Welcome to my little corner of the web. Hope you enjoy browsing the site. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to drop me a line. Feedback is much appreciated.

I guess this is where I'm supposed to tell you something about myself in the third person, in order to create that professional veneer: "Daniel Staton was born in 1973 in Berkeley, CA, etc., etc." Now that that's out of the way, let's see...

I basically got into 3D through my interest in video games; as the industry matured and the graphics improved by leaps and bounds, I began to realize "Hey, this is a vital new art form, the first truly interactive medium, probably the most innovative art form of my generation." It didn't hurt that I was a games junkie. In short order I decided I wanted to get in on the action.

I've always had an abiding interest in drawing, so despite some initial misgivings about my lack of computer know-how, I decided to see how far I could take my traditional skill into this new domain.

In 1999 I enrolled in the 3D MFA program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I got my first industry job in March 2003, as a modeler/texture artist for The Orphanage in San Francisco, and finished my Master's Degree in May 2004.

So far it's been...Well, how to describe it? As anyone who's worked in the industry can tell you, it's unglamorous, competitive, and involves a lot of long hours and hard work. I can say the best part about it has been the people I've worked with, without a doubt the most eccentric, talented bunch I've ever met. Being in the presence of such weird and wonderful talent has actually changed my view of the world, and it helps keep things fresh and engaging.