Matthew Kean
Matthew Kean
Lead Character Artist
Baltimore, MD, United States

About

Matthew Kean is a highly skilled lead character artist with over a decade of experience in 3D modeling, sculpting, character creation, shader development, and concept art. He has worked on numerous high-profile video game projects, including Marvel Midnight Suns, Xcom 2, and Civilization VI. As a senior lead artist, he has trained and led teams of artists, developed character pipelines, set up shaders, and provided mentorship to junior artists. He is known for his ability to art direct and create clear and understood visions for characters and concepts. In his free time, he enjoys teaching digital art and interactive design.

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Skills

Character ModelingCharacter DesignDigital SculptingTexturingShadersPipeline Managementsurfacing artistDOPGraphic Desighngame makerIlluststrationDesign Consulting

Software proficiency

ZBrush
ZBrush
Substance 3D Painter
Substance 3D Painter
Maya
Maya
TopoGun
TopoGun
Photoshop
Photoshop
Marmoset Toolbag
Marmoset Toolbag
UVLayout
UVLayout
Knald
Knald
Marvelous Designer
Marvelous Designer
Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine

Productions

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    • Video Game
      Hogwarts Legacy
    • Year
      2022
    • Role
      Lead character artist, External
    • Company
      Certain Affinity
  • Midnight suns
    • Video Game
      Marvel Midnight Sun's
    • Year
      2022
    • Role
      Lead Character Artist
    • Company
      Firaxis Games
  • Twelveminutes officialposter scaled
    • Video Game
      Twelve Minutes
    • Year
      2021
    • Role
      Senior Character Artist
    • Company
      Annapurna Interactive
  • Civilization vi gathering storm cover
    • Video Game
      Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm
    • Year
      2019
    • Role
      Senior Character Artist
    • Company
      Firaxis Games
  • 2979038 fob agnostic civ6rf 1
    • Video Game
      Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Rise and Fall
    • Year
      2018
    • Role
      Lead Character Artist
    • Company
      Firaxis Games
  • Civilization vi cover art
    • Video Game
      Sid Meier's Civilization VI - DLC
    • Year
      2017
    • Role
      Lead Character Artist
    • Company
      Firaxis Games
  • Civ 6 packshot
    • Video Game
      Sid Meier's Civilization VI
    • Year
      2017
    • Role
      Lead Character Artist
    • Company
      Firaxis Games
  • Xcom2 war of the chosen logo
    • Video Game
      XCOM 2: War of the Chosen
    • Year
      2017
    • Role
      Senior Character Artist
    • Company
      Firaxis Games
  • Xcom 2 cover art
    • Video Game
      Xcom 2
    • Year
      2016
    • Role
      Senior Character Artist
    • Company
      Firaxis Games
  • Civilization beyond earth cover
    • Video Game
      Beyond Earth
    • Year
      2016
    • Role
      Senior Character Artist
    • Company
      Firaxis Games
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    • Movie
      the Mortal Insturments: City of Bones
    • Year
      2013
    • Role
      CG Modeler
    • Company
      Mr. X Gotham

Experience

  • Senior Lead Character Artist | Unannounced Title at Certain Affinity
    Baltimore MD, United States of America
    January 2020 - January 2023

  • Lead Character Artist | Hogwarts Legacy at Certain Affinity
    Baltimore, United States of America
    March 2021 - February 2023

    Responsible for creating high-quality character models and leading a team of character artists in developing the Professors, main story NPCs, and enemy characters. Established character pipelines, set up shaders, and provided guidance and mentorship to junior artists. Worked closely with the Art Directors to ensure that the character art team met deadlines and worked efficiently.

  • Lead Character Artist|Marvel Midnight Suns at Firaxis Games
    Baltimore MD, United States of America
    January 2018 - January 2020

    Oversaw characters and directly created and developed key main characters featured in the game. Worked closely with IP partners to ensure that all character designs were aligned with the Marvel universe and played a crucial role in look development and pipeline and shader development. Led the character art team and oversaw multiple outsourcing teams, delivering high-quality character assets on time.

  • Lead Character Artist | Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Rise and Fall at Firaxis Games
    Hunt Valley, United States of America
    March 2014 - January 2016

    Prototyped and Implemented a sharable character system, optimizing workflows to embrace even more current workflows

    Aided in training for the Physically based material pipeline.

    Industry standard character modeling and texturing duties

  • Lead Character Artist | Civilization 6 at Firaxis Games
    Hunt Valley, United States of America
    January 2014 - January 2016

    Responsible for the creation of the Leaders of Civ 6.

    Prototyped and Implemented a new material pipeline to utilize modern PBR standards, as well as aided in the creation of the unit and building pipelines as well.

    Aided in training for the Physically based material pipeline.

    Prototyped and developed a new strand based hair system that utilized a film quality approach to hair.

  • Character Artist | Xcom 2: War of the Chosen at Firaxis Games
    Hunt Valley, United States of America
    January 2014 - January 2015

    Prototyped and Implemented a new facial topology, sharabled between mulitple cinematic characters, also helped develop and new facial rig

    Visual Development of the game's villans, concepted and executing the heads of the the characters, Ensuring they looked good, even when non human.

    Aided in furthering the PBR pipeline and material structure in term to realistic shading and skin rendering.

  • Character Artist | Xcom 2 at Firaxis Games
    Hunt Valley, United States of America
    January 2014 - January 2015

    Prototyped and Implemented customizable heads for the character creator

    Aided in establishing a consistent style for the games character

  • Modeler at Mr X Gotham
    New York City, United States of America
    November 2011 - October 2012

    HIgh budget AAA movies, from modeling to texturing, to UV's to proxy models. Focus was on high resolution film models, with good topology and usability in a large pipeline setting. Both organic and hard surface work. Both creature and plant to set extension, with a little bit of digital environment modeling thrown in

  • Digital Sculptor at JPro Studios
    United States of America
    October 2013 - December 2013

    Digitally sculpted and conceptualized Characters for a Float designed for the Fiesta Bowl Parade