Sergei Tkachev

Technical Artist / VFX Artist

FarFarGames (PC RPG)

2025 - Present

• Develop and maintain real-time shaders and materials for characters, environments, terrain, decals, and visual effects using Unreal Engine rendering pipelines.

• Create, implement, and refine gameplay-driven VFX using Niagara, including environmental effects, character trails, and dynamic gameplay feedback systems.

• Design and maintain dynamic visual systems such as weather effects, hero ability trails, and environmental interaction feedback.

• Optimize 3D assets, shaders, textures, particle systems, and gameplay logic to meet performance targets while maintaining visual fidelity.

• Conduct performance profiling and debugging, identifying bottlenecks in rendering, effects systems, and scene complexity.

• Collaborate with artists, designers, and programmers to ensure visual consistency and stable real-time performance across game environments.

Technical Artist / VFX Artist

NDA (PC MMORPG)

2023 - 2024

Shader Development

• Designed and implemented custom shaders for characters, environments, terrain, decals, and visual effects.

• Optimized shader performance across different texture pipeline configurations, including channel packing and material complexity reduction.

• Developed visibility systems for player characters, ensuring the hero remains visible when occluded by environment objects through transparency and masking techniques.

Scene and Environment Development

• Built game-ready scenes and environments based on technical specifications and concept references.

• Set up lighting, rendering layers, post-processing pipelines, and baked lighting systems to achieve the desired visual atmosphere.

Asset Optimization

• Optimized 3D assets and textures to meet polygon budgets and memory constraints while preserving visual quality.

VFX Production

• Created flipbooks and custom meshes to integrate complex effects into real-time scenes efficiently.

• Developed real-time particle effects in a realistic dark fantasy style for characters, enemies, and environmental interactions.

• Produced advanced real-time effects involving mesh deformation, including organic destruction and environmental reactions.

• Designed lightweight destruction and environmental response systems for interactive objects reacting to player actions.

Shader-based Effects

• Implemented shader-driven effects, including magical barriers, energy fields, portals, and stylized liquid materials.

Freelance and Personal Projects

2017 - Present 

Reference Gathering

• Searched for references on characters, environments, and graphic solutions for various game and video projects

Game Development

• Developed games in genres such as:

  • 2D hardcore runner

  • 3D endless runner

  • VR horror

  • 3D adventure

  • Action RPG (A-RPG)

  • Rogue-like for different platforms (Android, Oculus Go, PC), including:

  • Building storylines and environments

  • Developing controllers, game mechanics, and more

Model Creation

• Created various sets of 3D models for different settings, including:

  • Vehicles

  • Buildings

  • Characters

  • Props and others

Rigging and Animation

• Performed rigging and 3D animation on characters and moving mechanical parts of 3D objects

Video Post-Production

• Worked with video post-production techniques such as:

  • Video editing (montage)

  • Compositing

  • Chroma keying