Staff spotlight on our newest addition to our BA (Hons) Games Art degree programme, Lecturer Renwar Othman. Joining us from years of experience working with studios like Double Eleven and Segritude Games before developing his own game art business, Mothlight Studios. Originally from Middlesbrough, Ren pivoted in his career aspirations and studied Concept Art for Video Games in Teesside after serving in the Royal Corps of Signals for over four years.

“During my early career, I secured a scholarship at Hardy Fowler’s Digital Painting Studio, which gave me a portfolio overhaul and skills that allowed me to secure a placement at Double Eleven, where I worked on Rust Console Edition, a very popular survival game. Following that, I worked with Segritude Games, where I helped with the pre-production of their new survival game as part of their start-up team.”

Reflecting on that time, he commented, “These early opportunities eventually pushed me to help found our own independent studio, Mothlight Studios. We developing our first commercial title while taking part in industry events such as Tranzfuser and DunDev. Through these amazing programmes, we successfully secured funding from the UK Games Fund to help the development of our game, Showrunners.”

Ren worked on Rust as a Concept Artist.

As a Co-founder of Mothlight Studios, he said, “We have been focused on creating our first independent title. The process of starting a studio has given me experience and insight across every stage of development, from concept to 3D, to pitching and project management. Working in a small team of only five developers means wearing many hats. That adaptation has allowed me to gain a much broader understanding of the games industry than I would have otherwise.”

“The most pivotal moments in my career were helping to prepare and pitch for funding to support our studio. Being successful in that process proved to our team that we were capable of operating as a studio, following pipelines and presenting a viable project. It was a huge confidence boost and reinforced the idea that we could build a sustainable studio creating games.”

When asked why he decided to return to education as a lecturer, he said, “I decided to teach because I enjoy sharing my experience with aspiring artists and creative minds. I love the idea of being a source of knowledge and helping guide beginner and even experienced artists to produce their best work. At the same time, teaching allows me to continue growing as an artist myself by working alongside students and engaging with new ideas. As a founder of an active game studio, I am able to bring industry practices into teaching and create a direct link between the two.”

Speaking of the degree programme, he said, “Games Art will provide students with a broad range of skills that are valuable within games and beyond. Students can expect to learn the fundamentals of concept art, visual design, 3D hard-surface modelling, digital sculpting and asset creation. All skills that are transferable across industries, including games, film, animation, products and more. Students will focus on the game pipeline creation specifically, but these techniques are not limited to games alone. This will prepare them for specialist roles within concept art and 3D modelling.”

“My ambition is for students to create work that they are genuinely proud of while giving them the confidence and professionalism they need to succeed in this industry. I’d want students to graduate not only with strong technical skills and portfolios, but also a mindset that will allow them to pursue opportunities or create their own. My biggest piece of advice to students is to try everything. The earlier in your journey, the better; you will never really know where your strengths lie. Exposing yourself to different disciplines can help you discover things you genuinely enjoy.”

“For graduates entering the industry, portfolio relevance and quality are essential. You must tailor portfolios towards the types of studios or genres you’d like to work in. Employers are looking for artists whose work aligns with their needs.”

Our BA (Hons) Games Art programme focuses on bringing the gaming experience to life. Students on this degree will be taken on a journey, transforming game worlds into dynamic, visually captivating experiences. Find out more and apply here.