4
PLATFORM: windows, android
GENRE: 2D, pixel art, pet simulator

PROJECT DURATION:
June 2022 - September 2022DATE RELEASED:
September 30, 2022

CAT COVE INN

pixel artist

Cat Cove Inn is a cozy and comforting 2D simulation game about bonding with fostered cats. Interact with the cats through mini-games to discover more about their behavior and personalities, and once they are ready, help them find their forever home!

MY RESPONSIBILITIES:
creating all the artwork for the game, including
• concept art
• character sprites and animations
• UI art
• environments

Cat Cove Inn was made under the 2022 Code Coven Game Developer Program with Facebook Gaming, an 11-week accelerated mentorship empowering game developers of marginalized backgrounds.

• itch io
• twitter

facebook gaming spotlight

POST PRODUCTION INTERVIEW
a short press video with the Cat Cove Inn team regarding our experience working together and on the concept of the game.

milestones

RECEPTION
as of DEC 2022, Cat Cove Inn has received over 18,000 downloads and browser plays, with a 4.6 star rating on itch.io.DONATION PERIOD
during the month of october, 100% of the proceeds were set for donations to the OC Animal Care shelter located in Tustin, CA.

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GAME ENGINE: UNITY
TEAM SIZE: 13
PLATFORM: PC
GENRE: 2D, couch/online co-op, pixel art, sidescroller

PROJECT DURATION:
October 2020 - June 2021DATE RELEASED:
June 9, 2021

BÌXIÉ

pixel artist

Bìxié is a 2d co-op narrative action sidescroller about a dragon princess and her lion protector that must discover the truth to a ritual-- and their feelings for eachother.

MY RESPONSIBILITIES:
creating all the pixel art, including
• character sprites and animations
• sidescroller environments

SECONDARY TASKS:
• providing framework and reviewing the story for the character dialogue

• website
• itch io
• twitter

concept art

FROM TOP DOWN TO SIDESCROLLER
· Our first prototype for Bìxié was a top down game, but was shifted to sidescroller to convey the girls "fighting alongside eachother" more clearly.· I created separate layers for the sidescroller background components, with fading hues to distinguish each depth and for parallax functionality.· I compiled the art in tilesets, and assembled the level using the Tiled map engine.

2 PLAYER CO-OP, 2 ARTIST CO-OP
· I crafted a less saturated and lineless pixel style to emulate a soft, watercolor storybook aesthetic.· This art style choice was also intended to create a cohesive aesthetic that would work alongside the character portraits and UI of Bìxié's illustrator.

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GAME ENGINE: UNITY
TEAM SIZE: 3
PLATFORM: PC
GENRE: 2D, pixel art, platformer

PROJECT DURATION:
May 2020 - June 2020DATE RELEASED:
June 5, 2020

WAVES OF MEMORY

pixel artist

Waves of Memory is a 2D narrative platformer that follows the journey of a Sea Bunny trying to regain memory of their forgotten powers and status by gaining clues through puzzles, problem solving, and NPC interaction, within an underwater kingdom.

MY RESPONSIBILITIES:
creating all the artwork for the game, including
• concept art
• character sprites and animations
• tiled environmentslevel design
• creating maps using tile atlases and the Tiled engine
• designed levels based on story and mechanics progression

• gamejolt

concept art

UNDERWATER COLOR PALETTE
· Waves of Memory takes place in an underwater shipwreck. However, in my first iteration of the art, the setting felt like a cave above ground.· For the final version, I used an all-blue color palette for any asset or wall in the background to convey the immersion of being underwater.

NARRATIVE INTENT WITH THE ENVIRONMENT
· We wanted the environment to tell part of the story alongside the direct dialogue of the game.· The game uses a vibrant color palette, but piles of fish skeleton and broken banners become more apparent as the player progresses through the levels.

GAME ENGINE: UNITY
TEAM SIZE: 11 (at time of involvement)
PLATFORM: PC
GENRE: 2D, pixel art, management. strategy

ONBOARD DURATION:
May 2020 - June 2021DATE RELEASED:
June 29, 2023

SPACE ZOOLOGIST

art lead, pixel artist

Space Zoologist is a top down 2d research simulator about animal caretaking and observational practices.As part of the California Education Learning Lab Project, Space Zoologist aims to teach students the engineering design process in an interactive way through a gaming lens.

