tl;dr

(a.k.a 'summary')

Polished Artist and Designer

  • 2024 BFA graduate in Game & Immersive Media, focused on simulations, procedural design, and texturing
  • Expertise in Houdini, Unreal Engine, Maya, Max, Substance Painter, and others
  • Also experienced in graphic and UI design, with personal artistic pursuits in urban street photography and charcoal

Python Dev Experience

  • 10+ years of rapid application development, data pipelines, and full-stack web development
  • Python, Javascript, C#, Blueprints, Vex, BASH Shell Scripting, Elixir, Lua, and others
  • Linux, Windows, and MacOS

Bio Blurb

I'm Drew Silva, a tech artist based in Providence, RI. As a professional, I have the ideas, perspective, and skills of a fresh art school graduate and the professional, technical, and leadership sensibilites of a seasoned developer.

I transitioned into this field after more than a decade as a software developer and designer at Harvard Law School's Library Innovation Lab. Collaborating with a world-class, multidisciplinary team in an ever-evolving role was incredible, but I craved art in my professional life.

In 2024, I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lesley University's Game Design & Immersive Media BFA Program. Their senior Design and Animation faculty and the newly recruited Game Design and VFX faculty from Becker College guided my exploration of the latest and most exciting ideas, applications, and processes in the field. Additionally, developing my artistic and design sensibilites through fine art drawing, 3D character animation, and graphic design yielded genuine dual-expertise in artistic and technical pursuits.

Current Reel

Tools and Languages

Applications

  • Houdini
  • Unreal Engine
  • Maya
  • Max
  • Octane
  • Substance Painter & Sampler
  • Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premier
  • Zbrush
  • Marvelous Designer
  • Davinci Resolve
  • git, Perforce
  • Windows, MacOS, Linux

Programming

  • Python
  • C#
  • Vex
  • Blueprints
  • JavaScript
  • TypeScript
  • CSS
  • GDScript
  • PHP
  • Shell Scripting
  • Lua
  • Elixir
  • MVC Architecture
  • Network Programming

Skills Highlights

  • Procedural Modeling
  • Hard Surface Modeling
  • Procedural Materials
  • Rigid Body Destruction Simulations
  • Fluid Simulations
  • Visual Design
  • UI Design
  • Rendering Workflows
  • Tools Design & Development
    • DCC
    • Game Engine
    • Standalone GUI/Console/Daemon
    • Client/Server
  • Rapid Prototyping
  • Web Development
  • Greenfield & Brownfield Design Strategies
  • Technical & Educational Writing