Amelie Fischer talked to us about the Yvonne – The Last Sun Legionary project, discussing modeling skin, armor, and hair, texturing the detailed outfit, and setting up cinematic lighting using ZBrush, Maya, and Substance 3D Painter.

New Contest! Download a free asset pack and create a render of a 3D Magical scene. I hope you will join this super fun contest. It’s a great way to practice some new skills. We’re doing “3D Magical” as the theme. If you look up “Magical 3D” on Behance, Pinterest, or Google, you’ll get some inspiration. I put an image below of some that I pinned just to get your creative juices flowing. You could do something totally different in the “Magical” or fantasy realm if you want, though. By joining this contest, you’ll get a free mini-pack of assets to use for your design elements, you’ll get some great practice, and you can use the result on your social media or reel. The winners will get some rad prizes too. I hope you enjoy the contest, I think it will be TONS of fun! Btw, make it a challenge to yourself. Try a new program. Try a new app. Try a new technique you have never done. Find a way to push yourself out of your comfort zone and really get some new skills with this fun challenge. That’s the whole point of it! Prizes First Place: VDB Bundle from The Pixel Lab Second Place: 10 Free Products from The Pixel Lab Third Place: 5 Free Products from The Pixel LabRules 1. Download the mini-pack with 8 3D Assets: Portal, Wispy Smoke, Plume, Stage Smoke, Electricity, Smoke, and 2 Power Streams. (FYI, The full products on our site have complete animation sequences, but for this contest, I’m giving you one of the frames from the animations for free).2. Make sure to use at least some of the assets in your render. You can use as many of them as you want; it’s up to you! These are either Alembic files or VDB files. If you don’t know how to use them, shoot me an e-mail and I can help you out. 3. Create a 3D Magical design. It could be anything. Search Behance for Magical 3D to get tons of inspiration! 4. Make a still render and send it to joren@thepixellab.net 5. The deadline will be July 31, 2025. Our internal team of judges will look at all of the entries. We will pick the top three entries based on creativity/originality/design, and we will announce the winners in early August 2025. We will fulfill the prizes shortly after. Note 1: This artwork must be created for the contest. It cannot be a previous piece you have already created. No AI is allowed. I’m not anti AI, but the goal of this contest is to learn texturing, lighting, design, layout, and more. Note 2: If you want to purchase any of our products, and you end up winning, we will refund your purchase, so don’t worry about buying them if you want to in the next month. Ready to get started? Download the pack and get going! Let me know if you have any questions! Download Free Mini-Pack of 3D Assets

80 Level Community80 Level CommunityPublished30 May 2025TagsArt-To-Experience Contest: A Creative Challenge by Emperia and 80 LevelJoin TodayWe’re excited to reveal the winners of the Showcase Competition! They’ll be featured on 80 Level and granted access to BlenderKit – a massive library of top-tier 3D assets.Abandoned Subway Station – Maja Banas"Art was inspired by The Last of Us. The goal was to create something with a similar style and vibe to the game!"Second Place – Finn Bogaert"The task was to concept, model, and texture a handheld mining drill used to mine resources on different planets."Third Place –  Alice & Andrieu"The idea was to explore sculpting and stylized texturing through a fun personal concept: a capybara fountain. Had a blast bringing this little guy to life!"Big congratulations to our winners, and a massive thank you to all the incredible artists who took part in the competition! Your creativity continues to inspire the community. Curious to see more amazing projects? Join us on Discord and stay tuned for the next 80 Level challenge!

Principal Technical ArtistActivisionMalmö 21142 Sweden43 minutes agoApplyJob Title:Principal Technical ArtistRequisition ID:R024296Job Description:Position available in Malmö, Sweden or Warsaw, Poland (On-Site Hybrid)Elsewhere Entertainment is looking for a Senior Technical Artist to join the development of a new IP.Feed your creativity while collaborating with our team of highly-skilled developers to build something innovative, exhilarating, and expansively entertaining.As a member of the Technical Art department, you’ll put your amazing skills to use solving a wide range of challenges, including implementing artist tools and defining our pipeline and workflows.As a member of the project, you’ll help take the studio and our game from great to even better—with a focus on inclusivity, mutual respect (for ourselves and our players), thoughtfulness, empathy, professionalism, and collaboration.You’ll help us by…Support and improve content creation workflows for our art team, including shaders, rigging, animation, texturing, visual effects, lighting, and UI .Collaborate with Artists and Engineers to deliver innovative tool solutions that will help artists develop epic visual content .Maintain aspects of technical asset production (leak prevention, content data implementation, etc.) .Inspire and mentor fellow tech artists as a role model of initiative, accountability, and demeanor .You’re awesome because you have…Proven experience (6+ years) in the games industry working in a tech art position, with at least 3 shipped titles .Comprehensive understanding of scripting languages. (Python, JavaScript, C#, C++, MAX Script, or MEL) .In depth knowledge of memory and performance impact from a content creation perspective.Experience writing and/or debugging shaders.Excellent understanding of Physically Based Rendering systems and techniques.Possesses in-depth understanding of game engines, pipelines, and processes.Creativity in problem solving and a positive, respectful team-first attitude.Organization methods and the capability to meet agreed timelines .Bonus points for…Experience working on AAA titles .Enjoyment of playing a variety of video game genres and titles .Not sure you meet all the qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! At Activision, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.Our WorldAt Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.Ready to Activate Your Future?# elsewhere Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

