Hi, I’m David Stanley. I’ve been working since 2012 as an artist for games on consoles, PC and mobile. My work on casual mobile games helped my team be featured on the front page of the App Store 17 times, and we had the opportunity to launch games in many countries. In 2020, after five years with Ukuza, KONAMI published my indie game Skelattack in North America and Europe for PC and consoles. I was the creator, lead artist and art director for that project, contributing level design and some programming, and I supported KONAMI’s marketing team with hand-painted materials. Since 2022 I’ve worked on SSundee’s team as a YouTube thumbnail designer, creating character-driven art and marketing assets and helping drive engagement across billions of views.…

David Stanley

Hi, I’m David Stanley. I’ve been working since 2012 as an artist for games on consoles, PC and mobile. My work on casual mobile games helped my team be featured on the front page of the App Store 17 times, and we had the opportunity to launch games in many countries. In 2020, after five years with Ukuza, KONAMI published my indie game Skelattack in North America and Europe for PC and consoles. I was the creator, lead artist and art director for that project, contributing level design and some programming, and I supported KONAMI’s marketing team with hand-painted materials. Since 2022 I’ve worked on SSundee’s team as a YouTube thumbnail designer, creating character-driven art and marketing assets and helping drive engagement across billions of views.…

Available to hire

Hi, I’m David Stanley. I’ve been working since 2012 as an artist for games on consoles, PC and mobile. My work on casual mobile games helped my team be featured on the front page of the App Store 17 times, and we had the opportunity to launch games in many countries.

In 2020, after five years with Ukuza, KONAMI published my indie game Skelattack in North America and Europe for PC and consoles. I was the creator, lead artist and art director for that project, contributing level design and some programming, and I supported KONAMI’s marketing team with hand-painted materials.

