Art Director and Art Lead with 16+ years of AAA game-industry experience and a strong focus on educational content creation. Skilled in bridging artistic vision with technical execution, leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-fidelity visuals for global franchises. Founder of The Fox Guild and Upside Tutorials, dedicated to pushing the boundaries of game art and mentoring the next generation of developers. Expert in Unreal Engine pipelines, technical art, studio management, and content strategy—from curriculum creation and community building to public speaking and tutorials.

Stefan Ivanov

Art Director and Art Lead with 16+ years of AAA game-industry experience and a strong focus on educational content creation. Skilled in bridging artistic vision with technical execution, leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-fidelity visuals for global franchises. Founder of The Fox Guild and Upside Tutorials, dedicated to pushing the boundaries of game art and mentoring the next generation of developers. Expert in Unreal Engine pipelines, technical art, studio management, and content strategy—from curriculum creation and community building to public speaking and tutorials.

Available to hire

Art Director and Art Lead with 16+ years of AAA game-industry experience and a strong focus on educational content creation. Skilled in bridging artistic vision with technical execution, leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-fidelity visuals for global franchises.

Founder of The Fox Guild and Upside Tutorials, dedicated to pushing the boundaries of game art and mentoring the next generation of developers. Expert in Unreal Engine pipelines, technical art, studio management, and content strategy—from curriculum creation and community building to public speaking and tutorials.

See more

Language

Bulgarian
Fluent
English
Fluent
Russian
Intermediate

Work Experience

Founder / Creative Director at The Fox Guild
January 1, 2026 - Present
Leading creative vision and studio operations for a self-employed venture focused on high-end game development and design.
Art Director at Build A Rocket Boy (contract)
October 1, 2022 - October 1, 2023
Art Director for MindsEye, overseeing visual quality, project planning, and artistic alignment for a high-profile title.
Founder / Creative Director at Eternal League
October 1, 2022 - September 1, 2025
Headed development of a major sci-fi, rogue-like RPG for PC. Defined the visual identity and strategic roadmap, managing full-cycle production and leadership.
Creative Director at Eternal Squares
October 1, 2022 - Present
Leading IP development and visual style creation for Eternal League, including 3D modeling for environments and characters, animations, concept art, VFX, and level design.
Art Director at EA (Remote)
September 30, 2022 - September 4, 2025
Worked on F1 2021, 2022, and 2023, responsible for planning new features, team communication, task management, executing a shared vision for visual development, ensuring the art team understood and followed visual goals and priorities, leading regular art reviews, examining content, providing feedback, and motivating the team towards shared goals.
Art Director at Electronic Arts (EA)
January 1, 2021 - September 1, 2022
Directed art for F1®—The Official Home of Formula 1® Racing. Collaborated with global stakeholders to ensure brand authenticity and visual excellence for a premier sports franchise.
Lead Level Artist at Ubisoft Annecy
December 31, 2020 - September 4, 2025
Created tasks and managed the art level team; documentation creation; structured communication and workflows between international offices; hiring new team members; creating workflow procedures; scheduling and milestone planning for level, props, vehicle, and texture artists.
Founder / Content Creator at Upside Tutorials
March 1, 2020 - Present
Managing an educational platform focused on 3D modeling, Unreal Engine, and game art. Developing comprehensive curriculum and tutorials for a global audience of aspiring game developers.
Senior Technical Artist at Sperasoft Krakow
November 30, 2019 - September 4, 2025
Collaborated with art and tech teams to improve visual quality and increase performance; asset optimization and creation mainly for environment; optimized artist workflow and pipeline; onboarding new art team members; created materials, lights, and VFX; developed tools.
Lead Level Artist at Ubisoft
November 1, 2019 - December 1, 2020
Led the level art team for Riders Republic (Annecy, France). Managed the balance between extreme environmental scale and technical performance.
Senior Technical Artist at SperaSoft
February 1, 2017 - November 1, 2019
Contributed technical expertise to AAA titles including Immortals Fenyx Rising, Mortal Kombat, and Saints Row: The Third Remastered. Specialized in Unreal Engine pipelines and complex technical art assets.
Lead 3D Artist at Pow Print and Design Studio
January 31, 2017 - September 4, 2025
Led a team of 3D artists to create VR and AR projects for architecture and construction sector.
Unreal Specialist / Generalist at PixelPool
December 31, 2015 - September 4, 2025
Worked as Lead 3D Artist integrating Unreal Engine 4 as a new tool for developing the company’s products within architecture and construction sector.
Studio Team Leader at PWO3D Design Studio
December 1, 2015 - January 1, 2017
Managed studio workflows with a focus on technical art and Unreal Engine integration.
Unreal Engine 4 Specialist at PixelPool
February 1, 2015 - December 1, 2015
Specialized in UE4 technical art pipelines and real-time visualization.
3D Artist at Budakov Films
January 31, 2013 - September 4, 2025
Created props for short movies within the arts and entertainment industry.
Game Designer at Haemimont Games
January 1, 2012 - January 1, 2012
Executed level design and created environmental assets to enhance scene detail and immersion.
Lead 3D Artist at North 3D
January 1, 2012 - November 1, 2019
Led a specialized team of 5 in the creation of high-quality game assets using Unreal Engine.
Game Level Designer at Gameloft
January 31, 2010 - September 4, 2025
Worked as game level designer in the arts and entertainment sector.
Game Designer at Gameloft
January 1, 2009 - January 1, 2010
Designed mobile game levels using 3D Studio Max (gray boxing). Modeled/textured assets and scripted interactions.

Education

Professional Training Certificate at Trainsoft, Sofia
April 1, 2009 - September 1, 2011
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science Technology at New Bulgaria University, Sofia
October 1, 2009 - May 1, 2011
Secondary school at 125 Bojan Penev, Sofia
September 1, 1997 - April 1, 2009
at New Bulgarian University
January 1, 2009 - January 1, 2011
at 125 Bojan Penev Secondary Education
January 1, 1997 - January 1, 2009

Qualifications

Driving license category B
January 11, 2030 - September 4, 2025
3D Studio Max certificate
January 11, 2030 - September 4, 2025
Substance Painter and Designer certificate
January 11, 2030 - September 4, 2025
Unreal Engine certificate
January 11, 2030 - September 4, 2025
ZBrush certificate
January 11, 2030 - September 4, 2025
Photoshop certificate
January 11, 2030 - September 4, 2025

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Professional Services, Real Estate & Construction, Gaming, Education