Chartokai

Portfolio

About me

Creative tech enthusiast capable of producing branding materials across mediums. 2D, 3D, animated and still graphic creation. Self-study marketing and bias psychology, as well as Japanese and French for the last 1,700+ days in a row. I’m looking for an opportunity to prove I can put my knowledge into practice.

What I do

Mediums: Motion graphics, graphic design, VFX, 3D modelling, DSLR operating and video editing.

Program languages: HTML, CSS, PHP. This site is a prime example. I wrote and designed this site to push the limits of my limited web hosting. WordPress is only used as a CMS, its theme’s logic and design were all me! JavaScript plays a small part in this site and is used in writing expressions on Adobe After Effects. I have also briefly worked with Lua, C++ and Java.

Programs: Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After effects, Blender, Autodesk Meshmixer, Ultimaker Cura, Windows 3D Builder.

Video showcase

A densely packed showcase of my motion graphics, editing and sound mixing ability.

Because my video assets are made and programmed in an open-ended manner (In Adobe AfterEffects), they can be used and customized without any specialist knowledge or coding, just text boxes, colour pickers and sliders. Also, I’m not limited to the retro game aesthetic, that’s just my brand’s visual identity.

Music and sound effects are a mix of my own work and public domain FreeSound sounds.

My biggest complete illustrated animation project was also my first. A hypothetical trailer for a mixed-media game, it uses various art mediums like felt, cardboard and digital art.

Despite its age, that it was all done in Photoshop to a rushed deadline still impresses me looking back at it.

Here’s a breakdown of my prosses from sketch to lines, then shadows and effects.

I used an accent version of Photoshop with experimental video features. Despite how non-user-friendly it was, I knew my knowledge of Photoshop layer styles could produce an interesting and unique result.

Other projects

Reverse engineering detail back into a model for 3D printing. As you can imagine, movies and games cheat almost all of their detail, and I wanted it back. Put simply, I used light deforming textures to “push” their patterns back into the model to recreate them. Comparison shot and My render full view.

A sewing pattern I made from a 3D model. UV unwrapping (How flat textures conform to 3D shapes) and fabric joining simulations allowed me to test many iterations without wasting fabric.

Some examples of my experience converting reference images into stylized painting templates. Their minimalist nature doesn’t do justice to the amount of effort involved.

It’s surreal to look back at my earliest animations. Even at 14 with my Z710i flip-phone, I was animating.

A little ingenuity and tech skills can achieve a professional look. Spinning apparatus engineered from childhood K’nex and effects made in After Effects. Video format here

Video composited on CGI composited on a photo with artificial camera movements and shadows/reflections cast on the real surfaces.

And here I am today, still experimenting with new tools. This is Blender’s (a 3D modelling program) mascot Suzanne, animated with the new Grease Pencil feature.

A near rite of passage for Blender artists is to make a doughnut. It shows an ability to model, sculpt, texture, render, etc. without one skill overshadowing the rest.

An old VFX project. Despite being an ironic cringe reference, it still demonstrates my ability to combine CG with real video sources.

Formal education

Art and Design	Double distinction merit A Levels Textiles, art history and theory	June 2014
Graphic design	GCSE level 2	July 2011
ICT	GCSE pass	June 2011
Mathematics	GCSE B	February 2011
Science	GCSE A Chemistry applications Physical science applications Biological systems 6.0 level 2 Grade Distinction	June 2011

During the coronavirus lockdown, I have taken courses in computer programming and user experience for both web and mobile devices from the University of Leeds, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Marketing courses from Accenture and general IT from The Skills Network.

Languages

I have a very systematic approach to learning languages. Using Anki intelligent flashcards, I filter word lists ordered by frequency to other learning resources.
My 1,600+ day language learning streak comes from Duolingo and despite its family-friendly rebranding, Duolingo remains a valuable resource for adults. I doubt many kids are learning classical Latin or Klingon after all.

English

I speak proper Queen’s English, init mate? But seriously, my vernacular is a cornucopia of lexemes!

From Shakespearian classics to Steven Pinker’s writing guides, I would like to think I’m well-educated in my native tongue. Check out my GoodReads account if there are any doubts.

Japanese / 日本語

As you could expect from the hardest language for English speakers, progress is difficult to measure. I can manage JLPT N5 practice questions but have kanji knowledge well above my grade.

Hiragana All

100%

Katakana All

100%

Kanji 1113 / 1,757

63.3%

French / Le français

While I can’t wax philosophical over the economic history of wine, I can at least hold my own in a baguette duel.
I managed to get by with all the social situations I encountered in France. In CEFR terms, my vocabulary is B1 and my grammar is A2

If you have any enquiries or opportunities, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Get in touch!