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Artists' Gallery
Tom Burns
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At A
Glance:
Tom Burns
Texture Artist
Vicarious Visions
Home: Troy, New York
E-Mail:tburns@thebiz.net
Website: http://www.e-zonemedia.com/tom/
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| Current Project:
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Currently doing marketing
and graphic design for
Vicarious Visions.
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| Credits:
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Well, since I'm new to
the industry, my work has appeared in just Polaris Snocross
and some box art for Terminus (both made by Vicarious Visions).
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| Bio:
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| I
started out as a graphic designer and after receiving my degree, but
quickly became frustrated with the lack of freedom to use my own style
in the assignments I was given. But mostly what got to me was using
Quark XPress. It made me cry like a little girl.
I didn't seriously think
about going into games until, as a lark, I applied to Cyan (whose
non-violent games and refreshing absence of women with large breasts
just knocked my socks off) and they actually flew me down for an
interview! But because of my lack of 3D experience, I didn't get
the job. That whole experience of coming so close to a job I wanted
so badly inspired me to finally take the plunge into learning 3D.
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| Inspiration:
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| Dave
McKean. He's a incredibly talented illustrator known for his mixed
media covers of The Sandman comics series and other graphic
novels. Also quite evident in my work is Cyan's influence. Their attention
to detail in Myst and Riven is something I wish I could've
been a part of. Along with the graphic detail of their imagery, what
I'm just as impressed with is their focus on storytelling and not
just eye-candy. I think this industry has more than enough scantily-clad
bimbos, guns, demons and swords etc. to last several lifetimes. Seeing
a company produce something so totally opposite of the clichés of
this industry impressed not only me, but a whole lot of others, too. |
| Favorite
Game Art: |
| Cyan's
Myst and Riven (see above). But as much as I like Cyan's
high-end images, I also love really simple work like in The Legend
of Zelda - A Link to the Past and Earthbound on the Super
Nintendo. Earthbound was loads of fun. It may sound strange
hearing an art-guy say this, but graphics take a backseat to gameplay
with me. If I plunk down a wad of cash for a game, that game had better
be fun, or else I've been ripped off (something that hasn't really
sunk in with too many developers, lately). |
| Why
I Got into the Industry: |
| For
the hordes of young women that swarm around me when they find out
I'm a texture artist, of course. You know how it is... |
| Tools I Can't
Live Without: |
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Photoshop. Without textures,
yer nothin', baby!
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| Music I Listen
to While Working: |
| The
Cocteau Twins, Max Webster, King Crimson, a lot of choral music, soundtracks
with a lot of drama to them (the Riven soundtrack, Conan
the Barbarian etc.), Dead Can Dance and who can resist a good
polka? |
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