Welcome to the first in our Artist Spotlight series, where we chat with creators in the game dev space about their work, their process, and what they've learned along the way.
First up is Shaoul from Tesseract Assets, a 3D artist specialising in props, weapons, and stylised environments.
What kind of assets do you create, and what got you into it?
I mainly create 3D assets for games, with a focus on small props and weapons. I started out doing smaller, standalone objects because they let me concentrate on shape language, materials, and storytelling without getting overwhelmed by huge scenes.
Over time, that naturally grew into building more cohesive sets and recently into stylised environments, where props really shine as part of a bigger world.
What got me into it was the mix of art and problem-solving. I've always enjoyed breaking things down visually and figuring out how they're built, and game assets sit right at that intersection of creativity and technical constraints.
What does your process look like from concept to finished asset?
I usually start with reference gathering and visual exploration. I sometimes use AI to generate some reference, even if there's already a concept. Understanding the style, proportions, and materials upfront saves a lot of time later. I put everything on PureRef to have a general overview.
From there, I block out the asset in 3D to lock in the silhouette and scale. Once the shapes feel right, I model and sometimes sculpt to final forms. Texturing comes next, where I really try to push material definition and readability, especially for stylised work.
The final steps are optimisation, testing in-engine when possible, and polishing things like roughness values, edge wear, and overall presentation so the asset holds up from different angles and distances.
What tools do you use day-to-day?
My core tools are Blender for modelling, Substance Painter for texturing, a bit of ZBrush to sculpt, and Substance Designer for some tiled textures. Unreal Engine 5 for rendering and testing.
I also rely a lot on PureRef for reference and Photoshop for quick texture tweaks or presentation work. Plus some workflow apps like Upscayl, Bulk Rename Utility, XnConvert, ShareX, and Lightshot.
What's something most people don't realise about creating 3D assets?
People don't realise how much time goes into things that aren't immediately visible, like clean topology, proper UVs, optimisation, and making sure assets behave well in-engine. A model can look great in a render and still cause problems in an actual game.
What's been your favourite project to work on?
My last weapon pack (Volume 5) as it's the most recent and benefits from the experience gathered doing previous weapon packs.
I'm especially proud of my recent shift toward stylised environment work. Moving from individual props and weapons into a more cohesive visual world has been really rewarding. It pushed me to think more about colour, composition, and how assets support each other rather than standing alone.
Any tips for game devs on getting the most out of assets they've bought or downloaded?
Don't treat assets as untouchable. Even small adjustments to scale, roughness, colour balance, or wear can make a big difference in how well they fit your project. Consistency matters more than individual detail.
Also, test assets early in-engine and in context. Lighting, shaders, and camera distance can completely change how something reads compared to a standalone render.
What are you working on next?
I'm continuing to expand my stylised environment work, focusing on building stronger, more complete scenes and refining my visual language. I'm also experimenting more with storytelling through props and environments, making assets that feel like they belong to a lived-in world rather than just looking good on their own.
You can find more of Tesseract Assets' work on:
This is the first in our Artist Spotlight series. If you're a game asset creator and want to be featured, get in touch at mark@assethoard.com.