All About Me
The Story so far....
Hi there, my name is John Blythe. I've been a 3D Artist for 13+ years now. I started as a probationary Artist with Gremlin Interactive way back in 2000 after I'd spent 3 years in QA testing all manner of games from Actua Ice Hockey 2 to Hardwar and Tanktics.
Infogrames bought Gremlin soon after my probation period and my very first game was Wacky Racers - an exclusive title for a new next gen console called 'Dreamcast'.
In 2003 Infogrames (now called Atari after being bought out) closed the studio and I was given the opportunity to join the Electronic Arts studio based in Chertsey, Surrey.
The rest you can probably glean from looking through the Professional Projects pages :-)
What else.... well stuff I enjoy goes like this: Movies (Sci-Fi, Action, Fantasy), TV (Dr. Who, Star Trek, Dexter, The Following, Ray Donovan, Fringe, Big Bang Theory, QI, Sleepy Hollow, Warehouse 13, Top Gear, The Originals and far far far too many to mention here. I love Retro Games, I grew up with the first home computers... my first was an Acorn Electron! I have a massive collection of consoles, old, new, very old ;-) including an Arcade Cabinet and a Vectrex! I occasionally enjoy cycling, although not done any for quite a while (must sort that out). I love dogs, chocolate, pizzas, curries, fish n chips, coffee, BBQ ribs and making video game graphics, oh and putting smilies at the end of most sentences. ;-)
Well that's about it, you know pretty much everything about me now. Thanks for taking time to read this :-)
Hi there, my name is John Blythe. I've been a 3D Artist for 13+ years now. I started as a probationary Artist with Gremlin Interactive way back in 2000 after I'd spent 3 years in QA testing all manner of games from Actua Ice Hockey 2 to Hardwar and Tanktics.
Infogrames bought Gremlin soon after my probation period and my very first game was Wacky Racers - an exclusive title for a new next gen console called 'Dreamcast'.
In 2003 Infogrames (now called Atari after being bought out) closed the studio and I was given the opportunity to join the Electronic Arts studio based in Chertsey, Surrey.
The rest you can probably glean from looking through the Professional Projects pages :-)
What else.... well stuff I enjoy goes like this: Movies (Sci-Fi, Action, Fantasy), TV (Dr. Who, Star Trek, Dexter, The Following, Ray Donovan, Fringe, Big Bang Theory, QI, Sleepy Hollow, Warehouse 13, Top Gear, The Originals and far far far too many to mention here. I love Retro Games, I grew up with the first home computers... my first was an Acorn Electron! I have a massive collection of consoles, old, new, very old ;-) including an Arcade Cabinet and a Vectrex! I occasionally enjoy cycling, although not done any for quite a while (must sort that out). I love dogs, chocolate, pizzas, curries, fish n chips, coffee, BBQ ribs and making video game graphics, oh and putting smilies at the end of most sentences. ;-)
Well that's about it, you know pretty much everything about me now. Thanks for taking time to read this :-)
Curriculum Vitae
Address: Contact me by email for this.
Date of Birth: 5th August 1970
Status: Single
Telephone: Contact me by email for this.
Education:
City School (Sheffield) 1982 – 1987
Sight & Sound College (Sheffield) 1987 - 1988
Subjects studied:
Art, Technical Drawing, Design & Communication, English Literature, English Language, Geography and Maths.
Achievements:
5 'O' Level passes, 1 CSE (Certificate of Standard Education) pass and 1 CEE (Certificate of Extended Education)
Work History:
Quicksign (Sheffield) Sign Writer 1988 - 1991
Cybercentre (Sheffield) Virtual Reality Instructor 1993 - 1997
Gremlin Interactive (Sheffield) Q.A. Tester 1997 - 1999
Infogrames/Atari (Sheffield) 3D Generalist Artist 1999 - 2003
Electronic Arts UK (Chertsey/Guildford) 3D Environment Artist 2003 - 2011
Criterion Games (EA Guildford) 3D Environment Artist 2011 - 2013
Ghost Games (EA Guildford) 3D Environment Artist 2013 - 2014
Natural Motion Games (London) Snr 3D Environment Artist 2014 - Present
Software Experience:
Autodesk Maya 2007 - 2015
Autodesk 3DS Max 2011 - Limited Experience
Adobe Photoshop 5 - CS6 - CSS
Crazy Bump
Maya Plug-in Thinkinetic PDI (Pull Down it) Physics Based Animation
Frostbite 3 Engine - FrostEd 2 (Bespoke level editor)
Perforce 4 (2013)
World Machine - Limited experience
Software History:
I've worked on a number of titles over the years, starting with my first game on the Sega Dreamcast.
Here is a full list of titles I've worked on to date...
