| Level of studies: | Master’s degree |
| Recommended high school diploma: | Scientific and Artistic |
| Employabilité : | Very good |
| Starting salary: | € 2,625 |
| Confirmed salary: | € 3,750 |
| Mobility: | Very good |
| ROME code: | E1104 |
| FAP code: | U1Z82 |
The responsibilities of the technical artist
Technical artists are unparalleled technicians that know the production of video games, and they carry out several responsibilities, namely:
- Managing the technical aspects of artistic creation
- Ensuring the quality of production and its performance
- Interfacing between 3D artists and production teams
- Ensure that the technical requirements are possible
The skills of a technical artist
A technical artist has the fundamental skills to supervise the technical part of the video game. They master:
- Modelling and texture techniques
- 2D and 3D software
- Video game Careers
- Team management
- Video game culture
Two examples of graphic design software to master as a technical artist:
Substance software interface
Knowing how to use software like ZBrush is essentialThe qualities of a technical artist
A technical artist is a career in which you must navigate between the artistic and the technical. Managing people and having a general vision of production requires evident human qualities, namely:
- Having a creative mind
- Having good relationships
- Having the qualities of a teacher
- Have a sense of curiosity
- Have a spirit of synthesis and responsiveness
« In general, you have to be curious, to want to learn new things constantly and to like to solve technical-visual problems (how to achieve the most interesting image taking technical constraints into account). In addition, a technical artist must have a good foundation in art / graphics and be interested in the various tools that exist to create images, » emphasises Anthony Beyer.
The pros and cons
This job has both advantages and disadvantages. Here are a few :
benefits
- Possibility of being freelance
- International travel is likely
- Highly sought after
- Salary can be high
- Very broad technical and artistic knowledge
Disadvantages
- You have to accept long hours and other constraints
- Knowing how to do everything and face many different situations
- Knowing how to manage stresss
Studies to become a technical artist
A high school diploma with a scientific, mathematical or technological speciality will allow you to join a school specialising in video games. A bachelor’s degree will be the minimum needed to occupy this job, and some experience will help pad out your CV. However, an MBA / Master Technical artist could provide you with further training.
Anthony Beyer recounts his journey to becoming a technical artist: « I trained as a general graphic designer (publishing, advertising). The tools and processes to achieve an image have always captivated me. It was out of curiosity, in my spare time, that I learned 3D modelling, then programming, then how to mix all my knowledge to create interactive and moving images (special effects, animations, shaders, etc.). The job of tech art in video games is the synthesis of everything I like: art, technique, new methods and tools to invent and discover daily. It is by sharing personal projects on the internet that I obtained work opportunities. »
Teddy Delrue first went to the Supinfogame school in India to learn the basics of game art. « Then I started as an environment artist, then as a 3D artist. Having been in small teams, I have had to work in many areas. As the production progressed, I « transformed » into a technical artist. Finally, it is through proposals, solutions (and also thanks to the opportunities that I have been able to grasp) that I « officially » moved towards the technical artist position. »
This job requires strong technical and artistic skills. It is possible to opt for a Digital Graphic Designer Bachelor from our G. Art school (Gaming Campus). This course is available with a high school diploma or through parallel admission. It lasts three years and allows you to train in the fundamentals of video games, namely: gaming culture or the teaching of digital and technological tools (graphics software, video creation, drawing dynamics, lighting, materials, etc.). Internships complete each year of the degree.
Puis, il faut s’orienter vers le MBA Technical artist qui se déroule en deux ans pour atteindre un Bac +5 à la fin. Il offre la compétence à la fois en développement de jeux et en game art et donne les bases pour devenir référent technique au sein d’un studio.
Then, you can move towards the MBA Technical artist over two years to obtain a master’s degree at the end. It offers competencies in game development and game art and provides the basis for becoming a technical referent within a studio.
Internships?
Our school places great importance on professional immersion. Throughout all the years of the degrees, we allow our students to immerse themselves in the business world by carrying out internships.
A two-month internship is compulsory in the 1st and 2nd years of the bachelor’s degree. In the last year, you’ll do an internship of 3 months. A six-month period in a company ends the first year of the MBA, and the 2nd MBA year is done in a work-study or internship.
We regularly publish internship and job offers. You can also look at specialised sites like Jooble or the AFJV.
The salary of a technical artist
A technical artist will earn between 28,000 and 35,000 euros gross per year at the start of their career. Then with experience, their salary could reach more than 45,000 euros per year. If you want to work abroad, a technical artist can earn around $ 75,000 or more in Montreal, Canada. In the United States, it is almost the same.
Which companies could you work in?
All the biggest international studios have technical artists within them Ubisoft, Eidos, Warner Bros or Epic Games, or Quantic Dream, Shiro Games, Adobe or even Piece of cake studios.
Opportunities for the profession of technical artist
A technical artist may consider moving to other positions of responsibility, such as technical, artistic director. They may also continue to work as a project manager or lead programmer, depending on the skills they have acquired. Depending on their desires, a technical artist can work in animation, cinema or television.
Freelance technical artist
It is quite possible to work as a freelance technical artist. This is a status where freedom is king. Being an independent technical artist means being able to choose your clients, your schedule, your projects. But for that, you have to know how to juggle: you need to have legitimate experience, a good network, good communication, certain preciseness and a high level of skills.
In summary
How can you become a technical artist?
During the production of a video game, the purpose of a technical artist is to ensure the artistic quality of the game and its performance while ensuring fluidity within the workplace. The technical artist’s vision of production is, therefore, a global one. To become a technical artist, your academic background must be solid. They go through a general or technical high school diploma and then move towards a school specialising in video games such as G. Art in order to follow the Digital Graphist Bachelor, which takes three years. It is a diploma that teaches digital and technological bases and allows you to continue to the MBA Technical artist whose objective is to provide double competencies in game development and game art.
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