Artist Spotlight: Edward Lim
A spotlight on 3D artist Edward Lim, a talented prop and environment artist.
Here’s a question and answer session I had with Edward Lim. I’ve been working with Edward for a few years now! I first hired him to make some props for my site. He has since proven himself to be a very reliable prop artist I’ve come back to time and time again. I find what you can accomplish as a 3D artist has very little to do with how long you’ve been doing this. Sometimes I brag about using Blender for 15+ years, but the truth is, this has very little to do with someone’s skill level. I find it has far more to do with their habits and outlook. Are they open to learning? Do they have good artistic sense? Are they humble and hard working? Edward is someone that embodies all of these attributes. It’s the reason I wanted to spotlight him on the site, so he can give advice to others. He hasn’t been doing this for as long as some, but he absolutely has some skills and has been a go-to hire of mine.
When did you first get into 3D art?
I actually tried it a couple times on and off for a few years during college but I only really got serious about it towards the end of the COVID national quarantine period (Dec 2021). After the donut tutorial, its like a whole new world has opened up to me! These are some of my first posts on Reddit.
What was your first big break?
Working with Riley to make props for Offworld Depot was definitely the first high point in my 3D modelling career.
At that time, I have just quit my career as web developer and was scrambling looking for work. But there is a problem:
- The game industry at that point was already in shambles, layoffs are happening left and right.
- Game industry in my country isn’t exactly booming and existing studios are reluctant about hiring freshies especially the ones with no proven track record.
- AI
So there I am, applying to 50+ jobs and cold emailing youtubers and content creators hoping to get a sliver of opportunity to keep me and my family afloat. That’s when I found Offworld Depot.
What are you currently working on?
Officially, currently doing environment work for a super secret project.
As for personal works, helping out with Scrapconomy and some portfolio pieces (a submachine gun and a motel exterior environment).
Do you have advice for people just getting into this industry?
Passion, work ethics and resilience is what that got me in. Art and technical skills can be trained but your ability to learn by observation and taking feedbacks is even more important. This is what I gather from the hiring managers and head of departments in my current workplace. Disclaimer: I am from Southeast Asia and people here may have different mindsets about hiring strategies compared to other regions of the world.
Keep learning and keep updating your portfolio with your best pieces that reflects
- Your current skillsets
- The industry you are going for
- The style/IP that you are passionate of
Most of all, don't quit a job without any backup plan like I did. At the very least, do retail work, deliveries or even selling hot dogs. Gotta put food on the table first, because things can take a while. For comparison, the longest time it took for a company to get back to me about my application was 6 months. Most never replied.
What aspect of your work do you find the most rewarding/satisfying?
Most of my life was spent consuming things. Movies, games, social media contents and many more. It is nice to be on the other side as a creator for a change.
Another thing that I find rewarding is the friends we make along the way. Friends who have the same wavelength as you. Friends who would debate with you about which workflow is better and collectively obsess about polygons of a 3D sandwich in Starfield.
What are some things beginners should look out for? What are some common pitfalls?
Be humble and be open to opportunities and embrace changes.
I am not too sure what else to say here because quite honestly, I’m still relatively new myself (just 2 years exp) so I am still figuring it out.
What non-technical or non-3D related skill do people need to have to find and keep finding work in this industry?
For me, having the ability to code makes me a lot more useful in the place that I work in. In the end, regardless if you work in games or films, we still deal with softwares. There is plenty bugs to troubleshoot and processes to automate.
Next would be the ability to communicate. Whether it is for job applications or pitching ideas to clients, communication is usually the bottleneck. So pitch more ideas in game jams, do mock interview sessions or even livestream yourself making art in your free time can help you practice.
But this is not an exhaustive list, my advice is learn anything! Don’t limit yourself to just modelling, trying rigging and animating or make materials! Be a T shaped individual!
Hi, I’m Ed! This is the only recent photo I had 🤣. I am currently working full time with a studio but am always looking out for more opportunities for freelance work on the weekends!
So here are my socials.
Feel free to reach out to me to collaborate or just to say hi! I wanna know more people in the industry and hopefully learn more from you guys!