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Denis Renshaw 

Snr Environment Artist 

 

Denis.renshaw@gmail.com  | Manchester UK | 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/denis-renshaw-84ba961 | 

https://www.artstation.com/denisrenshaw4

 

 

Summary 

Versatile and motivated 3D artist with 25 years as Environment artist in games industry.  

Detail oriented, mood and composition, spatial layout for cut scenes. 

I Like learning the various production pipelines and tools that come with different projects.  

I like being involved with level creation from start to finish. 

I Work well alone or in a team and am good with time keeping and schedule goals. 

 

SKills 

3D Modeling.  

UV layout and Mapping. 

Texturing. 

Lighting. 

Geometry Optimization. 

Photoshop. 

Substance Painter. 

3dsMax. 

Maya. 

Zbrush. 

Spine. 

Unreal. 

Unity. 

CryEngine. 

COD Radiant. 

META Horizon Worlds. 

Managing Outsource Quality. 

 

 

​​Experience​ 

  • Mercenary Technology  -   Fremont CA June2023 - Jan2025 

I went back to this place again to help with a META VR project.  

We were tasked with creating an ARPG, something that doesn’t exist in horizon worlds currently.  

We were asked to push the engine until it breaks and try to prove that it can be used for more complex projects and we did ! 

I created a new art style look that was chunkier and kiddy as Metas constantly changing goal posts kept targeting younger age groups.  

I made texture sheets and Geometry that could be hack and slashed and put back together in different ways for variation. 

I made most of the props. 

Horizon is very limited technically, so using atlas sheets and a lot of creative UV mapping was needed to keep the draw calls and texture memory down.  

I did easily 85% of the environment work and once I had a Lego kit set of pieces, I handed it off to others to create some more rooms.  

I created a new kiddy look for the Robot enemies and fully modelled and textured 2 and textured another. 

I completely created the HQ (lobby room basically) 

I created several weapons from scratch and remodeled and textured many outsource weapons that were not up to the requirments and we didn't have time to send them back and wait. 

I gave most of the artists a crash course on best UV practices and a substance tutorial so we could get a more consistent look. 

  

  • HitFactor – San Deigo CA Dec2021 – June2023 

I started contracting to help an old friend get things moving and I was hired as full time April 2022  

Level building from scratch, i did everything needed as I was the only env artist for a League of Legends style game “with extras’. 

Mostly desert style planet map and any tech related buildings to make it look like there was a story to the level – abandoned buildings from past battles  etc  

Then moved over to another project, a space style 4x game.  

I had to try and get an outsource studio up to the quality bar we wanted.  

I created base example ships and style and steered them in that direction.  

I gave constant feedback though low poly – high poly and final UV mapping and texturing in substance.  

I also have created from scratch some assets needed for players when they own a planet – defense command center, mines etc  

 

  • FogBank : Foxnext – San Francisco CA April2018 – Jan2019 

Contracting for their new line of mobile interactive story games Using Spine to rig 2d images to skeletons to fake a 3d movement feel. 

3d Blocking out for background artists to paint over so the environments made sense from shot to shot 

 

  • Interactive Fitness Holdings – Santa Clara CA Feb2016– June2018 

So this is a bit of a change, not technically a games company.  

I was working on the software for a fitness bike that has a TV screen attached and has interactive games and rides to choose from so you can ride through country, city, desert, space etc...  

I was the Level lead for a small team as i had the most unreal experience. 

We had to replicate their old (8 or 9 years) levels from their original bike using unreal4 and making them look like something that fits in more with today's visuals.  

 

  • Mercenary Technology  -   San Mateo CA April2015 -  Oct2015 

We were contracting with level optimization for ps3 and 360 versions of Call of Duty-BO3.  

Using COD Radiant basically optimizing all aspects of the level for performance. 

This involved some texture optimizing and remaking in some cases. Also Tweaking the levels to reduce texture passes and make small changes to help with last gen draw calls and line of sight without changing the overall map design layout. 

 

  • Void Alpha -   Emeryville  CA May2013-  April2015 

Lead Env Artist Joined to work on Star Citizen.  

Building levels from scratch in CryEngine. 

