From Player to Creator: Chris Gillett’s Career Reflections as a 3D Game Character Artist

Chris Gillett’s path from a competitive Esports player to a leading artist in games showcases his passion for both gaming and art. After graduating from Gnomon, Chris has spent over a decade contributing to some of the most acclaimed projects in the industry. In this interview, he shares valuable insights into his career, experiences at Gnomon, and advice for aspiring artists.

Chris, tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.

Hello! My name is Chris Gillett and I’m from Seattle, Washington. I’ve worked in the games industry for the last 11 years and have had the fortunate opportunity to contribute to some great projects with awesome people along the way. I’m a game developer and artist, and for the past two and a half years, I served as an Art Director for characters on VALORANT at Riot Games. I recently joined the team at Epic Games as a Character Outsource Lead.

I moved to L.A. many years ago to attend the 2-year certificate program at Gnomon. It was challenging but exactly what I needed. It truly set me up for a career in the games industry, and I am very grateful for the time I spent there.

How did you get into games?

My journey into gaming began like many others of my generation. I heard about the fabled Super Nintendo on the playground and pleaded with my parents to get it for my birthday. They obliged, and the rest was history. I was really bad at first...whenever Mario jumped, so would I in my seat. I’d mash my buttons as hard as I could in Street Fighter, Tekken, and Marvel vs. Capcom. Something, though, kept me coming back for more.

In my high school years, Counter-Strike 1.6 was gaining a lot of popularity, and I got hooked. There was something about playing against people in that way that ignited a new fire in me. I continued to pursue that passion for years, competing in local and regional tournaments. Eventually, I competed nationally and globally. I had the opportunity to represent Canada at the Electronic Sports World Cup in Paris, France, in 2007 and was able to secure a couple of big wins and placings over the years in CS, as well as in Team Fortress 2 and Call of Duty 1 and 4.

It was an exciting time that was 100% driven by passion. I’m very proud to have been a small part of things during the advent of Esports. Looking back, my time in Esports not only fueled my passion but also provided invaluable insights that I now bring into my work as a game developer. During my time on VALORANT, we had a crew of devs who came from various professional gaming experiences. That was really fun.

What made you want to study art and what drew you to Gnomon?

At that time, I was honestly just a kid who loved competing, but I realized that making a sustainable living from it wasn’t likely. Coming to terms with that, I opted to go the traditional route and enrolled at my state school, Washington State University. One of the things that kept me so fascinated with games was always the artistic aspects of them. Before video games, I was on the playground trading Magic: The Gathering cards. That was actually my first exposure to fantasy art. I remember looking at all the illustrations and the stories they told. It really expanded my mind — and my vocabulary too, haha.

That era of games and entertainment had such amazing artistic qualities. From the Capcom art in Street Fighter and all the collabs they were doing, to Ninja Turtles, Dragon Ball Z, and X-Men—so much good stuff. I’m getting nostalgic just thinking about it!  

I always loved drawing as well. Any notes you’d find from school were just covered with weird doodles. I thought that if I couldn’t compete, I could pursue another passion I loved. So, I decided to pursue a Fine Art Degree focused on drawing and painting. 

My university experience had been great, but the part I felt was missing was, “How do I take all of this I’ve learned and actually transition into the job world?” Gnomon’s big selling point to me at that time in my life was that it answered this question. Gnomon offered the practical skills and industry connections that I needed to bridge the gap between my education and a career in game dev.

What stands out for you from your time at Gnomon?

Gnomon was an amazing experience. The way things were structured was really great. We had a tight-knit crew of about 12 people, and we were in almost everything together for those two years. There were some really great people from all over the place. I even met my wife there! We locked eyes over the monitor, and the rest was history, as they say. The people who taught us were industry professionals who knew the field and had worked in it, and the focus of the program was to equip us with the skills to find work when we finished.

I’d say some of the biggest takeaways for me were that there was no substitute for sitting down and doing the work. Whatever skill you needed to master, there was no other option than to put your butt in that seat and grind it out. Another key lesson was learning to assess your own work and that of others. Gnomon was covered with amazing art on the walls, and then I looked down at my stuff — I had a long way to go. But that served a really good purpose, one of which was setting a high expectation of quality. We all rose to the occasion while we were there. There were so many lessons learned at Gnomon, but I’d say those were a couple that stuck with me the most. These lessons not only shaped my time at Gnomon but have continued to influence my approach to work throughout my career.

Did you like living in L.A.? Were there many things to adjust to coming from Washington state?

I’m from the suburbs up in Washington, so it was a little different. L.A.’s got a lot of everything. I distinctly remember being amazed that I could just wear a t-shirt every day without a second thought. I really enjoyed my time in L.A., and it brought me a lot of good fortune. The most important part, I think, was the proximity to the work I was looking to get into. My first job at Sony Santa Monica came from them reviewing portfolios at Gnomon. I also went on to work with other instructors and colleagues from my time there. The industry is pretty small, so it was really helpful to build relationships, visit studios, and stay connected.

Can you talk a little bit about your time at Sony? This is a place where you actually combined your artistic and technical skills. How did this go and how did you get this job?

This was my first job right out of Gnomon. I was over the moon — “I did it!” I worked in Santa Monica for about six months before the R&D project I was on got canceled, and I was laid off. It was a time of really high highs and low lows. But about a year later, when things settled down a bit, they brought me back, and this time it was on the reboot of God of War. I was super fortunate to work with some amazing artists and developers who really took me under their wing and entrusted me with some pretty awesome work.

