Head Count: Chris Misick

Chris Miscik is a versatile artist and one of Human Head Studios’ veteran game developers. He began working here his final semester at MATC as a concept artist for Prey - you may recognize his key art from the cover of Computer Games Magazine. The majority of Chris’ early life was spent on his grandma’s farm in rural Wisconsin. His time on the farm helped shape his artistic aesthetic and love for machinery, and he has fond memories riding in the tractor with his grandpa. Chris grew up making art and entertaining himself with whatever tools he could get his hands on, from designing original characters to sculpting board game sets with his brother. One of his first gaming inspirations was the original Doom. Chris recalls many long nights playing multiplayer and cracking open the editor with his brother and friends. Since Prey, Chris has branched out from concepting into every facet of game art including texturing, effects, modeling, and animation. To Chris, the team has become like a second family and he enjoys the collective learning that pushes everyone to grow in new directions. His favorite part about game development is the exciting potential of the medium to combine visual and auditory art with interactive storytelling. In his spare time, Chris enjoys walking his dog, perfecting his cooking skills, and making more art.

Advice for Aspiring Artists:
“Take a hard look at what your faults are. If you’re bad at drawing feet, then you should draw a lot more feet. There’s something to be said for practice, practice, practice - and that is a huge part of it - but if you don’t have those moments of reflection you’re not going to grow. On the other hand, if you’re trying to get hired for a specific position, learn about the company or the project. Try to get an understanding of what they want and know who you’re pitching to before going into the interview.”

Three Games that Everyone Should Play:
1. Journey
2. Super Metroid
3. Silent Hill