Hi, I’m John M. Donahue, a veteran illustrator, concept artist and animator with over a decade of experience in games, film, and education. I specialize in character, creature, vehicle/prop and environment design, and I enjoy shaping art direction and pipelines to help teams bring bold ideas to life. Alongside my freelance work, I’ve taught part-time at the college level for more than 15 years, sharing practical workflows and a love of storytelling with students. I’m always eager to take on new challenges and collaborate with teams to create memorable visuals across media.…

John M. Donahue

PRO

Hi, I’m John M. Donahue, a veteran illustrator, concept artist and animator with over a decade of experience in games, film, and education. I specialize in character, creature, vehicle/prop and environment design, and I enjoy shaping art direction and pipelines to help teams bring bold ideas to life. Alongside my freelance work, I’ve taught part-time at the college level for more than 15 years, sharing practical workflows and a love of storytelling with students. I’m always eager to take on new challenges and collaborate with teams to create memorable visuals across media.…

Available to hire

Hi, I’m John M. Donahue, a veteran illustrator, concept artist and animator with over a decade of experience in games, film, and education. I specialize in character, creature, vehicle/prop and environment design, and I enjoy shaping art direction and pipelines to help teams bring bold ideas to life.

Alongside my freelance work, I’ve taught part-time at the college level for more than 15 years, sharing practical workflows and a love of storytelling with students. I’m always eager to take on new challenges and collaborate with teams to create memorable visuals across media.

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Skills

Experience Level

Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Senior Illustrator at Age of Learning Inc.
August 1, 2016 - November 12, 2025
Illustration, design and animation work on the ABCMouse.com product.
Senior Artist at Playtika
August 1, 2016 - August 1, 2016
Bingo Rush 2: illustration, design and animation; contributed to production pipeline for various titles.
Senior Concept Artist/Illustrator, Animator at Six Degrees Games
May 1, 2012 - May 1, 2012
Illustration and animation work; created flash animated elements, animatics and related assets.
Concept Artist at NCsoft Corp.
December 1, 2007 - December 1, 2007
Asst. Art Director for LAVS Studio; concept art for multiple titles; managed a team of 7 artists; guided look and feel.
Concept Artist at Captive Audience Productions
October 1, 2003 - October 1, 2003
Creature designs and makeup appliance designs for film projects; collaborated with makeup FX team.
Concept Artist at Captive Audience Productions
January 1, 2003 - January 1, 2003
Creature designs and subtle makeup appliance designs; pre-production concept art.
Asst. Model Maker at Main Stay Productions
March 1, 2003 - March 1, 2003
Feature film miniature department; assisted in miniature production.
Inbetweener/Cleanup at Pantomime Pictures
January 1, 2000 - January 1, 2000
Animation cleanup for Shaquille O’Neil project.
Illustrator/Animator at Timbuktoons
January 1, 2017 - Present
Illustration and Animation work on various projects monthly since Jan. 2017.
Senior Artist at Playtika
April 1, 2013 - August 1, 2016
Bingo Rush: illustration, design and animation; streamline production pipeline; Bingo Blitz: design, illustration and animation; Blitz Slots: design, illustration and animation.
Senior Concept Artist/Illustrator at Six Degrees Games
March 1, 2008 - May 1, 2012
Senior artist guiding other artists in asset production and visual styling; jointly responsible for overall look of product; created flash animated elements and animatics.
Illustrator at Pantomime Pictures
November 1, 1999 - January 31, 2000
Inbetweener/Cleanup for Shaquille O’Neal Quake Readiness animation.
Senior Concept Artist at Captive Audience Productions
March 1, 2004 - February 28, 2006
Senior designer; overseeing junior artists; creature designs; The Exorcism of Emily Rose; Apocalypto; The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons; etc.
Senior Concept Artist / Illustrator at Six Degrees Games
March 1, 2008 - May 1, 2012
Senior concept art, illustration and animation; guiding other artists and ensuring visual style; collaborated with CCO on overall product look; created flash animated elements and animatics.
Concept Artist, Asst. Art Director at NCsoft Corp.
February 1, 2006 - December 1, 2007
Created concept art for studio titles (Tabula Rasa, Aion, Lineage Forever, Guild Wars 2); managed a team when Art Director was unavailable.
Concept Artist at Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. (ADI)
December 1, 2007 - February 29, 2008
Freelance concept work for various film projects; contributed to design work for major productions; collaborated with Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.
Illustrator at Six Degrees Games
March 1, 2008 - May 1, 2012
Senior Concept Artist/Illustrator, Animator; see above for description.

Education

BFA in Illustration at Laguna College of Art and Design
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2003
AA in Liberal Arts at Mount San Antonio College
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2001
AS in Animation at Mount San Antonio College
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2001
BFA in Illustration at Laguna College of Art and Design
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2003
AA in Liberal Arts at Mount San Antonio College
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2001
AS in Animation at Mount San Antonio College
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2001
BFA in Illustration at Laguna College of Art and Design
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2003
AA Liberal Arts at Mount San Antonio College
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2001
AS in Animation at Mount San Antonio College
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2001

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Gaming, Software & Internet, Education, Professional Services

Skills

Experience Level