Environment Art
In this article we deep-dive into Wanderers Rest, a cinematic Unreal Engine environment project featuring 3 stunning variations: overgrown, snowy and submerged. Brendan McGuinness joins us to go through the ins and outs of cinematics, crafting compositions and adding depth to a scene, his approach to lighting, camera setup and animation, how he used different inspirations and techniques to meticulously craft his 3 scenes and much more!
We’re joined by Nathan Alderson as we dive deep into the creation of his breath-taking stylized sci-fi scene, The Rusty Speeder. We discover the ins and outs of Nathans creation process including: utilizing RGB masks for texturing, creating and working with trim sheets, tips and tricks for using ZBrush and how he used it in the creation of his rocks and other assets, working with Runtime Virtual Textures and much more!
Join us for this voyage into crafting a highly detailed, realistic WWII camera rifle with Geremia Merzari. We dive into his creation process from modelling and sculpting in Blender, ZBrush and Houdini, texturing with Substance Painter, Substance Designer and Photoshop as well as presentation tips in Marmoset Toolbag. Geremia also shares his texturing tips and tricks for weapon art!
It’s time to learn the ins and outs of creating a game ready weapon from EXP’s own Toddeh Tovmasyan. We dive deep into Toddeh’s workflow utilising tools such as Fusion 360, ZBrush, Blender and Substance Painter to create a realistic weapon from Hellboy. Also learn how Toddeh approaches lighting and presentation to create stunning beauty and studio renders. If you’re looking to step up your Weapon and Prop making skills this is the article for you!
LAMENTATION - CINEMATIC Short Film
We’re joined by George Kee as we discuss the ins and outs of creating a cinematic short film in Unreal Engine. George breaks down the process of creating his incredibly moving short film, Lamentation, a metaphorical representation of his journey with grief following the loss of his father. We dive into topics such as hero asset creation, storytelling, composition, lighting and colour grading and how to use those elements to convey emotion.
In this article we’re joined by Morgan Jones as we deep dive into his dreamy, charming environment, Listen To Your Heart. Learn how Morgan replicated his chosen concept to a tee as well as how he incorporated Blender’s Geometry Nodes into his workflow. We also delve into Morgan’s workflows for lighting, foliage, sky/clouds, stylized texturing, creating background assets and much more!
Take a trip to the Magic Moorland with Julia Cui as she breaks down her charming stylized environment. We dive into topics such as scene composition and creating focal points, lighting, modular kits, foliage and skybox creation as well as Julia’s experiences studying at a games art school compared to a mentorship.
Do you struggle like a lot of artists with creating foliage? Then this is the article for you! Sven joins us for this foliage-packed article where we cover his full workflow of creating stunning foliage assets. From sculpting in ZBrush, texturing in Substance Painter, constructing and assembling foliage meshes in Blender as well as lighting and presentation tips, Sven’s got you covered so you never have to fear creating foliage again!
In this article we’re joined again by Principal Lighting Artist, Maria Yue, as she breaks down her atmospheric Guillermo del Doro inspired circus act, The Buffoon. Learn about Maria’s journey as a Lighting Artist, lighting and colour grading, camera setups, lighting tips and tricks and how she crafted her stunning piece.
In this article we’re taking a trip to medieval France with Omar Souissi as we discover the process behind his scene, Knights at Chaumont, inspired by chivalric romance and historical management games. We delve into how Omar used modular kits to construct his castle, effectively blended external assets with his own, added variation when using tiling textures, created alternate lighting scenarios and much more!
We’re joined by Sahaar as we dive deep into his darkroom environment inspired by the likes of Alan Wake and the Resident Evil 2 remake. We explore topics such as composition, lighting, adding story to the scene, prop creation, working efficiently as well as Sahaar’s advice for other artists.
Welcome to Life On Water in a world where humanity is forced to live on giant ships and all of the land is underwater. We’re joined by Anastasiya in this article as she breaks down her vibrant environment set on an overgrown sea vessel, Life On Water. We cover topics such as composition, lighting, foliage creation, material layering in-engine, decals, breaking repetition and much more!
In this article we’re joined by EXP’s own Damian Gerrits as he enlightens us on how he created his stunning lighting doodle, Tales of the Adventurers Inn. We discuss all things related to lighting, composition, adding depth and how to direct the scene as well as working with lighting references, his experience with mentorships and his advice to anyone thinking about doing one.