MY RESPONSIBILITIES:
creating pixel art, including
• character sprites and animations
• top down environment tilesets
• concept art and art style guide

• build
• github

concept art

OUTERSPACE ATMOSPHERE
· I was given the opportunity to direct the aesthetics and art style of Space Zoologist.· I created an area mockup with 4 different color palettes.· I focused on cooler colors for all the natural elements, while human made machinery and products would contrast in warmer or metallic shades.· I avoided natural green and brown colors to convey a fictional planet unlike Earth.

AS ART LEAD
It was fulfilling to create a timeline and oversee the art tasks for the efficiency of the whole art department.· As the lead artist, I created environment color guides and animal sprite sheet references.· I also divided project assets by categories based on whether the other artists were more skilled in VFX, UI, or sprite work.

CONTROLS:
WASD / ARROW KEYS - move, interact, talk

GAME ENGINE: bitsy
GENRE: 2D, pixel art, platformer
PLATFORM: PC

PROJECT DURATION: 1 week
**DATE RELEASED: April 3, 2023

a stroll after class

solo project development

a stroll after class is a short 2D narrative game about a student wandering around college campus after class. Cross animals and other students, bump into friends here and there for small chat, hear out-of-context conversations as you go about your day.· I wanted to make a tribute to a part of my college memories--specifically my fondness for those uneventful, but relaxing days in between festivities.

MY RESPONSIBILITIES:
creating the game, including
• art assets
• map design
• programming
• narrative

MY OBJECTIVES IN CREATING THIS GAME:
• work within the limited constraints and tools of a simple game engine.
• create art assets within a smaller scope to get creative with tile sets and color palettes.
• understanding the design framework behind assembling connected maps

• itch io

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GAME ENGINE: unreal
GENRE: 3D, pixel art, platform, puzzle
PLATFORM: PC
MUSIC: "a vision" by comfi beats

PROJECT DURATION: 2 weeks
DATE COMPLETED: June 16, 2023

GARDEN GUARDIAN

3D Puzzle Farming

In Garden Guardian, you are a bunny tasked to grow crops above in the glowing clouds! Walk through disappearing platform puzzles to grab the tools you need to bring the fields to life.

PROTOTYPE OBJECTIVE:
• Create low poly 3D models
• Understand how to implement of materials and textures in Unreal
• Create a simple level design concept with the potential for expansion

DESIGN CONCEPT
• In iteration A, the farm fields would spread across the map, but backtracking would have been repetitive and respawning platforms would remove the challenge of selective movement.• Iteration B, the final design, uses a central farm field the player consistently returns to, while platforming permanently disappears and encourages decision making.

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GAME ENGINE: UNITY
GENRE: 2D, pixel art, top down, arcade
PLATFORM: PC

PROJECT DURATION: 1.5 weeks
DATE COMPLETED: March 24, 2023

METAL BEAN MINI

2D Top Down Arcade

In METAL BEAN MINI, you are a robot that must attack Popup Windows that have trapped your friends inside. But while you try to save them, Virus Enemies pose as a threat to stop you from hacking your way through.The objective is to survive and collect as many points as possible before the timer ends. Collect points by defeating Popup Windows and Viruses.

PROTOTYPE OBJECTIVE:
create a prototype of a larger planned game.
• test out the relationship between the player focusing on two objectives simultaneously

• download

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GAME ENGINE: UNITY
GENRE: 2D, pixel art, strategy, tower defense, arcade
PLATFORM: PC

PROJECT DURATION: 1.5 weeks
DATE COMPLETED: February 7, 2023

BUNNY BATTLE

2D Tower Defense

In Bunny Battle, two constant streams of enemies known as "Badbunnies" approach Carrot Castle. The more enemies defeated, the more they become tankier with health. Send out your Bunnyguards to find the best strategy of tower placement to protect Carrot Castle as long as possible!

PROTOTYPE OBJECTIVE:
• experiment with interface interaction via placing down units on specific tiles
• explore an automatic difficulty system increased by the player's ability to destroy more enemies

BUG NOTICE:
• please note that at this time there is an error where the game over scene does not properly restart the game. to play again, you must reopen the application.

