Mentorships run in 8-week blocks, but your growth doesn’t have to stop there. If you have a larger project, you are absolutely welcome to book multiple blocks back-to-back. Just keep in mind that our mentors book out fast. Let us know in your application if you want multiple 8 week blocks.
This includes 2 x one hour career coaching sessions where you can ask questions on any topic, from portfolio reviews, career advice & interview coaching.
Meet your mentor
Raouf Bejaoui │ Technical Art Director at Lightspeed LA
🚨 Reminder: In order to get started with your mentorship, we require that you first complete an application process. If you are approved, we’ll send you the details to book and pay for your mentorship.
Overview
This mentorship focuses on the practical realities of Technical Art in modern game production, where visual fidelity, performance, scalability, and workflows must coexist.
Together, we’ll assess your current skillset, project goals, and career direction. Whether you’re aiming to strengthen your material work, deepen your Unreal Engine knowledge, or better understand performance and technical constraints, the mentorship is structured around your specific needs.
With nearly two decades of industry experience across multiple AAA productions, Raouf brings a production-driven perspective to Technical Art. The mentorship emphasizes real-world workflows, debugging strategies, and problem-solving approaches used in professional development environments.
Each session provides constructive feedback, practical guidance, and clear explanations designed to demystify complex technical concepts. Particular emphasis is placed on developing strong technical intuition, understanding not just how something works, but why production decisions are made.
By the end of the mentorship, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how Technical Art functions within a production environment, increased confidence in tackling technical challenges, and clearer strategies for building robust, portfolio-ready work.
Skill level: This mentorship is designed for aspiring Technical Artists, whether you are a student exploring the field, someone developing an interest in Technical Art, or a working artist aiming to transition into a more technical role. It is ideal for individuals looking to strengthen their technical understanding, improve their workflows, and gain insight into real-world production practices.
Prerequisites: Basic familiarity with a 3D content creation package (Maya, Blender, 3ds Max, etc.), and a game engine such as Unreal Engine is recommended. A foundational understanding of materials, shaders, or real-time workflows will be beneficial but is not strictly required.
- Material Creation & Shader Fundamentals
- Debugging & Optimizing Materials
- Real-time Rendering & GPU Performance
- Memory & Performance-Driven Workflows
- Procedural Shading Concepts
- DCC Tooling & Workflow Automation
- Engine / Editor Tooling Principles
- Technical Problem Solving for Artists
- Production-Ready Technical Art Practices
- Portfolio Feedback & Technical Breakdowns
- Unreal Engine
- IDE of your choice (Visual Studio, Rider, etc.)
- Maya (or equivalent 3D DCC package)
- Substance Designer
- Photoshop (or equivalent texturing tool)
- Format – Personalized guidance in one-on-one sessions, conducted via video calls.
- Mentee Spotlight – Your previous work will be featured on the Vessel Forge social media.
- Mentee Final Project Spotlight – Your final project will be featured on the Vessel Forge website and social media.
- Mentee Showcase – You’ll have the chance to collaborate with us to write a blog breakdown of the project you complete during your mentorship. Note: Must be selected for this opportunity.
- Post-mentorship Support – Receive access to our exclusive community Discord, where you can connect with other mentors and mentees, ask questions, get feedback and more.
- Skill Level – Junior to Advanced. It is ideal for individuals looking to strengthen their technical understanding, improve their workflows, and gain insight into real-world production practices.
- Prerequisites – Basic familiarity with a 3D content creation package (Maya, Blender, 3ds Max, etc.), and a game engine such as Unreal Engine is recommended. A foundational understanding of materials, shaders, or real-time workflows will be beneficial but is not strictly required.
What's included?
Industry pro at your side, weekly.
Not tied to a nonsense curriculum.
The tools you need are included.
Career coaching
Get actual career advice from pros who understand.
Ask questions in the exclusive community.
Meet your mentor
Raouf Bejaoui │ Technical Art Director at Lightspeed LA
Raouf is a Technical Artist with nearly two decades of experience in the video game industry, spanning multiple AAA productions. Throughout his career, he has contributed to major titles and franchises, including The Last of Us Part I at Naughty Dog and the Gears of War franchise.
He specializes in Unreal Engine, with a focus on shader development, material systems, rendering optimization, and scalable production workflows. Raouf has a strong foundation in procedural texturing and was part of the Substance Designer development team, contributing directly to the evolution of one of the industry’s most widely used material tools.
Passionate about solving complex technical and artistic challenges, Raouf works at the intersection of visual quality, performance, and pipeline efficiency. He is deeply invested in mentorship and enjoys helping artists build a stronger understanding of the technical systems that support modern game art.
