Art tests

An art test is a short, set task a studio gives an applicant to see how they work: a prop, a material or a small environment built to a brief and a deadline. It usually comes after a studio has looked at your portfolio and before an offer.

ArtStation Learning calls it "one of the biggest challenges artists entering the industry face: the art test" (ArtStation Magazine: Prepare For Your Environment Art Test With…). This page covers what tests look like, how to approach one, and the debate about how studios use them.

#Where a test fits

Studios send tests; applicants do not usually request them. On Polycount, slosh points out that you don't get art tests "by asking companies": they come after a studio has reviewed your portfolio and sees potential (Polycount: Art tests for 3d character artists jobs). Senior environment artist Rogelio Delgado describes the intended purpose as evaluating "an artist's capabilities and fit for a role", but warns that some studios use tests as a filter before they have even reviewed a résumé (Game Developer: Why art tests fail artists and the game dev…).

From the studio side, a test answers questions a portfolio cannot. A studio owner on Polycount, Zeemis, wants to see "how long it takes you to get one task done", because workflow speed affects the whole pipeline (Polycount: Story Time: Payment for Art Test? Is this the…).

#What tests look like

Studios rarely publish their tests, and applicants are often asked not to share them. Most of what is public comes from artists describing their own tests. Treat the table as reported experience, not as any studio's policy.

Reported by	Role	Brief (as described)	Time
PixelMasher, Polycount 2009 (Polycount)	Environment	A couple of buildings and some small props (United Front)	Normally 2 days; he was given 3 nights
Joshua Stubbles, Polycount 2009 (Polycount)	Environment / prop	A generator prop (Turn 10)	About 3 days; another test 7 days, one with no limit
Mazvix, Polycount 2009 (Polycount)	Environment	A ruin scene in the snow, illustrative style	About a week, his own estimate when asked to set the time
Cojax, Polycount 2009 (Polycount)	Props	Small props should take "half the day"	Tests from 8 to over 24 hours
AlexLegg, Polycount 2011 (Polycount)	Junior environment	Not yet received; expected a small environment or building	5 days
NikhilR and Biomag, Polycount 2019 (Polycount)	Character	A concept to translate to 3D; often a head or bust	"a week to get as far as you can"; "roughly a week or 2"
SDimitrius, Polycount 2020 (Polycount)	Character (mobile)	A simple character with 25k triangles and one 2048 diffuse with baked lighting, plus rig and animation	About a week; a later paid retest about two weeks

Three patterns stand out. Briefs often lack specs: in the 2009 thread, CrazyMatt complained about the "lack of common proper info such as poly limit, texture size budget" (Polycount: How long should an Environment Art test take?). Time limits vary from hours to weeks, and some studios set none; slosh reports bigger studios telling him "not to worry about any time limits" (Polycount: Art tests for 3d character artists jobs). Unfinished can be acceptable: NikhilR quotes a test that said "its okay if you don't finish, we just want to see how far you go" (Polycount: Art tests for 3d character artists jobs).

#What reviewers assess

In the 2011 Polycount thread, [HP] lists what tests usually cover: artistic skill, organisation, sense of scale, texturing, colour theory and workflow (Polycount: Environment Art Test advice?). That list is close to what a portfolio piece shows, with one addition: you are judged on a brief someone else wrote, under their deadline. Following instructions is part of the test.

#The Environment Art Test series (Dekogon and Dylan Abernethy)

Dekogon Studios' three-part Environment Art Test series on ArtStation Learning is taught by Dylan Abernethy, a senior environment artist who has worked on Far Cry, Gears and several unannounced titles (ArtStation Magazine: Prepare For Your Environment Art Test With…). Part 1, "Understanding the Art Test", presents "a mock art test breakdown so that you can deliver future requests quickly and efficiently", and Abernethy "reviews key points that he looks for in candidates when he sends out these tests" (ArtStation Magazine: Prepare For Your Environment Art Test With…).

The instructor has sent tests as well as taken them. The announcement does not list his criteria or time limits, so watch the series rather than relying on summaries. It pairs well with Dekogon's Environment Production in UE5 series and Abernethy's hero-prop part of it (see exercise: your first game-ready prop).

