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
Maxim Dorokhov │ Senior Environment Artist at Blue Twelve Studio
🚨 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
In this 3D Prop Art Mentorship, you’ll develop the skills and confidence needed to create high-quality production-ready props for video games.
Depending on your goals, the mentorship covers the workflows and techniques required to create a wide range of prop assets, from simple props to complex hero assets. This may include hard-surface modeling, sculpting in ZBrush, or fabric simulation in Marvelous Designer. The mentorship begins by reviewing your current skills, project ideas, and goals, then defining a personalized roadmap to support your growth.
Each week, you’ll receive constructive feedback, hands-on demonstrations, and practical guidance tailored to your needs. Key topics include reference breakdowns, high-poly modeling techniques, optimization, efficient UV, baking, texturing workflows, material readability, proper in-engine setup, and portfolio presentation. The mentorship emphasizes production-ready workflows to ensure your props are both visually strong and meet modern technical standards.
Your mentor, Maxim Dorokhov, has nearly a decade of experience in the game industry with a strong focus on clean modeling and texturing. His teaching approach is practical and detail-oriented, aimed at helping you produce consistent professional-quality work.
This mentorship is suitable for artists at different skill levels and adapts to individual goals and experience. By the end of the mentorship, you’ll have a strong understanding of professional prop creation workflows and improved modeling and texturing skills.
Skill level: Junior to Advanced artists.
Prerequisites: Basic to intermediate knowledge of modeling, sculpting and texturing using 3ds Max or Blender, ZBrush and Substance Painter.
- Asset planning
- Block out
- High-poly Modeling
- Retopology
- UVs
- Baking
- Texturing
- Storytelling through modeling and texturing
- In Engine setup using UE5
- Portfolio Presentation
- 3ds Max or Blender
- ZBrush
- RizomUV
- Substance 3D Painter
- Photoshop
- Marvelous Designer (as needed)
- Marmoset Toolbag (as needed)
- Unreal Engine 5 (as needed)
- 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 artists.
- Prerequisites – Basic to intermediate knowledge of modeling, sculpting and texturing using 3ds Max or Blender, ZBrush and Substance Painter.
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
Maxim Dorokhov │ Senior Environment Artist at Blue Twelve Studio
Maxim Dorokhov is a Senior Environment Artist with nearly a decade of experience in the video game industry. Working his way from smaller indie studios to contributing to projects such as Stray, The Matrix Awakens, and Tell Me Why. Through his work across different teams and production environments, he has developed a versatile skill set with a strong focus on modeling and texturing.
He is known for his clean, precise approach to asset creation and a consistent emphasis on producing high-quality production-ready work. Maxim’s portfolio has earned recognition within the industry, with his work and insights being shared by established game art media.
Maxim is passionate about mentoring and enjoys guiding artists as they grow their skills, with a practical and detail-oriented teaching approach.
