VFX Career Research Job Role 1 – Environment artist

Through research on job positions in the VFX industry, we can more accurately position ourselves in the industry and plan our careers.

The first job role I choose is environment artist. Environment artist is a position I personally like very much. They play a very important role in many film and television works and 3A-level games. They also have a very important influence on the perception of visual art effects and the final effect that present to the audience. Environment artists create computer-generated places in which actors move. They make galaxies, lunar landscapes and desecrated cities – any environment that it’s too difficult to film in real life. It is precisely because of these excellent environment artists that we can freely travel between the stars and the sea in movies or games.

Also the environment artists are able to further sculpt the environment to more closely resemble what’s intended. They use digital tools, such as sculpting brushes, and a physical graphics pen and tablet in order to do this. To be an environment artist you need to be good at drawing and have a strong understanding of form, colour, texture, and light, know how these elements work together. It also very important for them to work with other VFX artists. Environment artists often work from a brief from a concept artist. They also work with the modelling artists who create objects to put into their environments. Once they have created their environment it goes to the texture artist to add details. They report to the CG supervisor.

I was very shocked by the environment in Batman Arkham Knight because of its details and realism, which made me deeply realize that to become an excellent environment artist, is inseparable from careful observation of the surrounding environment and continuous improvement own environment modeling technology.