Before Games

My Journey Through the World of Engineering To Game Art

Electrition

 Before stepping into the world of game design, I began my career as an electrician, taking on diverse contracts across the UK. Growing up in Blackburn, I was surrounded by an industrial landscape, with iconic factories and innovative facilities that were central to the local economy. Working in these environments gave me hands-on experience with machinery, technical systems, and large-scale operations—a foundation that continues to influence my creative work today.

One of my early projects was for The Lancashire Evening Telegraph, where I helped build one of the first digital press and office of its kind, enabling the paper to modernize and expand its reach as well as go on the early internet. I also designed and built jigs at BAE Systems, which are still used in manufacturing the Eurofighter Typhoon, one of Europe’s leading fighter jets. Another memorable project took me to ICI’s Darwen plant, where I contributed to the construction of a new factory specializing in Perspex production, a critical material for everything from aircraft windows to commercial signage. In the same area, I worked at Crown Paints, installing equipment essential for the production of their well-known paint lines.

My work took me beyond the local scene as well. In Glasgow, I wired the historic Tootal Ties facility, a factory with roots in British textile manufacturing. In Lincolnshire, I worked on the Galaxy Tower, a radar tower for aviation at Glaxby, helping to modernize the infrastructure for safer skies.

Each of these experiences gave me a unique perspective on design, production, and technical problem-solving. These foundational skills—gained by observing how things are built and how complex systems work—are essential to my approach to game development today. They allow me to blend technical precision with creative design, building immersive, well-crafted digital worlds that feel as solid and thoughtfully constructed as the industries I started in.

I began drawing at a very young age, sparked by a gift of a small art set that ignited my passion. The work I created surprised my teachers in junior school, and the attention I received motivated me to push my skills further. Art, with all its challenges, has been a constant in my life, and over the years, I’ve dedicated myself to honing my craft. From architectural illustrations to newspaper designs, graphic art, film, and video games, my journey has been an evolving one. I began my artistic journey at the age of ten teaching myself to draw with pencil after discovering a collection of black-and-white prints in old books that documented remarkable works displayed in London museums. My early drawings were often regarded as masterpieces for someone my age, earning me the label of a "genius" at school. While the "genius" title may have been an exaggeration, I take pride in the quality of my work, especially considering the skills I developed at such a young age.

When I was young, I was thrust into an electrical apprenticeship, despite my artistic leanings. My supervisors often joked that I was a terrible electrician and hinted that my true calling was in the arts. I couldn’t help but sketch during my breaks, drawing whatever came to mind, mostly on tables. Eventually, after a heated argument at home, I ran away to Cardiff. I had seen an article about a guy who won an award for his model-making skills. We teamed up; I would create the 2D images, and he would craft the models. This was the early 1980s, long before computers became widespread in design work.

At the time, I found myself drawing images for car showrooms to be used in newspaper adverts. The real photos were often marred by inconvenient objects like trees or unflattering building angles. My job was to make everything look pristine. Over time, I drew hundreds of these, which led to architectural drawings for new city dock developments.

But as it often happens, the market experienced a downturn, and work dried up. Penniless once more, I returned to my old electrical boss, tail between my legs. His greeting was less than warm, reminding me that I had been gone too long to reintegrate and that, frankly, I had been a lousy electrician anyway.

However, just as I was about to leave, he stopped me with a question that would change everything: “Do you know how to use a computer?” I recalled seeing one during my time in Cardiff and, by virtue of that exposure alone, I was deemed more advanced than anyone else in the company. This led to my assignment at ICI Perspex in Darwen, Lancashire, where I was tasked with managing a hazardous equipment program.

And there it was—an expensive SunStation UNIX machine, worth 20,000 pounds. This machine became my entry point into the world of computers and technology, sparking the chain of events that would eventually lead me into the gaming industry.

That seemingly random encounter with the SunStation shifted my path entirely, setting me up for the adventure of a lifetime in digital design and game creation. It’s funny to think that my career, which would go on to span decades, began with a bit of curiosity and a flippant question about computers.

At ICI Darwen, I created CAD drawings that mapped out equipment locations for equipment in hazardous zones like zones 0, 2, and 3. I used the Sun SPARCstation 10, a powerhouse for its time as the first desktop multiprocessor, launched in May 1992. 

The machine, running Autodesk AutoCAD opened a groundbreaking path for me: discovering AutoCAD’s new 3D capabilities, I found a passion for 3D, setting the course for my career in digital design. I later met two artists using 3D Studio in Manchester that introduced me to the guys starting Privateer II The Darkening. The rest is history.

The SPARCstation 10, a groundbreaking workstation by Sun Microsystems, was released in 1992 and priced at approximately $20,000 for a standard configuration, with costs varying based on upgrades. This model was notable for its innovative dual-processor capability in a compact “pizzabox” form factor, which contributed to its popularity in advanced engineering and scientific applications. This machine allowed for significant processing power at the desktop level, enabling high-performance tasks such as CAD and, later, 3D modeling—making it a pivotal piece in my journey toward becoming a 3D artist.

Privateer II: The Darkening - Digital Creations

Privateer II: The Darkening was a landmark project that marked the early convergence of cinema and video games. Developed in the mid-1990s by EA and Origin Games, this ambitious title featured over 30 renowned actors, including Clive Owen, John Hurt, and David Warner, bringing a Hollywood-level cinematic experience to the gaming world. Filmed at the iconic Pinewood Studios, the game combined live-action sequences with innovative 3D models and immersive gameplay.

As one of the earliest members of the development team, I was responsible for creating much of the 3D art used in both the in-game environments and the cinematic segments. This was a massive undertaking at the time, as we were navigating uncharted territory, merging real-time 3D with interactive movie storytelling.

The game’s futuristic world and branching narrative offered players a vast, open-ended universe to explore, making it one of the most ambitious interactive movie games of its era. This project, which started in a small house in Cheadle, Manchester, became a defining moment in my career and in the evolution of narrative-driven gaming.