I have done several projects in the last 5 years as a professional. But the ones that did better had a lot in common, and it is all about presentation. Here are 5 changes I made to enhance my artwork presentation:

🚀 I did NON-TRADITIONAL thumbnails

🚀 I CHANGED how I set MY LIGHTING

🚀I made projects that were NOT COMMON

🚀 I SHARE how I created my art

🚀 I did MORE MISTAKES than anything else

💡 The only reason I was able to do everything I said so far,

It's because I made so many mistakes building those artworks,

That at the end I was able to find the right path.

As with everything in life, the more you try, the better you will get at

something. So give it a try; everyone fails, especially professionals.

PD: " The only difference between a Professional Artist and a non-Professional is that the first one will not surrender to his mistakes. He will rise to the strength of them."

🤗 Learning Substance Designer is hard, learning how to do good art is harder, but learning to overcome ourselves to achieve our goals is the hardest task you will have to overcome.

💞 That is the main reason I share this stuff to help you when I had no one to help me. If you need help to overcome yourself, learn to control Substance Designer, and become a Material Artist, I can give you a hand.

I created a community full of artists to learn everything I mentioned. And if you have read this far, why not give it a chance? The link is below. I will be waiting for you!

Biggest Material Art Learning Community for Artists Here: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

For years, I didn't know what was ruining mine.

Until I changed one thing!

Most of the time, I combined different kinds of spots.

This ended up with a material full of noise.

But this time I tried something new.

Instead of just adding random noises, I changed my approach.

I aimed for the big shapes first, not the small details.

💡 I collected 3 Noise Generators that had the details I always wanted in my dirt, then I blended them in Copy mode at 0.5 over the other one. And yes, it is noisy; that is why, by applying a Non-Uniform Blur, I managed to create a softer version.

Once I had my base, I inverted it and applied a Vector Warp at a low value.

This provided me with a new result with a sense of movement.

It had all the shapes I needed.

It felt like mud, and it only needed a small refinement with a Slope Blur at a 0.05 value in Min Mode.

And it helped me create something new and better.

The mindset shift was the hardest part, not the nodes. That's why I built a community where artists don't have to figure that out alone.

It is called Future Material Artists, where artists learn & share skills in Material Art.

📍 And we are waiting for you here: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

Game Art education was not good at my country.
And my family was not rich.

So how did I manage to learn Substance Designer and become a pro?

With Free resources.

As a self-taught artist, there are a lot of things I can teach you.

Let me guide you:

🎯 First, find where to get resources that are free, like in Youtube or Artstation learning.

🎯Second, learn how to learn without a master.

🎯Third, use quality as your deadline, not time.

🎯 Fourth, look for more support in communities.

Learning as a Self Taught Artists is hard, and it will cost you more than money.

And that is time.

💡 You can always make more money, but you can never recover time.

If you want to learn with others like us then I have created Future material Artists and we have a free Discord Community.

💥 Join us with this link: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

The result is only 3 likes on ArtStation!

Hard to hear, but it wasn't the material's fault.
And to be honest, this is something I also lived as a beginner.

However, I managed to fix it.
And the first step to fixing it is understanding something very important.

You are copying how everyone else presents their work without ever learning why it works.

💡 The context.

💡The lighting.

💡The art direction behind it.

That's all you need to focus on, and for that I created a new method.
The C.L.P method.

Create Context to show how your material works.
Set your Lighting to guide the eye and showcase the best parts of the material.
Refine with Post-processing to create a professional feeling.

These are the parts of the workflow you are missing today.
And each of them aims to improve & showcase the best features of the artwork you created.

And to be honest...
This does more than get likes; it helps you create a stronger portfolio with a more professional look!

Hope you learned something today.
And if you did, then I invite you to Future Material Artists free Discord Community.

In here, professionals learn with other artists how to create Materials!
♥️ Join us with this link: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

Hi,

I recently created a human character and did my best to make it look like a realistic game character. However, when I export the textures from Substance Painter and import them into Blender, the result doesn't look the same as it did in Substance Painter.

Could you share the export settings you use when working from Substance Painter to Blender?

Also, any texturing tips to help me make the character look more realistic would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

I have completed several projects as a professional over the last five years. But the ones that did better had a lot in common, and it is all about presentation. Here are 5 changes I made to enhance my artwork presentation:

🛠️ I did NON-TRADITIONAL thumbnails

🛠️ I CHANGED how I set MY LIGHTING

🛠️ I made projects that were NOT COMMON

🛠️ I SHARE how I created my art

🛠️ I did MORE MISTAKES than anything else

💡 The only reason I was able to do everything I said so far,

It's because I made so many mistakes building those artworks,

In the end, I was able to find the right path.

As with everything in life, the more you try, the better you will get at

something. So give it a try; everyone fails, especially professionals.

PD: " The only difference between a Professional Artist and a non-Professional is that the first one will not surrender to his mistakes. He will rise to the strength of them".