blender advanced effects course: checkout course: https://www.udemy.com/course/advanced-effects-in-blender/?couponCode=TOPCHANNEL1ON1 Geometry Nodes Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/mastering-geometry-nodes-in-blender/?couponCode=BESTOFFER HOUDINI COURSE: https://www.udemy.com/course/houdini-for-every-artist/?couponCode=TOPCHANNEL1ON1 Blender Vfx Course: https://www.gamedev.tv/courses/blender4-visual-effects?ref=zgjln2y featured addons: +50 Ultimate Blender Addons Bundle 🌀 https://superhivemarket.com/products/blender-addons-bundle?ref=311 ghost matter texturing addon: https://superhivemarket.com/products/ghost-matter?ref=311 layer based compositing: https://superhivemarket.com/products/207679?ref=311 compositor pro: https://superhivemarket.com/products/compositor-pro?ref=311 motion tracking addon: https://superhivemarket.com/products/flaxtrax?ref=311 sanctus procedural materials: https://superhivemarket.com/products/sanctus-library-addon---procedural-shaders-collection-for-blender?ref=311

Watch Random Flow videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKFJy6TgdDCIC8rEkGbY09tE0IEn5j5b3&amp ;amp;si=99m9czjgBALNZY8Z This video will demonstrate how to use Random Flow and Greeble Bake together to create scifi texture details on simple meshes. Check out my tools: https://www.blenderguppy.com/add-ons Visit my shops: https://gumroad.com/blenderguppy https://blendermarket.com/creators/blenderguppy Become my Patron: https://patreon.com/blenderguppy Follow me: https://facebook.com/blenderguppy https://instagram.com/blenderguppy https://twitter.com/blenderguppy #b3d #blender3d #3dmodeling #3dtexturing #conceptart

As a member of the project, you’ll help take the studio and our game from great to even better—with a focus on inclusivity, mutual respect (for ourselves and our players), thoughtfulness, empathy, professionalism, and collaboration.You’ll help us by…Collaborate with level designers and the art director to discuss and understand game intentions and visionHave ownership of a particular part of the game (i.e. a large part of the environment)Participate in the ideation of locations/levels by performing research (collecting written descriptions and visual references)Craft compelling visual narratives that reinforce and enhance the game’s setting, story, and gameplay elementsAssess level scope with your immediate supervisor to establish an achievable production scheduleBuild the rough map of the level with the level designer to show the preliminary graphic intentions, gameplays and ensure they are approvedSet up placeholders and submit prop and material requests to internal or OS teams; follow up on the progress and quality of the work during its developmentCreate a variety of 3D models (architecture, foliage, props) from photo references and concept artBuild (set dress, edit, optimize) realistic detailed 3d environments from photo reference and conceptAssist in troubleshooting artistic and technical issuesYou’re awesome because you have…Solid portfolio demonstrating focus and passion for 3d environment & prop creationAt least 8 years of experience in creating Environment or Prop Art in AAA game development with at least one AAA title connected to your nameExcellent artistic and design skills, including a keen eye for composition, color theory, and visual storytellingProficiency in industry-standard 3D modeling and texturing software (e.g., Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, ZBrush, Substance Painter/Designer)Experience working in Modern Game Engines with an awareness of game budgets, limits, and memory constraintsAbility to consistently resolve issues from a visual, production, and technical perspectiveBasic ability to communicate visually utilizing traditional mediaEffective communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work well in a team environmentAbility to adapt to evolving project needs and work under tight deadlinesBonus points for…Experience in working in or developing procedural workflows via tools like Houdini or UPSExperience with photogrammetry or other scanning techniques & workflowsNot sure you meet all the qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! At Activision, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.Our WorldAt Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.Ready to Activate Your Future?#elsewhere

