What does a Technical Artist do?

Technical artists act as links between artists and programmers while working on a game and serve as a hybrid between artists and programmers. They work closely with the lead artist, creative director, and lead programmers working on the project and set up and maintain the workflow. They also investigate new techniques to implement along the way. Technical artists review completed art, which could include a character or environment background. After they are delivered, technical artists must ensure the art designs maintain standards of visual quality.

Technical artists prepare and design character systems including cloth and collaborate with environment artists and other programmers to optimize environments and establish physical barriers. Technical artists also create custom tools that are carried out using scripting languages, including modeling and animation packages. They oversee and research the implementation of rendering techniques, including standard and specular maps and pixel shaders. Technical artists must know console hardware architecture and are highly skilled in 3D graphics software with a fluency in lighting and rendering, texturing, and graphics-related programming languages.