On this week's episode, Senior Texture Artist Chun Chun Yang sits down with Maxine to discuss how she got into 3D art, the rewards and challenges of switching careers from film to games, and the lessons she learned along the way. Maxine and Chun Chun also talk about pushing through discomfort to create new opportunities, challenging yourself to find joy in career growth, and much more!
Episode Breakdown
00:00 Intro
01:16 Chun Chun’s entry into 3D art
05:40 What is texturing?
07:33 Chun Chun’s transition from film to games
11:30 Challenges in moving from film to games
13:37 Talking to managers about new opportunities
17:44 Starting her YouTube channel, Artruism Digital
22:39 Career growth and developing your confidence beyond your job title
26:00 The learning curve for Houdini
28:59 Other procedural texturing artists to look out for
31:00 Challenging yourself and creating joy through career growth
32:15 Practical tips for creating your portfolio and finding a job
35:24 Getting scouted by an art director at Blizzard Entertainment
36:00 People skills and your professional reputation
40:48 Future trends and real-time in Unreal Engine
45:30 How to network when you’re working remotely
47:26 Where to find Chun Chun
Pedro Andrade is a London-based VFX 2D Supervisor/Head of Compositing with extensive experience in all mediums of VFX production. His diverse background in Mechanical Engineering and Music Production—spanning many continents and career paths—gives Pedro a unique edge in his thinking process, knowledge, and leadership style.
About Chun Chun Yang
Along with her successful texturing tutorials on Gumroad, Chun Chun has worked as a 3D artist for film, contributing to titles like Ready Player One, Deadpool, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. She's worked as a Texture Artist at Digital Domain and as a Senior Texture Artist at Industrial Light & Magic. After being scouted by an art director at Blizzard Entertainment, Chun Chun recently transitioned into games and is now working as a Character Material Artist on Blizzard's Diablo IV. She also has a successful YouTube channel, Artruism Digital.
Iguana 3D model by Chun Chun. Modeled in Maya, sculpted in ZBrush, and textured in Substance Painter. This asset is available to download for free on Gumroad, along with a guide for the texturing process.
Dress created by Chun Chun using Marvelous Designer and Houdini.
Skin texturing in Substance Painter — one of Chun Chun's popular tutorials on YouTube
To find out more about Chun Chun, visit her ArtStation, and follow her on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Additional resources about this career:
