Hello!

I’m Jeff Nichols and I’m a Lead Look Development Artist and Professor. My experience on animated films ranges from early look-of-picture development, character look dev and grooming to shot work and lighting support on such films as Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and most recently serving as the Look Dev Location Lead on Trolls: Band Together.  Over my career, I have worked on characters, environments, helped develop next-gen technology, created and vetted various tools and workflows, and have become a point person for environment work within DreamWorks Animation.

I have a B.S. and an M.S. in Visualization from Texas A&M University. My masters thesis was focused on interpreting key concept art for complex environment look development in shot production.

Outside of my day-to-day work as an artist, I spend time as a professor for Texas A&M University in the Visualization Program. Most recently, this involved the redevelopment and creation of a new special topics course focused on rendering and shading at both the graduate and undergraduate level. 

Surfacing/Look Development Artist at DreamWorks Animation:
Character Look Dev including hair/fur grooming

Environment Look Dev/Micro Dressing/Development

Next Gen Development +Testing

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Abominable

The Croods: A New Age

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Trolls: Band Together

The Wild Robot

Lecturer at Texas A&M University Visualization Program (Graduate + Undergraduate):

6 years experience teaching Look Development to students at the graduate and undergraduate level

Current Lecturer for a special topic course focused on Look Development, Rendering and Shading