Hi, I'm Zhiyang Gao, an experienced Art Director and Illustrator with over 7 years of professional experience. I specialize in editorial illustration, animation, and 3D modeling, always striving to adapt my style to tell compelling stories and enhance branding efforts. I thrive in fast-paced, collaborative environments where I can lead and mentor talented artists while delivering high-impact artwork. Currently, I lead visual direction for game projects and digital art studios, creating key art, character designs, UI/UX elements, and promotional materials. I love mentoring artists through the creative process and contributing to award-winning projects. When I'm not directing, I enjoy freelancing on diverse illustration projects that bring narratives to life.…

Zhiyang Gao

Hi, I'm Zhiyang Gao, an experienced Art Director and Illustrator with over 7 years of professional experience. I specialize in editorial illustration, animation, and 3D modeling, always striving to adapt my style to tell compelling stories and enhance branding efforts. I thrive in fast-paced, collaborative environments where I can lead and mentor talented artists while delivering high-impact artwork. Currently, I lead visual direction for game projects and digital art studios, creating key art, character designs, UI/UX elements, and promotional materials. I love mentoring artists through the creative process and contributing to award-winning projects. When I'm not directing, I enjoy freelancing on diverse illustration projects that bring narratives to life.…

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Zhiyang Gao, an experienced Art Director and Illustrator with over 7 years of professional experience. I specialize in editorial illustration, animation, and 3D modeling, always striving to adapt my style to tell compelling stories and enhance branding efforts. I thrive in fast-paced, collaborative environments where I can lead and mentor talented artists while delivering high-impact artwork.

Currently, I lead visual direction for game projects and digital art studios, creating key art, character designs, UI/UX elements, and promotional materials. I love mentoring artists through the creative process and contributing to award-winning projects. When I’m not directing, I enjoy freelancing on diverse illustration projects that bring narratives to life.

See more

Work Experience

Art Director at Most Dangerous Games
November 1, 2022 - Present
Led visual direction, ensuring a consistent art style and high-quality assets. Managed and mentored a team of over 10 artists, collaborating with cross-functional teams to design and document game concepts for seamless art integration into gameplay. Created key art, concept illustrations, character designs, UI/UX elements, storyboards, and promotional assets. Adapted various art styles to deliver high-quality illustrations for branding, advertising, and in-game content. Successfully delivered Capitalism Craft, featured at the 2024 PAX Play Together event.
Digital Art Director at Ashcan Studio ofArt
June 1, 2021 - Present
Directed key art and illustration creation by developing mood boards, storyboards, and design briefs to define visual style and align with project vision. Led a team of concept artists to ensure consistency in art direction while collaborating closely with designers and directors to translate ideas into visuals. Mentored artists throughout the illustration process from sketches to finalized artwork, adapting to established and emerging art styles. Oversaw competition entries, resulting in several award-winning projects.
Illustrator at Freelance
September 1, 2015 - Present
Developed high-quality, storytelling-focused illustrations for books, editorial content, marketing materials, and branding, ensuring visual impact and alignment with creative direction. Collaborated with authors, publishers, and creative teams to seamlessly integrate illustrations with narratives while managing project timelines and meeting strict deadlines.

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts at Minneapolis College of Art and Design
January 1, 2015 - May 31, 2019

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Gaming, Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet, Professional Services
    uniE621 Portfolio
    My best works in video games, editorial illustrations, and children's book.…