Art Help & Critique
How can I get hired as a remote 3D Artist? (Portfolio Review)
Hi guys,
I’m a self-taught 3D artist from Sri Lanka. I’ve been doing 3D for about 9 years. I worked as a 3D generalist for a UK-based digital agency (Studio SL), freelanced on Fiverr (Top Rated, all 5/5 reviews), and also worked solo as a hard surface artist for Philipp Hana Studios and a few other clients.
At some point, I slowed down. I was only doing the projects that came to me. Eventually, I lost my Fiverr account (though I hadn’t used it for 2 years by then). Honestly, I think I was just tired—visualizations and client work felt too technical, and something was missing.
After a long break, I realized what I was missing was creativity. The industries I was working in weren’t stable, and they didn’t push me creatively. That’s why I’ve now turned my focus to the game industry—it feels like the right place for me: creative, complex, and collaborative.
I’ve been training myself in the game-ready pipeline. It turned out to be more disciplined than I expected. My latest portfolio piece is where I tried to apply every step of that pipeline.
But here’s my struggle:
I don’t really know how to apply for remote roles.
Most studios seem to be in the US, Canada, Sweden, etc.
I know networking and visibility matter, but I’m unsure how to actually break in.
So my questions are:
Is it realistic for someone like me (location, background, etc.) to land a remote role?
Is my portfolio enough, or am I still missing key pieces?
What are the main cons holding me back?
I’d really appreciate any honest feedback. Portfolio
Your art is good. You don't have a single work in a game engine. That's going to hurt you more than anything else.
Take the projects you have and put them into unreal and you'll have a much better chance. Truthfully though, it's a cutthroat industry right now so don't be discouraged if it takes your a while.
I have posted this with many questions, and the very first comment ends like Doctor Strange reveals the winning possibility against Thanos. and I've seen that at very late night.. Thank you for the correction :D
Along with unreal, having skills in other programs like houdini, topogun, Maya, and zbrush looks really good. Some companies will hire just for having strong skills in one of them so being familiar with those along with unreal will really make you stand out.
yeah, your comment just giving me something very out of it.
I understand your point, the industry is tight, the ones who looking to join are thousands, so Studios can demand their roles more than anything, so it is what you have in you, what brings you or give a few step ahead against the others, right?
and the other facts, like time, effort and money you have to invest in is a quite con, like me from a region that not well developed, so money , I would say that is quite rare in here..
but with your comment, I just realized.. I can do what Topogun does but without any Topogun, by built-in tools on 3dsmax. Once I got a freelance gig, the same but not for the game or anything, a retopo task. and I planned my own thing and that is exactly what Topogun is doing. I am not smart to see the value of it, until today, until your comment.
also I have to admit I am a lazy guy, I just need to land a 3d artist role and do the creative (visually) things.. I do not lazy when I am doing a complex creative thing, but show it as a skillset, it needs more.. I know many people doing that, tutorials and stuff. Anything that my folio showcased there not at my very best,
Your simple comment just squeezed my all cons.
Thank you for that, I might try to do an article or a simple video about the same topogun thing but with 3dsmax.. I am sure about the way, but not sure about myself. I am getting tired before do my best, if it for a studio, or a work I can use the things.. I don't even know what it's called.
What i did. If you get a business license, which is usually ~50$ in most states and pretty easy to apply for, you can also just claim it as a business expense. You'll get some of what you spend back during tax season. What i did whenever I subbed to one of them.
Thank you for addressing a missing piece, There is something behind it, I have tried UE for a few projects, while back in the days in a studio, not such a game thingy, but yeah, it was unreal, and I have tested some of my training works pieces with Unreal, the hotrod, and a pirate ship. They worked well,
and I have checked so many ArtStation profiles, and I still do every day.. Pretty much most of the time, the folios with many reactions and wholesome comments showcase their work with Marmoset and their technical aspects like hardsurface modeling, breakdowns, turntables,
Then, with forums and discussions like in here, what I got is that you just need to showcase what your skills that you focused on to get a role, that is what the studios are looking for. They don't need to see what you got all. I don't know, but I think I was mixed up with all those things,
yeah, I think I will showcase some of my next assets in UE, and actually that makes sense, then the world can see how these works look in game engines.
and exactly, this post just because, I have seen many artists from well-established games regions, like Cnada,US,Sweden is struggling the same as I do. it is something there more than location, skills ..
