Available to hire
Hi, I’m Mohamed Shaalan, a Senior Character Artist with over eight years of experience working across AAA and mobile games. I’ve had the chance to dive into a wide range of projects that pushed me to adapt, grow, and rethink how I approach my craft. I love figuring out smarter workflows and fine-tuning the smallest details in a character. I’m passionate about delivering production-ready assets and collaborating with teams to push the boundaries of visual fidelity while keeping performance in mind.
Whether it’s optimizing pipelines, crafting modular outfits, or mentoring teammates, I bring a friendly, growth-focused mindset to every project. I’m dedicated to helping teams achieve immersive, high-quality visuals and to continually improving workflows for faster, more reliable content delivery.
Experience Level
Expert
Expert
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Expert
Language
English
Fluent
Work Experience
Senior Character Artist (Contract) at Hypersonic Laboratories (Helix)
November 1, 2024 - November 12, 2025Created a wide range of attractive and culturally representative male and female heads using the Metahuman system; sculpted and refined diverse body shapes, optimized for performance and realism; fully rigged Metahuman heads and bodies; ensured production-ready assets within Unreal Engine 5; rigged outfits and accessories; integrated assets into Unreal while maintaining visual fidelity and performance; designed outfits, accessories, and modular assets compatible with in-game character editor; tested the character editor system; documented the pipeline and produced comprehensive guides to support future content creators.
Senior Character Artist/Contract at Hypersonic Laboratories (Helix)
November 1, 2024 - PresentCreate a wide range of attractive and culturally representative male and female heads using the Metahuman system. Sculpt and refine distinct body shapes for both genders, optimized for performance and realism. Fully rig customized Metahuman heads and bodies. Ensure characters are production-ready and fully functional within Unreal Engine 5. Rig and skin character outfits and accessories. Import and integrate assets into Unreal Engine while maintaining performance and visual fidelity. Design and develop outfits, accessories, and modular assets compatible with the in-game character editor. Test the character editor system. Document and report bugs to management for prioritization and resolution. Create comprehensive documentation outlining the character creation pipeline for future content creators working on Project Helix.
Senior Character Artist/Contract at Hypersonic Laboratories (Helix)
November 1, 2024 - PresentCreate a wide range of attractive and culturally representative male and female heads using the Metahuman system. Sculpt and refine distinct body shapes for both genders, optimized for performance and realism. Fully rig customized Metahuman heads and bodies. Rig and skin character outfits and accessories. Import and integrate assets into Unreal Engine 5 with performance and fidelity. Design modular assets and outfits, test the character editor, and document the pipeline for future content creators.
Senior / Lead Character Artist at Lockwood Publishing LTD (Avakin Life)
October 31, 2024 - October 31, 2024Led the Character Art team; delegated responsibilities; delivered high-quality assets from concept through in-game implementation; managed bug tracking and outsourced asset reviews; mentored junior artists; optimized in-game workflows for faster asset delivery; developed cross-department workshops to strengthen collaboration and pipeline improvements.
Senior / Lead Character Artist at Lockwood Publishing LTD (Avakin Life)
October 1, 2024 - October 15, 2025Led the Character Art team, overseeing task and ticket assignments, delivering high-quality game assets from concept through in-game implementation. Managed bug tracking and resolution, allocated tasks to meet production goals, and reviewed outsourced assets for quality and standards. Provided mentorship to junior artists and optimized in-game workflows to speed asset delivery. Built cross-department workshops to strengthen collaboration and communications.
Senior/ Lead Character Artist at Lockwood Publishing LTD (Avakin Life)
October 1, 2024 - October 7, 2025Led the Character Art team, delegated tasks, delivered high-quality assets from concept to in-game, managed bug tracking and outsourced asset reviews, mentored junior artists, optimized in-game workflows, and ran cross-department workshops to improve collaboration.
Senior / Lead Character Artist at Lockwood Publishing LTD (Avakin Life)
May 1, 2023 - October 1, 2024Led the Character Art team, delegated responsibilities, and maintained a streamlined workflow; delivered high-quality assets from concept to in-game; managed bug tracking and outsourced asset reviews; mentored juniors; optimized in-game workflows to speed up asset delivery; led cross-department workshops to strengthen collaboration; contributed to pipeline development and implementation.
Senior 3D Character Artist / R&D Artist at DNA Block – Replikant Project
May 1, 2023 - May 1, 2023Spearheaded grooming pipeline for Replikant using XGen and Ornatrix; enabled seamless integration of groom assets into Unreal Engine; optimized hair systems for real-time performance (asset reduction, LODs, shader efficiency); maintained groom compatibility with morph targets; created and managed a large library of groom assets including hair, beards, and animal fur.