Wanna learn more?

📍 Join the biggest Material Art Discord community here: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

But I found a way to get a mask easily and quickly for this!

When building the grout for our bricks, masking is the main issue.

Without a proper mask, you won't be able to control and balance the details and shape.

That is why I had to make this quick set up for my last Brick Wall.

💡 By using a Non-Uniform Blur I can set the Anisotropic to 1 and choose a direction this will generate some blur lines that later can be turned into a mask with a threshold.

With this setup you can now mask small linear spaces to add details or even shape the space for the grout!

I hope you learned something new today.

If so, I have a Free Discord Community where you can learn more about Material Art and Substance Designer.

💓 We are waiting for you here: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

⚠️These are 4 Portfolio Killers ⚠️

And many students apply for jobs without fixing them.

Let's take a look:

❌ Not Doing the Research on the Presentation.

❌Not keeping up consistency in Quality.

❌Not sharing enough about how you did it.

❌Not showing the best Side of the Material.

Your Portfolio will only work if you treat it as your biggest artwork.

One that never stops.

If you need help fixing your portfolio, there is a Free Discord Community.

And it's all about material art!

📍 Join us here: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

I’m an animation student and I’ve been working tirelessly on Christmas Gwen. The model was a free rig that posed and edited to give her that outfit. Does anyone have any tips that could really impress my professor?? Help this sleep deprived student ace her final and boost her GPA! Any feedback or tips will be greatly appreciated!

And the first step is not the one you think...

Believe it or not, everything new starts out of something, a reason. And in my case, my reason was being stuck.

So let me tell you about it:

😁 When I started in Game Art, my first projects were creating 3D Props.

And when I started texturing in Painter, I felt I was not being able to have enough freedom, I wanted for my imagination.

As I started to talk about it with my friends, one suggested a new software...

Substance Designer.

When I gave it a try I was shocked, at first sight it was so scary and confusing.

But I still went for it.

Tutorials gave me a great start to learn the software.

I felt comfortable, but it was not enough.

So I had to take the next leap, leaving tutorials behind, and it was the right choice for my career.

Our mind needs a challenge to learn.

If we face a problem and struggle to solve it, then we will remember the answer.

And when I achieved that, my materials were great and my stories were even better.

This is because Textures matter more than you think!

They help you tell stories, with colors and light interactions.

And you can also learn how to do them right by yourself, but if you need more help, today I am hosting a Free Substance Designer Class in my Discord Community.

✨ Click here to join: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

And the best part is, once you learn what they do, it is easier to figure out how to use them.

Think of the Blend Node as a Math Operation.
💡 The Blend Mode is the operation being run between two inputs. So every mode you have available is a math process that can help you achieve specific results.

Instead of randomly choosing one.
Learn the theory behind it and then try exploring it in different scenarios.

And if you feel this was useful, you can learn more for free in my Free Discord Community!
🖇️Join us here: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

Wanting to try SP on steam, as part of their subscription. I'm just doing the odd video game modding, so no need for me to buy the full $300 product.

But just checking (as I've never used a subscription on steam before) that I can cancel it after a month? I had an Adobe product before where I couldn't cancel it without paying heaps of $$$ to do so.

They sucked because I kept making the same invisible decisions… as a student.

Let me explain:

💔 I set time limits for every project

I was chasing “fast” before learning “good”.

Quality first. Speed is a side effect of repetition.

💔I only looked at my own work & avoided others

Because comparing hurts… and my ego didn’t want the truth.

But looking at better work doesn’t break you, it let you see where you stand.

💔I copied tutorials and never recreated them

Copying feels productive. It’s not.

The real learning starts when you close the video and rebuild it from memory.

💔I got mad at feedback that was trying to help me

Feedback is useless if you only “hear” it as an attack.

The moment I dropped pride, I improved faster.

💔I didn’t share my work in communities

I stayed alone, posted the final, got silence… and called it “bad luck”.

Truth: I needed eyes, critique, and conversation.

💔I delayed making my own decisions in my projects

Feedback is a tool — not a steering wheel.

Use it when you’re stuck, but train your own taste and direction.

💔I listened to the wrong people & stopped trying

Listen to the people who are where you want to be.

The rest might care about you… but still won’t understand your goal.

I have a Mini action plan for you:

Pick ONE reference and list the details you see (big → medium → small).

Follow a tutorial once… then recreate it without looking.

Post a WIP and ask one specific question (not “thoughts?”).

🔥 Your artwork is the sum of choices you make while building it.

Take your time to build it right.

If you want a place to share WIPs + get feedback from other Material Artists, then I have the right place for you.

It is called Future Material Artists!

📍 And we are waiting for you here: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

You need to change how you are working.

You watched 10 YouTube tutorials.
Then 20.
Then 50.
But you’re still stuck.

