Start with reference gathering and silhouette explorations, move to high-poly sculpt in ZBrush, retopologize for game-ready mesh, bake maps, then texture in Substance 3D Painter. Final pass in-engine for shader and lighting checks.

Start with solid anatomical foundation even for stylised work — proportions and weight need to feel believable before exaggerating them. Reference living anatomy, then apply the studio’s style guide to push proportions in a consistent direction.

Edge loops follow muscle groups at every joint — orbicularis around eyes and mouth, loops at elbows, knees, shoulders that allow 90-degree bend without mesh collapse. Triangulate strategically in areas that never deform.

Start with a full art bible breakdown — identify silhouette language, surface treatment, colour palette logic, and what level of detail reads at camera distance. Build a test asset using existing in-game references rather than concept art alone.

Keep the primary read in the albedo and roughness map — subsurface and specular variation should support, not carry, the surface. At lower LODs, bake detail normals into the base and simplify roughness to preserve the main skin quality hit.

Prioritise preserving silhouette and deformation edges. Decimate in non-deforming areas and capture surface detail in the normal map. Re-evaluate which details only read in close-up and can be removed without affecting gameplay camera distance.

Flag the concern once, clearly and with reasoning. If the decision stands, execute it fully and cleanly. A disagreement about aesthetics becomes a trust problem if you pursue it after the decision is made.

Likeness lives in the relationships between features — spacing of eyes, nose bridge width, lip proportions — not in isolated features. Most failed likeness work gets individual elements right but misses the overall proportional relationship.

Card-based for performance-critical characters — build from layers starting with skull cap, then midground cards, finally flyaway. Bake strands to atlases, use alpha with two-sided rendering. For higher-spec characters, strand simulation with groom caches if budget allows.

Be specific and honest — vague answers like “I’m a perfectionist” are unconvincing. Show that you’ve identified the gap and have a real plan to close it.

Flag the issue early with a clay render showing exactly what is breaking — proportion issue, surface that will not read in-engine, silhouette that collapses in 3D. Most concept artists appreciate being brought in before the final asset, not after.

Include a full breakdown — high poly, wireframe, baked-down game mesh, texture sheets. Interviewers want to see the process, not just the final result. Cut anything that does not represent current quality — one weak piece pulls the whole reel down.