Meet Yingzi Qu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yingzi Qu.

Hi Yingzi, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My career journey has been an interesting evolution that I’m very proud of. I started as a finance student, but my passion for art, which has been with me since childhood, never disappeared and supported me to grow into a game environment artist now.

During my time at NYU as an undergraduate student, I discovered the field of interactive media arts, which I took as a minor. This opened a whole new world of digital art for me, and I began working on small game projects with Unity. The most important moment happened during my junior year when I played “Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” that made me realize where my true passion lies – in working on immersive game projects.

This realization sparked a determined effort to pursue my dream. I began by developing my skills in digital painting using a Wacom tablet and Photoshop, with a specific focus on environmental concept art for games. Along the way, I also learned Blender to help me with understanding perspective and lighting. This concept artwork and my college game projects led to admission to the Entertainment Technology Center at CMU.

The two years at CMU were meaningful in shaping my career. I had the privilege of working with cutting-edge technology and learning the latest skills in the game industry. After graduation, I successfully found my first 3D artist internship at Petrol Advertising in Burbank, working with AAA game studios on promotional art for trailers and posters.

This internship paved the way for my first full-time role as an Associate Biome Artist at 1047 Games. Here, I contribute to crafting various organic environmental assets for a super cool AAA game project – a role that aligns perfectly with my passion. It’s truly a dream job for me, and looking back, I feel blessed that my journey from finance to game environment art has come full circle.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it hasn’t, but all challenges have been important in shaping my journey. As I mentioned before, my undergraduate and graduate programs are all not art education, so the ways I teach myself game art are by taking online courses and watching free tutorials.

Also, entering the industry without prior work experience is extremely difficult, and it usually takes a very long time to prepare a qualified portfolio. Before landing my first 3D internship, I actually had tried and explored various roles, basically jobs that I could find but I tried my best to make sure they were also in the game industry, such as a level designer internship, and I also worked as a full-time game narrative designer in China for half a year. Although these roles weren’t exactly what I was looking for, the experience I gained in the game industry proved valuable. It not only provided insights into different aspects of game development but also contributed to molding me into a more well-rounded artist.

These experiences, while challenging, have been a crucial part of my growth, and overcoming these has made me appreciate the resilience and adaptability needed in the dynamic field of game development.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in crafting immersive environment art for games, with a particular focus on biome art, including elements such as vegetation, rocks, and organic-shaped architecture. My responsibilities range from modeling and texturing to implementation and optimization, ensuring seamless integration within the game engine.

I work closely with concept artists and level designers, making sure the game maps are interesting and attractive. I also take pride in my eye for detail and my commitment to realism.

What I found most fulfilling is the ability to tell stories through my environment. I enjoy creating not just visually appealing environments but also creating settings that narrate a story.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory was my experience with the “blackboard newspaper” during my school years in China. From primary school to high school, I had the privilege of being the creative force behind this unique tradition. Basically, it involved painting and writing on a blackboard that was hung at the back of the classroom, serving as a showcase of our class’s culture.

This creative endeavor was not just a responsibility but my personal space to unleash my artistic expression and share it with others. What started with chalk evolved into using gouache paints over the years. The transformation of tools mirrored my own growth and evolving artistic abilities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artstation.com/echocolate
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eiko_minimalist/?next=%2F