Game Artist Career Vertex School manuel sierra character art

Artwork by Vertex Student Manuel Sierra

Now is the ideal time to get a career as a game artist! Not only has the overall job outlook for game artists been steadily increasing over the past few years, but there’s an expected increase of over 32,000 jobs by 2029! Here at Vertex School, our primary focus is helping students go from taking classes to getting a career in the industry.

It’s no secret how we have so many students who have gotten a career in the Game Art industry after graduating from our 9-month Game Art Program or completing a class. Vertex School students receive one-on-one or small group mentoring from top industry professionals who provide them with the necessary knowledge, tips, and workflows needed to succeed in getting a career in the industry.

Vertex School Game Art Program cole bayer outpost 03

Artwork by Vertex Student Cole Bayer

Meet Aurelia Häcker. Aurelia went from not having any 3D art experience to joining our 9-month Game Art Program and getting a game artist career while STILL IN TERM 1 of the program!

“I was able to secure a job at german studio 8KVision working on a photogammetry-based game project, backed by a large European museum group, as a 3D Artist (Generalist) while still in Term 1 of the Game Art Program!

I can actually say that name-dropping Vertex and mentioning that I’m part of the program actually helped me get the position 🙂

Before joining Vertex I had zero clue about how to go about doing 3D at all. Now just half a year after hearing about Vertex I’m in a position where I actually get to make money and support myself, all through the stuff the school taught me. Even in that short amount of time. I couldn’t be more grateful for my time at Vertex School.”

Aurelia Häcker, Vertex School Graduate and now Lead 3D Artist

aurelia maxima hacker highresscreenshot00040

Artwork by Vertex Graduate Aurelia Häcker

Next meet Rex Lucila. Rex went from working as a design coordinator to enrolling in the 9-month Game Art Program and before even finishing, he got a job as a Junior 3D Artist at Narrasoft Corporation. He has since been promoted to a 3D Artist at the same company!

“It’s a little out of the blue, but it’s because something strange and sudden happened last week. Long story short, a recruiter suddenly reached out to me and (after Term 3) I’ll officially be a Junior 3D Artist for an outsourcing company based in the US. Another surprise is that they were convinced enough by my portfolio that I was hired the day after the interview, no art test needed! I can hardly put it into words but my deepest gratitude goes to you and the Vertex mentors that helped me grow in such a short amount of time.”

– Rex Lucila, Vertex School Graduate and now 3D Artist

Game Art Program Vertex School

Artwork by Vertex Graduate, Rex Lucila

Now we introduce you to Lena Piech. Lena went from a job in customer service to enrolling in the 9-month Game Art Program and landing a job as a 3D Environment Artist at an Xbox studio! Lena is also a mentor here at Vertex School!

“It took me about 6-7 months to go from a job in customer service that I hated to a job at an AAA studio that I love. I’ve gotten to talk with people that went the University route or to private schools (many charge about $40k a year mind you, in comparison to a mere $9k…), and taking into account the quality and price of different routes available out there – I’d say Vertex is the smartest choice one can make right now.”

– Lena Piech, Vertex School Graduate and now 3D Environment Artist

Game Artist Career Vertex School lena piech vertex school game art program

Artwork by Vertex Graduate, Lena Piech

Meet Étienne Cardona Plourde. Étienne went from 2D animation to enrolling in the 9-month Game Art Program and landing a job as a 3D Character Artist!

“Switching from 2D animation to 3D character art, Vertex School’s 9 month Game Art Program was the best configuration I could’ve hoped for. During the classes, I was taught the necessary tools to complete a full project, and the one-on-one sessions with industry mentors allowed me to pinpoint my weaknesses and further deepen my knowledge of both the softwares and techniques used. Thanks to Vertex School and a recommendation from my mentor, Ashley Sparling, I’ve been hired by Ubisoft as a 3D Character Artist. I was not expecting such an awesome conclusion to the program.”

– Étienne Cardona Plourde, Vertex School Graduate and now 3D Character Artist

3 Étienne Cardona 1024x640

Artwork by Vertex Graduate, Étienne Cardona Plourde

Up next we have Colin. Colin’s journey to a career as a Character Artist began when he enrolled in Ackeem Durrant’s Character Creation for Games Bootcamp.

“As an illustrator transitioning to a career in 3D game art, I found the classes and the community of Vertex School to be invaluable! The combination of in-depth video courses and weekly live instruction from professionals working in the field allowed me to efficiently level up my learning. 3D is an incredibly fast paced field and I can honestly say that without Vertex School I would not have improved quickly enough in order to be competitive in today’s job market and score my job at Crystal Dynamics. There’s no replacement for hard work. But you can work both harder and smarter if you have the right teachers and the right community. So enroll in a class at the Vertex School and give it your all!”

Colin Nitta, Vertex School Graduate and now Character Artist

4 Colin Nitta 1024x640

Artwork by Vertex Class Graduate Colin Nitta

Finally, meet André. André landed a dream job working as a 3D Artist after taking Vlad Vanzariuc’s Advanced Environment Artist Bootcamp (Previously Photogrammetry Bootcamp).

“Through Vertex School I was able to improve my workflow and produce a portfolio-ready environment/piece, which eventually landed me a job in the game art industry working at Unity as a 3D Artist. My mentor was very knowledgeable and involved in my work, and I really felt that he wanted me to succeed. I would definitely recommend Vertex School to anyone wanting to improve their skills and learn from experienced people in the industry.”

André Castman, Vertex School Graduate and 3D Artist

Game Artist Career Vertex School Andre Castman

Artwork by Vertex Graduate André Castman

Ready to get a career as a game artist? If you’re ready to take your skills to a professional, career-ready level check out the 9-month Game Art Program at Vertex School. Not ready to commit to 9 months? Check out the class catalog, Vertex School classes have also proven to prepare students for a game artist career!

Recommended next read: From Graphic Design to Cinematic Lighting Artist