Wacky Racers (Dreamcast) Infogrames
Dastardly & Muttley: Wacky Racers (PS2) Infogrames
MicroMachines (Xbox, PS2, Gamecube) Atari (Infogrames)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (PS2,Xbox,Gamecube) EA - Chertsey
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (PSP) EA - Chertsey
Burnout: Legends (PSP) EA UK/Criterion Games - Chertsey
Catwoman (PS2,Xbox) EAP/Argonaut - London
Burnout: Dominator (PSP,PS2) EA UK/Criterion Games - Guildford
ZUBO (Nintendo DS) EA Brightlight
Trivial Pursuit (360,PS3,PS2,Wii) EA Brightlight
Need for Speed: Shift (PSP) EA Brightlight
Spare Parts (XBLA 360, PSN PS3) EA Brightlight
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt.2 (360,PS3,Wii) EA Brightlight
Syndicate (PC,360,PS3) EAP/Starbreeze Sweden
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (PC, PS3, 360, PS Vita, Wii U) Criterion Games
Need for Speed: Rivals (PC, 360, PS3, PS4, Xbox 1) Criterion Games / Ghost Games
Unannounced Need for Speed (canned) (PC, PS3, 360, PS4, Xbox 1) Ghost Games UK
Dawn of Titans (IOS, Android) Natural Motion Games
Independent Releases (Freeware): 1999 - Present (www.retrospec.sgn.net)
Chuckie Egg: The Next Batch (PC) (Retrospec)
Knightmare (PC) Indie release via Kool Dog Entertainment
Attack of the Mutant Camels (PC) (Retrospec)
Birds and the Bees (PC) (Retrospec)
Knightlore 3D (PC) (Retrospec)
Exolon DX (PC) (Retrospec)
Cybernoid 2 (PC) (Retrospec)
Atic Atac (PC) (Retrospec)
Super Jetpak: Solar Crisis (PC) (Retrospec)
Jumping Jack (PC) (Retrospec)
Styxx (PC) (Retrospec)
Galyakians (PC) (Retrospec)
Sportz Daze (PC) (Retrospec)
Metagalactic Llamas: Battle at the Edge of Time (PC) (Retrospec)
Recommendations: (View my Linkedin profile to see more)
"I had the pleasure of working with John on several projects during my time at EA. He is an extremely capable artist, with a wealth of experience across multiple game genres and platforms. I always found that he delivered high quality artwork on time and within the budgets dictated by the technical brief. He is also a great team player and a very easy guy to both work with and manage. I always regarded him as a valued team member and enjoyed working with him immensely."
- Ian Palmer, Art Director, Electronic Arts, managed John at Electronic Arts.
“John is an exceptionally talented artist. During the time I have worked with John, I have found him to be very thorough in his execution, which has shown on many occasions how considered he is in his approach to problem solving. It is quality and reliability that John has always provided at EA. This in turn has given everybody that has worked with John (both internally and externally) a great sense of trust in his artistic ability.
With regards to outsourcing, John has always understood the importance of distributed development for our studio, and has help develop strong collaborative relationships on so many of our project engagements. He is creative, methodical, dedicated and hardworking - a real craftsman in every sense.”
- Paul Dibden, Outsourcing Manager, Electronic Arts worked directly with John at Electronic Arts.
"I have worked with John for over seven years at Electronic Arts but managed him directly on "Spare Parts" where he held the position of Environment Lead. John is a fantastic artist who's passion, dedication and desire to achieve the best possible results make him a fantastic addition to any game team. As a lead artist he is organised, methodical and possesses a great understanding of the tools and techniques to create next generation games. He is highly experienced in external production and has successfully managed and mentored artists of varying abilities. He would be a true asset to any company and I have no hesitation in recommending him."
- Lee Sullivan, Art Director, Electronic Arts has been Johns Manager at Electronic Arts.
Address: Contact me by email for this.
Date of Birth: 5th August 1970
Status: Single
Telephone: Contact me by email for this.
Education:
City School (Sheffield) 1982 – 1987
Sight & Sound College (Sheffield) 1987 - 1988
Subjects studied:
Art, Technical Drawing, Design & Communication, English Literature, English Language, Geography and Maths.