In this very special article we’re joined by the team behind Project Titan, a tech demo designed to test and showcase Houdini’s procedural environment workflows in Unreal Engine 5. We go behind the scenes and discover how Houdini was used in harmony with other popular environment art tools.
In this article we’re joined by Doru Bogdan as we delve into Memories of War, a vintage wartime project with a heavy focus on realism. Doru covers topics such as bringing life to a scene with storytelling, using lighting and colour palettes to create artistic direction, replicating real life references as well as his top hard surface modelling, baking and texturing practices.
Join us for an adventure to The Crossroads, a beautiful medieval fantasy environment created by Wouter. We discover how he build his stunning modular architecture with 1 trim sheet, how he setup his lighting, the inspiration and story behind the scene and much more!
Take a trip to the The Hideout, a moody, atmospheric tavern inspired by Hunt: Showdown. In this article we learn how Sophie crafted highly polished props, used Substance Designer and ZBrush to create realistic materials, used lighting to create atmosphere and much more!
In this article we’re joined by Michael as he talks about the creation of his tranquil, charming scene, Moon Gate, inspired by a trip to Yangshuo, China. Learn how Michael composed his scene, created narrative and brought his scene to life as well as his workflow for creating stylized assets and scenes.
Hop into this fantastic article with EXP's own Tim Burroughs as we dissect his beautiful stylized scene, The Mega-Warrens, which saw him pick up an Honourable Mention in the Untamed Artstation Challenge.
Join us on a trip with Zurab as we explore the behind the scenes of the mysterious ZB Inn, visualised beautifully inside Unreal Engine 5. We discover how he approached composition, utilized lighting and colour, used Substance Designer to create stunning materials and much more
We hope you’re hungry because this time we’re serving you a tasty article from Nimer as we discover how he crafted his life-like kitchen scene. We learn how Nimer utilized Megascans, created beautiful natural lighting and created a cinematic that’s good enough to eat. Let’s dive in!
In this article Keltic shares with us his journey creating The Path, an atmospheric, serene walkway in the mountains. Learn how Keltic utilized Megascans and UE5 to craft his scene, how he setup his cameras, lighting and post processing, creating video clips as well as his tips for anyone looking to break into the industry.
Step into this foliage-filled article with Artem as he breaks down his jungle path scene. Discover how Artem crafted a breath-taking natural and vibrant piece with topics such as set-dressing, foliage creation and lighting as well as his tips for anyone looking to create highly vegetated environments.
Take an adventure to the Cozy Cottage and discover the behind the scenes of it’s creation. In this article we’re joined by Kayla as we pick her brains on how she crafted her beautiful Cozy Cottage scene in Unity. Learn how she broke down the concept and planned her assets, created a stunning Ghibli-esque skybox, tackled stylized foliage and much more!
Join us on a trip to Summer Archipelago, a stunning piece by Pontus Ryman inspired by his fathers summer house in Sweden. Pontus is a master of photogrammetry and in this article we dive deep into his scanning workflow, how he planned the scene and camera shots, his tips and advice for anyone interested in photogrammetry and much more!
It’s time to get spooky! In this article we’re joined by Marcin as we dissect his gothic horror, Bloodborne-inspired environment. Discover how Marcin used level design principles, modular kits, blueprint tools, fog and much more to craft a beautiful scene of epic proportions and packed with detail.
Take a seat and strap yourself in for this knowledge-filled article with Sady as he breaks down his hard surface workflow in Blender. We cover topics such as: how Sady sets up his Blender scenes, which addons and resources he uses as well as texturing with multiple UV sets.
In this article we’re joined by Math as he breaks down his atmospheric highlands environment created in UE5 and inspired by a camping trip to Sweden. Learn how Math used composition, lighting and subtle animations to craft a scene that’s full of life and character.
In this very special Q&A article we’re joined by Ranko Prozo as we pick his brains on all things stylized! From working at studios such as Fireaxis, Riot Games and Blizzard to creating incredible tribute pieces to series like Final Fantasy, Metal Slug and Dragon Quest, Ranko is a master of stylized art. We dive into his sculpting and texturing techniques, creating scenes with an isometric viewpoint, how to push your skills and improve your portfolio and much more!
All aboard as we set sail on this epic journey through the creation process of The “Marie-Louise”. François talks about how he utilized Blender, Substance, Photoshop, Marvelous Designer and Marmoset Toolbag to craft his hyper-realistic fishing boat, The “Marie-Louise”.
