Brian McLean
Teaching Experience
Austin Community College
Adjunct Professor in Visual Communication,1998 to 2014.
Adjunct Professor in Game Development, Animation and Motion Graphics, 2015 onward.
Senior Adjunct Professor in Creative Design Technologies, 2018 to present.
Previous classes taught: Basic Animation, Storyboard, Stop Motion, Advanced Animation, Drawing For Animation, Interface Design, Photoshop Techniques, Digital Painting and Imaging, and Introduction to Multimedia.
Origin Systems: Origin University. In-house training facility for computer game company staff: Photoshop, Animator Pro, and 3D Studio Max. Classes included asset management and production pipeline skillsets.
ACC Student Life: Leadership Advisor to Sigma Alpha Pi - The National Society for Leadership & Success (2010-2011).
ACC Student Affairs: Coordinator of Communication Channels and Creative Consultant for Student Affairs Communications team (2019 to present).
Professional Publications
Multimedia Experience:
Lion Entertainment: Art Director and Game Designer for clients 3D Realms (Duke Nukem for Macintosh), Looking Glass (Terra Nova) and The Upper Deck Company.
Origin Systems: 2D and 3D Computer Graphics Illustrator for PC and console videogames including Pacific Strike, Bioforge 2, and Wing Commander 3.
Jostens Learning Corporation: Animator and Illustrator for K-12 educational software products.
River City Productions: Art Director and Storyboard Artist for interactive video projects. Client: CTAC- Southern California Edison.
UMA Mirage Productions: Technical Director of animation and special effects studio featuring 2D and 3D motion graphics for TV commercials, logos/branding, and entertainment products. Clients included Walt Disney, Sonic, Radio Shack and Scholastic, Inc.
Publications:
Austin American-Statesman: WebCast Team-Popular culture critic and interviewer (2000-2002).
Austin Film Festival 2015: Second Rounder in the Short Screenplay competition (Top 15% out of 8600 submissions).
Instructor Bio:
Earned a BFA in Design Communication and Studio Art from Texas Tech University.
Came to Austin originally as a photojournalist, and once had a business card that read CIA: Cartoonist, Illustrator, & Animator. Became the Technical Director of animation and special effects studio UMA Mirage Productions, then an art director, animator and digital illustrator for interactive clients and educational software. I spent almost a decade as a 2D and 3D artist for PC and console videogames, starting with Origin Systems, on flight simulators like Pacific Strike and the Wing Commander series. I've done about a metric ton of storyboards and concept art for games/animation/broadcast media. This is year 25(!) for me at ACC as a Senior Adjunct Professor.
As a child of the '60's, I learned to draw from classic comic strips and comic books. As a cheap Scotsman, I preferred team-up books (10 year old me: "World's Finest Comics...Superman, Batman, AND Robin, The Boy Hostage...for 12 cents? Sweet!").
Published: May 31, 2026