an Art Director and Lead with a B.A. in Digital Media for Game Design from UCF. I shape and drive the visual vision on projects like the horror-puzzle experience Killer Karnival and the spell-crafting mystical adventure Trials of the Arcane, overseeing art direction, asset pipelines, and final polish. Proficient in Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, and Unreal Engine, I coordinate multidisciplinary teams to ensure every prop and environment not only immerses but also reinforces gameplay and narrative goals. Check the tabs above for deep dives into my process, key deliverables, and finished work.
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"Trials of the Arcane" is an action-adventure game developed in Unreal Engine by Devious Studios, a team comprised of 8 people, where I served as the Art Lead. Players join the aspiring mage Maria as she strives to overcome three distinct trials, Lightning, Ice, and Fire, to prove her worth and earn her Archmage certification. Each trial tests a different virtue essential to a mage and rewards Maria with a unique spell upon completion. Development started at the beginning of March 2024 and ended at the end of April 2024, giving us 60 days of production time. All models were created in Maya 2024 as well as Adobe Substance 3D Painter.
This trailer highlights the main mechanics of the game as well as the levels the player will go through in the game.
It highlights each of the individual goals the player must complete to win the game as well as give a basic understanding on how the game is played.
Lightning Trial
Lightning Trial: Tests quick thinking in an obstacle course. Players navigate across rotating gear platforms amid a lightning storm, avoiding enemies and obstacles to prevent falling. Completing this trial awards the Lightning Spell, a moderate-damage, moderate-range attack.
Ice Trial
Ice Trial: Rewards exploration as players search a dark, icy cave. They must skillfully traverse steep, slippery terrain and defeat patrolling Ice Golems. Success grants the Ice Shot Spell, a long-range, low-damage icicle projectile.
Fire Trial
Fire Trial: Challenges strength in a battle against a fiery demon boss who relentlessly attacks with an onslaught of fireballs. Players must dodge attacks and strategically reduce the boss's health. Victory rewards the Fireball Spell, a short-range spell with high explosive power.
Trials of the Arcane gameplay breakdown
The video below dives deeper into the gameplay, showcasing each level in detail along with mechanics that make the game unique...
This gameplay video highlights the main mechanics of the game as well as the levels the player will go through in the game.
It highlights each of the individual goals the player must complete to win the game as well as give a basic understanding on how the game is played.
I worked on prop production making assets for each level you see in the video.
Ice Trial: Ice Golem and Ice Spikes
Ice Golem modeled in Maya.
I created simple rock formations and attached them to make a roughly humanoid shape.
Ice Trial: Ice Golem and Ice Spikes
Ice Golem textures created in Substance Painter 3D
I used different fill layers and generators to create the icy look and texture on the surface. I highlight the edges, I used a curves mask to highlight only the edges, giving that cartoon-style ice look.
Ice Trial: Ice Golem and Ice Spikes
Ice Spike created in Maya 2024 then textured in Substance 3d Painter.
I used the same practices that were used to create the Ice golem, utilizing a rocky shape as a base then bringing it in for texturing to make it look more like a big chunk of ice.
Ice Trial: Ice Golem and Ice Spikes
Ice texture study
I used the same practices that were used to create the Ice golem, utilizing a rocky shape as a base then bringing it in for texturing to make it look more like a big chunk of ice.
Fire Trial: Fireball and Boss Textures
Fireball created in Maya 2024 and Textured in Substance 3D Painter
This fireball was modeled within Maya and had textures applied through Adobe Substance 3D Painter to give the magma-like glow.
Fire Trial: Fireball and Boss Textures
Fire Demon textures created in Substance Painter 3D
I used many different methods to create different parts of this material. For the body and floating pieces, I masked them out separately from the head and arms. Then I used a rocky material with a mix of generators to create a flaming look on the sharper points of the model, giving the rock a lava/molten look to it. For the head, I inversed the mask and added an emissive yellow color, giving it a bright glow. I then used a curves generator again to create a feeling of depth within the flame and drew on the eyes using the rock material.
Lightning Trial: Lightning Spell
Lightning Spell made Maya 2024 and Textured in Substance 3D Painter
This lightning effect was modeled within Maya and had textures applied through Adobe Substance 3D Painter to give the spiky lightning-like effects.
