Technical artists build the tools, pipelines, and systems that help creative teams move faster. This site takes you from "never written a line of code" to job-ready - tutorials, projects, real code, and free browser tools. No paywalls, no gatekeeping, no "just watch my paid course."
A practical path: what the job is, what to learn first, and how to spot the specialization that feels like yours. Start at week zero, end at day one.
-> Persona 02A portfolio structure leads can scan, a resume that survives the keyword filter, an interview bank that shows how to reason, and salary numbers with scripts for the awkward conversation.
-> Persona 03Nine live browser tools, 950 VEX snippets, 45 Python snippets, printable cheat sheets, and a 400-term glossary - all searchable with Ctrl+K from any page.
->What the role actually looks like: responsibilities, the eight specializations, soft skills, and a hiring guide for the people trying to find you.
explore -> 02The path in: portfolio, resume, interview prep, salary and negotiation, studio survival, and version control.
start -> 03The TA's core language - plus a 45-snippet library, the cross-DCC Rosetta Stone, and a build-a-real-tool tutorial.
learn -> 04PyMEL, the Python API, and rigging automation - scripting the industry's workhorse DCC.
learn -> 05Blender as an actual production tool: engine-ready exports, Geometry Nodes as procedural thinking, and the bpy cookbook.
learn -> 06VEX, procedural workflows, Python in Houdini, and a searchable library of 950 VEX snippets.
learn -> 07Editor basics, the asset pipeline, materials, Blueprints, editor Python, and a full performance section.
learn -> 08Automated LODs, remeshing, material merging, draw-call reduction, Maya workflows, and standalone Python processors.
optimize -> 09Past the node graph: HLSL from zero for artists, Unreal custom nodes, and the shader-debugging field guide.
learn -> 10The tech art dictionary: 400+ terms, tagged by topic, searchable, filterable, and linked across the site.
look up -> 11Engines compared, funding routes, and the resources that keep small teams shipping.
explore -> 12Printable cheat sheets for TA math, VEX, and texture formats, plus breakdowns of how this site's tools were built.
print -> 13Nine free browser tools, from the Asset Health Dashboard to the Naming Forge that writes your validator for you.
open ->Python basics: variables, functions, classes, file I/O, then a real batch-rename tool you'll actually keep.
Pick your DCC: Blender if you want the free on-ramp, Maya if you're aiming at character pipelines, or Houdini if procedural work is calling. Automate it, and learn version control while you're there. Every studio assumes it.
Pick your lane on the specializations map, build the one-tool-one-shader-one-pipeline portfolio, then job hunt like it's another pipeline problem.
A searchable games-industry jobs board built from a local crawler across 1,000+ studios, with a sanitizer that cleans titles, locations, and departments before anything ships.
new → 07·05Guided tracks that string existing pages into a path, plus buildable project briefs that turn what you learned into portfolio proof.
new → 07·04What Simplygon is, standalone Python usage, Maya workflows, and the field tips for automating LODs, proxies, and impostors.
new → 07·03The full HDA lifecycle: build it, expose the right controls, edit safely, version it, and ship it to your team.
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The Technical Artist