Dylan Sisson

Dylan Sisson is an artist, speaker, and visual effects veteran whose work explores how tools shape creativity. For more than three decades he has worked across animation, visual effects, games, and design, helping artists and studios translate emerging technologies into practical creative workflows.

Since joining Pixar in 1999, Dylan has been closely involved with RenderMan, contributing to its evolution across every Pixar feature film since Monsters, Inc. His work bridges artists and engineers, translating technical advances into production workflows, artistic exploration, and broader industry adoption.

A longtime advocate for stylized rendering and artist-centered workflows, Dylan explores how new tools expand visual language and creative behavior. His work often lives at the intersection of rendering technology, experimentation, and artistic expression.

Outside of production, Dylan maintains an independent practice spanning VR sculpting, illustration, collectible design, and emerging creative tools. He is also the creator of Pixar’s RenderMan Walking Teapot, a long-running collectible that has become a small icon within the computer graphics community.

As a speaker, Dylan is known for connecting technical shifts to creative behavior, exploring how changing tools reshape experimentation, process, and the images artists create.

He lives in San Francisco, where he still draws monsters when he can.

Role with the VES

Member