Technical and Visual Effects Artist specializing in procedural workflows for Games.

Robert "John" Estes

Technical and Visual Effects Artist specializing in procedural workflows for Games.

Available to hire

Technical and Visual Effects Artist specializing in procedural workflows for Games.

Experience Level

Expert
Expert
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate

Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

3D Art Team Lead at LIVE LAB GAME STUDIO
August 1, 2025 - Present
On-site lead for projects involving physically accurate atmosphere simulations; organized and documented team output using Jira and Confluence; facilitated onboarding and growth of interns; created art team workflows for game-ready client assets.
Technical Artist at LIVE LAB GAME STUDIO
June 1, 2024 - July 1, 2025
Developed procedural assets using Houdini and Unreal Engine for game projects; constructed real-time and pre-rendered VFX; created stylized and realistic procedural shaders for use in game engines; improved documentation over game art pipelines and math implementation.
VFX at ORBLITERA
January 1, 2025 - January 1, 2026
Built and implemented suites of VFX utilizing Niagara Systems and Blueprints; profiled and optimized Niagara emitters for runtime performance; utilized Houdini for RBD simulations in asset destruction and decal textures.
VFX at LANCE WEAPON SUITE
January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026
Created a suite of VFX utilizing Niagara for an energy-based weapon; integrated effects into gameplay systems; built a material-based decay system to show damage buildup on enemy models; profiled emitters with Niagara Debuggers and optimized for real-time application.
Terrain Toolset Developer at Personal Project
January 1, 2025 - Present
Developed a set of tools for Procedural Terrain Generation utilizing Houdini and Unreal Engine, including Cliffs, Paths, Rivers, Landscape Shaders, and Utility Tools; self-driven project, overseen by a mentor from Bluepoint Games; created extensive documentation of processes for presentations and feedback.
Dynamic Weather System Developer at Personal Project
January 1, 2025 - Present
Blueprint-based tool that creates Day, Night, Snow, and Stormy weather; built VFX and materials functions automatically applied for each scenario; supported both volumetric and 2D clouds for fidelity and runtime performance; utilized Data Assets to store presets for lighting and environment variables.
Industry Relations Officer at Chillennium Game Jam
January 1, 2025 - January 1, 2026
Student-run game jam; responsible for industry professional outreach to event mentors and judges; organized event talks, tables, and judging of games created during the jam.

Education

B.S. Visualization at Texas A&M University
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2026

Qualifications

Presidents Endowed Scholar
January 1, 2022 - April 20, 2026
Eagle Scout
January 1, 2018 - April 20, 2026

Industry Experience

Gaming, Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet

Experience Level

Expert
Expert
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate

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