The tool doesn’t make the artist: 6 secrets to master tech art workflows - José’s Tips
Making it easy is the hardest part of casino game development. At Fabamaq, a technology company in Porto, specialized in the field, we believe that a Technical Artist must be a master of abstraction.
Senior expert José Neves shares his 6 principles for optimizing workflows, proving that the secret to “dividing and conquering'” production lies in mastering fundamentals, not just flagship software features.
1. Understanding the vision
Before a single system is built, a clear understanding of the product proposition is essential. When a development team joins a project, the scope can often feel blurred. The most efficient approach is to thoroughly research the topic and pinpoint the exact technical needs first.
At Fabamaq, the philosophy is simple: make it work on paper first. By reuniting with peers and product owners early on, Tech Artists can abstract complicated parts, allowing the rest of the team to work with minimal friction.
2. The power of fundamentals
Complexity is always built upon a principle. Whether it’s the 12 Principles of Animation, syntax exercises like a "Hello World," or digital color optimization, these fundamentals serve as a roadmap.
Mastering these basics clears the way for advanced features. As José Neves often emphasizes, starting with a rigid mindset can be the biggest obstacle to innovation. Cracking the "hows" of a problem is much easier when you rely on steady, proven principles rather than just software-specific features.
3. Don’t be limited by the tool
Software changes, and some tools eventually go extinct. However, the fundamentals are timeless. Respecting these core concepts is the key to adopting new skills in any environment. In the world of Tech Art, the machine is essentially a blank canvas, it does only what the artist commands.
Beyond standard industry software, there is a wealth of Open-Source tools that offer powerful solutions for any budget:
- Image Editing/Painting: Krita (for digital painting) and Affinity Studios (a versatile Photoshop/Illustrator alternative).
- Video & Motion: Kdenlive (for lightning-fast editing) and Friction (native web animation).
- Compositing: Natron (a powerful node-based engine similar to Houdini).
- 3D: The industry-standard Blender.
4. Making it easy is the hardest part
A truly great technical solution is one that anyone can understand. It is common for technical experts to present complex ideas and receive "smiles but no questions”, a sign that the core message was lost.
Mastering Tech Art requires empathy and modesty. The goal is to communicate intent. Instead of explaining advanced pixel manipulation, an effective Tech Artist creates an intuitive icon, a button, that runs the script. Success is measured by how comfortable the end-user, the programmer, or the commercial team feels using the tools provided.
5. Place-holding: divide and conquer
Place-holding is a strategic tool for managing expectations and processing mid-term changes. Using low-tech sketches, concept cuts, or simplified scripts allows the team to visualize the end goal early.
This "divide and conquer" method increases productivity by ensuring individual tasks aren't stalled by pending assets. It also provides stakeholders and product owners with visual milestones, making it easier to manage expectations and measure the impact of changes before they break the production pipeline.
6. Less is more: the art of recycling
Optimization is the intersection of creativity and technical constraints. When developing for specific hardware or cross-platform targets, Video RAM is a precious resource.
The Lego Concept: Imagine having an endless box of Legos but using the exact same piece repeated to build a massive structure. This is the essence of instancing.
- The pro tip: Draw graphics in grayscale to decrease file size exponentially.
- The result: By using engine tools to colorize (tint/modulate) and reshape elements through scale and rotation, a coherent design can be achieved with high performance, all built from a single image.
Where does technique turn into impact?
At Fabamaq, being a Senior Tech Artist means understanding that technology serves the game, not the other way around. By simplifying processes and focusing on real outcomes, we turn limitations into competitive advantages. The question isn’t which software you use, but how far you can take your vision with the tools you have.
Explore more at Fabamaq
If you want to challenge technological limits and build a career at a leading company in Porto, explore our open opportunities and discover how our Gamers raise the bar every day.
Don’t miss the previous edition of Gamer Tips, where Patrícia shares 6 ways to turn data into operational improvement, showing how metrics can guide product evolution.