In this article we're joined by the team behind The Endeavour, a lushious ship wreckage environment created for a Beyond Extent monthly challenge. We pick their brains on how the project came together, how they collaborated effectively as a team and other more technical aspects such as their material workflow using tiling materials, how they created their foliage and shooting the cinematic. Strap yourselves in because there’s a ton of knowledge here!
Join us for this very special 3-part article delving into the judges top 3 favourite environments from the Cyberpunk Challenge, hosted by Experience Points and The DiNusty Empire. From breaking down each scene and their inspirations, to working to tight challenge deadlines, there is a wealth of invaluable knowledge to be discovered here. 3 artists, 3 completely different takes on the theme of Cyberpunk.
Ever wanted to improve your concepts or broaden your knowledge of design? Then this masterclass in concept design by Chris Doretz is the perfect article for you! Chris covers a huge range of topics such as design principles, planning a concept, creating strong compositions and overpainting while also breaking down his fantastic blend of hard surface and organic art in his piece, SPECIMEN.
Join us for this incredibe Q&A with Jessica Helgesson, Senior 3D Artist at Midwinter Entertainment working on their first game, Scavengers. Jessica has previously worked on beloved series such as Star Wars Battlefront, Battlefield and Mirrors Edge and is here to share her invaluable experience and advice.
Join us in this breakdown of the fantastic trailer for Gamedec. Cyberpunk cities to the Wild West, Anshar studios takes us through how they created this amazing trailer for the upcoming game, Gamedec in a matter of only two months. Anshar shows the previz to the final shot and the steps along the way.
Come with us on a journey to Hippopura, a ruined ancient sanctuary for Hippo’s nestled away in the lush jungles. Jasmin joins us again for another breakdown! Learn how Jasmin crafted her beautiful scene including blocking out, trims and tileables, sculpting, foliage creation, making VFX and all of Jasmins tips and advice for other artists.
Following the release of his Artstation Learning course, Guide to Game Art Applications, Kieran Goodson joins us to delve further into his reasons for creating the course, how he planned and executed the series as well as the challenges and enjoyable moments along the way. This article and series are an essential resource for anyone looking to get their foot into the games industry.
Angelo discusses his journey creating Red Hills, a lush, vibrant environment that secured him a third place in the Artstation Grand Space Opera Challenge. Discover how Angelo utilized shaders to drive his texturing and maintain consistency across the scene, how he tackled working to the challenge’s time constraints, his foliage workflow and much more!
Grab a snack and join us for this tasty article with Jonjo Hemmens as he walks us through the creation process for his 80’s Vending Machine. This article is packed full of everything you need to know when creating realistic props. From using reference and feedback to create hyper-realistic textures, to creating a small presentation scene to show off your props, this is a must-read for any Prop Artist.
Get ready to crank up the heat in this article with Epic Games’ own Alec Tucker as he breaks down his Volcanologists Lab scene. Learn how Alec crafted his composition, created a lava-filled landscape with a convincing sense of heat, combined a mix of Megascans and hand made assets and discover the inspirations behind the project.
Yinuo Chen talks to us about the production of her beautiful, tranquil environment, Serene Temple. Learn how Yinuo incorporated composition, colour and light to create a jaw-dropping temple scene as well as the benefits of working to a single camera shot. She also reveals her tips for students, the best advice she’s received from tutors and plenty more!
Learn how Noah created his stunning pine forest scene in Unreal Engine with the help of Megascans and SpeedTree. Noah shares what inspired him to create the scene and knowledge such as how he sourced his assets and created versatile shaders to seamlessly blend assets with the terrain.
In this article we’re joined by Stefan as we deep dive into the creation process for his environment, “We’re Going In!”. We find out how Stefan planned his composition and lighting, created modular pieces, built custom materials and much more. It’s time to go in!
In this article we’re joined by Jake as we deep dive into the creation process for his environment, “Collusion of the Sabbath”. We find out how Jake planned his composition and lighting, used Megascans, created pockets of fog and much more.
“Is it just me or is it getting crazier out there?” - Join us as Silvia breaks down her bathroom scene inspired by the movie Joker. Learn how Silvia perfectly captured the atmosphere, mood and tone of the movie using Maya, Substance and V-Ray.
