3D Portfolio Reviews & Career Guidance
by a University Professor
Expert 3D Portfolio & Career Advice
Actionable portfolio tips and career guidance from a university professor and SIGGRAPH advisor.
Learn what makes 3D portfolios stand out to employers.
Join us in shaping the future of digital art
with portfolio reviews &
3D Artist Business Training
The Problem Every 3D Artist Knows Too Well
After talking with dozens of independent 3D artists, the same story keeps coming up: incredible talent, poor business skills.
No Good Choices
You’re stuck choosing between:
- Staying dependent on studios that treat you as replaceable
- Going freelance without any real business structure
- Competing on price instead of showcasing value
- Watching less skilled artists win projects through better business sense
The solution?
Meet Alexander T. Santiago
Who am I…
I’m a 3D artist. I love everything about it. I get lost for hours in Unreal Engine and Maya, learning new things.
I am now a teacher who helps others learn to create digital art, empowering them to earn income with their creative skills.
✅ Career: Assistant Professor
✅ Experience: Over a decade of expertise with tools like Maya, Zbrush, and Adobe
✅ Education: Vancouver Film School – Honors Graduate
New Mexico State University – Bachelor of Creative Media
Why I’m Documenting This Journey…
I’m not here because I’ve “made it.” I’m here because I got tired of watching my incredible students and other amazing artists struggle with the same 3D freelance business problems I faced. I got sick and tired of struggling to find freelance work in an oversaturated market. I got angry about the lack of junior level studio work. I was exhausted hearing about all the industry layoffs. It started to feel impossible for good people to build a sustainable 3D career.
Why I’m building this…
People undervalue artists. With the rise of AI, more people are being laid off and fired. Why? To make more profit with worse results.
I want to flip the script and empower artists. Studios will soon find out how much they need us. We can do what AI can’t. So, let’s take back our power.
Let’s build a life that doesn’t involve low pay for long hours. Let’s build a life where we have the autonomy and time freedom to actually live out lives. Let’s work to live, not live to work.
What We’re Building Together
We’re not just talking about change — we’re actively creating it. Through real conversations, documented experiments, and shared learning, we’re building the business framework that bridges world class 3D artists with sustainable independence.
Most advice for creatives fails
because it’s either:
Generic startup advice that ignores creative workflows
Industry-specific tips without systematic frameworks
Success stories that can’t be replicated without context
The Data-Driven Reality
🕒 Time Crisis: Freelancers lose 14.4 hrs/week to admin tasks (Forbes)
💸 Income Leak: Only 32% of artists get compensation for work (Pew Research Center )
🤖 Industry Shift: 62% of studios are using AI
(Unity Report – Game Rant)
Where we are starting:
The 3D Portfolio Assessment
(Coming Soon)
Why an assessment?
Because cookie-cutter advice doesn’t work. A character animator’s path to independence looks completely different from an architectural visualizer’s journey. Your portfolio strength, technical skills, business knowledge, and market positioning all factor into your personalized roadmap.
Based on nearly a decade of university teaching and industry research, this assessment reveals what most 3D artists never discover about their career positioning.
