Ben Mathis used Maxon BodyPaint 3D to create the diffuse map for the face above. Mathis cites BodyPaint as a favorite tool. He finds the chalk brush helps him get to the noisy aspect of skin pores. All images © Ben Mathis.

There were many highlights during this year's Game Developer's Conference. Some attendees would point to particular games, others to the inevitable future of overwhelming amounts of downloadable content. The more seasoned GDC goer would be more likely to point out the obscure, perhaps smaller talk, that while well-attended, did not offer a superstar headline but did reward with solid content, information that could be put to use back home in the studio. These talks are harder to find each year at GDC as the conference evolves with the industry. While we may never again see the days where the bulk of the GDC talks are nuts and bolts type production discussions, we can count on a handful of artists to give those valuable talks when the occasion arises and also to continue to educate through their own websites and online tutorials. One of these rare breed of teaching artists is Ben Mathis.

The first thing you need to know about Mathis is that he is impossibly young. Age in this case is simply a measure, one that might be used to estimate a person's contribution to his chosen field. In Mathis' case, age not only doesn't tell the story it barely starts it off. At age 26, he has contributed artwork to 10 published games, many of them yet-to-be-announced titles, all for numerous development studios and game publishers. This is a track record that most developers twice his age would be proud of. To Mathis' credit he maintains a genuine "Aw shucks, I'm just doing what I love to do" attitude. I had the pleasure to talk with Mathis at this year's GDC, immediately following his presentation about Maxon's BodyPaint software.

Young hotshot Mathis gave a talk at GDC about BodyPaint, which was a highlight of the event.

Fred Galpern: Why don't you start off by giving the VFXWorld readers some background about yourself.

Ben Mathis: I've been working in the game industry since 2003. I've contributed to 10 shipped titles, and worked for numerous studios both in-house and remote. I specialize in creating characters, animals, weapons and vehicles, for any generation of system. I also create training material and pipeline enhancement.

FG: What role do you enjoy most on a team? In particular, how do you find yourself contributing to the more technical parts of game art?

BM: I enjoy coming up with new tools and processes, and then sharing them with the rest of my team. When possible, I also enjoy showing those results to the rest of the world, so that the videogame industry as a whole can benefit and move forward with better art. I'm a fast worker, knowledgeable and constantly learning, as well as experienced."