3D Character Artist
pakoartxyz@gmail.com Resume PDF
About
Hello there! My name is Jose Francisco Rojas Gonzalez.
I’m a collaborative 3D Character Artist with 3 years of experience proficient in creating high quality 3D character assets, from digital sculptures to textured and rendered in-engine. I have a strong grasp of the character creation pipeline which has allowed me to work with studios as well as mentor and guide talented artists. I believe collaboration is the cornerstone of any creative endeavor.
Creativity cannot exist in a vacuum, it must be cultivated and nurtured by a strong team of artists willing to accept critiques not to hurt one’s ego but to deliver the best result through collaboration.
Key Skills
Software Tools
ZBrush, Maya, Marvelous Designer, Topogun, Substance Painter, Substance Designer, 3D Coat, Mari, Photoshop, Unreal Engine 5, Unity, Arnold, V-Ray, Nuke
3D Digital Art
3D modeling, organic, hard surface, sculpting, texture, lighting, rendering, environments, props, anatomy, photogrammetry, materials, UDIMs, PBR texture workflow, rigging, skinning, weight painting
Interpersonal
Fluent in English and Spanish, collaborative, self-disciplined, organized, detail oriented, time management, problem solver, critical thinker, communicator
Experience
CG Lead | Studio X | San Francisco, CA (2023 - 2024)
Worked on various projects modeling, texturing, lighting and rendering. Developed complex hard surface and organic models working with a variety of technical tools, including Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Arnold, and Unreal.
Instructor | Escena School of Animation and Creative Arts | Mexico City, Mexico (2019 - 2021)
Taught onsite and online students the digital sculpting workflow and pipeline for creating stylized and realistic models using Maya and ZBrush.
Character Modeler | Freelance | Orlando, Florida (2019 - 2021)
Sculpted and modeled the characters for the VR boxing game The Thrill of the Fight. Modeled and textured the characters, hair and props, working in Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Marvelous Designer, and Unity.
Character Artist Internship | Sony PlayStation | San Diego, CA (2018)
Worked with the character artist team in creating assets, characters and props for the game MLB The Show 2019.
Implemented player faces into the engine using photogrammetry. Primary programs used included Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, and Photoshop.
Education
MFA in Animation and Visual Effects
Academy of Art University | 3.9 GPA (2022 - 2025)
BS in Computer Animation
Full Sail University | 3.9 GPA (2015 - 2017)
Recommendations
Gil Garcia, Lead Character Artist @ Sony Interactive Entertainment
“It’s a rare occasion I get the opportunity to work with an artist as skilled as Pako. I met Pako when he arrived at Sony for his intern program in June of 2018 and had the pleasure of working with him through August. It was a short but exciting time.
As he was an intern, I felt it best to start off with fairly easy tasks and gradually ramp up to more difficult ones. I was impressed at not only how quickly he completed these tasks, but also how he would find areas in the Character Team's pipeline to help improve the team's workflow along the way, for which the team is grateful.
His art skills are exceptional, particularly in character modeling, his work was always clean and precise, and he demonstrated a strong knowledge and understanding of the tools and methods to producing excellent results.
Not to mention, his easy going personality always improved the mood in the office. I would highly recommend Pako for any position he chooses to pursue. I am confident he will make a great addition to any development team fortunate enough to have him.”
Achievements
Valedictorian, Advanced Achievement Award Full Sail University (2017)
Course Director Awards Full Sail University (2017
Character Rigging, Fundamentals of Art, History of Visual Communications, Character Animation