In this article we’re joined by Carlos Perfume as he covers his journey creating Somber Cavern. Discover what inspired the piece, how Carlos formed his composition, utilized Substance, build custom shaders and most importantly… how iteration is key!
In this article we dive deep into Matthieu Laude’s chilling scene inspired by DarkSiders series. Learn how Matthieu utilized Zbrush, Substance Painter and Marmoset to create a stunning diorama in Marmoset.
Join us for this totally rad article with film and TV industry veteran, Andy Proctor, as we take a trip to Santa Carla Skateshop! Andy talks to us about his experiences learning UE4, combining 2D and 3D mediums with his childhood passion of skateboarding. We learn how he created story and character with composition, colour and lighting, crafted enough prop variations to fill a whole shop and much more!
Find out how Ryan crafted this beautiful sandwich inspired by the top chefs of the world. We dived deep into his creation process from his favorite ingredients to the presentation and unique style of Ryan’s cooking.
In this article we dive deep into Borys’s idyllic scene inspired by The Witcher series. Learn how Borys utilized Gaea, SpeedTree and 3ds Max to create a stunning, foliage-filled landscape combined with texturing in Substance and brought to life in Unreal Engine.
Join us for this very special Q&A article with Thierry, Vincent, Olivier, Caroline, Dimitri, Louis and Claude from the talented team at Ubisoft Quebec as we pick their brains about their work on Immortals Fenyx Rising. From pre-production, through development/production, all the way to post production, we cover all bases in this information-packed Q&A. This is not one to be missed!
Join us as we delve into an antique-filled Ancient Library and how the scene was crafted. Discover how Jefferson Bacquey utilized concept art and created story, implemented modularity as well as Megascans and iterated on his piece to produce a cozy, atmospheric library.
Join us in this 2 part article with Sabrina Echouafni that’s absolutely packed with useful info! In part 1 we discuss Sabrina’s journey into the games industry from school to internship to breaking into the industry followed by tons of tips for new artists, students and graduates. In part 2 we delve into Sabrina’s beautiful Carousel Environment and everything that went into creating it.
Joe Taylor takes us through his creation process of Collapse, an abandoned, overgrown library influenced by the Uncharted and The Last of Us games. Learn how Joe broke down his concept, created story as well as how he utilized modularity and trim sheets. And that’s just the start!
In this article we’re joined by Glen as he breaks down his beautiful scene, Rólegur, which focusses on a Viking being sent to the afterlife under the aurora borealis. Join us as we find out how the scene was crafted, tons of ZBrush tips, stylised texturing in Substance Painter, creating effects in UE4 and much more! We also quiz Glen on life as a Principal Environment Artist, giving feedback, working in a team remotely and that’s just the start!
In this article Robert breaks down his environment piece, Iroh’s Bookstore, which also saw him pick up Rookie of the Year in the Games Development category of The Rookie Awards 2020. Join us as we discover how Robert approached planning the scene from a concept, set dressing and lighting to create story, creating foliage using Substance Designer and more!
Don’t go into the woods…. Simon Madsen takes us on a journey through the creation of his dark, chilling forest environment. Simon explains topics such as utilizing concept art, planning, lighting, combining ZBrush and SpeedTree to create foliage and much more!
In this article we have Mike Gomez, Lighting Artist at Beenox, break down his latest UE4 environment. We explore blockout, texturing, lighting scenarios, and dive deep into raytracing and it’s capabilities in UE4.
Learn all about lighting in Unreal Engine with this article packed full of useful lighting tips. Find out how Maria approaches her lighting, what inspires her, what it’s like working in production as a Lighting Artist, as well as what to include in a lighting art portfolio and much more!
In this article we take a look at Kassondra Krahn’s amazing Medieval Pub Diorama. Explore how this piece was brought to life with a dive into the lighting, colour and composition. Look at how tiling materials were approached, as well as how to find inspiration and iterate throughout a projects development.
Remy Vignaud talks us through the creation of his tranquill, organic scene, Tree Shrine. Remy shares how to improve your understanding of lighting and use of colour. We also learn how he created his tree using ZBrush and SpeedTree as well as the differences between working in film and real time. Join us for this jam-packed article!
Have you ever had a project you’ve looked back on and thought how you could’ve done things better? Well Paul took it one step further and completely redid his Blacksmiths Shop from over 2 years ago! Learn how Paul created his scaene, what changes he made and how he managed to improve on his previous version.
