About The Course

Environment Mastery is Game Arts Academy's flagship course. If you are interested in becoming an environment artist, this is the course for you. Learn everything from choosing your environment to executing it and crossing the finish line with an impressive portfolio piece that will surely turn heads. Learn the secrets of the pro's and never guess what the next step is.

Course Overview

First you start with the basics, then you build your skills up from there.

  • Project Planning

    will start at the beginning of the development cycle by determining what environment is the best environment for you to create. We will teach you how to really look into yourself and decide what your soul really wants to create. We will focus on infusing a strong story into your project and set up your references after that.

  • Step by Step

    All you have to do is follow us step by step as we show you the recipe and formula for creating a believable and breathtaking environment in UE4. If you follow along with each of the modules you should always have a clear direction on where to take your project.

  • Milestone Assignments

    This is not simply a follow along course. Through out the course you will be required to upload progress screenshots to make sure you are keeping on task and hitting your deadlines. While we do not give you direct feedback on these milestones, they do serve to help you stay accountable to finishing your project.

Course curriculum

  1. 1
  2. 2

    • Chapter 2 Description

    • Modular Planning

    • Using the Grid and Snap Settings

    • Creating Modular Variants

    • Inside and Outside Corners

    • Face Weighted Normals
  3. 3

    • Assignment Instructions

    • Submit MILESTONE 1: Blockout
  4. 4

    • Chapter 3 Description

    • Project Settings

    • Preparing the Scene

    • Adding Lights

    • World Settings

    • Refining Lighting

    • Post Process

    • HDRI Skies Pack
  5. 5

    • Assignment Instructions - First Pass Lighting

    • Submit MILESTONE 2: Preliminary Lighting Assignment
  6. 6

    • Chapter 4 Description

    • Story Is King

    • Exaggerating Details

    • Furniture Tips

    • Best Practices

    • CG Lines

    • Composition Tips
  7. 7

    • Chapter 5 Description

    • Material Functions

    • Hooking up Base Color

    • Spec, Roughness, Metallic

    • Normals

    • Dirt Masks
  8. 8

    • Assignment Instructions - Create your master material in Unreal Engine 4

    • Submit MILESTONE 3: Master Materiel Creation in UE4 (or Unity)
  9. 9

    • Chapter 9 Description

    • What are Trim Sheets?

    • How to Use Trim Sheets

    • Trim Use on the Pillar

    • Trim Use on the Window

    • Modeling High Poly Trim

    • Vertex Colors

    • Trim in Substance Painter
  10. 10

    • Chapter 6 Description

    • Overview

    • World Aligned Textures

    • Generating Masks

    • Combining Masks

    • Q&A Session Recording
  11. 11

    • Chapter 8 Description

    • Overview

    • Set-up

    • Z-Brush Sculpting

    • Rendering Masks

    • Unreal Set-Up
  12. 12

    • Assignment Instructions - Complete Your Large Props

    • Submit MILESTONE 5: Large Props Completed
  13. 13

    • Chapter 7 Description

    • Collecting Reference

    • Exporting a Tile-able Texture

    • Creating a Smart Material

    • Smart Material Tips

    • Creating Anchor Points

    • General Tips

    • Q&A
  14. 14

    • Assignment Instructions - Complete Your Storytelling Props

    • Submit MILESTONE 6: Storytelling Props Completed
  15. 15

    • Chapter 10 Description

    • Overview

    • High Res Portfolio Images

    • Premier Pro LUT

    • General Tips and Tricks

    • Q&A Session Recording
  16. 16

    • Chapter 11 Description

    • Overview

    • The Art of The Thumbnail

    • Set Up

    • Material Set Up

    • Lighting

    • Marmoset Toolbag 3 Advanced Settings

    • Tips and Tricks
  17. 17

    • Assignment Instructions - Complete Your Environment Final Render

    • Submit MILESTONE 7: Final Environment Render Completed
  • Bracket Shape

Requirements

  • Students are required to have completed the Beginner Series and some of the Intermediate series

  • SKILLS LEVEL: Advanced

  • Unreal Engine 4 is required to complete the lessons.

  • 3DS Max, Maya or Blender or equivalent 3D package is require to complete the course work.

Prerequisites

You must have completed the following courses in order to understand and start this one.

Instructor(s)

Eddie Faria

Eddie is a 3D artist and 3D art teacher, specializing in 3D environments. He's an expert in 3DS Max, Substance Designer & Substance Painter, and Unreal Engine. With close to 15 years in the industry, he's helped build games you might have even played, and taught in the college system as well. And he's now sharing the most important things he's learned over the years with aspiring game artists looking to blaze their own trail in this profession to save them time, money and energy and maximize their chances for success.

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