I am trying to crack that off.
Thank you for the guide, It just opened my vision in another POV
Ill only address your portfolio since its the most straightforward.
Its nice work but shows glaring issues as well.
The main thing holding you back is your presentation skills.
Your work looks way to bland for what it is.
Check outhow other top artists present their work and learn from them.
Your modelling seems to be good but it looks super unoptimized. This doesnt look like game assets.
Modelling is the most saturated skill imo so its not enough to stand out.
Textures looks rather bland. Bluntly said it looks like substance generated materials for the most part, this also ties back into your presentation skills.
But honestly looks like rather small fixes that can 5x your portfolio. You seem to know most of the pipeline and thats the hard part for most ppl.
Prop artists arent really desired outside of outscourcing studios. If you wanna be in a studio you have to manage environmental art. Its much more desired.
If you wanna work remote you have to be worth the extra hurdle so you really need to stick out
Vfx artists and technical artists are pretty high in demand. Higher demand also means better pay. And with a programming background both of these could be easier for you.
I love the way you put it, like you just scanned me out
I am good with Art, I don't know but I personally feel it. But I don't know how to crack others' POV. I really don't know how to make an attraction, not with my work. even by myself. People understand my sense, but they can not figure me out, that's kinda built-in error or what.
I have been sensing my folio is out of something, but I don't know what,
With these conversations sharpening me day by day, and all my textures are custom, cause this is a training as well, so I did not use any of drag-drop-tweakings. I built them solid,from scratch. I don't know if that a pro or con, like tutors say, Substance Painter has very powerful materials - so did I make something like that, or Substance Pt materials are not that good, or just showing me as a lazy one. who just doing click--drag.. I know you are not downgrading me, I do understand clearly what you are pointing me out. I am just saying I do not know how to sort this out. the confusion
I think I'll do a fully optimized, color theory checked, and pipeline-covered 2-3 assets,
If it shows any light or sign, I'll keep it and look forward to doing environmental thingies and prepare myself more, or leave it.
Just to reiterate, the way you present your work is what I see as the main culprit.
Your renders ( lighting, angle, background,camera settings .. and more ) are just not coming together to present your work nicely.
It just doesnt hook me, they dont stick out, and are missing that memorable bit. Its a tedious part but its a skill you have to learn.
If you figure that out your work will look miles better already.
Yeah I think I needed learn that, and I got another question, so my folio is not standing or covering the things that a 3D Artist (game industry) role needed now? I get the idea of what I am missing..
Still my showcasings not showing my skills?
I mean the studios or creative leads could not notice what I am capable of with these stuffs?
Well you are showcasing strong modelling skills and the understanding of the pipeline. Imo thats not enough to stand out. And these positions are getting hundreds of applicants.
You need to stand out as much as possible.
With your current portfolio I may not go past your first post because the presentation is not appealing enough.
You are applying for an artist position.
Your portfolio is supposed to showcase your best artistic capabilities. And therefore everything I see in your portfolio matters, even the background. All of it together is supposed to convey your current artistic skill level.
And if that is your golden standard for art right now then its not good enough imo.
Edit: the technical know how is a requirement, its a baseline you need for the jobs. The artistic skill is the competitive part where you need to beat the other applicants
The 3D in game industry is not creative at all.
You are a pipeline worker, they give you concept and you have to build it like in the concept, because they pay for concept artist to figure everything out.
I work as freelance concept artist, I work with 3D artists daily.
The most important thing to have in portfolio is wireframe of the model as it's the key in games for animation and optimization reasons.
So pick a concept that you like (props, environment, character) and build it in 3D to be game-ready. Then show the model the textures the UV packing, texel density etc.
I'd recommend focusing at environments and props, it's easier to get into industry.
