[cheney]

Since I will finally be looking for a real job in December this might be a good time to ask these questions. I know this may not be the best forum for this, but I thought I would ask.

I have come to the realization that my art has only one redeemable real world quality: I make realistic flat textures in Photoshop. As a result I will probably be applying for positions as a game texture artist, unless somebody else knows of a use for such a limited skill.

Here are my questions:
What kind of portfolio should a texture artist put together.? I am already working up a large list of high and low resolution textures for a variety of surfaces. What kind of art would a company want to see for such a position?

What kind of pay should I ask for in an entry level position? I am fully aware that I will probably be treated as slave labor in a sweat shop until I complete at least one product cycle. What could of pay should I ask for going in? How much lesser pay should I expect to ask for if a company offers health plans, 401K, and other benefits?

What skills should I have to apply to such a position? I am pretty sure I would need some level of experience in either 3DSMax or Maya or both as well as an ability to create the textures in 2D. What specificly would any of you recommend?

When I graduate from school soon I will have experience with video production, audio production, and radio broadcast. Are any of these skills usefull to the game industry as I am an entry level noob? I will have a portfolio of a few items of each of these skills as well. Are there any other communication or technical skills that would be a bonus?

I realize that not all game companies employ or use texture artists, so are there some companies I should concentrate my energy into? Would it be a complete waste of time to focus energy on seeking employment with certain types of game companies that produce 3D games? What should I look for in a company?

Are there other things I should be aware of that I am completely not thinking about?
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[cheney]

Something relevent to the post I just thought that is more suitable to this forum.

Is there any job that would require somebody good at creating a variety of 2D textures outside of 3D rendering or gaming?
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[Drew]

I don't know about 2d stuff, but if you're at all interested in 3d, you should look into being a TD or something along those lines. The way you work seems well suited to a job that requires a lot of technical knowledge. I think you'd be able to make more money that way and have an easier time finding work.

[balistic]

Portfolio-wise, I recommend the following break-down:

A few futuristic environment textures (pipes, displays, grates, et cetera)
A few historical environment textures (castle walls, draw bridge, et cetera)
a few general environment textures (dirt, grass, mud, these should tile seamlessly)

A textured human of some type
A textured creature
A textured weapon, vehicle, or building

Ideally you will want to show both the flat texture, and the model w/ texture applied where possible. If you don't have your own models, you can easily find some. Either modify the models in the games you play, or find some online you can use. This may not be something you've done up until now, but you will need to understand it.

You want to make sure you know the ins and outs of UV mapping. Ultimate Unwrap is a good cheap program for doing it, or you could use GMax or Wings3D (free). This is important because the modelers aren't always going to have time to lay the UVs out for you. The more you can do on your own, the more valuable you are.

Get your hands on an editor/SDK for one of the major game engines. Unreal is probably the biggest one with the most opportunities, but there's also the Doom 3 engine and Valve's Source engine.

Also, don't just do color maps. Increasingly, games are using bump, normal, and specularity maps. Include a corresponding bump or specular map for a few of your color textures.

Optionally, you might also want to try making a few interface/display widgets. Inventory screens, radar displays, and the like.

That would be an ideal portfolio for a texture person. You may have holes is some of those areas, but if you can cover most of those bases, you'll have a shot at least.
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brian.prince|light.comp.paint

[Godwin]

By the way, on the matter of bump and normal maps (for characters and high-detail objects), aren't they usually rendered from high-poly models before they're optimised and have their polycounts cut down? Now doesn't that sort of blur the line between texture artist and modeller, or perhaps brings them closer in terms of collaboration in the creation process?
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Derelict Studios|Godwin's Space

[aarkid]

you need to texture a character, so that you get the experience of how the texture adapts to complex surfaces.
Game models aren`t so low res anymore, playstation / xbox / pc can usually handle a mountain of polys these days, the textures though is a different story, you need to prove that your textures look great at a low resolution too.
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