Alex Beddows headshot for Crafting Environments Career Kickstarter course for 3D environment artists
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Crafting Environments: Career Kickstarter

OVERVIEW

Set yourself up for success in the Games Industry by creating a strong portfolio project that not only highlights your skills but also demonstrates that you are ready to land your dream job at a AAA studio. Guided by seasoned environment artist Alex Beddows, you’ll gain insider insights and hands-on experience to make your portfolio truly shine.

Throughout the course, Alex will guide you in selecting the right projects, planning your work from start to finish, and navigating key phases of production. You’ll learn how to structure your workflow, polish your environments, and present your work in a way that highlights your strengths and creativity. You’ll also develop the ability to articulate your creative process clearly, which is an essential skill for interviews and professional collaborations.

By the end, you’ll have the skills and confidence to produce a polished, industry-ready environment project that meets professional standards and supports your career goals.

 

THIS COURSE IS IDEAL FOR

3D environment artists ready to break into the Games Industry and land their first job.

 

BENEFITS

  • Learn every step of what is needed to create a standout environment portfolio
  • Increase your chances of landing your first job in the game development industry
  • Learn from a veteran expert 3D environment artist
  • Receive personalized feedback and guidance on your work
  • Course content and Miro board access for 1-year
  • Learn alongside your peers on a shared Miro board – see the feedback they receive to gain insights, spark new ideas, and refine your own creations
  • 1-year FREE license for Substance Collection*

 

CLASS GOALS

  • For students to understand what the best pathway forward is for their careers
  • Understand how we plan projects and trust the process, skills that will help them in the industry
  • Learn the soft skills required to speak about their art in a professional capacity

 

*Subject to Adobe approval, terms, and eligibility.
Game environment sculpting demonstrating rocky terrain textures, purple trees, and a stone obelisk prop in a canyon setting from Star Wars Jedi Survivor

Registration Period

Dec 1, 2025 –
 Feb 8, 2026

Start Date

Feb 2, 2026
  • Duration
  • Skill Level
  • Format
  • Weekly
    Feedback
  • Q&A
  • 8 Weeks
  • Intermediate
  • Pre-Recorded
  • Recorded
  • Once a week
  • Duration
  • 8 Weeks
  • Skill Level
  • Intermediate
  • Format
  • Pre-Recorded
  • Weekly
    Feedback
  • Recorded
  • Q&A
  • Once a week
Assignments

Due weekly

Prerequisites
  • Basic understanding of 3D modeling and material authoring
  • Basic knowledge of Unreal Engine (UE), including its purpose and core functionality

Course Content

Week 1Planning The Destination
In week one, we will explore the different paths available for environment artists and debunk common misconceptions about creating personal art. This process helps clarify your end goal, providing a strong foundation for planning the upcoming project. By the end of the week, you'll have a set of clear criteria to guide your work and measure the project's success.
Week 2Concept And Project Planning
In week two, we will focus on selecting our concept or reference. Several criteria will guide this choice, including its viability in relation to your predefined goals and the overall scope of the project. Once the concept is chosen, we will walk through the high-level planning process, breaking down the key phases of a project and applying this framework to your own work.
Week 3Blockout
In week three, we will begin assembling our blockout in Unreal, adhering to professional practices by avoiding temporary assets. Every asset added will be intended for final use, allowing us to address fundamental assembly issues early on. During this phase, we will also block in cameras and lighting to ensure the overall composition aligns with the concept. This process will give us a clear checklist of assets to complete as we move forward as well as highlight potential problems we will need to solve.
Week 4Week 4 - Art Sheet (1st Pass)
In week four, we will begin refining our broad shapes by taking the blockout assets through a sculpting or modeling pass. This is a crucial stage where we focus on shape and form at the overall scene level, rather than just individual assets, while keeping albedo values in neutral greys. This stage is also a great chance to see if we missed any required assets in our original blockout. By the end of the week, all primary shapes should be represented in the environment.
Week 5Art Sheet (2nd Pass)
In week five, we will move to the next level of detail, focusing on secondary forms. During this stage, we’ll finalize our sculpts, bake out normal maps, and create detailed normal maps. We'll continue working in neutral grey values, ensuring that both primary and secondary forms are cohesive and that no additional detail is needed at the shape level.
Week 6Alpha
In week six, we’ll begin introducing albedo and roughness maps. Using masks, vertex painting, and decals, we’ll ensure that these values enhance the shapes we’ve created at the scene level. This is where the fun truly begins, as the scene starts to come to life with added texture and detail!
Week 7Lighting and VFX
In week seven, we’ll add the finishing touches with VFX and lighting. Until now, we’ve intentionally avoided color grading and post-processing to prevent relying on effects to enhance weak ideas. By introducing these elements at this stage, we elevate a good scene into a truly fantastic one. This is also our opportunity to fix bugs, errors and any last minute bits we may have missed throughout the process.
Week 8Cinematography / Posting
In week eight, we’ll focus on capturing our final renders. We’ll explore tips for composing the scene and sequencing shots to create the most impactful viewing experience. Additionally, we’ll plan our social media strategy, ensuring that our work is presented in a way that maximizes visibility and supports future career opportunities.

Course Content

Week 1
Title for this week's content
In this week you will be creating some really cool things that, like, totally make you look like a pro
In this week you will be creating some really cool things that, like, totally make you look like a pro
In this week you will be creating some really cool things that, like, totally make you look like a pro
Alex Beddows photo
Start learning with Alex Now
Alex Beddows
Expert Environment Artist

Alex is an accomplished Expert Environment Artist currently employed at That’s No Moon. With an impressive track record, Alex has held leadership positions as a Lead Environment Artist at outsource studios, contributing to the development of acclaimed titles like Returnal and Scavengers. Seeking new challenges, Alex made the transition to in-house development at Counterplay Games, where he played a pivotal role in the release of the highly anticipated PS5 game, Godfall. More recently, Alex worked with Respawn Entertainment on the exciting new project, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor.

During his game development journey, Alex made significant contributions to the art community whilst working at ArtStation. He not only managed the learning platform but also hosted the popular ArtStation podcast, amplifying the voices of artists within the company and beyond. Alex’s multifaceted background and extensive experience in the industry make him a valued professional in the field of environment art.

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Meet Your Instructor
Personalized Feedback

Get tailored feedback on every assignment from leading industry experts.

Flexible Learning

Learn from anywhere! Each program is designed to help you progress with confidence and purpose.

1-Year Course Access

Review course instructions and videos for a year after the course end date.

EXPERT GUIDANCE

Get feedback and guidance on every assignment from leading industry experts.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING

Learn from anywhere! Each program is designed to help you progress with confidence and purpose.

1-YEAR COURSE ACCESS

Review course instructions and videos for a year after the course end date.

Pricing

Budget-friendly courses and flexible payment plans let you focus on learning

Pay in four easy installments
$162.50

One-time Payment
$650

Pay in four easy installments

$162.50

One-time Payment

$650

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