Learn 3D Texturing and Become a Texture Artist

In just a few years, 3D graphics in video games, movies, and TV have improved dramatically. Compare character models in recent remakes of Crash Bandicoot or Spyro the Dragon with their originals — it’s night and day. Similarly, iconic characters like Mario, Master Chief, and Agent 47 have been enhanced compared to their early versions. But how did these characters become so detailed? All thanks to advances in 3D model texturing.

In this article, you’ll learn what it is, how it works, and how to get a job as a 3D texture artist.

What Is a 3D Texture Artist?

A 3D texture artist is someone who creates digital textures that cover all objects in a 3D game. In broad terms, it’s like painting a 3D sculpture. But instead of a brush, you first create the paints themselves, then wrap them around the sculpture using computer programs. This may seem quite complex, so let’s start from the beginning.

What Is a Texture?

What is a texture? A texture is the color and pattern covering an object. They are created and painted in programs like Zbrush, Photoshop, and Mari, and then applied to a material.

What Are Materials?

Okay, that makes sense — so what is a material? In game design, a material is an image composed of many different textures layered on top of it for each of the effects needed to complete the object's appearance. These can be textures that act as lighting, gloss, shading, and so on.

First, all textures must be created, and then when they are placed on an image and that image is ready to be wrapped around the 3D model, that image is considered a material. In other words, everything you see in a video game is covered with countless textures, and each of those textures must be created by a 3D texture artist.

Additionally, there are two different material styles: PBR and Basic Materials.

PBR Materials

PBR, or physically based rendering, is a material that must change depending on interactions with a changing environment or player actions. So if a bullet hits an object leaving a mark, or if an explosion nearby scorches the material, PBR is likely used.

Additionally, PBR materials interact better with lighting, can be tuned for rough and metallic materials, and are generally more versatile. These materials are great for games with a more realistic tone.

Basic Materials

Basic materials consist of colors and patterns, sometimes hand-painted, but they do not react to the environment. However, that doesn’t mean they are useless. They are great for use in games where realism is not required and where materials are not expected to change.

Games with cartoonish or colorful art styles are well-suited for them. Basic materials can also look impressive, and using them can be great practice for aspiring texture artists.

How to Create Digital Textures

Now that you know what a texture artist is, how exactly are digital textures created? Typically, artists go through a series of stages before the material is ready. Here’s a brief overview of what they need to do.

Step 1: Finding Reference Textures

Texture artists don’t just come up with textures on the spot. Even if the game world is alien, fantastical, or just strange, the texture artist’s goal is to make the materials in that game world look as good as possible. To do this, they need to find texture references. This can be done by browsing high-quality photos online or studying the desired textures by taking their own pictures.

As a simple example, suppose a texture artist is tasked with making a brick wall. Maybe there’s a high-quality photo of a brick wall online, or perhaps there’s a brick wall in your area that would work perfectly. Plus, as it might seem at first glance, there is a wide variety of styles.

A brick wall in a desert will look different from a brick wall on a smoky street. How old is the wall? Will it be covered in moss? Will this wall change over time? Will it rain or snow? If so, the artist may need several ready textures.

The artist must consider all these points when searching for references. After that, they either scan the textures into the computer or use them to create procedural materials.

Procedural materials are materials where the computer automatically generates all the textures that will be applied to them. These materials are mainly for experimentation and change over time, as they are a great way to see how different pre-generated textures will affect the material.

In any case, 3D texture artists start by doing a lot of research. Having a large library of references can save you time searching later. In fact, most texture artists start working on their textures even before the models they will be used on are finished. The closer the materials are to completion, the less time texturing the models themselves will take.

Step 2: UV Mapping and Unwrapping

How do you take a flat texture and wrap it around a 3D object? First, you need to translate that object into 2D! 3D texture artists first receive the models they need to texture as gray, un-detailed shapes.

Imagine the shape of an apple without color. The apple is round and has a stem, so simply applying a flat square texture to it will result in colors in strange places. Instead, the model is mathematically mapped using a process called UV Mapping. It’s a bit complex, but essentially each point on the apple that acts as a vertex is marked and covered with a mesh.

The mesh designates the main areas of the 3D object, covering the model with a grid of triangles. This is done so the computer knows how to take the 3D shape and turn it into a flat 2D surface in a process called “unwrapping.” Each triangle on the mesh can be unfolded outward until the entire model becomes a flat 2D surface that the artist can work on.

Sometimes the program can automatically unwrap the object, but more often the artist prefers to unwrap it manually to be able to texture each individual part they want. Then, using the created UV map, everything can be reassembled, fully textured.

Step 3: Applying Textures

Now that the 3D model is officially unwrapped, it’s time to apply the textures the artist has been working on. As textures are placed on the 2D surface, they will apply lighting and shading effects to see how they interact with the textures. If the lighting and shading effects don’t look right, then the model won’t either. To check this, they will apply various “mappings” to their textures.

For example, a metallic texture allows the artist to choose which parts of the model are metallic and which are not, and how shiny the metallic parts are. This is important because metallic objects interact with light differently than non-metallic ones. Other maps include:

Base Color

Allows the artist to remove fine details and see exclusively the colors applied to the model.

Normal Map

Shows all applied colors at once to see how the various elements interact with each other.

Roughness Map

Allows the artist to select certain parts of the model that are rougher and therefore less affected by lighting.

Glossiness

When light reflects off something, how shiny is it? A brightly lit, well-polished marble floor texture can be very glossy, while a dirt road is significantly less glossy. This allows the artist to adjust the gloss effect on the model.

There are many other techniques an artist can use in various situations, but these are the basics every 3D texture artist should know. Using these techniques, an artist can apply multiple textures to the same model for different effects and check how they are affected by light and shadows. They can even manually paint various aspects of the model to add even more detail.

Becoming a Texture Artist

First of all, the job title may vary depending on the company. The most common official job titles for a texture artist are “3D Artist” and “Environment Artist.” Technical artists may also work on textures.

In other words, game designers can have many roles and specializations, but learning to create materials and polish digital models is important enough to span these fields. For someone with a talent for creating textures, there is always work, whether in video games or CGI used on TV.

So how do you become one? Being a texture artist means not only mastering art but also understanding a range of 3D modeling programs. This means that to become an artist, you need to obtain some education.

Salary, Education, and Software Tools

There is so much to know for this profession that it’s no wonder a 3D texture artist can expect a decent salary. On average, they earn 3700 rubles per hour or 7 million rubles per year. But becoming one requires a lot of experience. A degree in animation or graphic design is a prerequisite, as well as proficiency in UV programs, Maya, Zbrush, and Photoshop, and familiarity with game engines like Unity and Unreal. An understanding of the software development process is a plus.

How to Develop Texturing Skills

The best way to get experience with textures? Practice!

Try making 3D assets or even building a small playable level that showcases your texturing abilities.

Need ideas? I highly recommend checking out Textures.com or Poliigon.com. These sites offer you many high-quality textures and materials completely free. They are very valuable sites when you need to practice texturing a model.

Along those lines, you’ll need 3D models to practice texturing on. Sketchfab.com offers a range of 3D models you can download to help with that. After you’ve practiced texturing pre-made models a bit, you’ll have a much better understanding of what you need to create your own.

Finally, there’s ArtStation, which proudly showcases textures and materials created by its community and often shows the technical process used to create them. Many of the creators already work in the industry, but the site allows aspiring artists to upload their portfolios online where fellow game designers can see them.

If you plan to work in a studio or build your own team, you’ll find the guide to hiring a remote development team useful.