Full Name: Paul Szczepanek
Date of Birth: 1984 August 23rd
Nationality: Polish

Mobile no.: 07528 442378

Game credits:

• Risk Factions (X360) - artist, programmer
• Scrabble (DS) - artist
• Red Baron Arcade (PC, PS3) - 3D artist
• Two Worlds (PC, X360) - 3D artist
• Earth 2160 (PC) - 3D artist
• Oil Tycoon 2 (PC) - 3D artist

Professional experience:

November 2007 - May 2010

3D artist, programmer at Stainless Games

• programming the front-end and ingame HUD for several projects
• environment and vehicle modelling and creating textures for numerous projects
• working on mockups for project pitches

January 2005 - July 2007

3D artist at Reality Pump

• environment and vehicle modelling and creating textures for Earth 2160 (science fiction setting)
• environment and character modelling and creating textures Two Worlds (fantasy setting)
• writing additional quests for Two Worlds

April 2004 - December 2004

freelance work

• architectural visualisations, low poly-art, company websites
• earned an educational grant from my university which I retained until the end of my studies

May 2003 - April 2004

3D artist at Drago Enterteinment

• environment modelling and creating textures for an unreleased TPP fantasy action RPG and a modern economic strategy game Oil Tycoon 2

Education

October 2003 - June 2007

Computer Science at University of Science and Technology AGH in Cracow

• earned a Bachelor of Computer Science degree
• end term paper on real-time volume rendering
  file: real-time volume rendering.pdf (4.9MB)
  and an application to accompany the presentation
  (openGL under windows in an msi installer)
  file: vxlv.msi [31.77MB]

Skills

Extensive experience in many professional software packages like Maya and 3D Studio Max, Photoshop, Zbrush and Mudbox but also in open source programs like Blender and Gimp.

Experience in following concept art, working under pressure of deadlines and learning new tools and technologies.

Who are you?

I'm a Polish born (hence my unpronounceable family name), UK based 3D artist and programmer.

Where are you?

I currently live on the Isle of Wight in the UK but I plan to move soon, having been enjoying this place's rural charm for a little bit too long and missing the city.

How can I contact you?

The easiest and fastest way is to e-mail me.

What do you do?

On the art side I specialise in low-poly modelling for games but I also do architectural visualisations (well, did, I haven't had the chance to do any for years now) and photography (though this has become more of a hobby now).

On the code side I've had the chance to work on several front ends in lua but as interpreted languages go I personally prefer perl (coming form a Linux background) but that hasn't really got a place in gemedev and is only a language I use when I need a quick tool to do a specific job. You can make an argument that my C++ experience is more of an academic nature but I'm working on a demo to prove otherwise.

So which is it, artist or programmer?

As you can see I'm in interested in all things technical and over the years I've also dabbled in numerous other (seemingly boring) things like PHP and web design in general (this website's current reincarnation is the first that uses an off-the-shelf CMS and not one written by myself) and databases (postgress, on an aborted attempt at a web-based game) and am generally technically minded, interested in obscure topics like IF engines. My biggest and longest running interest is the voxel technology. They keep resurfacing every now and again and then get dismissed. One day though, they will rule the world of computer graphics (and data and computation since they go so much deeper than polygons - both literally and as a concept)!

I don't really have a clear cut answer. I've been working in gamedev since 2003 and even then when I started out as an artist I was the one interfacing with the programmers because I had a programming background and over the years I've been slowly moving from art to code. I feel comfortable straddling the two domains and I hope to find a place in a company as a technical artist.

What's your professional and educational record?

For a detailed history you should look at the CV. As an employee, not that long ago I've been working full-time for a Polish game developer - Reality Pump, known for the Earth 21xx series and Two Worlds. The office was located in the centre of Cracow, a wonderful city where I lived for many years.

After graduating in 2007 with a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from the University of Science and Technology in Cracow (AGH) I finished my work there and moved to the UK which I've been planning to do for many years and managed to find a job on the Isle of Wight at Stainless Games known for the Carmageddon series. Currently I'm finishing my work, leaving at the end of May 2010. I decided to leave as I really want to move onto the mainland and preferably into a city again.

I'm still planning to further my education in the UK but this has to be put on hold until I can afford this - I'm too old to be taking out student loans.

What is this site about?

This site is primarily my internet portfolio and an electronic business card. Secondly it is the proud host of Daggerfall (remade/inspired) Music. Lastly, it's a place to share my interests and host some photos.

Anything to add?

Yes, free the information (code and data)! Participate in open-source projects, edit wikis (even wikipedia), share your computing power by participating in projects like folding@home, join internet communities that do great things rather than corporate social sites which just harvest your private data and sell you things. Fight for your digital rights, support software freedom and oppose software patents.