Vuk Banovic returns for a Q&A article where we talk about his work on Insurgency Sandstorm. He shows us how he utilised a single trim material to create a whole set of environment structures and pieces as well as his tips, tricks and pitfalls from his experience working with trim sheets. Learn how you can create your own versatile trim sheet and reuse your trims to their maximum potential in this in-depth article.
Join us as the team behind Epitaph, a short cinematic film rendered in UE4, break down their inspiration, processes and scene construction as well as how they worked together efficiently and effectively as a team to create their stunning piece.
In this article we explore Wouter Gillioen’s foggy, atmospheric, forest piece, Overgrown. Wouter covers how he broke down the concept and applied his own story to the scene as well as his workflow including: blocking out, tree creation, lighting, utilizing Megascans, Houdini simulations and much more!
NORSE AXE BREAKDOWN: CREATING A HIGHLY DETAILED HERO PROP
In this article Neil covers his workflow he used to create his incredible 'Jörmungandr' Axe. If you are looking to learn how to utilize ZBrush in your prop workflow then this is a must read! Neil shares all of his top tips for sculpting props, how to properly texture, light and present your props and common mistakes that artists make when sculpting props.
Join us in the article where Roman breaks down the creation of his diploma project, a tribute to The Witcher 3. Roman covers topics such as modelling in Maya, texturing with Substance Designer and Painter, terrain creation with World Machine and lighting, post processing and material creation in UE4.
Mikel created his stunning recreation of Al Capone’s jail cell while studying at Think Tank Training Centre. In this article he covers his creation process for the scene including; planning, utilising Google Maps and Photogrammetry for reference, modular building, set dressing, decals, lighting and much more!
Over 15 years ago Andrew left Australia for Europe to chase his dream of becoming an artist in the games industry. Today he is the Art Director at Embark Studios and has worked on many exciting projects throughout his career. Join us as he breaks down his incredible recreation of his Australian memories leveraging Photogrammetry in UE4.
If you like Darksiders then this is the perfect article for you! Steven is a Principal Artist at Gunfire Games and has worked on both Darksiders II and III. In this article we explore the processes that go into crafting the environments in Darksiders, Stevens incredible Houdini rock generation, and how Houdini was implemented in creating Darksiders III.
Jasmin stops by EXP for a second time and details how she created this beautiful sunny market. From breaking down the concept to sculpting and her texturing process, all of the steps are covered as well as how she expanded some areas of the scene to make it feel lived in. Jasmin’s approach on stylized art is some of the best and learning how she achieves these results is worth a morning read.
In this series, Kieran Goodson reveals what he learned from the most reputable artists in the industry, allowing us deep insight into their areas of expertise. In this Material Art edition, Kieran explores vital topics from material creation for games vs portfolio, challenges of material art, presentation and much more. You're guaranteed some pocket-sized wisdom to take home.
Have you ever thought of giving up on a project? Inspired by Tomb Raider and Asian culture, Balasz almost scrapped this project before bouncing back and creating this incredible piece. In this article we explore how Balasz maintained such high quality and detail across the scene, his shortcuts and tricks for asset creation, how to find motivation, getting the most from online communities and that’s just the start!
In this article Carmen covers her lighting processes for her spooky moonlit piece, The Old Mansion on the Hill. Learn how Carmen’s lighting and compositions were influenced by movies, how colour palettes affect mood, how to plan your lighting, using god rays and reflections in Unreal and much more! If you love lighting, this is the article for you!
Kyle has worked on huge titles such as Marvel’s Spider-Man and The Division 2. In this Q&A we discuss Kyle’s journey into game development, his experiences with freelance and in-house work and the differences between them, tips and tricks for people new to Substance Designer, and ways to boost your portfolio if you are looking to land a Material Artist position.
Want to know how to create a spooky stylised diorama in Unreal Engine? Then this breakdown by Nikita Vorobiov is perfect for you! Learn how Nikita utilises paintovers, silhouettes, lighting, colour and much more to craft a beautiful, eerie scene.
Explore the Moon Shiners Cabin Environment created by Christopher McNally in Unreal Engine 4. In this article he looks at composition, colour palettes, material breakdowns, and more.
Mohamad Salame talks us through how he used Houdini to create Self Construct. He also explains how to use Houdini in terms of navigation, workflow, technical knowledge and much more!