• download

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GAME ENGINE: UNITY
PLATFORM: PC
GENRE: 3D, third-person-shooter, platformer

PROJECT DURATION: 2 weeks
DATE COMPLETED: March 7, 2023

BATTERY BOT

3D Platformer

In Battery Bot, you must find and fill up the four Yellow Target Spheres scattered in the area using your Battery Blaster!You can also use the Battery Blaster to protect yourself from the Bad Byte Enemies that stand in your way. To help face the Target Spheres and Enemies, collect batteries to speed up your Blaster recharge to make it easier to pave your path to the finish!

PROTOTYPE OBJECTIVE:
• create UI attached to the player and other ingame objects
• explore a recharge mechanic based on the player's ability to shoot bullets and change the recharge rate

• download

top down concept art

BACKGROUND
Lead Artist work for Space Zoologist, a simulator about animal caretaking and observational practices.I created this tileset concept art to communicate how I envisioned the design and the dimensions needed.PROCESS
• I created all ground tiles in at 16x16 pixel dimension on separate canvases, and then compiled them as a tilemap in Aseprite.• I iterated on the color palette for every asset in order to find an overall scheme that our team aligned with "fictional fantasy farm" the most.

isometric town

BACKGROUND
This original piece was inspired by the camera perspective of Harvest Moon 64 and the Disgaea series.I was interested in breaking down the process behind an isometric environment.PROCESS
• I established the constant pixel incline of the basic map grid to determine the angle for buildings and construction, while rounder objects such as the tree or bushes had less of an angular challenge as they could simply face the camera.

top down dungeon

BACKGROUND
• This artwork is featured in The Amigops Files, a digital and physical fanbook dedicated to a group of four talented internet personalities.PROCESS• I made individual tile sprites for the walls and ground, then created the tilemap on one main canvas. I added the character sprites and UI last.

retro farm tileset

BACKGROUND
• This was my first artwork drawn and compiled strictly using a tileset workflow.PROCESS
• My first step was drawing the ground tiles and then blocking out a rough map.• I then based the placement of other assets around this map design-- adding the river, farm plot, picnic mat, and lumber in different corners to balance out the composition.

parallax sidescroller map

BACKGROUND
This artwork is featured in Bìxié, a co-op narrative sidescroller about a dragon princess and a lion warrior.As the team's pixel artist, I created all of the ingame assets.PROCESS
• I drew 3+ layers of varying sizes and color to emulate the depth of the forest and city.• I used Tiled to create the full level design.

DND TOP DOWN MAP

BACKGROUND
• This was a series of map commissions for an ongoing Dungeons and Dragons campaign for content creator KKatamina.See the maps in use:
Beach Campaign Video
Haunted Mansion Campaign VideoPROCESS
• I was given a short description of the map theme, each interactive landmark, and the rough layout.• I was then given artistic freedom to concept, color, and animate the full piece within these rules.

character design

• Character Theme -- "Rose": I created five characters with the same theme, but with different body types and floral interpretation for the outfits.

• Character Variants -- Cats: I designed various fantasy-based and multicolored cats as the pixel artist for
Cat Cove Inn.

• Outfit Design: Concept art for different costumes for three of my original characters. These characters are each associated with their own unique color palette.

spritework

• Character Portraits: Dialogue headshots featuring various characters of different body types and outfits--these were also a style I offer for freelance commission work.

• Animation States: Various action states for the player character of Bixie, a game I worked on as pixel artist.

• Animation States: Different expressions for the mascot character of Cat Cove Inn, a game I worked on as pixel artist.

• Sprite Template: I created three different characters derivative of the same sprite base. These characters are each associated with one color scheme.

• Top Down Sprites: Front and Back walking sprites I created for an animated music video.

• Dialogue Portraits: Various emotion states of an original character, purposed for an RPG Maker game.

stream scenes

• VTuber Starting Screen: This artwork has a day, evening, and night cycle where details change depending on the time of day. Commissioned by Sykkuno for his occasional VTuber Streams.

• VTuber Starting Screen: A crystalline cave setting with a cozy campfire. Commissioned by Chrchie for her comfy, music Twitch streams.

• Cooking Show Starting Screen: Dynamic cooking scene transitions with the UI style of a video game. Commissioned by Neeko for Season 1 of her show, "Noms with Neeko".