Senior 3D Character Artist / R&D Artist at DNA Block – Replikant Project
November 1, 2022 - May 1, 2023Spearheaded grooming pipeline using XGen and Ornatrix for real-time Unreal Engine integration; optimized hair systems for performance (asset reduction, LODs, shader efficiency); selected appropriate tools per asset to balance fidelity with engine performance; maintained groom compatibility with morph targets; created and managed a large library of groom assets including human hair, beards, and animal fur.
Senior Character Artist (R&D) at Lockwood Publishing LTD
October 31, 2022 - October 31, 2022As an R&D Character Artist, pushed the boundaries of visual fidelity on mobile platforms while developing scalable AAA-quality character content; designed modular, diverse characters; developed high-quality assets such as clothing, real-time hair, and accessories; created and maintained texture libraries for character customization; collaborated with leadership to define artistic and technical visions; contributed to pipeline planning and optimization; supported rigging, lighting, shading, and rendering; supervised production; trained new R&D artists; documented processes and presented milestones to cross-functional teams.
SENIOR CHARACTER ARTIST (R&D) at Lockwood Publishing LTD (Avakin Life)
October 1, 2022 - October 15, 2025As an R&D Artist, pushed the boundaries of visual fidelity on mobile while developing scalable workflows for AAA-quality character content. Designed modular, diverse characters; developed real-time hair and clothing assets; created and maintained texture libraries; collaborated with leadership to define artistic and technical visions; contributed to technical art development, pipeline planning, and optimization. Trained new R&D artists and documented processes to support knowledge sharing and onboarding.
SENIOR CHARACTER ARTIST (R&D) at Lockwood Publishing LTD (Avakin Life)
October 1, 2022 - October 7, 2025Pushed visual fidelity on mobile while developing scalable workflows for AAA-quality content. Designed modular characters with diverse body types, created real-time hair, clothing, and accessories, built texture libraries, and contributed to technical art development and pipeline optimization. Supervised production and mentored the team in advanced workflows.
Online Art Instructor at Nayzak Animation School
January 31, 2022 - January 31, 2022Taught Artistic Anatomy, Cinematic techniques, and Game Production workflows; delivered courses and provided mentorship; contributed to curriculum development and student projects.
ONLINE ART INSTRUCTOR at NAYZAK ANIMATION SCHOOL
January 1, 2022 - October 15, 2025Online instructor teaching Artistic Anatomy, Cinematic techniques, and Game Production workflows. Developed clear, effective communication to connect with students and deliver complex information in an accessible way.
ONLINE ART INSTRUCTOR at NAYZAK ANIMATION SCHOOL
January 1, 2022 - October 7, 2025Online instructor teaching Artistic Anatomy, Cinematic techniques, and Game Production workflows, developing clear communication and effective teaching methods to help students understand complex topics.
Online Art Instructor at Nayzak Animation School
January 1, 2020 - January 1, 2022Online instructor teaching Artistic Anatomy, Cinematic techniques, and Game Production workflows; mentored students and supported their learning journey.
Senior Character Artist (R&D) at Lockwood Publishing LTD
January 1, 2020 - October 1, 2022As an R&D artist, pushed visual fidelity on mobile platforms while developing scalable workflows for AAA-quality content; designed modular, high-quality characters with diverse body types and ethnicities; developed real-time hair, clothing, and accessories; created and maintained texture libraries for character customization; collaborated on pipeline planning and optimization; supported rigging, lighting, shading, and rendering teams; documented processes and trained new R&D artists.
Character Artist at Agora Image
October 31, 2019 - October 31, 2019Created many digital doubles and cinematic characters for games trailers; notable credits include Magic Legends Cinematic Trailer (Geomancer and Beastcaller) and Knights of Honor Cinematic Trailer (Main Character King).
CHARACTER ARTIST at Agora Image
October 1, 2019 - October 15, 2025Created many digital doubles and cinematic characters for game trailers, including Geomancer and Beastcaller for Magic Legends trailer and main character for Knights of Honor 2 trailer.
CHARACTER ARTIST at Agora Image
October 1, 2019 - October 7, 2025Created digital doubles and cinematic characters for games trailers, contributing to high-quality visuals for marketing and gameplay assets.
Character Artist at Hive Studio
December 31, 2018 - December 31, 2018Worked on stylized cinematic characters for advertising and animation, including Toyota Khebayyes & AbuHurayyes and Saudia campaigns.
Character Artist at Agora Image
December 1, 2018 - October 1, 2019Created digital doubles and cinematic characters for game trailers, including work on Magic Legends and Knights of Honor 2 cinematic trailers.
CHARACTER ARTIST at Hive Studio
December 1, 2018 - October 15, 2025Worked on stylized cinematic characters for advertisements and animation (e.g., Toyota Khebayyes & AbuHurayyes; Saudia).
CHARACTER ARTIST at Hive Studio
December 1, 2018 - October 7, 2025Worked on stylized cinematic characters for advertisements and animation, contributing to multiple branded projects.
Education
Qualifications
Industry Experience
Gaming, Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet, Education, Professional Services
Experience Level
Expert
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Expert
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Expert
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