From Sketchbook to Screen: Kacie’s Creative Journey

What if your passion for art could become your future? For Kacie Parker, that question turned into a clear direction.

Kacie is currently studying Game Design on the Game Art pathway at University Centre Grimsby. She’s always loved character design and story-driven games, so choosing this course felt like a natural next step. Today, she’s developing her own style – creating emotional, often darker 2D characters, and exploring animation.

Finding her path

Before coming to Grimsby, Kacie studied illustration. That’s where her interest in character and fashion design really began to grow. While she had experience with traditional art, she wanted to push herself further, especially into digital work and the games industry.

Starting the course wasn’t easy.

Learning tools like Unreal Engine and Maya was completely new, and at first, overwhelming. Kacie also found it challenging to speak up and feel confident in class.

But things changed.

With support from tutors and a lot of independent practice, she began to build her skills and her confidence. Now, she’s able to bring her ideas into 3D, using industry-standard software to turn concepts into real game-ready work.

Building confidence through creativity

One of Kacie’s proudest achievements is the progress she’s made in 3D modelling and animation.

She’s gone from having no experience in 3D art to confidently creating digital characters and animations: something she never imagined she’d be able to do.

More importantly, she’s developed the confidence to solve problems on her own. That mindset – being willing to try, learn, and improve – has made all the difference.

Learning in her own way

A key moment for Kacie came when she realised she didn’t have to learn in exactly the same way as everyone else.

With guidance from her tutor, she started watching demonstrations in her own time and practising at her own pace. That simple shift helped her feel more in control of her learning and more confident in her abilities.

It’s a reminder that there’s no one “right” way to learn.

Looking ahead

Kacie’s goal is to become a character designer in the games industry.

Next, she plans to build her portfolio, continue working on her current game project, and explore opportunities in both the indie and wider games industry.

She wants to create meaningful characters for meaningful projects and feel proud of the work she contributes.

Kacie’s advice

“Expect challenging but rewarding work. Tailor your projects to what you enjoy, and work on your time management.

“If you’re worried about starting, everything feels scary at first but, with time, you’ll grow in confidence.”