When people hear about 3D Art they often imagine a computer that generates a model automatically without realizing that 3D models & sculptures are in fact handcrafted by very talented artist. So what exactly does a 3D Artist do and what skills do you need to break into the industry? In this article we’re going to answer all of your questions.
What is 3D Modeling?
3D modeling is the process of creating three-dimensional representations of an object or a surface using a 3D DCC software. Every 3D shape is made out of multiple vertices, edges & faces which you can manipulate as much as you like.
Any model is created from a so-called primitive. Those are simple 3D forms like cubes, spheres or cylinders and are used to roughly block out your model. After blocking out your rough shapes you can slowly start refining them until you’re satisfied.
But 3D Modeling isn’t just limited to creating assets for a game. You also have to lay out UVs, create textures, rig and optimize your models to get them game ready.
What does a 3D Artist do?
Your job is to create all kinds of 3D assets that are later going to be used in the game, like characters, props, vehicles and more. Depending on the company you’re working in, you’ll either work from concepts or you can create your own models from scratch.
The job of a 3D Artist is very versatile & complex, so here are some of the things you’d be doing in your daily life:
- Create High & Low Poly Assets
- Laying out UVs
- Creating Textures & Materials
- Rigging & Topology
- Optimizing the model for the Game Engine
- …
3D Artists often specialize in a single field like hard surface modeling, sculpting, texturing, rigging etc. to land a job in a huge company but if you’re aiming for a smaller Indie Studio it would be beneficial to learn a little bit of everything.
What kind of skills do I need as a 3D Artist?
While 3D Artists need to be creative, they also need to have a huge technical knowhow to prevail in this very competitive field:
- Great understanding of shading, lighting, texturing etc.
- Knowledge of proportions, anatomy, color theory etc.
- Problem solving & Project Management
- Good Reference & Researching Skills
- Excellent Collaborations Skills
- Programming & Coding
- …
3D Artists have to work quickly & efficiently, so they have to use a multitude of tools to stay ahead. It doesn’t hurt if you have some programming skills to make your own scripts & plugins to help fasten your workflow. Always trying to optimize your way of working helps you to keep up with the tight deadlines while also saving you tons of time.
It is important to know how to communicate with others because you’ll have to work together with Concept Artists, Programmers and many more. You’ll often have to work on multiple projects at once so keeping a clear schedule is one of your top priorities.
How do I get a job as a 3D Artist?
It’s not necessary to have a special degree in 3D Modeling, but it can help you proveyour technical knowhow. Some companies even require you to have at least a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Animation, Game Design or something along the line.
Aside from the usual resume, companies want to see your work in form of a portfolio, so here are some useful tips for you:
- Rather than going for quantity, go for quality
- Include interactive projects you’ve worked on
- Make sure everything works properly and that it’s easily accessible
- Include notes where you explain your thought process
- Make sure it looks professional
- …
You should also consider building a portfolio that shows the part you want to specialize in if you’re applying for a certain position. While it’s great that you can do a variety of things, a company mostly doesn’t care if you can do characters when they are looking for a prop designer. So make sure to look into the business you want to work with before sending in your portfolio.
What kind of programs should a 3D Artist look into?
The list of programs a 3D Artist should be able to use is almost endless so here are the most essential programs every artist should have at least heard about:
- 3D DCC Tools ( Autodesk Maya, ZBrush, Marvelous Designer, Substance Painter/Designer,…)
- Game Engines (Unreal, Unity,..)
- 2D DCC Tools (Photoshop, Illustrator,…)
- Project Management Software (Trello, Nuclino,…)
- Writing Software (Scrivener, Evernote,…)
- …
I bet some of you are wondering why we’re including 2D DCC Tools even though the answer is quite simple. As a 3D Artist you often have to do a lot of texturing. While a lot of things can be done in Substance Painter or other texturing programs you often have to adjust and fix textures in a 2D program. Furthermore if you want to polish your rendered images you’ve got from your models, refining them in a software like Photoshop will help push them to the next level.
How much money does a 3D Artist make?
Those numbers can vary greatly depending on the company, genre, style, experience, skills etc. but according to Indeed a 3D Artist makes between $41k – $127k and the average income is around $72k per year.
If you want to work as a 3D artist in the game industry, you should definitely learn about Level of Detail (LOD) to optimize your models:
Level of Detail – Optimize Rendering Without Quality Loss
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