Killer Karnival
Lead ProducerUnreal Engine 58 Month Production
Killer Karnival overview
In this 30-second trailer, you will see the result of six months of Unreal Engine 5 development at Screamscape Studios, our semi-realistic carnival environments, AI-driven enemy archetypes, environmental puzzles, and the shooting-gallery challenge. As Lead Producer, I partnered with Code, Art, and Technical leads to drive our entire production pipeline: managing the project Gantt chart and sprint milestones, running weekly TMCC reviews to assign tasks and track estimated vs. actual hours, and authoring the Game Design Document that defines our mechanics, enemy behaviors, and narrative features. This cohesive trailer reflects the product of the tightly aligned workflow I oversaw, from initial concept through to a market release.
Below is an example PDF of our Team Member Contribution Charts
I managed a TMCC progress sheet that is distributed weekly to every team member, requiring at least 15 hours of logged work per week. At the start of each task, team members enter their estimated hours; upon finishing, they log the actual time spent and mark whether the task was completed. Completed entries clear into our overall progress metrics, while incomplete items roll over, making it easy to spot estimation gaps or problems. I review the TMCC each week with the Code, Art, and Technical leads, using its data to recalibrate future estimates, reassign resources where needed, and ensure we stay on track with our development targets.
As Lead Producer, I leveraged the Gantt chart to keep our entire team aligned and focused on key milestones. By plotting deliverables across the Initialization, Integration, Polish, and Completion phases, I could immediately identify scheduling conflicts and work with the Code, Art, and Technical leads to rebalance workloads and adjust priorities. The chart's clear, visual timeline helped everyone anticipate upcoming deadlines, understand task dependencies, and remain accountable to their weekly goals. I also used it in our weekly meetings to discover potential delays early, reassign resources as needed, and ensure our development sprint stayed on track.
Below is a PDF of my Game Design Document for Killer Karnival
This Game Design Document (GDD) is a comprehensive blueprint that outlines all aspects of a video game's design, from core mechanics and gameplay features to story, controls, visual elements, and level design. It serves as a reference point for the entire development team, and any other developers who are curious about how something was done, ensuring everyone understands the game's vision, goals, and structure. For Killer Karnival, the GDD provides detailed descriptions of gameplay mechanics, enemy behaviors, item functionality, and narrative elements, guiding the team in creating a cohesive, horror-driven experience that focuses on suspenseful gameplay, interesting puzzles, and an immersive, eerie carnival setting.
Quick answers about Cooper Bowman's experience, project roles, tools, and collaboration availability.
What does Cooper Bowman specialize in?
Cooper Bowman specializes in art direction, 3D asset creation, visual pipelines, and production leadership for game projects, with experience guiding teams from concept through final polish.
Which tools and engines are featured in this portfolio?
The portfolio highlights work created with Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Unreal Engine, with featured projects built in Unreal Engine 5 and assets created for gameplay, environments, and visual effects.
What is Trials of the Arcane?
"Trials of the Arcane" is an action-adventure game developed in Unreal Engine by Devious Studios, a team comprised of 8 people, where I served as the Art Lead. Players join the aspiring mage Maria as she strives to overcome three distinct trials, Lightning, Ice, and Fire, to prove her worth and earn her Archmage certification. Each trial tests a different virtue essential to a mage and rewards Maria with a unique spell upon completion. Development started at the beginning of March 2024 and ended at the end of April 2024, giving us 60 days of production time. All models were created in Maya 2024 as well as Adobe Substance 3D Painter.
What is Killer Karnival?
In this 30-second trailer, you will see the result of six months of Unreal Engine 5 development at Screamscape Studios, our semi-realistic carnival environments, AI-driven enemy archetypes, environmental puzzles, and the shooting-gallery challenge. As Lead Producer, I partnered with Code, Art, and Technical leads to drive our entire production pipeline: managing the project Gantt chart and sprint milestones, running weekly TMCC reviews to assign tasks and track estimated vs. actual hours, and authoring the Game Design Document that defines our mechanics, enemy behaviors, and narrative features. This cohesive trailer reflects the product of the tightly aligned workflow I oversaw, from initial concept through to a market release.
Is Cooper Bowman open to new opportunities?
Click the buttons below to send me a message and get in touch! You can reach Cooper Bowman directly at cooperbowmanmail@gmail.com or 239-850-6386.
