Hey friends, this one turned out amazing! I sat down with the amazing Maïa Desfour, Lead Environment Artist.

We talk about the real side of game art learning the craft, finding your own style, dealing with burnout, and surviving this industry as a kind and creative human. This one’s packed with wisdom, laughs, and real talk. You’ll feel it. :D

Links:

Polycount : https://polycount.com/

The Bazaar : https://playthebazaar.com/

My portfolio : https://www.artstation.com/mayakuza

The mouse: https://www.corsair.com/fr/fr/p/revival-series/CH-930C011-EU-RV/katar-pro-ultra-light-gaming-mouse-eu-revival-series-ch-930c011-eu-rv?utm_source=1370333&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=497992_CORSAIR%20FR%20Product%20Catalog%20Ad&utm_content=Corsair&clickid=3vvxZ31K-xycUHd2f13jz3KZUksSQMwBATpvXA0&utm_coupon=&irgwc=1

Resources & Links Mentioned:

🛠 Blender (Free 3D Tool): https://www.blender.org/

🖌 Krita (Free Photoshop Alternative): https://krita.org/en/

💬 Glassdoor – Company Reviews

📺 The Bazaar: https://playthebazaar.com/

Maïa on:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maiadesfour/

- Twitter: https://x.com/Menelween_

We get into:

How to build your own stylization instead of just copying trends

Why Ghibli-style art has become overused and how to break free

The dangers of over-optimizing as an artist

What leadership really means in a creative team

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro & who Maïa is

01:15 – “You work in games?!” misunderstandings

03:00 – What new artists misunderstand about stylization

06:30 – Why copying stylized work isn’t learning

11:00 – The Ghibli trend problem

14:30 – What tutorials don’t teach

17:00 – Ethical “lying” in job interviews

25:00 – What juniors should really do in interviews

29:00 – Soft skills vs hard skills in hiring

35:00 – What being a “lead” really means

41:00 – Can a junior be a lead?

43:30 – How technical is environment art, really?

48:00 – Tools & resources for aspiring artists

52:00 – What Maïa uses instead of a tablet

54:30 – Final advice: Be kind to yourself

Job interview red flags, how to lie ethically (yes, really), and how to protect your mental health

Maïa drops one gem after another—this episode is a must-listen if you’re doing stylized game art, leading a team, or trying to survive and grow in the industry.