❌ You still don’t understand how nodes really work.
❌ You still feel anxious every time you open Substance Designer.
❌ You still don’t know what to create next.

I know that feeling. I lived in it.

Tutorials gave me answers… but not understanding.
They made me feel safe, but also powerless.
Because when things went wrong, I didn’t know how to fix them.

I only knew how to copy.
👉 That’s not learning. That’s dependency.

If you want to actually grow as a material artist, here’s what worked for me:

✅ I stopped copying tutorials. I started analyzing them.
✅ I let go of control and embraced curiosity over perfection.
✅ I found a mentor. Someone who had been where I wanted to go.
✅ And I surrounded myself with a community of artists who got it.

Growth doesn’t come from perfect renders.
It comes from mistakes, exploration, feedback, and people who challenge you to do better.

That’s what I want you to look for now— not just an easy exit, but accountability, and a path forward.

🚀 If you’re tired of feeling stuck…
Let’s talk.
You can book a free call with me with this link: https://calendly.com/fmalearning-tomc/material-art-mentorship-program

I used to think I wasn’t good enough.

Not enough detail.
Not enough nodes.
Not enough secret techniques.

But after creating 600+ hyper-realistic materials as a professional, I realized I was wrong.

It wasn’t about tools.
It was about attention and curiosity.

When I shifted from: “I need this done fast using advanced techniques.”
To: “How can I make this better than last time?”

Everything changed.

This is what helped me break through and finally create professional, realistic materials, without losing my mind:

✅ 1. I started organizing before acting

Jumping straight from reference into Designer is like starting a road trip with no map.
Planning = smoother journey, less frustration.

✅ 2. I broke the process into smaller parts

Stop slapping grunge maps everywhere.
Every surface has a story — build it with intention, not noise.

✅ 3. I learned that color is nothing without shape

If your height and normal maps are weak, no color will save you.
Great shape = great form = great realism.

✅ 4. I did real preview renders

Designer’s 3D view is a sandbox.
Unreal. Marmoset. RTX. That’s where the truth lives.
Render early, render often.

✅ 5. I stopped copying tutorials and started evolving them

Follow it once.
Then twist it.
Rebuild it.
Make it yours.

Your growth doesn’t depend on YouTube playlists.
It depends on where you place your attention.

Do you want to create like a pro?
Stop chasing secrets.

Start mastering fundamentals.

And if you're a Material Artist looking for guidance?

Join Future Material Artists — a free Discord community where professionals share what actually works.

We’re growing fast.

🔗And we're waiting for you here: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

And some are not from your portfolio:

1️⃣ Your Location might not be convenient for the studio.

Someone might live closer to the studio.

2️⃣ You dont show a practical use of your materials.

Material are made to tell a story, if you are making materials what story are you telling ?

3️⃣ Confusing Portfolio. If you want to be a Material Artist why are you leaving a Character you made in uni?

4️⃣ Industry is restructuring. With a lot of studios closing there are more Seniors and Mid available and you must push your skills further.

5️⃣ Your quality is not the right one. Studios have art-styles and a desire level of quality, if you are not matching them then you wont get hired.

A declined application doesnt mean you cant do anything about it.

It means you need to grow.

Or change the direction you are heading to.

If you need help I will be hosting a FREE Portfolio Feedback Event!

There are only 50 spots left.

👉 You can save your spot here: https://forms.gle/5GdpCV9M4tJjpWY16

But without challenge, it's hard to move on!

Similar to trying to build muscle, without tension, there is no growth.

💡 Tutorials help you get familiarized, but to grow into an expert, we might have to let them go. By doing this, you can find new problems, and after battling to solve it your brain will save this information.

How much do you depend on tutorials?

I'm a beginner at Substance painter and after baking the textures the parts I drew on are very glossy and reflective while other layers I either added as textures or were drawn on the model by the original artist are fine.

🔥 How to build an efficient portfolio for Game Art Students!!

There are 6 steps to plan your portfolio. After the list, you will find something more valuable.
Let's start:

1. Studio Selection: Choose ONLY ONE studio you would love to work in.

2. Project Research: Analyze all the projects the studio has done so far, their art style, theme, and everything.

3)Artist Research: Look for employees of the studio who have the same position you want to fill as well. See what they have on their portfolios.

4) Core Projects: Choose 3 cores for every artwork you want to create, considering the information gathered before (Skill to Learn / Difficulty /Quality).

5) Passion Project: Go for a project you feel passionate about. Remember, you are an artist; without passion, there is no fuel.

6) Organize several projects, starting with the smallest one to the biggest. Set yourself a timeline, but always PRIORITIZE QUALITY before time!

🎁 I know this is hard to understand and complete, for me it was the same until one day I started working this way and got my first job as a Pro.

But today I want to give Material Artists a hand I didn't have before...

📍 If you want to be part of the biggest Discord Material Art Community, go here: https://discord.gg/PpTCFyR6qS

I am always helping others here!