Creative Metaverse Podcast

Wanna become a 3D Artist? You might want to try what Matthias Develtere did. Matthias basically locked himself in a room for nearly a year to focus on developing his portfolio and ramping up his 3D modeling skills. He committed himself to creating one portfolio piece every month and kept himself motivated by challenging himself to make it into the Polycount Recap each month. And he did! Each piece was featured in PolyCount, which not only helped him build his momentum, but also gave him a lot visibility. Now, he's a Senior 3D Artist at MachineGames. This is exactly the core philosophy behind our Game Artist Bootcamps: BUILD A BODY OF WORK THAT IS UNDENIABLE. :) 

Learn more about Vertex School here: http://www.vertexschool.com

More about Matthias Develtere: https://www.artstation.com/devmatt 

Want to be a Character Artist or an Environment Artist in the Video Game Industry? Apply for your spot in our upcoming Game Artist Bootcamp here: http://www.vertexschool.com

Samantha Rogers started learning 3D Art during high school and, as soon as she graduated, she immediately jumped into working on freelance projects. Once she started posting her work on ArtStation, she was trending. And this led to her being recruited to take an Art Test for ArenaNet. Which is where she is now, working as a Creature Artist. :) Take a listen to the podcast to pick up the nuggets of wisdom she shares. They range from how important it is to pick a strong concept on which to base your project to why it's important to have a strong sculpt on which to add amazing textures to the necessity of constantly setting new milestones for yourself as an artist. One of the highlights of this conversation for me? It's when she shared an article by her studio director on how to be a better artist. It boils down to 3 simple tips: (1) Use reference; (2) Be nice; and (3) Ask yourself why you're making the art. 

Learn more about Vertex School here: http://www.vertexschool.com

More about Samantha Rogers: www.artstation.com/samrog 

Want to be a Character Artist or an Environment Artist in the Video Game Industry? Apply for your spot in our upcoming Game Artist Bootcamp here: http://www.vertexschool.com

It was such a treat to have Tobias Forsling join us in the studio for this conversation. Tobias is the Lead Environment Artist at Tarhead Studios in Sweden. He talked about the importance of understanding how to plan for the unexpected ("Good planning is planning that is adjustable for the things you didn't think of when you made the plan") and explained how 90% of an artist's time is usually spent on the last 10% of the project. He also talked about how important it is for artists share their work and their knowledge with each other. When artists share their work, they're not only sharing the final product, but also the thinking and the techniques and the process behind that work. That can only feed into the community and also help all artists in the long run. 

Learn more about Vertex School here: http://www.vertexschool.com

More about Tobias Forsling: https://www.artstation.com/tobiasforsling 

Want to be a Character Artist or an Environment Artist in the Video Game Industry? Apply for your spot in our upcoming Game Artist Bootcamp here: http://www.vertexschool.com

Bao Vu is such an inspiration! He's a Senior Character Artist at Ninja Theory, and shares a lot of his experience, wisdom and knowledge with the artistic community at large. I can't wait for you to listen to this Podcast. You can just feel his energy and enthusiasm as he talks about his work. His advice to all of us? Check that Ego at the door. Be humble and stay humble. Ask a lot of questions and listen to and learn from everyone . :) 

Learn more about Vertex School here: http://www.vertexschool.com

More about Bao Vu: https://www.artstation.com/baovu 

Want to be a Character Artist or an Environment Artist in the Video Game Industry? Apply for your spot in our upcoming Game Artist Bootcamp here: http://www.vertexschool.com

Alexis Boyer is an Environment Artist at BluePoint Games, where she splits her time between working as a Foliage Artist and as a Character Artist. (And, in her free time, she is also a Mentor for our Environment Artists in the Game Artist Bootcamp!) I mean. Wow. I loved hearing about the dynamics at BluePoint and how Alexis works with so many different people in so many capacities. Her work and workflow really demonstrate how, as a game artist, you are part of a team. You will be asked to contribute, make changes and compromise. Her advice? Be open to taking and giving critiques and providing and seeking reviews. Also, she says, pay attention to details and don't cut corners. :) 

Learn more about Vertex School here: http://www.vertexschool.com

More about Alexis Boyer: https://www.artstation.com/azii 

Want to be a Character Artist or an Environment Artist in the Video Game Industry? Apply for your spot in our upcoming Game Artist Bootcamp here: http://www.vertexschool.com

Man, Mariano Steiner has got to be one of the most relaxed and down-to-earth people I have ever met! Mariano's work as a Freelance Digital Sculptor is SO inspiring. His sculptures simply BREATHE with life and expression. His approach to sculpting is deeply organic and he's truly able to move with the rhythm of his thoughts and impulses. Put simply, he trusts his instincts and process. That's incredibly important. More than anything, he encourages everyone to never rush and to love all aspects of what you do. 

Learn more about Vertex School here: http://www.vertexschool.com

More about Mariano Steiner: https://www.artstation.com/marianosteiner

Ben Knapp took a small break from being Art Director at Hi-Rez Studios to join us for a conversation a few weeks ago. Man, did he have some amazing gems of wisdom to share with us! I loved hearing him talk about Hi-Rez Studios and its commitment to fostering artistic growth and development as well as teamwork and support. The studio culture seems to thrive on supporting and developing artists who demonstrate potential. He also reminded us that an artist's job and work is always just a part of the journey. Even Ben continues to take classes and build and refine his skills whenever the opportunity arises... and he's an Art Director! What's important, he says, is to stay humble and be human. :) 

Learn more about Vertex School here: http://www.vertexschool.com

More about Ben Knapp: https://www.artstation.com/benknapp 

Apply to be a Character or Environment Artist in the Game Artist Bootcamp here: http://www.vertexschool.com

Experiment. Finish. Work hard. Be patient. Stay connected. All great advice. All from Cristian-Marius Buliarca, who joined us at Vertex School for this awesome conversation. Cristian-Marius is a Freelance Character Artist who has worked for titles such as Dishonored 2, Dishonored, Life Is Strange and Remember Me. 

Learn more about Vertex School here: http://www.vertexschool.com

More about Cristian-Marius Buliarca: www.artstation.com/cbuliarca/profile 

Apply to be a Character or Environment Artist in the Game Artist Bootcamp here: http://www.vertexschool.com

Tyler Smith is an Environment Artist at Sucker Punch. He's also a Mentor in the Game Artist Bootcamp. I am so impressed not only by his work but also by his work ethic. The key to Tyler's success seems to lie in his ability to trust himself and his process. To use Tyler's own words: "Know that you are always going to subconsciously put your style and spin on the piece that you do." In other words, don't force it. Let yourself and your style come through. Trust yourself. :) 

Learn more about Vertex School here: http://www.vertexschool.com

More about Tyler Smith: https://www.artstation.com/tsmith3d 

Apply to be a Character or Environment Artist in the Game Artist Bootcamp here: http://www.vertexschool.com