Physically based rendering was the big push for titles at the time, and I had a knack and interest in those kinds of things. I think with many aspects of character art, in general, you need to have the perseverance to truly understand what you’re creating. That includes anatomy, how something is constructed, how it would drape, how it would reflect light, what color would it be. All of that, even in super stylized work, comes from a deep understanding of our reality. My wife always tells me I’m like that kid who just keeps asking, “but why?” so I suppose my gift is also my curse, haha.

I had the opportunity to work with some great engineers, figuring out how we would build materials and how they should look. It was a really fun collaboration of art and tech and was one of those moments that showed me how important it is for people from different disciplines to come together.

You've had an absolutely incredible career at Riot Games! Seven years! And you managed to move from 3D Artist to a manager, and then to Associate Art Director. Tell us a little about how that journey developed.

Thanks, and yeah, it’s crazy to think it had been that long. As I mentioned before, I had a deep passion for competitive games, particularly FPS. I was really enjoying what I was doing at Sony, but when the opportunity arose to work on a game where I could combine my passion for character art with a competitive shooter, I had to take the chance. Working at Riot was a great experience overall, and it’s where I really spread my wings and became more than a character artist.

All these conversations and extensive playtesting ultimately informed a ton of decisions we made on VALORANT. From “Should we even make characters?” to “How do we make them?” to “What colors can we use?” to “What is our art style?” — all this stuff was deeply informed by the vision we wanted to create. Because I was right at that intersection of design and art, I was able to help resolve some of these questions in the character space. I worked closely with Art Direction and helped realize our 3D look and execution of characters in the game, as well as collaborated with tech art and engineering on creating our material systems and various elements like Friend & Foe Identification and Agent Select.

There is definitely a path at most places from 3D artist to manager. At Riot, that’s also known as an Art Lead — just slightly different terminology. Essentially, you go from being an individual contributor, where your main focus is creating characters, to helping steer a team of 3D Character Artists. You still get to create, but the focus shifts to leading that team.

I transitioned to that role after several years as an individual contributor and then eventually to my Principal/Art Director position, where I led the character department for the last two and a half years. Our main work was creating 3-4 new characters for VALORANT each year. That was a really fun position where I could go beyond 3D execution and think about all the aspects of a character—from concept art, narrative, and animation to VFX, audio, and design, so we could create the best overall package. I also worked with our marketing teams, helping to oversee how we represent all of the agents outside of the game in things like cinematics, illustrations, and statues.

What are your views on the way artists should promote themselves? Do you feel it's necessary to run solid social media accounts? How do you approach your portfolio?

In terms of visibility, especially when starting out, I think social media is a great way to get eyes on your work and meet other people. But social media isn’t for everyone, and I think each person should engage at the level with which they feel comfortable. I haven’t always been the most active online. Life is also just a lot. So, it all depends on where you’re at and where you’re looking to go.

Ultimately, if you do good work and it’s visible somewhere online, that will speak for itself. If someone is looking to get hired in the industry, making sure your work is solid is the most important thing. Connecting with other artists and developers is also an important aspect.

In terms of a portfolio, look at the people who have the jobs you want—they are living proof of what it takes. Refine your ability to diagnose the difference between your work and theirs. Tailor your portfolio to show a range of things you can do. If there’s somewhere you really want to work and they have a specific style, it’s a good idea to include a piece that reflects that style.

What do you think is necessary for longevity in this industry? What are the qualities that can help you build the right potential?

Most of us get into a specific craft or discipline because we enjoy it the most, but the truth is that most projects require many, many people working together to complete. Understanding that you are one part of a greater goal is really important. If you work or want to work in games, play games! If it’s entertainment, watch that media! Dissect it not just for the art, but for everything that makes it special. Engage with other people beyond your specific discipline. The better you understand the project you’re making, the better solutions you’ll come up with in your craft. You’re all in it together, and the only way that project succeeds is by building things that serve each other.

I’ve been fortunate so far and have certainly enjoyed most of the work I’ve been a part of, but at the end of the day, it is a job. If you’re working for someone else, whatever you’re working on is not yours. Find time to do things just for yourself. Making art empties your cup; make sure you fill it up! There are periods in your life where you need to work really hard to gain the skills you need, but don’t forget why you pursued this in the first place. Play games, watch shows and movies, listen to music, and live your life. Get that inspiration! It will fuel you and remind you why you even do any of this.

Chris Gillett’s career is a testament to the power of perseverance, passion, and pursuing the right education. During his time at Gnomon, Chris immersed himself in a challenging yet collaborative environment, where he refined his skills and built lasting connections that would launch his career. We are incredibly proud to have played a role in Chris’s journey and look forward to seeing how he continues to shape the game industry as he now leads junior artists!

About Gnomon

For over 25 years, Gnomon has educated many of the world’s best digital artists on its state-of-the-art campus in Los Angeles, California. Recognized as one of the top U.S. colleges in Forbes' 2023 rankings and called “the MIT of visual effects” by Fast Company magazine, Gnomon offers a variety of educational options to help students reach their goals in the entertainment industry, with certificate and degree programs, and over 100 individual courses. Our comprehensive programs, experienced faculty, and state-of-the-art facilities ensure that every student can achieve their full potential, just like Chris. Gnomon's strong industry partnerships give students real-world experience and a competitive edge in the job market.