Glenn de Leon Garza has worked on games like Star Wars: Knights of the Eternal Throne, Star Citizen, Borderlands 3, Friday the 13th, Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered, Farming Simulator, and others. In this interview, he provides great insights into the role of 3D artists and the future of gaming.

What are some of your most famous projects?

The Galaxy on Fire series is my most memorable project. During my early career, this game was quite popular. It was also one of my first projects that required a great deal of technical expertise on my part. 

I was pushed to improve my skills quickly, or else I might not meet the quality requirements. Throughout the process, I learned a lot and I now do things in a more efficient manner and evaluate things differently. Working with that team helped me a lot. They improved my skills so much. 

Although it was a big challenge, one of the most satisfying projects I got to be a part of and contribute to was for one of the most respected and well-known IPs across the globe, Star Wars: The Old Republic. On that project, I was a character artist and while challenging, (imagine having the responsibility to create something worthy of Star Wars), it was a huge personal accomplishment. It was also particularly challenging because Star Wars has a defined and specific style that falls under a certain threshold. 

I was able to overcome the challenges and use all the skills I had previously developed. Design knowledge, hours mastering zbrush and 3ds max, breaking down and reverse engineering existing media to perfectly capture the feel of the IP, and more.

Knowing how to work in a team and being able to collaborate and keep consistency between all of us working at the same time, helped me bring a new design to life in a way that could fit a very unique world like the one from Star Wars.

Another good experience I've had was working on The Sims: Freeplay. I grew up playing Sims games, and this game is loved and played by so many people, so being able to contribute to this game was a big deal for me.

With every new game and project comes a new challenge, and this was no exception; the team working on this was struggling because The Sims has a specific style that requires a great deal of expertise in stylized texturing. Luckily for me, it was a welcome challenge because hand-painting textures are one of my favorite things to do and I joined the team to bring extra support to my teammates and the project. 

It was a lot of work, but this is where you get to witness how all the experience you've gathered throughout the years adds up and lets you tackle this new obstacle. In this case, things I learned while working on Heroes of Dragon Age and even games like Temple Run 2 came into play. 

Also, how to handle the lighting, the painting of the textures, the technical tricks to maximize the resolution, and more came together and allowed me to tackle this project from The Sims and bring it to fans of the series.

In the year 2021, what are the actual jobs of 3D artists in a gaming company?

Depending on the project, 3D artists will take art from concept artists and bring it to live according to the game's technical requirements.

For example, look at a mobile game that is meant to be played on a less powerful platform such as a mobile phone or tablet. There will be more limitations and fewer details allowed than one designed for a gaming console or PC that provides more freedom and powerful hardware. For those types of games, improved graphics effects and higher resolutions change the art direction.

What do you consider to be the most important gaming industry trends right now?

A new generation of games will be available with the new PS5 and Xbox. Therefore, we are updating and improving many of the processes and workflows we once used to develop them. To stay relevant and, most importantly, to create better art, all professionals must follow these changes closely. 

If you compare AAA games from five years ago to AAA games today, you'll see how much has changed. Since Unreal Engine 5 was introduced, we have been able to push the quality of our projects to a level that was unimaginable several years ago. For 3D artists out there still honing their craft, take advantage of new tools as soon as possible! You will become a more valuable professional if you do this.

A great topic is staying up to date on industry news. Can you share your expertise here?

It's a good idea to attend industry events like GDC. You can gain valuable insight into the industry's current state by speaking with developers behind multiple projects.

It is gratifying in its own right to share knowledge with colleagues. Additionally, I follow some blogs and online media outlets covering gaming, including:

1.   Polycount - a site where you can post your artwork and ask for feedback from other artists and industry professionals.

2.   Artstation - a place to build your portfolio and it puts your work in front of recruiters looking for talent.

3.             GDC Vault - here, there are a lot of discussions by professionals, so it's a great place to learn about the gaming industry and keep up to date on emerging trends.

4.             GameDeveloperou - a great place to stay informed about the industry.

5.             Badking - a website that offers many great free brushes, models, and resources for ZBrush.

Is there any advice you would give to someone interested in following your path? How does one become a 3D artist? Where can one land the dream job?

This is a wonderful job, and it gives you the chance to express yourself in multiple ways! The feeling of seeing your creation live in a huge game with millions of players is incredible. Every time I see something I created or had a chance to contribute to in a game, I get excited. Game development is an incredibly creative endeavor. Projects have their own rules, styles, and technical needs that make the work exciting. The key to success in this industry is delivering better results continuously and improving your craft, whether it is by reading, playing games, or traveling. 

Second, be prepared to work hard. Burnout is a common issue in the gaming industry due to its intensity. Artists can overwork due to a variety of reasons, most of which are beyond their control. 

Outsourcing companies often have delays, which can cause artists to overwork. The workload can sometimes be enormous and the deadlines can be tight. For something like World of Tanks, you simply can't fail. We've sometimes worked 16 hours straight, leaving at 4 a.m. 

It's been tough! It takes time to become an artist, and achieving artistic mastery does not happen overnight. Always practice as much as you can, take feedback seriously, and find a mentor.

It would be best if you also built out a portfolio that shows your ability to follow a project's style.  Keeping focus is important: if you're making characters, you should only include characters in your portfolio, not weapons, landscapes, etc.

Your interviewer almost always needs a specific task to be solved, so let them know right away if you have a unique superpower to help them. 

Gaming is a competitive industry, so you may lose out on a great job opportunity if there are any confusions - be clear in your abilities.

Be prepared to show your portfolio at all times. We can miss out on so many opportunities if we don't have our resumes and portfolios ready when an opportunity presents itself. 

Last but not least, remember to have fun making art!