John Curtin

Background

About John Curtin

I love to create art. That passion for creating art has been the driving force behind my career, leading me from my early days as an Illustrator to my current role as a Game Director. This passion was reignited as I transitioned into leadership roles, where I found immense satisfaction in sharing my 20 years of industry knowledge with talented teams of artists and animators. I have been fortunate to work in some of the most creative and innovative development studios.I began my career as an Illustrator at Ainsworth and Aristocrat, where I was responsible for creating comprehensive game packages - from early concepts to finished artwork, branding, and signage. This role required close collaboration with animation teams, game designers, and software developers. Notable projects from this period include Wicked Winnings IV™, Wonder 4 Tower™, Lucky Count™, Fortunes of Atlantis™, and branding for More Power™ and Jackpot Streak™. My UI designs were adopted as global standard for Aristocrat games, and I contributed to the concept design for gameplay mechanics, exemplified by the Feature Frenzy™ game series.As Art Director at Skywind Group, I played a pivotal role in founding a new studio. I managed content creation on a team level, guided artists and animators, and collaborated closely with the game design team to achieve exceptional outcomes. My responsibilities included on-boarding and training new team members, product scheduling, UI/UX design and implementation, and maintaining studio brand standards. Under my leadership, the studio produced over 100 games in five years, including successful licensed products such as The Karate Kid™, Downton Abbey™, Bloodsport™, and Netflix’s La Casa De Papel™ (Money Heist™), all developed in close partnership with content owners.In my role as Creative Director at DGN Games, I was responsible for creating product roadmaps for Lucky Time Slots™ and Old Vegas Slots™ apps. I led multiple art teams across Ukraine and India, managing timelines for all deliverables and guiding the direction of game art from concept to release. My focus was on continuous improvement and pushing the boundaries of success.I firmly believe that true success comes from loving what you do. My passion for artistry, mentoring, and contributing to teams dedicated to creating the most innovative and creative games continues to drive me. I look forward to bringing this passion and expertise to my future endeavors.