Carlos Villarreal Kwasek, MA

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About Me

I am an experienced Game Developer and Art Director with a diverse background in game design, post-production, and visual arts. Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of working in a variety of roles, including Animator, Compositor, Graphic Designer, and UI/UX Designer. At the core of my work is a passion for Fine Art, which has always influenced my creative approach.

I have contributed to globally recognized franchises such as Battlefield, Need for Speed, Dead Space, and James Bond, bringing my expertise to each project's unique challenges and creative goals. My professional journey includes working with industry-leading companies such as Electronic Arts, Activision, SEGA, and Disney, where I delivered exceptional results on high-profile projects.

In addition to my hands-on work, I have successfully managed outsourcing teams, mentored artists to help them reach their full potential, and fostered cross-team collaboration to ensure seamless workflows and outstanding results. My experience bridges both creative and operational domains, enabling me to deliver exceptional content while driving team growth and efficiency.

Core Skills

Game Development: Art Direction, Character Animation, Motion Graphics, UI/UX Design.
Project Management: Team Leadership, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Art Guidelines.
Creative Direction: Concept Art, Visual Storytelling, Branding & Marketing.
Software: Adobe Suite, Krita, Blender, Maya, Unity, Frostbite, AI tools.

Experience

Art Director & Co-Founder
Wild Games | December 2019 – December 2024 | Stockholm, Sweden
Artist and Co-Founder of Wild Games, an independent mobile game studio backed by Supercell. As Art Director, I oversaw the studio's creative direction, developing engaging visual experiences for mobile games. Key responsibilities include:

  • Leading the design and art direction for multiple mobile game projects.
  • Building and nurturing a talented team of artists and developers.
  • Collaborating closely with developers to ensure seamless integration of art and gameplay.
  • Managing and coordinating all visual aspects, from concept art to final assets.
  • Shaping the studio's creative vision and ensuring consistency across all projects.
  • Managed outsourcing teams and provided feedback.

UI Artist
DICE (EA Digital Illusions CE AB) | November 2016 – September 2019 | Stockholm, Sweden
Contributed to the UI design for two major titles in the Battlefield series:

  • Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass and Battlefield V
    Key Responsibilities:
  • Collaborated with the design and development teams to create immersive and intuitive user interfaces.
  • Designed and implemented in-game UI elements, including menus, HUDs, and icons using Frostbite.
  • Collaborated with the development team to refine and expand the existing web kit, creating art guidelines to ensure visual consistency with the game’s overall art direction.

Freelance Designer
Various Clients | January 2015 – October 2016 | Oslo, Norway
As a Freelance Designer, I collaborated on a variety of projects across different industries, including game design, illustration, and editorial design. Key projects include:

  • GHOST EA | UI Artist | Remote
    Designed UI elements for the game, ensuring a seamless and engaging player experience for Need for Speed (2015)
  • Amerisis | Concept Artist | Remote
    Developed character and environment designs for TSAMARU, a board game based on Ecuadorian folklore. Created visual assets that represented the cultural heritage and themes of the game.
  • OSCE | Graphic Designer & Illustrator | Remote
    Created illustrations and designed layouts for OSCE’s Security Community Magazine, a publication distributed across 57 countries. Designed both print and digital versions of the magazine, ensuring high-quality visuals and effective communication.

UI Artist
GHOST EA | September 2012 – December 2014 | Gothenburg, Sweden
Worked as a UI and Motion Graphics Artist on Need for Speed Rivals. Responsibilities included:

  • Designing UI elements, motion graphics, and transitions for racing games.
  • Ensuring that the UI was integrated smoothly into gameplay, optimizing for user experience and performance.

Cinematics Artist
DICE (EA Digital Illusions CE AB) | March 2012 – June 2012 | Stockholm, Sweden
Worked on the early pre-production stages of Levolution for Battlefield 4. Responsibilities included:

  • Creating cinematic sequences and developing visual assets for the game's environmental effects.

Video Producer
Starbreeze | August 2011 – February 2012 | Uppsala, Sweden
Led the video department for Syndicate, producing motion graphics and cinematic sequences.

  • Oversaw the creation of all video and motion graphics content.
  • Contributed to UI art and design for the game.

CG Compositor
Eurocom | September 2008 – January 2011 | Derby, England
Worked on multiple high-profile games, contributing to both the visual effects and animation departments. Key Responsibilities:

  • Compositing & Motion Graphics: Led compositing and motion graphics efforts for several titles, including GoldenEye 007, Vancouver 2010, and G-Force, ensuring visual cohesion and seamless integration of assets.
  • Tech: Supervised the build and implementation of an in-house render farm for post production.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver polished, high-quality cinematic sequences and in-game assets.
  • Character Animation: Created and refined character animations for Dead Space Extraction, including cleaning and enhancing motion capture data to ensure lifelike, fluid movement.
  • UI Design: Worked as a UI Artist on Rio, designing and implementing UI elements to optimize user experience.

Character Animator
Prime Focus London | May 2007 – September 2008 | London, England
Worked on character animation and VFX for commercials and film. Key responsibilities included:

  • Creating high-quality character animations for commercial and film projects.
  • Designing concepts and working on 3D generalist tasks.

Graphic Designer
Universidad San Francisco de Quito Press | March 2003 – September 2005 | Quito, Ecuador
Worked as a graphic designer for desktop publishing and web design, producing various books and marketing materials.

CG Artist
ADN Digital | August 2002 – March 2003 | Quito, Ecuador
Responsible for post-production work for advertisements and TV series, including compositing and visual effects.

Education

University of Hertfordshire | 2014 – 2016
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Illustration (Visual Communication) – Distinction.

Vancouver Film School | 2005 – 2006 | Vancouver, Canada.
Diploma in 3D Animation & VFX | Honours (Overall grade 95.17%)
Scholarship Winner.

University San Francisco de Quito | 1997 – 2002 | Quito, Ecuador.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Graphic Design – Summa Cum Laude
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Multimedia & 3D Animation – Summa Cum Laude
Academic Excellence Award.