We know what we’re doing, and we want you to as well. The best place to learn something is from the source, and at FUTUREPOLY every one of our instructors currently works in the video game industry. You can rest assured that you are getting a real education. If you’re having trouble deciding which school to attend, just compare our instructors' portfolios to the competitions'. If you can’t find their portfolios, there’s probably a good reason for that. ;)

Jason Stokes

  |  3D Modeling for Games
Jason Stokes has been working in the video game industry for over 10 years. He’s worked on multiple Disney Interactive projects and has been working with ArenaNet for the last six years. At ArenaNet Jason has helped set the visual standard for Guild Wars environments. His artwork has appeared in multiple publications, including Spectrum, Seattle Metropolitan, PC Gamer, and Guild Wars art books. For the last couple of years Jason has also been teaching 3-D courses. His enjoyment of sharing industry experience with enthusiastic students is his primary reason for starting FUTUREPOLY. Perhaps most importantly, Jason has recently pioneered a new dance move called “The Squiggler.”

                                           

Visit Jason's page on CGHub to see more.

Horia Dociu

  |  Texturing for Games, Life Drawing
Horia Dociu is currently the Guild Wars 2 cinematic director at ArenaNet. With over ten years of industry experience on projects like Valve's Half-Life 2, Horia has done everything from texturing and environment design to concept art and story boarding. An expert in Photoshop, Horia's focus at FUTUREPOLY is not only to teach the core mechanics of the program but to introduce students to the high level artistic concepts behind generating functional video game art. Horia enjoys learning as much as he loves teaching and is enthusiastic about helping aspiring artists find their place in the interactive entertainment industry. He may look like he's always frowning, but that's just his uni-brow.

                                           

Visit Horia's page on CGHub to see more.

Joe Pikop

  |  Character Modeling with ZBrush
Joe Pikop currently creates high poly creatures and characters for Guild Wars 2. With over six years experience in the industry, his knowledge of ZBrush is extensive, and he has played an integral role in helping companies adapt to next generation demands throughout his career. You can tell by Joe’s immaculate bow tie collection that he is a man of strong character and reputable convictions.

                                           

Visit Joe's page on CGHub to see more.

James Kei

  |  Concept Design, Illustration, Art Theory
James has worked as a professional illustrator/designer for 10 years, and has contributed to over 100 projects in the entertainment field, including many AAA games and feature films. He has a very diverse background, having studied in Russia and lived in Japan and Saudi Arabia. He's a respected instructor whose students have gone on to land top jobs in the industry. James currently works as an artist at Valve Software, and has a poodle named Phthalo.

                                           

Visit James's page on CGHub to see more.

Christian Venturini

  |  Character Animation for Games
Chris has worked as an animator in the videogame industry for 8 years, and is currently a lead animator at ArenaNet. Having worked at ArenaNet for the past 6 years, shipping AAA titles, he has learned a thing or two about what it takes to be successful, as well as what it's going to take to push into the next generation of games. He is very excited to share this knowledge and help bring new talent into the game industry.

                                           

Eli Hanselman

  |  Intro to 3D Modeling
Eli Hanselman was born and raised in the not so deep south of North Carolina. He has been working in the video game industry for seven years, and currently works at ArenaNet, having worked on the Guild Wars franchise for nearly four years. He creates 3D environments and props during the day, and in his free time he likes to paint and draw. He used to be really awesome at Counter Strike, before he got into art stuff. Also, he loves ice cream, pizza, fried fish, and long walks on the beach.

                                           

Visit Eli's page on CGHub to see more.

Daniel Dociu

  |  Concept Workshops
Daniel Dociu is an industry legend; a visionary art director in games since the early 90's at companies like Electronic Art and SquareSoft. Daniel is currently Chief Art Director at NCsoft North America focusing on Guild Wars 2. His striking artwork has earned him numerous accolades including a handful of prestigious concept art awards in recent installments of Spectrum. Daniel's unique perspective and emotionally charged approach to design along with his decades of experience in the games industry will give students a rare glimpse into what it really takes to become a serious concept artist. Also, he's from Transylvania.

Register for our mailing list here to stay informed on Daniel’s workshop schedule.

                                           

Visit Daniel's page on CGHub to see more.

Kekai Kotaki

  |  Concept Workshops
Kekai Kotaki is the lead concept artist on ArenaNet's Guild Wars 2. His work can be seen on countless book covers, Magic the Gathering cards, and international art publications. Kekai's dark, unapologetic concept art aesthetic has made him a favorite at past seminars and instructional events. People are always impressed with the speed at which Kekai can generate such visually compelling artwork. Generally Kekai's work can be described as "badass"... and if its not, he just adds a bunch of spikes... and then watches Glee.

Register for our mailing list here to stay informed on Kekai’s workshop schedule.

                                           

Visit Kekai's page on CGHub to see more.

Jaime Jones

  |  Concept Workshops
Jaime Jones is a digital arts guru. He's lent his talents to the Halo and Guild Wars franchises, as well as Wizards of the Coast and countless other publications. Jamie's extensive study of traditional painters and art history has infused his digital work with an unparalleled organic style. His focus on lighting, mood, and color plays incredibly well with his belief in an economy of strokes. Jaime's past seminars have earned him comparisons to some of the biggest industry veterans. If we had to guess, Jaime was probably born around 1996.

Register for our mailing list here to stay informed on Jaime’s workshop schedule.

                                           

Visit Jaime's page on CGHub to see more.

Levi Hopkins

  |  Concept Workshops
Levi Hopkins cut his teeth in the industry as a character and environment artist before switching to full time Concept Artist. He was a lead environment artist on Guild Wars Eye of the North and Guild Wars 2. Levi’s concept work is heavily informed by his many years of 3-D production experience. During workshops Levi will demonstrate the importance of creating clear concepts that can be easily translated into 3-D game assets. Before embarking on his artistic career, Levi Hopkins was considered to be one of Wenatchee Washington’s finest cherry inspectors. For realz.

Register for our mailing list here to stay informed on Levi’s workshop schedule.

                                           

Richard Anderson

  |  Concept Workshops
Richard Anderson’s striking illustration and design style has taken the digital art community by storm. He has been with ArenaNet for seven years, and now creates cinematic illustrations for Guild Wars 2. Richard paints with a controlled chaos that is both exciting and informative to watch. Born and raised on the plains of Montana, Richard has learned to adapt to the modern world without loosing his country survival skills.

Register for our mailing list here to stay informed on Richard’s workshop schedule.

                                           

Visit Richard's page on CGHub to see more.

Matthew Barrett

  |  Concept Workshops
Matthew Barrett, aka “the human computer,” has been inspiring artists with his creature concepts and environment designs for years. His vast knowledge of architecture and anatomy brings a strong sense of believability and structure to his fantastical creations. Watching Matthew’s concept process is an exciting and rare treat. Warning: Do not engage Matthew in an argument about bird skulls and/or light refraction.

Register for our mailing list here to stay informed on Matthew’s workshop schedule.