Tom van de Merbel

Senior Artist @ Vertigo Games

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Summary

I'm a Dutch game art generalist.

Educated as a Media Designer and traditional artist, I jumped into game development at the first opportunity. I love to create detailed worlds for others to enjoy and interact with. Having affinity with both tech and art, I feel most at home in the space where both fields overlap.

Since my studies I have built up more than a decade of professional experience in many facets of game development: 2D & 3D art, programming, game design, VFX and animation.

I've collaborated on internationally published VR, PC and console titles, as well as many casual- and serious games. Even though I focus on art, the whole of game development intrigues me.

I learned the possibilities and constraints of web game development, while working for casual game giant Spil Games, helped build up a succesful new mobile casual game franchise at GameHouse and applied my skills to tackle healthcare challenges at Game Solutions Lab. Now, at Vertigo Games, I've taken up the challenge to create real-time visual effects for next gen VR games.

I think from the perspective of the end user and adjust my designs accordingly, rather than pushing my own preferred styles.

Skills

Software proficiency

Photoshop

Unity

Blender

Substance 3D Painter

Substance 3D Designer

EmberGen

Marmoset Toolbag

After Effects

3DCoat

Illustrator

Premiere

Maya

ZBrush

Unreal Engine

Dreamweaver

Spine 2D

Substance B2M

DragonBones

Productions

- Video Game
  Metro Awakening
- Year
  2024
- Role
  Senior VFX Artist
- Company
  Vertigo Games
- Video Game
  Arizona Sunshine Remake
- Year
  2024
- Role
  Senior VFX Artist
- Company
  Vertigo Games
- Video Game
  Arizona Sunshine 2
- Year
  2023
- Role
  Senior VFX Artist
- Company
  Vertigo Games
- Video Game
  After The Fall
- Year
  2021
- Role
  VFX Artist
- Company
  Vertigo Games
- Video Game
  Robo Instructus
- Year
  2019
- Role
  Artist
- Company
  Big AB Games
- Mobile Game
  Fabulous: Angela's Wedding Disaster
- Year
  2018
- Role
  Artist
- Company
  GameHouse
- Mobile Game
  Delicious: Emily's Hopes and Fears
- Year
  2017
- Role
  Artist
- Company
  GameHouse
- Mobile Game
  Fabulous: High School Reunion
- Year
  2017
- Role
  Artist
- Company
  GameHouse
- Mobile Game
  Delicious: Emily's Home Sweet Home
- Year
  2016
- Role
  Artist
- Company
  GameHouse
- Mobile Game
  Fabulous: Angela's Fashion Fever
- Year
  2016
- Role
  Artist
- Company
  GameHouse
- Mobile Game
  Fabulous: Sweet Revenge
- Year
  2015
- Role
  Artist
- Company
  GameHouse
- Mobile Game
  Barnyard Scramble
- Year
  2015
- Role
  Artist
- Company
  Spil Games
- Mobile Game
  Wings of Fury
- Year
  2012
- Role
  Artist
- Company
  The Android Machine
- Video Game
  Adam's Venture: Episode 2 - Solomon's Secret
- Year
  2011
- Role
  Artist
- Company
  Vertigo Games
- Video Game
  Adam's Venture: Episode 1 - The Search for the Lost Garden
- Year
  2009
- Role
  Artist
- Company
  Vertigo Games
- Video Game
  Fairytale Fights
- Year
  2009
- Role
  Level Decorator
- Company
  Playlogic

Experience

Senior Artist at Vertigo Games
Rotterdam, Netherlands
December 2020 - Present
Working on multi-platform next-gen VR games in Unity.

Main focus: Real-Time VFX | GPU & CPU particle systems, shaders, interactible props, simulations, profiling & optimization.
Artist at Games for Health / Game Solutions Lab
Eindhoven
August 2018 - July 2020
Concept art, production art, game art, UI design, app design, print design, ideation, illustration, animation, data visualisation.
2D Game Artist at GameHouse
Eindhoven, Netherlands
November 2014 - May 2018
Involved in setting up the successful Fabulous Angela franchise. Responsible for concept design and production of game environments and UI’s.

Projects: Fabulous - Angela’s Wedding Disaster, Fabulous - Angela's High School Reunion, Fabulous - Angela's Fashion Fever, Fabulous - Angela's Sweet Revenge, Delicious - Emily's Home Sweet Home.
2D Game Artist at SunCake Games
Hilversum, Netherlands
July 2014 - October 2014
Game concept art and asset production.
2D Game Artist at Spil Games
Hilversum, Netherlands
April 2013 - October 2014
As HTML5 games team we created games for various target audiences. I was responsible for graphic design, including character design, animation and promotional assets.

Projects: Fruit Fever World, Magic Solitaire World, Barnyard Scramble, The Dragon Flow, Cute Jungle Hospital, Cute Jungle Quiz, 1001 Arabian Nights 2, It's Alive!, Zombie Chops, Butterfly Collector, Sara's Cooking Class, Flower Power, Sea Treasure, Owl Collapse.
Artist / Media Designer at Freelancer
Capelle aan den IJssel, Netherlands
September 2010 - October 2013
I worked on various casual game projects for an international clients. My work is featured in:

Projects: Drive Jive, Cupcake Jive (Spil Games), My Health Club (BIGMOON studios), World of Tower (Robert Gering), Wings of Fury (The Android Machine), Buildy (Graffiti Labs), Ludo Deluxe: Holiday Special (Spil Games), Resortico Beta (DataSupply).
Game Designer/Technical Artist - Graduation Internship at Vertigo Games
Rotterdam, Netherlands
February 2009 - July 2009
I researched audience-driven game design, worked on internationally published 3D games and several puzzle prototypes. My role also involved cinematics scripting, level decoration, programming and 3d modeling.

Projects: Playlogic’s ‘Fairytale Fights’, Vertigo Games’ ‘Adam’s Venture I - The Search for the Lost Garden’.

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