Achievements:
5 'O' Level passes, 1 CSE (Certificate of Standard Education) pass and 1 CEE (Certificate of Extended Education)
Work History:
Quicksign (Sheffield) Sign Writer 1988 - 1991
Cybercentre (Sheffield) Virtual Reality Instructor 1993 - 1997
Gremlin Interactive (Sheffield) Q.A. Tester 1997 - 1999
Infogrames/Atari (Sheffield) 3D Generalist Artist 1999 - 2003
Electronic Arts UK (Chertsey/Guildford) 3D Environment Artist 2003 - 2011
Criterion Games (EA Guildford) 3D Environment Artist 2011 - 2013
Ghost Games (EA Guildford) 3D Environment Artist 2013 - 2014
Natural Motion Games (London) Snr 3D Environment Artist 2014 - Present
Software Experience:
Autodesk Maya 2007 - 2015
Autodesk 3DS Max 2011 - Limited Experience
Adobe Photoshop 5 - CS6 - CSS
Crazy Bump
Maya Plug-in Thinkinetic PDI (Pull Down it) Physics Based Animation
Frostbite 3 Engine - FrostEd 2 (Bespoke level editor)
Perforce 4 (2013)
World Machine - Limited experience
Software History:
I've worked on a number of titles over the years, starting with my first game on the Sega Dreamcast.
Here is a full list of titles I've worked on to date...
Wacky Racers (Dreamcast) Infogrames
Dastardly & Muttley: Wacky Racers (PS2) Infogrames
MicroMachines (Xbox, PS2, Gamecube) Atari (Infogrames)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (PS2,Xbox,Gamecube) EA - Chertsey
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (PSP) EA - Chertsey
Burnout: Legends (PSP) EA UK/Criterion Games - Chertsey
Catwoman (PS2,Xbox) EAP/Argonaut - London
Burnout: Dominator (PSP,PS2) EA UK/Criterion Games - Guildford
ZUBO (Nintendo DS) EA Brightlight
Trivial Pursuit (360,PS3,PS2,Wii) EA Brightlight
Need for Speed: Shift (PSP) EA Brightlight
Spare Parts (XBLA 360, PSN PS3) EA Brightlight
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt.2 (360,PS3,Wii) EA Brightlight
Syndicate (PC,360,PS3) EAP/Starbreeze Sweden
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (PC, PS3, 360, PS Vita, Wii U) Criterion Games
Need for Speed: Rivals (PC, 360, PS3, PS4, Xbox 1) Criterion Games / Ghost Games
Unannounced Need for Speed (canned) (PC, PS3, 360, PS4, Xbox 1) Ghost Games UK
Dawn of Titans (IOS, Android) Natural Motion Games
Independent Releases (Freeware): 1999 - Present (www.retrospec.sgn.net)
Chuckie Egg: The Next Batch (PC) (Retrospec)
Knightmare (PC) Indie release via Kool Dog Entertainment
Attack of the Mutant Camels (PC) (Retrospec)
Birds and the Bees (PC) (Retrospec)
Knightlore 3D (PC) (Retrospec)
Exolon DX (PC) (Retrospec)
Cybernoid 2 (PC) (Retrospec)
Atic Atac (PC) (Retrospec)
Super Jetpak: Solar Crisis (PC) (Retrospec)
Jumping Jack (PC) (Retrospec)
Styxx (PC) (Retrospec)
Galyakians (PC) (Retrospec)
Sportz Daze (PC) (Retrospec)
Metagalactic Llamas: Battle at the Edge of Time (PC) (Retrospec)
Recommendations: (View my Linkedin profile to see more)
"I had the pleasure of working with John on several projects during my time at EA. He is an extremely capable artist, with a wealth of experience across multiple game genres and platforms. I always found that he delivered high quality artwork on time and within the budgets dictated by the technical brief. He is also a great team player and a very easy guy to both work with and manage. I always regarded him as a valued team member and enjoyed working with him immensely."
- Ian Palmer, Art Director, Electronic Arts, managed John at Electronic Arts.
“John is an exceptionally talented artist. During the time I have worked with John, I have found him to be very thorough in his execution, which has shown on many occasions how considered he is in his approach to problem solving. It is quality and reliability that John has always provided at EA. This in turn has given everybody that has worked with John (both internally and externally) a great sense of trust in his artistic ability.
With regards to outsourcing, John has always understood the importance of distributed development for our studio, and has help develop strong collaborative relationships on so many of our project engagements. He is creative, methodical, dedicated and hardworking - a real craftsman in every sense.”
- Paul Dibden, Outsourcing Manager, Electronic Arts worked directly with John at Electronic Arts.
"I have worked with John for over seven years at Electronic Arts but managed him directly on "Spare Parts" where he held the position of Environment Lead. John is a fantastic artist who's passion, dedication and desire to achieve the best possible results make him a fantastic addition to any game team. As a lead artist he is organised, methodical and possesses a great understanding of the tools and techniques to create next generation games. He is highly experienced in external production and has successfully managed and mentored artists of varying abilities. He would be a true asset to any company and I have no hesitation in recommending him."
- Lee Sullivan, Art Director, Electronic Arts has been Johns Manager at Electronic Arts.