What Does a CGI Artist Do? The Complete Guide

Every year, companies seek brighter, more memorable ways to engage audiences. CGI graphics enable the creation of unique visuals and storytelling impossible to achieve in reality. This makes the CGI artist profession highly sought-after and promising.

Who Is a CGI Artist?

A CGI artist is a specialist who creates 2D and 3D digital models, environments, animation, and visual effects with the help of special software. Versatile generalists like 3D Generalists are particularly in demand, as they master the entire CGI pipeline, from modeling to post-production.

What Does a CGI Artist Do?

A CGI artist works at the intersection of art and technology. They can handle technical, creative, and conceptual tasks. Key areas for CGI artists are the following:

• 3D modeling — creating three-dimensional models, assets, and landscapes.
• Rigging — building a character’s skeleton with joint markers and movement points, preparing for animation.
• Textures and lighting — adding realism to 3D models: skin, hair, fabric materials, etc.
• Rendering — final scene assembly with lighting, textures, and animation.
• Post-production — adding VFX, error correction, color grading, and final compositing.

How to Become a CGI Artist?

To work in the broad field of computer graphics, a CGI artist must possess the following skills:

• Software knowledge. Proficiency in programs is fundamental for CGI artists. Depending on the tasks, tools like Blender, Adobe After Effects, Houdini, Nuke, Unreal Engine, or Autodesk Maya may be used. Beginners should start with simpler software. Learn more about choosing the right tools in our article.
• Working with textures, lighting, and motion physics. A CGI artist must know how to use normal maps, properly set up lighting and shadows, and account for physics laws and object interactions.
• Compositing and post-processing skills. Artist CGI must learn to work with final frames, VFX effects, and clean up “dirt” in scenes.
• Artistic vision and sense of style. A specialist needs creativity and critical thinking. These qualities impact project visual appeal.
• Understanding animation rhythm. CGI specialists must know how to set climax points, dynamically build movement, and maintain visual pacing.

Where Can a CGI Artist Actually Work?

In 2025, the most in-demand industries for CGI artists are games, movies, and advertising. Each of these fields offers unique opportunities for creativity and professional growth.

Games

The global video game market is projected to reach $600.74 billion by 2030. This creates significant opportunities for CGI artists working on visual components for mobile apps and video games, including VR. The range of tasks is diverse, from creating and animating characters to designing environments and user interfaces. The industry needs motion capture specialists, riggers, concept artists, technical artists, and character artists.

Movies

We’ve grown accustomed to metaverses, fantastical creatures, spectacular explosions, and spaceships. All these are the work of professional CGI artists. Without them, blockbusters like The Lion King, The Avengers, and Avatar wouldn’t have achieved success or grossed billions at the box office. The film industry needs experienced specialists in VFX effects, compositing, motion capture, and rigging. More about CGI in a movie is here.

Advertising

In an era of banner blindness, striking and memorable product advertising has become key to brand growth. A CGI artist can create not only charismatic commercials but also photorealistic videos. Motion design, AR advertising, stylized graphics, and product visualization are primary fields for CGI artists in advertising. Examples of viral CGI advertising can be viewed here.

Show Content

In 2025, CGI artists are finding applications in creating show content. We can hardly imagine concerts anymore without futuristic decor, large screens, and impressive visuals. Special attention is given to spectacle, dynamics, and audience engagement. Complete immersion is what matters.

Show content also includes online videos, creative commercials, and gaming streams. These projects use CGI graphics to take visual components to the next level.

CGI Artists in 2025: What’s Shaping the Profession?

In 2025, audiences have higher demands for visual content—it must be not only captivating but also high-quality. To keep up with the industry, it’s essential to stay updated on changes. Here are several key trends that will benefit any CGI artist’s career.

1. AI Integration. While AI undoubtedly cannot replace a CGI specialist, mastering this tool has become a necessity in today’s landscape. Learn more about artificial intelligence applications in CGI here.
2. CGI integration with live footage (Mixed Media). The line between live-action filming and computer graphics is blurring. Now, movies, advertising, and social media use hybrid technologies. CGI artists need to understand compositing and filming to make graphics look more realistic and natural.
3. Combining 2D and 3D graphics in animation. This mix was used in both Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse films and opened new possibilities for experimentation. More and more artists are returning to traditional animation techniques.
4. Growth of Game Development. As mentioned earlier, mobile and PC games continue growing in popularity due to hardware accessibility. Therefore, artists should study gaming industry concepts while deepening animation and rendering skills.
5. Continuous Learning. The artist CGI job market remains highly competitive. Professionals must refine their skills through courses and build striking portfolios on Behance, Dribbble, and other platforms.

The Bottom Line

The CGI artist profession in 2025 offers limitless creative opportunities provided one continuously develops technical skills. Success hinges on adaptability, willingness to master new technologies, and the ability to create compelling content.