In this series, Kieran Goodson reveals what he learned from the most reputable artists in the industry, allowing us deep insight into their areas of expertise. In this Lighting Art edition, Kieran explores vital topics from composition to cinematography, film and movies to triple A titles and much more. You're guaranteed some pocket-sized wisdom to take home.
Pedro Henrique Placido Silva explains his workflow, composition, lighting and inspiration behind his tranquil environment piece, Pumpkin Farm. Join us as we delve into the realms of rendering, UDIMs, creating a peaceful scene and more!
Stanislav Vovchuk goes through what inspired and helped him to create his sci-fi 50’s diner in UE4. If you want to know how to save time texturing and maintain quality, utilise trim sheets, create natural and artificial lighting and much more then this is the article for you!
Join us as Steffen talks us through the process of creating his tranquil, snowy winter road, complete with cabin and Porsche. Learn how he composes his shot, utilises Megascans, combines V-Ray render elements with Nuke compositing and more!
Experience the moody vibes created by Alex Mannion in his latest environment. In this article he talks about composition, modular building, and creating materials within UE4, followed by a step-by-step breakdown of his process.
Tima Renski is back again for his second article and brings even more knowledge for everyone. In this breakdown we learn about his process of framing the scene, set dressing and how it played an important part in guiding the viewers eye as well as tons of information on workflows, negative space and lighting. Dive right in!
Lighting Artist Adam Alexander breaks down The Middle Coast. In this article you’ll find out how Adam combines VFX, Megascans, terrain, lighting and more to create his dramatic coastal environment in UE4. He also shares his tips, tricks and inspiration for aspiring Lighting Artists.
Join us in this double article as we talk with Jesus Merino about his work on the Wonder Park vegetation, followed by a breakdown on his Samurai Armour. Read about his processes, what software he uses for each stage of his development, and more.
Ever fancied a change in career? Jason Yi Kai talks us through his transition to becoming an Environment Artist and the creation of Concrete Evergreen. Learn how Jason utilises Megascans, Edge Damage Decals, composition, lighting and much more!
In this Q&A with Oguzhan Kar, Artist and Owner of Leartes Studio, we discuss the processes and teamwork behind creating their incredible Megapacks, particularly their latest Cyberpunk Megapack. We discover how quality and efficiency is maintained across their remote team and how they tackle challenges. They also share some tips and tricks for those of you looking to get into selling your own asset packs on the Unreal Marketplace.
You probably think this scene took ages to create, but Bjorn completed it in only 3 weeks. In this extensive breakdown, Bjorn goes into detail on how he planned this modular building with all of it’s destruction. With rubble simulation in Blender, vertex blending shaders, baked lighting and blending meshes together, this article is full of information.
Jeremy is one of the most well known artists in the Environment Art scene, working at Ubisoft Massive on The Division series, streaming on Twitch and creating a huge online community - The DiNusty Empire. In this Q&A we delve into topics such as building skills and landing that first job, preventing burnout, scoping projects and getting feedback as well as the future of DiNusty.
Lincoln Hughes is a household name in the gaming industry and has created a Gumroad empire through a variety of different methods. In this article, we’ll look at some of the best ways to begin selling game art assets online, how free content can benefit your image and provide value as well as an eye opening explanation that this can be your career.
Javier Perez is back again and for his second article he breaks down this ridiculous Tiki material! Not only that but he dives deep into career advice and portfolio tips for those that are looking to build a memorable brand as well as what it’s like working in the industry as a Material Artist.
EXP had the pleasure of sitting down with Mateusz from The Farm 51, developers of Chernobylite. Mateusz covers a magnitude of topics in this article and goes over building atmosphere for a horror game, level design and art coming together, using Megascans for materials and combining Speedtree with Photogrammetry for stunning foliage.
Kiril Zangagolev and Domantas Kelpsa teamed up together to create the Pen Dinas Fishing Boat. Utilising various industry workflows, they breakdown their approach as a team, allocating tasks, setting up the texturing process, using a single master material and of course, sculpting fish.
Sherif Dawoud stepped out of his comfort zone and created this beautiful fan art of Towers of Doom. Explore this beastly breakdown where Sherif details every step of development. Learn how he captured the art style of Heroes of the Storm, set up his master materials for the ground and props, lighting the scene, sculpting all of the assets,the tools he uses as well as a ton of resources that he gathered along the way.
