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Game Art

A B O U T T H E J U R O R

BEN SPROUT

Ben Sprout is an Art Director at Guerrilla Games, a first-party studio backed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, known for delivering some of the most cutting-edge visual experiences in the industry.

As a 2003 Ringling graduate, Ben began his career over 20 years ago at Retro Studios as a world artist on the Metroid Prime series. He has since become a leader in environment art and world-building, with expertise in architecture, composition, and visual storytelling for interactive worlds.

At Guerrilla Games, Ben has shaped the visual identity of Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, creating culturally grounded environments that enhance both gameplay and narrative. The Horizon franchise ranks among PlayStation's most successful new first-party IPs.

  • I grew up in Sarasota dreaming about going to Ringling and from 1999-2003 I majored in Computer Animation and oversaw the F.E.W.S. student-run life drawing club.  In 2004 I started my first full-time job as a World Artist at Retro Studios in Austin, TX.  Working on Metroid Prime 2 and 3 was a dream job, but in 2008 wanderlust brought me to Guerrilla Games in Amsterdam.  I’ve stayed there ever since, working on the cutting-edge graphics for Playstation franchises like Killzone and Horizon. I’ve been very fortunate with my career and it’s an honor to be able to give back to Ringling and be a juror for this year’s Best of Ringling - Game Art.


W I N N E R S


President Award

Brian Kim & JOSH TANG

Kodama


President Award

Ava Demers

Threshold


Gold Juror’s Award

Anni Zhang & YuQi Zhang

Twinkle

  • The polished presentation of this charming fairy-tale setting grabbed my attention.  I’m instantly intrigued by the lamb doll character and gameplay, and the overall quality of the art, lighting and effects.  The designs of everything are harmonious and aesthetic, with a nice variety of materials and subtle placement of props all grounding this place in believability and a sense of wonder.  I love how there is a nice balance of organic shapes so that the room does not feel too boxy, and how the layout gives focus to the set pieces.

Silver Juror’s Award

Azure Heck

Acherontia

  • The consistent quality of the realistic environment art and the attention to detail in this project stand out to me.  Very nice lighting and material expression.  The rich set dressing and music give it a somber mood and nice pacing leading up to the final reveal shot which I found very well done and surprising.  It made me rewatch this several times looking for more hints in the storytelling and imagining what kind of game this could be. Two details that stood out to me are the oil/ scuff marks left by human hands visible in the specular highlights of the varnish on the corner column framing the stairs, and the way the stained glass casts a colorful light onto the stairwell.

Bronze Juror’s Award

Cris MuRong & Taron Sohn

Primordial Paradox

  • I appreciate the minimalist yet visually striking compositions in this project’s shots.  You’ve created a world with some fun elements to play with.  The camera moves along with nice pacing to the soundtrack showing off the various environments, and this evokes a mood reminiscent of games like Journey, Cocoon and the Last Gaurdian, so I’m interested in finding out more about it and if the gameplay is along those lines.  

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Game Art

Department Awards

  • Ava Demers

    MOST OUTSTANDING SENIOR

  • Brian Kim

    MOST OUTSTANDING JUNIOR

  • Catalina Levin

    MOST OUTSTANDING SOPHOMORE

Best Art Direction

Xinai Xiao

The Red Glacier

Best Environmental Storytelling

Anni Zhang & YuQi Zhang

Twinkle

Best Game Mechanic

Catherine Wang

PaintWalker

Best Technical Artistry

Catherine Wang

PaintWalker - https://catherinewang.art/paintwalker.php

Best Character Design

Taron Sohn

Havoa - Seeker of Dawn

Best Whiz Bang

Siyuan Zhou

Veilwood

Best Animation

Alexei Gill-Chancy

Flight Test

Best Lighting and Atmospherics

Ava Demers

Threshold

Best Tester

Catherine WanG