Artist behind Guild Wars 2 discloses essential software key to achieving success in game development

In the world of game art, few names resonate as strongly as that of Chelsea Mills, an Advanced Prop Artist at ArenaNet, the company behind the popular MMORPG, Guild Wars 2. Mills' work, characterised by meticulous attention to detail and a knack for creating organic designs, has left an indelible mark on the game.

Mills' toolkit is diverse, encompassing a range of 3D modeling software suitable for creating environmental props, character fashion items, armor, creature models, and animations. At the heart of her sculpting work is ZBrush, which she uses for intentional organic detailing. For all-in-one modeling and animation tasks, Maya is her clear favourite, while RizomUV serves as a safety net for UV mapping.

Once the models are sculpted, Mills turns to Substance Painter for efficient, reusable textures. Photoshop, still considered essential for certain tasks, comes into play for fine-tuning and organisation.

Mills' role at ArenaNet extends beyond just sculpting and texturing. She is also responsible for environmental set dressing, architecture, and handling animation, physics setups for cloth and bones, and minor effects in her projects.

Success in game art, according to Mills, comes down to thoughtful tool choices and knowing them inside out. Practice, talent, and the desire to improve your art are also crucial factors.

The latest Guild Wars 2 expansion, Visions of Eternity, is out now. To learn more about the expansion and the game, visit the ArenaNet website. For daily design news, reviews, how-tos, and more, subscribe to the Creative Bloq Newsletter.