Karen Stanley has worked in the industry for 6 years and talks about her experiences from doing freelance work and how that helped her with the business side of our industry to working as a Senior Environment Artist at Ubisoft. With insights on what she looks for when hiring and how you can ensure you are on the right path, Karen gives you all of the information you need.
In this article we explore how Tom Carter created his stunning system of caves, Slate Descent. Tom shows us how he used tools such as Houdini and photo scanning as well as technical breakdowns of the scene, what inspires him and his advice for students and Junior Artists.
With the power of Megascans and CryEngine, this beautiful and flourishing ancient Roman garden was born. Explore how Peter Mindas pieced this environment together and was able to focus on the artistic aspect of the project thanks to Megascans. Peter shares some advice and tips on material blending, using decals as well as composing your scene to guide the viewers eye.
In this article we explore a breakdown of Mike Kurabi’s Hospital environment. He looks at composition, storytelling, lighting and materials, and talks about why it’s okay to make big changes later in production to get a better result.
Alex Beddows, Senior Environment Artist at Counterplay Games, 3D Learning Content Manager at Artstation, host of the Game Dev Discussion podcast and former Lead at Dekogon. I think it’s fair to say Alex has been very busy in recent years! Join us in this Q&A where Alex shares his knowledge from his experiences, what it’s like working remotely, advice for students and junior artists, his tip for freelancing, and that’s just for starters. This is not one to be missed!
Read through as Think Tank Online graduate Julian Rabe breaks down his Gas Station environment. He explores the wide variety of techniques involved in his workflow to create such a detailed scene, as well as his advice on how to effectively tackle a large project without getting burnt out.
Dave Miragliotta, Senior Environment Artist at Respawn Entertainment, gives us a look into his most recent Unreal Engine 4 environment, as well as giving tips for how junior artists should present their portfolios and what they should expect from the industry.
Maria, Anna and Marina teamed up to create the Viking Village scene, inspired by How to Train Your Dragon. In this masterful breakdown, we dive into their structure as a trio and how they planned their approach, as well as looking at how they established the art style of their scene, creation of the assets and overall world building. Learn everything you need below, and be inspired to work as a team.
Lincoln Hughes is a household name in the gaming industry and has created a Gumroad empire through a variety of different methods. In this article, we’ll look at some of the best ways to begin selling game art assets online, how free content can benefit your image and provide value as well as an eye opening explanation that this can be your career.
We all ask other artists for advice, especially those we look up to. Clinton gets hundreds of emails every day, often containing commonly asked questions that always pop in conversation. In this Q&A, Clinton answers the 8 common questions that environment artists ask.
Michael Kinsey was Lead Artist for this mind blowing project with Clinton Crumpler art directing. In this high level analysis, Michael walks you through how he and the team he led crafted this scene, with a heavy emphasis on a modular approach from assets to materials. Dekogon always release high quality products, now you can learn how.
Join us in this article by Ben Keeling, where he breaks down the different aspects of his Beyond Human environment, followed by an in-depth look at his foliage creation process. He explores his Substance Planet works and gives tips and tricks for people starting out.
What do you get when you combine Call of Cathulu and Garfield? A beautiful environment that oozes character. Radek gives us an incredible breakdown for his scene and details every step of production. Learn everything from conceptualisation to texturing assets, lighting techniques from photography and correct PBR values, as well as composition rules.
Junliang Zhang created this procedural environment in only two days. Explore this beautiful breakdown to learn how he used Houdini directly inside of Unreal Engine 4 and had fully control over how and where his assets spawned. If you’re looking to learn Houdini, this is a must read.
Jasmin Habezai-Fekri has made a name for herself with her stylized art, so much so that she won the Artstation Challenge and recently finished an internship at Square-Enix. This breakdown goes through her King Arthur submission and explores various topics including her workflow, important pillars of stylized art, building a presence online and having studios reach out to you.
Step into the Abandonded Hotel with Sourabh P Hamigi as he walks us through the creation of this well crafted scene and breaks down his process, giving you an insight on materials, decals, camera settings, particle systems, as well as tips and tricks to improve the lighting and atmosphere in your work.
In this series, Kieran Goodson reveals what he learned from the most reputable artists in the industry, allowing us deep insight into their areas of expertise. In this Environment Art edition, Kieran explores vital topics from composition to communities, textures to triple A titles and much more. You're guaranteed some pocket-sized wisdom to take home.