#How to approach a test

Eight boxes in two rows: read the brief twice; list missing specs such as triangles, textures and engine; ask once in one clear email; plan steps and a time budget; block out and light early; build, texture and polish to the brief; present with shots, wireframes and short notes; and, highlighted in orange, submit on time exactly as asked. Below, a bar splits a five-day test into day 1 plan and blockout, days 2 to 3 model, UV and bake, day 4 texture and light, day 5 polish and present. — A working order for a test, drawn from the advice in the Polycount threads cited on this page. The five-day split is an illustrative example, not a studio rule.Diagram by the handbook author

Read the brief, then read it again. Eric Chadwick, a Polycount admin, advises: "read and re-read the instructions, make sure you understand them thoroughly" (Polycount: Environment Art Test advice?).
Ask about anything unclear, once and early. Autocon suggests asking the sender to clarify, since industry terms vary (Polycount: Environment Art Test advice?). Ask for missing triangle and texture budgets and the target engine (Polycount: How long should an Environment Art test take?). SDimitrius later wished he had asked when his concept and style reference contradicted each other (Polycount: Character Art Test Question).
Plan before you start. Rens advises mapping out your steps and specs first, because rushing costs more time when you have to go back (Polycount: Environment Art Test advice?). Use the same scoping habits as planning a portfolio piece.
Block out and light early, so presentation does not become a last-night scramble. See blockout and real-time lighting.
Follow the non-art instructions to the letter. danr singles out delivery and disclosure rules (Polycount: Environment Art Test advice?). File names, formats and deadlines are part of the brief.
Present it like a breakdown: beauty shots, wireframes, texture sheets, numbers. See making (and reading) an art breakdown.
Add a short note on known problems. [HP] suggests mentioning mistakes you are aware of, which shows you can spot them (Polycount: Environment Art Test advice?).
If you fall behind, say so. neilberard recommends raising concerns and asking questions instead of rushing to please the studio (Polycount: Character Art Test Question).
Keep it private. In the 2009 thread, Sage warns against posting test concepts publicly without permission, and Ott asks whether permission was given (Polycount: How long should an Environment Art test take?).

#The debate about unpaid tests

Different viewsShould art tests be paid, and how long should they be?

Unpaid tests as standard practice. Zeemis, who runs a studio, argues "it should remain the standard to not be compensated", and that paying is "just not a financially wise decision for smaller studios" (Polycount: Story Time: Payment for Art Test? Is this the…). In the same thread pior calls unpaid tests "completely fair" (Polycount: Story Time: Payment for Art Test? Is this the…).

Tests should be paid. Jonas Ronnegard: "I think they should always be paid", adding "don't send out art tests to 25 applicants that you won't pay for" (Polycount: Story Time: Payment for Art Test? Is this the…). JunkieKong: "Unpaid art tests scream unprofessional clients to me" (Polycount: Story Time: Payment for Art Test? Is this the…). Rogelio Delgado argues that long tests fall hardest on people with family responsibilities or little free time, that some companies have used submissions without pay or credit, and that tests should be a final, paid step, or replaced by existing work that already meets the criteria (Game Developer: Why art tests fail artists and the game dev…).

Tests should be much shorter. carvuliero wants tests "short and to the point for specific task 1-2 hours MAX"; JordanN suggests one to three hours; Ronnegard suggests a three-hour task to measure speed (Polycount: Story Time: Payment for Art Test? Is this the…). Reported tests run far longer: Biomag describes "working ~~55h in 4 days" <sup class="cite" data-c="pc-art-test-payment-2018~~">.

Leverage and experience. PixelMasher: "it's all about leverage"; experienced artists can refuse unpaid tests, juniors usually cannot (Polycount: Story Time: Payment for Art Test? Is this the…). slosh would take on a week-long test only for a "dream job/company" (Polycount: Character Art Test Question). Maned_Wolf notes that a studio's reaction to a request for payment tells you whether it is worth pursuing (Polycount: Character Art Test Question).

In practice: before you start, ask how long the studio expects the test to take, whether it is paid, and how the work may be used. Then decide whether to take it on. A test with no deadline, no specs and no answer to those questions is a warning sign.

Some studios do pay. CrackRockSteady works at a studio that "sometimes compensates people for art tests", and ToffeeApple has "been paid for 2 different tests" (Polycount: Story Time: Payment for Art Test? Is this the…). SDimitrius's retest was paid $1,500 and led to a contract, though he later felt it was "a little low for a full character and second asset" (Polycount: Character Art Test Question).

#Live tests and generative AI

Some studios are moving parts of testing into the room. The Daily Dot reported in 2025 that one Japanese game company added live drawing tests after hires who had relied on AI underperformed (The Daily Dot: Japanese game company changes hiring to…). A take-home test only proves your skill if the work is yours; expect to talk through your process in the interview either way.