Nicole Citardi
Hello! My name is Nicole, I recently graduated with a B.F.A. from Chapman University (major in Animation & VFX and minor in Game Development Programming). Welcome to my portfolio!I have a passion for storytelling and a love of art, which is why animation is the perfect blend for me. I enjoy a plethora of story-based mediums, including movies, video games, books, comics, and TV shows. I want to contribute to the storytelling world with my skills as an artist and a creative individual!
Nicole Citardi
3D Modeling and Rigging
Astra
(for 2026 Senior Thesis Film "Heart Race")
Responsible for: Body, clothes and hair modeling, rigging, toon shader development, character design.
Created handcuff chain rig to be referenced into animation files.
Riker
(for 2026 Senior Thesis Film "Heart Race")
Responsible for: Body and clothes modeling, toon shader development, rigging.
Wisteria
(for 2024 sophmore year film "Fairest of Them All")
Responsible for: All
Oola
(2023)
Responsible for: All
Background for "POPULARITY CONTEST"
Responsible for: All
To create a dynamic background for my game, I modeled a 3D room and utilized drawn textures in Substance Painter to match the 2D character art.
Scythe Weapon
(2023)
Nicole Citardi
3D Animation Reel
Nicole Citardi
Game Development
I started a company where I hope to create engaging narrative-driven games.
ScrythaDev, LLC
I am working on two solo development projects where I am responsible for all art, writing, and coding.
Mystery Visual Novel
Game Engine: Ren'Py
Programming Language: Python
Art Programs: Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk Maya, Adobe Substance Painter, Adobe AfterEffects
Short mystery visual novel with RPG elements.
Game Engine: Unity
Programming Language: C#
Art Programs: Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk Maya, Adobe Substance Painter
Currently in development. Will be available on Steam.
Other roles not affliliated with my company:
My Role: Lead Artist
Art Programs: Aseprite and Photoshop
Created all skins for player avatar
Collaborated with coders to develop dynamic parallax background
2024
My Role: All game and UI art
Art Programs: Adobe Photoshop
2024 game jam entry
My Role: promo art, character design, video editor
(not responsible for Eternal Thorns UI art shown)
2024 game jam entry
My role: character design and UI animation
Nicole Citardi
2D Art & Concept Art
Pretty In Pink
I love drawing my persona in different universes <3
Outfit Concept Art for Game Jams
Original Characters for "Blame Game"
(Not responsible for mechanical arm rendition in concept art)
Animation Practice
Coffee Shop for Clowns Visual Development
Nicole Citardi
Traditional Study
"Grand Canyon" (2020)
Top 10 finalist in Congressional Art CompetitionFeatured in District 7 newsletter
Nicole Citardi
EXPERIENCERural Games — 3D Character Artist Intern
Aug 2026 – Present
• Model, UV unwrap, and texture 5+ game-ready characters in Maya and Substance Painter, building clean topology within optimization guidelines.
• Iterate on assets through weekly reviews with a team of 10+ artists, turning around feedback within 1-2 days to keep characters on schedule.ScrythaDev — Founder
2025 - PRESENT
• Founded an independent game studio to design, develop, and self-publish original titles on Steam.
• Developing POPULARITY CONTEST in Ren’Py, owning game design, programming, 3D art, and animation; launched Steam page and grew it to 400+ wishlists.
• Drive marketing through social media, building a community of 1.3k followers across Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube.
• Recruit and direct freelance collaborators in voice acting and audio design.Dodge College of Film & Media Arts — Social Media Designer
October 2024 – May 2025
• Designed and edited motion graphics and promotional videos in After Effects and Premiere Pro.
• Planned content with animation faculty in weekly meetings to align posts with program recruitment and event goals.
• Sourced and showcased work from 30+ student artists, spotlighting the program's top films and projects.Art Mix — Animation Tutor, Art Instructor
June 2024 - PRESENT
• Design and teach a 2D animation curriculum for middle school students, covering the 12 principles of animation.
• Led group art lessons for classes of up to 8 children ages 5–8.Kashmir World Foundation — Animation Intern
June 2023 – January 2024
• Animated a 3-minute 2D short film in Adobe Animate promoting high-tech drones built for wildlife conservation.
• Refined animation across rounds of supervisor and peer review.
PROJECTS“Heart Race” — Co-Director, 3D Animator, Rigger, Lighting Artist, 3D Modeling
2025-2026
• Co-directed a 5-minute 3D animated senior thesis film with a key crew of 4 and supporting crew of 15, guiding it from story development through final render.
• Modeled and rigged 2 characters in Maya, building body and facial rigs used by the full animation team.
• Animated, lit, and rendered shots; tracked shot progress and reviews in ShotGrid and SyncSketch.“POPULARITY CONTEST”— Solo developer
2025- PRESENT
• Illustrate, code and market for a narrative heavy visual novel.
• Built a marketable persona to promote game on social media platforms.Game Jams — Concept Artist, Promotional Artist, Logo Artist
2024-2025
• Created visual identity for two team-built games made for Otome Jam and Spooktober Visual Novel Jam, collaborating with teams of 40+ developers.
• Designed lead character outfits, animated a live 2D title screen, and produced logo and key promotional art across both titles.
EDUCATIONChapman University, Dodge College of Film & Media Arts
Animation and Visual Effects (major) & Game Development Programming (minor) B.F.A.
August 2022 - May 2026
GPA: 3.9 | Honors: Provost List
SKILLS3D & Texturing: Maya, Substance Painter, Blender, Cinema 4D
2D, Motion & Editing: Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Toon Boom Harmony
Engines & Code: Unity (C#), Unreal Engine, Python
Pipeline: ShotGrid, Jira, SyncSketch, Motion Capture
Nicole Citardi
Video Editing / Motion Graphics
Game Trailer for "POPULARITY CONTEST"
Reels for
Social Media
Motion Graphic segment for Kashmir World Foundation Internship
Graphics for short film "Ms. Match" (2022)