Since 2022 I’ve worked on SSundee’s team as a YouTube thumbnail designer, creating character-driven art and marketing assets and helping drive engagement across billions of views.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Thumbnail Designer at SSundee LLC
June 1, 2022 - Present
Created YouTube thumbnails for SSundee's Among Us gameplay videos and the company game All Out. Collaborated with the in-house team to produce thumbnails aligned with video titles and upcoming mods. Researched references, drafted quick sketches, and iterated with feedback to maximize click-through, often emphasizing drama or shock value. Also produced test thumbnails for A/B testing and created alternate art for collaborator channels.
Self-employed Freelance Artist / Animator / Game Designer at Self-employed
December 1, 2012 - Present
Independent contractor providing animated characters and props for indie games across consoles, PC and mobile. Also illustrated/animated for YouTubers and Twitch streamers to boost channel visibility and production quality.
Art Director and Creator (Konami's Skelattack) at Ukuza
October 1, 2020 - October 1, 2025
Creator of the indie platformer Skelattack, initially as solo programmer, later leading art and animation. Managed a growing team of artists, implemented feedback to refine the game's style and animation techniques, and handled social media support and marketing materials. Skelattack launched on consoles/PC in 2020 as KONAMI's Western indie publishing flagship title.
Level Design / Game Design at Dead Cool Apps
January 1, 2018 - October 1, 2025
Transitioned from art/animation to development role, creating puzzles and gameplay mechanics for mobile games. Contributed to the company’s first Apple feature and subsequent features across many countries, driving millions of downloads.
Animator / Storyboard Artist / Character Designer at Smash Bits
April 1, 2017 - October 1, 2025
Storyboard/animatic creator and animator; handled character design, animation, background design, and lip sync for episodes; productions typically sold to ArcadeCloud and featured on their YouTube channel.
Concept Artist / Illustrator / Animator / Gameplay & Level Designer at Mega Rock, LLC
April 1, 2013 - October 1, 2025
Provided art and animation for mobile games; titles achieved Top 100/50/10 rankings in the App Store across various campaigns.
Thumbnail Designer at SSundee LLC
June 1, 2022 - Present
Created and iterated on thumbnails for SSundee's Among Us gameplay videos and the All Out game. Gathered references, produced quick sketches, and collaborated with the team to drive eye-catching, high-impact thumbnails. Worked on thousands of thumbnails, including AB tests and alternate art for collaborator channels.
Self-employed / Freelance Artist / Animator / Game Designer at Self-employed
December 1, 2012 - Present
Independent contractor providing animated characters and props for indie games, as well as illustration/animation work for YouTubers and Twitch streamers to boost channel presence and production quality. Active since 2012 with work for studios across console, PC and mobile games.
Art Director and Creator (Konami's Skelattack) at Ukuza
October 1, 2020 - October 1, 2025
Creator of the indie platformer Skelattack, initially as solo programmer and also handling art and animation. Led art direction and collaborated with a growing team of artists to flesh out the game in my style. Managed social media interaction and helped keep development on track. On June 2, 2020, Skelattack released as Konami's Western indie publishing flagship for PC and consoles.
Level Design / Game Design at Dead Cool Apps
January 1, 2018 - October 1, 2025
Transitioned from art/animation to development, creating puzzles and gameplay mechanics for mobile games. Contributed to multiple titles that achieved Apple features across hundreds of countries and millions of downloads.
Flash Cartoon Animator / Storyboard Artist / Character Designer at Smash Bits
April 1, 2017 - October 1, 2025
Created storyboards/animatics from voiceovers, then produced animation for episodes. Handled character design, animation, background design, and lip-sync for productions typically sold to ArcadeCloud and featured on their YouTube channel.
Concept Artist / Illustrator / Animator / Gameplay & Level Designer at Mega Rock, LLC
April 1, 2013 - October 1, 2025
Provided art and animation for mobile games based on pop culture trends; apps reached Top 100/50/10 in the App Store charts.
Freelance Artist / Animator / Game Designer at Self-employed
December 1, 2012 - Present
Independent contractor providing animated characters and props for games on consoles, PC and mobile. Illustrated/animated for YouTubers and Twitch streamers to boost channel presence and production quality, and collaborated with indie studios on asset creation and art direction.
Art Director and Creator (Konami's Skelattack) at Ukuza
January 1, 2018 - October 31, 2020
Creator of the indie platformer Skelattack; started as solo programmer and later led art and animation, expanding to manage a team of artists to flesh out the project. Implemented user feedback to improve accessibility and mass-market appeal. Supported KONAMI's in-house marketing with hand-painted materials and contributed to the NA/Europe PC and Console launch (June 2, 2020).
Level Designer / Game Designer at Dead Cool Apps
February 1, 2015 - December 31, 2018
Transitioned from art/animation to gameplay design, creating puzzles and mechanics for mobile games. Contributed to Apple features across many countries, driving millions of downloads and collaborating with publishers to develop competitive mobile titles with distinctive mechanics and minimalistic visuals.
Animator / Storyboard Artist / Character Designer at Smash Bits
April 1, 2015 - April 30, 2017
Created storyboards/animatics for NSFW animated episodes, then animated episodes over ~2 weeks. Handled character design, animation, background design and lip-sync for productions sold to ArcadeCloud and featured on YouTube.
Concept Artist / Illustrator / Animator / Gameplay & Level Designer at Mega Rock, LLC
December 1, 2012 - April 30, 2013
Provided art and animation for mobile games based on pop culture trends; apps reached Top 100/Top 50/Top 10 in the App Store. Worked on art, animation and gameplay/level concepts aligned with current trends and publishers’ goals.

Education

at Pitt Community College
January 1, 2011 - January 1, 2013
at Pitt Community College
January 1, 2011 - January 1, 2013
at Pitt Community College
January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2013

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Gaming, Software & Internet, Media & Entertainment
    paper General Portfolio: Illustration, Game Design, Concept Art

    https://www.twine.net/signin

    I’ve been working since 2012 as an artist for games on consoles, PC and mobile. My work on casual mobile games led to my team being featured on the front page of the App Store 17 times, and we had the opportunity to launch games in many countries.

    ​In 2020, after 5 years of hard work, KONAMI published my indie game Skelattack in North America and Europe for PC and consoles. I was the creator, lead artist and art director for that project as well as providing some level design and foundational programming. I also supported KONAMI’S in-house marketing team with some hand-painted marketing materials for social media and storefronts.

    Since then, I’ve continued freelancing as an illustrator/animator for indie games and entertainment companies.

    NOTABLE CLIENTS:
    -Konami
    -SSundee
    -Gamify
    -Social Cipher

    paper SSundee YouTube Thumbnails

    I create concept art for SSundee’s weekly uploads, and make edits based on feedback from the team. I then take the concept to a finished illustration in Photoshop. My work requires a knowledge of color, composition, and how to catch the viewer’s attention with action/drama/mystery as needed. Videos I’ve provided thumbnails for have gathered over 1 billion views.

    https://www.twine.net/signin