I Started with block mesh layout loosely based on concept art, fleshing out then making simple Modular prefabs so level can be laid out and tested. 

Then built the full level assets, kit blocks, props, textures and CryEngine shader set up and lighting.  

After we stopped working on that, I jumped between small projects doing 3d buildings and terrain stuff for an internal IP and some 3d to 2d UI type work for another internal project.  

 

  • BigPoint Inc -   San Francisco  CA Jan2011 - Dec2012   

The Mummy online, Universal Monsters online and Battlestar Galactica online.  

I worked as a snr env artist on all 3 titles.  

This involved planning for level locations, props, level kits, lighting, and destructible objects.  

For Battlestar I did some prop / ship work but mainly i oversaw creating new battle arenas and working with programmers to create any new content needed. 

 

  • Planet Moon Studios  -   San Francisco  CA Oct2010 - Dec2010  

Returned after finishing my "on loan" status to Double Fine. 

We were working on a Beyonce Dance game for the 360  

This involved creating environments and props for "stages" that look like something you might see in her music videos.  

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  • Double Fine - San Francisco  CA July2010 - Oct2010 

I was working on Trenched (which became Iron Brigade) and Once upon a monster – a sesame street game.. 

Environment work involved detailing base levels, placing and creating assets like snadbag walls, boats, buildings and Terrain work, ambient mesh layers (small details) and any special detail layers needed for each zone  

For Sesame Street i was really just supporting role. I made many small decorative props and composed some of the “sets” backgrounds. 

 

  • Planet Moon Studios  -   San Francisco  CA Feb2010 - July2010 

Snr Env Artist Disney Tangled  

Work involved taking high resolution movie assets and making game ready versions, quite often just rebuilding a simpler version to fit into the budgets.  

Also creating brand new areas and assets that were based on scenes from the movie. 

Setting up lighting and collision meshes for most of the areas. 

 

  • Ohia Inc -   San Francisco  CA April2009 - July2009 

Env Artist City of Eternals (facebook) 

Modeled simple but detailed modular kits for designers to create level layouts in a pre-renders Diablo style game. 

I Worked from a concept and built the construction kit and then all relevant props for that level set. 

Then i assembled them into a sample level and haded it to designers so they could see which pieces ifit together best. 

 

  • Planet Moon Studios  -   San Francisco  CA June2006 - Jan2009 

Snr Env Artist Afterburner Black Falcon, Battle of the Bands, My Amazing Story  

We Used Unreal for an original Microsoft IP building story book style levels and Props 

Most things were made from Zbrush high detail models then optimized down to usable resolution. 

In engine integration from the concept, model, shader setup and level lighting as well Modeled, textured and vertex lit several environments from concept to final version.  

Created various animated props, rigging / weighting and made simple looping animations for ambient props. 

 

  • Electronic Arts – Redwood Shores  CA April2006 - June2006 

Prop Artist Sims2 Pets 

Responsible for building objects, texturing, simple rigging, and simple animated objects. 

Most props were original but some had to be re-purposed from other versions of The Sims This mostly involved reducing the poly counts of Sims 3 assets or creating new and more efficient versions of older objects. 

 

 

  • Cryptic Studios  -   Los Gatos  CA Jan2005 - Jan2006 

Env Artist City of Villains 

I was involved in World Layout. 

Building props for specific areas (inside and outside)  

Create from concept some of the key "hero" assets and buildings  

Lighting for interior maps  

 

  • 5000ft -   Reno NV May2004 - Jan2005 

Contract Artist Stacked Poker game.  

Some environment prop modeling  

Character skinning and morph face targets. 

 

  • Warthog Games -   Manchester UK Jan2000 - Jan2004 

Jnr ' Env Artist Mace Griffin:Bounty Hunter 

I was responsible for taking the designers' level ideas and building it out, sometimes from a base block mesh they created and sometimes from scratch.  

Working with them to to test runs and see what works, what doesnt and make any changes. 

Creating all textures and level relevant props  

Lighting full levels 

Additional support for Need for Speed Underground, Harry Potter 3d general support. Characters, Vehicles, buildings, props, textures and lighting 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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