Kickoff Post: Starting a Tech Art Blog

I started this blog with the intent of sharing my knowledge on various topics regarding technical art. It will probably be a slow and rocky road to keep this updated, but I'll try my best to fill some gaps I've found in the available resources online.

Why Another Tech Art Blog?

As a technical artist, I spend a lot of time searching for solutions to specific problems. Sometimes I find great answers on forums or blogs. Other times, I spend hours figuring something out on my own, only to realize there's no good documentation anywhere.

This blog is my attempt to give back to the community and document the solutions I find along the way.

What to Expect

I'll be writing about:

• Pipeline development: Python tools, automation, workflow optimization
• DCC scripting: Maya, 3ds Max, and whatever else I'm working with
• Shader development: HLSL, shader graphs, material systems
• Performance optimization: Profiling, LODs, draw call reduction
• Problem-solving: Those weird edge cases that take hours to debug

The posts will be practical and code-heavy. I'm not interested in high-level theory. I want to share actual solutions to actual problems.

My Background

I started my career at Ubisoft Milan, where I worked on Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. It was an incredible learning experience, working with talented artists and engineers on a high-profile project.

After that, I moved to the UK to join Splash Damage, where I'm currently working on unannounced projects. The move to a new studio and a new country has exposed me to different workflows and approaches to technical art.

The Struggle is Real

One thing I've learned: technical art is about constant learning. New tools, new engines, new techniques. What worked last year might be obsolete today. The only way to keep up is to stay curious and keep experimenting.

I started this blog partly to force myself to document what I learn. Teaching is the best way to solidify understanding, and writing these posts will help me organize my thoughts.

What's Next?

I have a backlog of topics I want to cover:

• Python in 3ds Max (pymxs vs MaxPlus)
• Global variables and data persistence in DCC tools
• Batch processing and automation
• Custom export pipelines
• Shader optimization techniques

Some posts will be short tips. Others will be deep dives into complex problems. All of them will be things I've actually used in production.

Let's Connect

If you're a technical artist working in games, VFX, or animation, I'd love to hear from you. What problems are you trying to solve? What topics would you like to see covered?

This is just the beginning. Let's see where this goes.

Thanks for reading.