Author I recently got intrigued by how certain online tools render terrain using dynamic color gradients to show depth or elevation changes, especially when visualizing geographical data or landscape layers on a 2D canvas. What caught my attention was how a color transition, say from green to brown to white, can subtly convey a mountain’s progression — and how much this alone can shape how we perceive space, depth, and realism without using any lighting or shadows. I’d love to dive deeper into the logic and techniques behind this and how it’s approached from a GPU programming perspective.One thing I started questioning is how effective and precise color-based elevation rendering is, especially when it comes to shader implementation. For instance, I observed that some tools use a simple gradient approach linked to altitude values, which works fine visually but might not reflect real-world depth unless tuned carefully. I tried assigning color ramps in fragment shaders, interpolated from DEM (digital elevation model) values, but it wasn’t quite as expressive as I expected — especially when transitioning over large terrain with small elevation variance.To simulate some form of perceptual realism, I began blending color ramps using noise functions to introduce a more organic transition, but I’m not confident this is the best way to approach it. I also played around with multi-step gradients, assigning different hue families per range (e.g., green under 500m, brown 500–1500m, grey and white above that), but it raises the question of universality — is there a standard or accepted practice for terrain color logic in shader design? Or should we just lean into stylized rendering if it communicates the structure effectively?Elevation itself refers to the height of a specific point on the Earth's surface relative to sea level. It’s a key component in any terrain rendering logic and often forms the foundation for visual differentiation of the landscape. When using an online elevation tool, the elevation values are typically mapped to colors or heightmaps to produce a more tangible view of the land’s shape. This numerical-to-visual translation plays a central role in how users interpret spatial data. I inspired from this idea positively because it proves that even raw altitude numbers can create an intuitive and informative visual experience.What I couldn’t figure out clearly is how people deal with the in-between areas — those subtle transitions where terrain rises or drops slowly — without making the result look blocky or washed out. I’ve attempted linear color interpolation based on normalized height values directly inside the fragment shader, and I’ve also experimented with stepping through fixed color zones. Both methods gave me somewhat predictable results, but neither satisfied the realism I was aiming for when zooming closer to the terrain.I also wonder about the performance side of this. If I rely on fragment shader-based rendering with multiple condition checks and interpolations, will that scale well on larger canvases or with more detailed elevation data? Or would pushing color values per-vertex and interpolating across fragments give a better balance of performance and detail? It’s not immediately clear to me which path is more commonly used or recommended.Another question I’ve been mulling over is whether a lookup table (LUT) would make more sense for GPU-side elevation rendering. If I store predefined biome and elevation color data in a LUT, is it practical to access and apply that in real-time shader logic? And if so, what’s the cleanest way to structure and query this LUT in a WebGL or GLSL environment?I’m looking to understand how others have approached this type of rendering, specifically when color is used to express terrain form based solely on elevation values. I’m especially curious about shader structure, transition smoothing methods, and how to avoid that “posterized” look when mapping heights to colors over wide areas. If you want to apply colors in the shader based on elevation, the standard approach would be to use a 1D texture as a lookup table. You then map elevation to texture coordinate in [0,1] and use that to sample the texture (which should use linear interpolation). You can do this per-vertex if you vertices are dense enough. This allows you to use arbitrarily complex gradients.However elevation-based coloring is not very flexible. It works for some situations but otherwise is not ideal. For more complicated and realistic colors there are two other options:Add Layers - e.g. you can have another texture for your terrain which alters color based on other properties like water depth or temperature, etc. This can be combined with the elevation-based coloring. This can be done in the shader but more layers result in slower rendering.Vertex colors - compute a color per-vertex on the CPU. This can use any approach to assign the colors. You pay a bit more memory but have a faster rendering. You may need more vertices to have fine details or if the terrain is steep.To make colors more diverse you can use other terrain attributes to affect the color:ElevationSlope (gradient magnitude) evaluated a certain scale.water depthclimate / biomefractal noiseI would have a 1D texture or gradient for each attribute and then blend them in some way. Use fractal noise to “dither” the results and break up banding artifacts.You also can combine colored terrain with texture variation. In my terrain system each vertex has a texture index from a texture array. I manually interpolate the textures from the 3 vertices of a triangle in the shader. Per-vertex texturing gives great flexibility, as I can have as many textures as slots in the texture array. To fully use such a system you need a way to assign textures based on material type (rock, dirt, grass, etc.). Slope-based texturing (e.g. slope 0-0.2 is grass, 0.2-0.4 is dirt, >0.4 is rock) is common but I use a much more complicated material system based on rock layers and erosion. I had a blog here but all the images got deleted:https://gamedev.net/blogs/entry/2284060-rock-layers-for-real-time-erosion-simulation/