Environment Artist
About this Role
An Environment Artist in the game industry is responsible for designing and creating the worlds that players explore. They collaborate with the art director and level designers to understand the game's vision and use their artistic skills to design landscapes, buildings, props, and more. They also implement their creations using 3D modeling and texturing tools, considering technical limitations and performance requirements to ensure a visually stunning and optimized game environment.
Salary Resources
Key Responsibilities
- Collaborate with the art director and level designers to understand the game's vision and concept.
- Design and create immersive and visually stunning game environments, including landscapes, buildings, and props.
- Use artistic skills to create textures, colors, lighting, and composition to enhance the visual appeal of the game world.
- Implement 3D modeling and texturing techniques to bring the environment designs to life.
- Optimize game environments for performance and technical limitations of the game platform.
- Work with game engines and software tools to implement and integrate environment assets into the game.
- Create and place vegetation, foliage, and other natural elements to enhance realism and immersion.
- Collaborate with other artists and team members to ensure a cohesive and consistent art style throughout the game.
Learning Resources
- Transforming Virtual Environments: The Craft Of Environmental Design by SearchMyExpert
- Environment Artist Fundamentals by Experience Points
- Environment Art Articles by 80Level
- Environment Art by Riot Games
- A Complete Guide on Environment Concept Art by Argentics
- Advanced Skill Sets for Environment Art by Epic Online Learning
- Lessons in Environment Art Production by 80Level
- Environment Art Mastery by Gumroad
- What does an environment artist do? by CGSpectrum
- 3D Environment Modeling Courses by Udemy
- Environment Art Course by Onyx Academy
- 3D Environment Arts Track by CGMA
- Into Games’ Junior Environment Artist Database
- Mastered’s 3D Artist Bootcamp
Recommended Books
- Fantasy World-Building: A Guide to Developing Mythic Worlds and Legendary Creatures by Mark Nelson
- How to Read the Landscape by Patrick Whitefield
- Language of Landscape by Anne Whiston Spirn
- Light for Visual Artists: Understanding & Using Light in Art & Design by Richard Yot
- Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter by James Gurney
- Atlas Of Middle-Earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad
- Drawing Basics and Video Game Art: Classic to Cutting-Edge Art Techniques for Winning Video Game Design by Chris Solarski
Tools to Learn
You don't need to learn all of these — they are some of the more common tools for this role.
Game EnginesAdobe PhotoshopZBrushMayaSubstance 3D PainterSubstance 3D DesignerHoudiniSpeedTreeWorld MachineTerragenQuixel MixerMarmoset ToolbagxNormalPureRefPhotoScanGitAsepriteProcreateClip Studio Paint