DARRIN STEPHENS
ART DIRECTOR | GAME ART | ILLUSTRATION
PROFILE
Art Director, illustrator, and visual designer with 20+ years of experience in game art, digital entertainment, and interactive media. I’ve worked as both a hands-on artist and a team leader, guiding artwork from early concepts through production. My background includes building and supporting art teams, working across disciplines and time zones, and finding practical ways to improve how work gets done.
CORE STRENGTHS
Art direction & visual development • Team leadership & mentoring • Game art production • Illustration & character design • UI, logos & typography • Cross-functional collaboration • Production workflows • Licensed IP
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
IGT | Art Director | Nov 2025–Present
Lead and support art leads and artists creating digital slot games from concept through production. Set visual direction, review artwork, mentor artists, and work with Game Design, Development, Product, QA, and Project Management. Coordinate with teams in India, Romania, England, and South America across time zones. Work includes licensed properties and casino brands such as Wheel of Fortune, the NFL, MGM, Hard Rock, and Borgata. Used Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT, and Claude to explore and render early game concepts, replacing some traditional reference searches. Shared AI concepts for approval before artists built final assets in Illustrator and Photoshop; also used AI for image upscaling.
Everi Holdings | Art Director | Oct 2023–Dec 2025
Directed art, layout, and visual development for digital gaming projects, balancing creative goals with production schedules and requirements. Helped plan resources, set priorities, review work, and improve art pipelines and communication between teams. Continued in an Art Director role through the Everi/IGT merger.
Everi Holdings | Artist Principal I | Oct 2021–Nov 2023
Created and guided artwork across concept development, graphics, UI, logos, typography, animation, and character design. Supported other artists with feedback and mentorship while helping improve production processes and collaboration.
Everi Holdings | Artist III | Jan 2019–Nov 2021
Produced art and UI for custom games, game ports, templates, and live operations, including Super Jackpot Slots Casino and High Rollin’ Vegas Slots.
Everi Holdings | Artist II | Apr 2016–Jan 2019
Developed concepts, sketches, storyboards, graphics, and animation for casino game projects.
EARLIER EXPERIENCE
Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) | Multimedia Project Coordinator | Jul 2010–Mar 2016
Coordinated creative workloads, deadlines, and deliverables for digital learning and multimedia projects. Created UI guidelines, templates, graphics, animations, and simulations for web, mobile, and print.
Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) | Senior Multimedia Artist | Jul 2006–Oct 2010
Designed interfaces and interactive content for e-learning and presentations. Built storyboards and visual standards, worked with clients and technical teams, and mentored artists on Adobe tools and production practices.
INDEPENDENT ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN
Alienant.com | Illustrator & Visual Designer | Aug 1999–Present
Independent illustration and design work spanning character art, comics, avatars, logos, UI, animation, cover art, and interactive media. Past work includes projects for DC Comics, Ty, the University of Tennessee, and other clients. Developed art and interface graphics for mobile game and app projects including Crazy Tanks, Crazy Choppers, Finger Run, and Kaeruboy Book 1.
EDUCATION
B.S., Graphic Arts | Union College (Nebraska) | 1990–1995
CERTIFICATIONS
Adobe Certified Expert, Photoshop CC • Adobe Certified Expert, Illustrator CC • E-Learning Instructional Design Certificate Program
AWARD
TEEXcellence Award for Excellence in Innovation | Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service