Before I entered the career field of texture artist, I went and did 3 years on a BA course in ‘computer game art’. Ultimately it isn’t essential in getting a job as a texture artist but it can be a good motivation to learn the basics of 3D applications and how to approach your work. The biggest problem is that the teachings can be based on methods and technology that is a few years behind, while I can only say that about the course I attended, I do still often hear that many other similar courses still share that very same problem today.
The other alternative is to learn on your own at home. You can use forums for constant help, study what other people are doing right/wrong and buy books and dvds.

Educating yourself at home certainly sounds better but I think I would still choose the university course if I were to educate myself again. It’s generally a good idea to just get out there and meet new people face to face and get use to talking verbally about artwork and technology. Over the duration of your education you’ll build up your network of friends involved in the gaming industry. It was actually one friend I met on my course who introduced me to the studio I currently work at. Generally networking really opens up possibilities when it comes to getting your foot in the door.

The best solution in my opinion is to do both. During at least 50% of your spare time on the course go into online forums, look at others work and look at tutorials.

Portfolio

More important than a high grade and flawless interview put together. Though of course to get the interview you need a great portfolio in the first place. There are many 3D art/animation portfolio tips out there but not so much when it comes to game texture art. Main difference is to show flat maps such as diffuse, normals and spec. I wouldn’t say showing UV mapping is essential, as long as the assets you show do not contain ugly stretches and seams etc.

As for a video reel or website I’d say for texture artists an online website is more convenient for games studios. There really isn’t a requirement to provide a ‘cool’ looking website. I’ve seen people get jobs from a simple white blank page with 20 thumbs on it. At least with that it’s easy to navigate and you’re looking at the artwork instantly.

Some people even send an email with rar or zip file that contains images and CV and get jobs! Of course if one person has the same content simply laid out on a nice looking website they are more likely to get a job because they have demonstrated one extra skill.
As for quantity the general art portfolio still applies here—only show the best. Showing 3 to 5 varied assets is a good rule of thumb I think. If you don’t think you have that then work on another portfolio piece but whatever you do don’t make it a huge environment or an entire building just concentrate on a little piece of an environment or a prop and do it really well.

When I started my job and worked on Saints Row we were given 4-7 days to texture an entire room or building. Where as these days it’s more like 4-7 days to work on a door. So I wouldn’t feel the need to showcase an entire environment in your portfolio. If you can texture a door to a really high level it’s likely that given time you could texture an entire world to a really high level. Just concentrate on pieces.

Job Applications

I won’t bore myself by going on about creating the perfect cv etc as there is so much info out there regarding that. Personally I sent out over 20 applications in the post but its not really the way to do it these days. If the studio really is after artists they will have an email for job applications, sending an introduction email with link to your portfolio and attached CV in word format is the easiest option for both you and the studio. Allow up to two weeks before sending a reminder asking if they received your application. It is also worth considering joining up specialist gaming agencies as backup, some are worse than others. Certainly don’t just stick to the big name agencies.

Interviews

I don’t have too much experience with Interviews and again there is so much information out there about it that I can’t add much. From my personal experience I had two face to face interviews and one phone interview. Chances are if you manage to get a interview then your portfolio is showing potential so don’t go in there thinking they are trying to slip you up since they obviously want you to do well. It’s all about trying to relax and be honest.

Post-Job Success

Once you’re in there, remember to keep learning. Study other artists work on the studio network and look/ask how they do it. The studio network is a great resource for learning, so make sure to take advantage of it.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 3rd, 2008 at 5:49 pm and is filed under Art, Breaking In, INSPIRATION, RESOURCES. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.