What is a 3D artist?

https://www.n-ix.com/best-3d-art-outsourcing-studios-in-game-development/

 What is a 3D artist, who do they work with?

A 3D artist is the individual in the games art pipeline responsible for creating 3D assets of characters, weapons, set decorations or other props that will be used in game for the player to interact with (Screenskills, n.d). They work closely alongside the art department, in specific: Concept artists, Art directors, Texture artists, UV mappers, animators and the director to ensure the 2D designs and orthographics are translated into a 3D software accurately and in keeping with the game’s overall visual style. Usually, 3D artists will present their final assets as turntables as well as files that can then be passed onto the rigging team, texture artists and animators, Though it is not uncommon for these stages to be performed by the 3D artist alone. It all depends on the studio’s budget, timeframe, and the skills of the artist. Some skills that are vital to the 3D artist role is being able to retopologise, bake and UV map their models to optimise them for the game engine.(CGspectrum, 2024).

What  skills are required for the job?

Some other highlighted skills for the 3D modeller job title is the in depth knowledge of softwares that will be used to create any assets, these softwares can include but are not limited to: Unreal, Maya, Zbrush, Blender, Unity and Adobe Substance Painter. Usually companies will ask for proficiency in Maya or zbrush as a main modelling software, and have an understanding of Substance painter in the case of the 3D modeller making their own textures. Knowledge of game engines will help them take steps to optimise their models to the best quality depending on software and function it plays in the game as  whole. On top of these skills, 3D artists must also have an understanding of art principles such as anatomy, posing, gesture, texturing and form, these will help their models look more realistic and in the case of rigging and animating their models, it will help understand how their creations may move. The final and one of the most important skills the 3D artist must learn is Collaboration, Organization and communication with other members of the pipeline and learning how to take constructive criticism and implement advice or changes into their work. (Screenskills, n.d).

3D artist and animator Job application

https://careers.blue-zoo.co.uk/

Looking deeper into what skills are required to be a 3D artist within the games industry, i took a look on linkedin to find a job application for a entry level 3D artist preferably within the games or digital media industry. I found an application for a UK based Children's TV, advertising and games studio, Bluezoo (N.d). Bluezoo are responsible for tv titles such as: Mojo Swoptops (2004), Colourblocks (2022) and The adventures of paddington (2020). The job entry is listed as a 3D character animator, though entails the creation of 3D models as well as rigging and animating them, with this in mind although it is a slightly different description to the job role i was looking into, it requires similar skills and is more like combining several job roles into one title. Much like stated before, Bluezoo are looking for individuals with skills in software such as Maya. They also require communication skills with team leads and Animation directors to ensure work completed fits in with the studio’s overall style. They also note to have problem solving and time management skills to help keep the workflow moving (Linkedin 2025). Although not stated on the job application, further research shows that entry level 3D artists can be estimated to earn upwards of £30,000 - £31,000 annually (Glassdoor n.d.)

What other industries use 3D artists?

https://aaagameartstudio.com/blog/3d-vehicle-modeling-tutorial/

As seen with the Blue Zoo application, 3D artists are not just restricted to working in the games industry, there are many uses for 3D and general CAD skills especially when it comes to advertising, production, and conceptualization. For example, in the Automotive industry, 3D artists are used to market new models of cars to the general public, by using 3D models, companies can zoom in on unseen details of the car and demonstrate it’s many functions in a more understandable way. 3D models can also be used to show customizable options when presenting a car to a customer, and can also be used to pitch new designs or models in a way that illustrates your product in a realistic manner (Cghero n.d.). In the Toy design industry, 3D artists can be used not only to create concepts that show the functions of a toy, but can also be used in the actual manufacture of a product using 3D printing and CAD software. 3D elements can also be used in the advertising of a toy, such as animating characters moving, the toy performing its function, or adding the toy into a new environment (Mellionard 2023). This is of course not limited to toys, but can be used in a wide range of consumer products. The final industry i researched (though by no means is this list exhaustive) is the Film and TV industry. With similar pipelines to the games industry, 3D artists can be used in both the conceptual, production, and marketing phases of a Film or TV program. 3D technology can especially be seen in animation such as children’s media or along with Motion Capture and special effects for feature films. These softwares allow real world elements and computer generated assets to be used together to help sell the illusion the film hopes to convey. 3D design can also be used in character and set design. (Bondarenko 2023). In conclusion, there are many pathways open to 3D artists, whether they want to focus on characters or assets, marketing or product production, films or games, there is a use for a 3D artist in most modern industries.

Bibliography -

Bluezoo, 2025. 3D Character Animator - Entry Level (Online). Linkedin. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/search/?currentJobId=4130624688&f_E=2&keywords=3d%20artist&origin=JOB_SEARCH_PAGE_JOB_FILTER&refresh=true&spellCorrectionEnabled=true [Acessed on: 3rd February 2025]

Blue Zoo, No Date. Blue Zoo Animation Studio (Online). Blue zoo. Available at: https://www.blue-zoo.co.uk/ [Acessed on: 3rd February 2025]

Bondarenko, A. 2023. How 3D Modeling is Used in the Film Industry (Online). SelfCAD. Available at: https://www.selfcad.com/blog/how-3d-modeling-is-used-in-the-film-industry [Acessed on: 3rd February 2025]

CGhero, No Date. Automotive CGI (Online). CGhero. Available at: https://cghero.com/3d-automotive-design [Acessed on: 3rd February 2025]

Cgspectrum, 2024. 3D Character Artist (Online). Cgspectrum. Available at: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/character-artist [Acessed on: 3rd February 2025]

Glassdoor, No Date. Salary: 3d Artist in United Kingdom (Online). Glassdoor. Available at: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/3d-artist-salary-SRCH_KO0,9.htm [Acessed on: 3rd February 2025]

Mellionard,M. 2023. 8 Ways How Companies Use 3D Models and Prototypes in Toy Development (Online). Cad crowd. Available at: https://www.cadcrowd.com/blog/8-ways-how-companies-use-3d-models-and-prototypes-in-toy-development/ [Acessed on: 3rd February 2025]

Screenskills, No Date. 3D modelling artist in the Games industry (Online). Screenskills. Available at: https://www.screenskills.com/job-profiles/browse/games/art/3d-modelling-artist/ [Acessed on: 3rd February 2025]