What Students Actually Build Here
Our students don't just practice—they create complete 3D game environments, characters with personality, and animations that feel alive. These aren't placeholder projects. They're the kind of work that gets noticed when applying for game studio positions.
Each semester brings something different. Some students lean into stylized fantasy environments. Others go hard on realistic prop modeling. And then there are those who surprise everyone with character rigs that move better than we expected.
Recent Work from Spring 2025
These come from students who started without much technical background. Most had sketched characters before but never modeled them in 3D. A few had tried Blender tutorials on YouTube—nothing formal.
By month six, they were building full scenes with lighting setups that actually worked. You'll see the range here—from hand-painted textures to PBR workflows students taught themselves during crunch weeks.

Environmental Storytelling Through Props
Radu spent three weeks on this abandoned workshop scene. Every tool has wear patterns. The rust follows logical paths where water would drip. He learned substance painting specifically for this project because he wasn't happy with how flat his first texture pass looked.

Character Design for Indie RPG
Elena's character started as pencil sketches. The facial rig alone took two weeks to perfect. She wanted expressions that could convey emotion during dialogue scenes without voice acting—something many indie games need.

Combat Animation State Machine
Mihai focused entirely on animation blending. His combat system has 47 different states that transition smoothly. He studied Dark Souls frame data to understand attack commitment—then built his own variation with faster recovery windows.
How Projects Develop Over Time
Students don't start with portfolio pieces. They start with boxes and cylinders. Then gradually, over eight months, those simple shapes turn into something worth showing to recruiters.
Foundation Phase (Months 1-2)
Everyone models the same basic objects. A crate. A barrel. A chair. It's boring but necessary. You learn edge flow, topology, and why quads matter before triangles. Students also get comfortable with viewport navigation—sounds simple until you're lost in 3D space trying to find that one vertex.
Specialization Choice (Month 3)
This is where paths split. Some students go deep on hard surface modeling—weapons, vehicles, mechanical parts. Others pick organic modeling for characters and creatures. A few choose environment art because they want to build entire worlds. Whatever they choose, they're stuck with it for the next project cycle.
Mid-Program Portfolio Push (Months 4-6)
Students produce their first real portfolio piece. It needs to show understanding of game-ready topology, proper UV layouts, and materials that respond to lighting. This is where people hit walls. Renders look great but the model breaks in engine. Or the texture resolution is way too high for actual game use.
Capstone Project (Months 7-8)
Final projects get serious. Students either collaborate on a small game demo or build a comprehensive solo piece that demonstrates multiple skills. Some create full character pipelines from concept to animation. Others build modular environment kits that could actually be sold on asset stores. Quality varies but effort doesn't—everyone pushes harder than they thought they could.
Common Questions About Student Work
We get these questions from prospective students and their families pretty often.
Before Enrollment
Do I need drawing skills to start?
Not really. Some background in art helps with composition and form, but plenty of students arrive without portfolios. You'll learn visual fundamentals as you go—form, proportion, color theory. The 3D software becomes your medium instead of pencils.
What if I've never used 3D software before?
Most students haven't. We assume zero experience with Blender, Maya, or any game engine. First month covers interface basics, navigation, and fundamental concepts. It's intentionally slow-paced so nobody feels left behind.
How much time outside class do projects require?
Plan for 15-20 hours weekly beyond class sessions. Some students do more during project weeks. Less during foundation phases. It's not busywork—you're building things you'll actually use later.
After Program Completion
Can I show these projects to game studios?
Yes. That's the point. Every major project is built with portfolio presentation in mind. Students export work samples, create breakdowns showing wireframes and texture maps, and write brief descriptions of their process. Several graduates have gotten interviews specifically because of capstone projects.
What happens to collaborative projects?
Everyone involved gets to showcase their specific contributions. If you modeled characters for a team demo, you show those characters with proper credit to teammates who handled other parts. Most recruiters understand collaborative work—they want to see what you personally created.
How recent should portfolio work be?
Studios care more about quality than recency. That said,技术 evolves. If your best work is from 2023 and it's now 2026, consider updating it with current techniques. The projects you build here stay relevant for at least two years before needing refreshes.