ANIMATED EMOTES

• Emote Sets: Various emote packs commissioned by Twitch Streamers, featuring their personas/mascots to be used in stream chats by their subbed commmunity.
Starsmitten | EajPark| Sydeon | PeterPark

• TSM Dota Supporters Pack Emotes: Emotes commissioned by TSM for their pack in the Dota 2 Supporters Club. Season 5+.

STREAM ALERTS

• VTuber Alerts: Various stream alerts to appear during raids and gift subs for Starsmitten's Twitch streams.

• Chibi Sub Alerts: A chibi commission style that many creators have asked to use for their Twitch stream alerts or for their content pages.

status effects

The assets shown below are from METAL BEANS, a game I am the artist for.See here for more on my work for METAL BEANS.

• Potion Effects: Visuals that would appear directly above the player to indicate a floppy disk potion was used. For METAL BEANS.

• UI Indicators: For the player to understand when they are inputting attacks (top), can attack an enemy (bottom left) and when an object is locked (bottom right).

attack visuals

The assets shown below are from METAL BEANS, a game I am the artist for.See here for more on my work for METAL BEANS.

• Full Attacks: I created both 2D sprites in Aseprite and 3D objects in Blender. I worked alongside the programmer to establish the behavior of when each asset would appear and last.

• Floor Parallel: I created looping animations in Aseprite that were then placed parallel to the ground to help give more dimension to the attacks.

• Pixel but 3D Objects: I used low poly modelling and both constant and linear interpolation to create the objects, with Pribambase to directly paint the pixel art via Aseprite. I then animated the object using several different bones.

• Attack Names: The 2D animations made in Aseprite that would appear above the player to give further attention and juice to the executed move.

DigITAL AESTHETIC

The assets shown below are from METAL BEANS, a game I am the artist for.See here for more of my 3D work on METAL BEANS.

THEME
I wanted to create a retro, digital aesthetic using 3D models and 2D textures.Set inside of a computer space, I ensured that the environment assets felt floaty, pixellated, and technological.

• SHOP DESIGN: I designed and modeled based off of operating system assets and turned them into livelier interactable shops. (settings, recycling bin, computer tower).

• OBJECT DESIGN: I designed and modeled items based off of a computer tower and combined it with the mechanic intent (ex: healing, area of field effect)

3D + 2.5D Environment

BACKGROUND
I wanted to experiment with an environment of 3D and 2.5D Model aesthetics.The character featured here is from OMORI.PROCESS
• I used Aseprite to create the pixel textures, with Pribambase to directly draw on the Blender UV Maps.• 2D styled assets such as the flowers and trees were modeled using plane meshes to create the 2.5D effect.

character

The characters shown below are from METAL BEANS, a game I was the artist for.See here for more of my 3D work on METAL BEANS.

• PLAYER DESIGN: I designed and modeled two characters with robotic body types, low poly features, and detachable arms.• For the color palette, ROBITZ has carrot-like colors, while CATBOT is cyber-vaporwave inspired.• I used Clip Studio Paint to make the Character Turnaround Sheets. The model was then made in Blender, and the textures were drawn using Aseprite and Pribambase.

• CREATURE DESIGN: I designed and modeled enemy characters under a digital/computer themed aesthetic.• I directly box modeled the enemies after making initial concept art sketches without a model sheet, as we intended to view these as temporary assets.

• VARIANTS: I designed and modeled variants of our basic enemy in consideration of scope and identifiable theming throughout our game modes.

CHARACTER

The full process of creating, modelling, and painting my own character.

• CEL SHADE STYLE: After shading the character in Substance Painter, I adjusted the shading settings in Blender to create a ce shade style inspired by Zelda.

ANIMATIONS

The characters shown below are from METAL BEANS, a game I was the artist for.See here for more of my 3D work on METAL BEANS.

• COMBAT ANIMATIONS": Fighting action states I created for short range and long range type attacks.

• KEYFRAMES BREAKDOWN: The separate Action States that make up this singular attack animation."Action Release" state is the active hitbox when attacking an enemy.

• ENEMY ANIMATIONS: Characters that share the same states, but have unique animations. In this video, enemies are stunned from player collision.• I rigged the phases of the animation across Action States in Blender.

MODEL VARIANTS

• "Recolored"/"Recycled" Monsters: I modeled several rabbit creature designs of a similar base mesh.• I duplicated one of the object meshes and independently modified the UV map and armatures for each different creature model.The fanart of these characters featured here are from OMORI.