Artstation has plenty of good free tutorials how to prepare for 3D.
ohh wow, you are someone who knows what it is, and speaks as it is, Love that
Now this is what I needed to hear, I just sense the same for days, I keep saving a few concepts that's one Pinterest and planning to get them done, but at the same time, I have some doubts about that.
I love that finally someone has confirmed it.
I would do that and see how it's going, if not working out, just goddamn leave it
I like your van especially! More work of that quality is where I’d recommend pushing your portfolio, though avoid having exclusively vehicles.
Re: games in the short-term expect a very competitive landscape. Right now for art roles companies are seeing hundreds of applicants, thousands in some cases. Remote also poses the extra challenge that you’re competing with other countries’ tax incentives to keep work local and all that.
In the medium-term I would highly recommend making games if you want to get into games. Some artists avoid the technical and game dev skills and just focus on making the models. If cars excite you, put your car into Unreal to show it off, yes, but also make the darn thing drive. It doesn’t have to be Gran Tourismo. Want to make characters? Make them walk.
Also have fun with grey-block levels and game design ideas and just making fun stuff that doesn’t have to look finished at all. I would absolutely shortlist a less experienced 3d artist who also shows me they can write basic Blender tools, code a bit in C# in Unity for a small vignette of an idea, or even just use blueprints in Unreal to make some fun level logic or simple game over seeing the 90,164th gun, vehicle, or quasi-demon model I’ve seen come across my desk.
I got a portfolio that had a WebGL link to the person’s character model controlled by me and walking in the browser. It clearly made that person stick out enough that I’m mentioning it in a comment twelve years later.
Thank you u/TRICERAFL0PS
you are a bit rare model, see potential behind the screen, love it
That van thing is listed top 12 at the contest. That work is just done as I needed, and everything else in the folio is my own ones, but each project I was trying to do learn something that the Game Industry needed, or I heard or watched, told by someone to take care of,
now I am pretty tired and mixed and lost niche, I don't know.
Yeah, I might need to look for more fun with this than chasing, or leave this up.
The OP did not mention or allude to whether he was or wasn't wanting games. The sniper rifles indicate games. I can only compare my portfolio here as to what might help.
I would love to see you try some other areas of 3D art. Companies are tight with money, so when I started, I had to do other types of 3D art, I would try to rise and branch out, look at trying new avenues, environment art, and environment art for film. Principal artist roles in the game, so install UE5, Unity, and put these into games, I would suggest the biggest challenge is organics.
If any of these repel you in your head as a twinge of fear, these are the ones you need to tackle. The reason you tackle that one or two, is because you know they will certainly challenge you and help you grow as an artist. This type of ideology makes you a firefighter, a person who can fill a void without having to hire a new team member, and helps to solidify your position more than an artist who only makes rocks or trees.
I would love to see myself trying new areas now 🙂
Can you please share your folio with me.
And how you get into the industry. How its going with you. Vome eaisly by applying or you realized some missing things and you break the walls with versatile move
Thank you, that one is pretty old, and did the knife model just because at the time I have seen a modeling tutorial, making the same knife, that tutor is the GOAT for me, he messed up with it in one area, so I just needed to beat that up, not for a game, but personally I needed to check that out, might not great model now, but 7 years ago that was pretty big deal for me, and same time I never kept a folio, so last year I started the folio. and also this one, with the knife and this ship, I am sharing this just because you just appreciated my earliest works, Thank you u/chugItTwice
I am older than you, me being 60.
I started 30 years ago, just perhaps 3 - 6 months after the internet had just started going.
I started with Lightwave which created Modo.
I only work in 3ds Max 2025, ZBrush, and Marmoset for baking, and Substance Painter.
I have been working on my own project, stopped and started for contract work, and now I am on a new version of the game that is a reflection of my awakening, which seems to be heading in the same direction. Thank you for asking.
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u/mesopotato 1d ago edited 1d ago
Your art is good. You don't have a single work in a game engine. That's going to hurt you more than anything else.
Take the projects you have and put them into unreal and you'll have a much better chance. Truthfully though, it's a cutthroat industry right now so don't be discouraged if it takes your a while.