Written by At MAGES Institute, we believe in giving aspiring artists the skills, support, and structure they need to turn raw creativity into real-world careers. With small class sizes, industry-focused training, and mentors who’ve worked in top studios, students are guided from foundation to portfolio, and beyond.
One such student is Amanda Low, who came to MAGES from Calgary, Canada, with a love for games and an imagination full of ideas.
Amanda grew up exploring different worlds and meeting many characters through her exposure to video games. She would often sketch characters and imagine worlds of her own. But for a long time, it wasn’t clear how to turn that passion into a career. She had never done 3D digital art before, only drawing traditionally on paper. And like many creative students, she found large classroom settings challenging—especially when it came to focusing and getting the support she needed.
After looking into schools that could help her break into the game industry, Amanda made the bold decision to move across the world to Singapore and study at MAGES Institute. She joined the Diploma in Game Art in 2020, graduated in 2021. and went on to complete the Advanced Diploma in Game Art the following year.
A Firewatch inspired environment, created with Houdini Engine and Unreal Engine 4.
“I didn’t know what to expect, especially since everything ended up being online due to the pandemic,” Amanda shared. “It was a big change, new country, new way of learning—but it pushed me to grow up.”
Her classes were small, which allowed for more individual attention. One of her main lecturers was Rakesh Gowda, a former MAGES student who later worked at ILM and Ubisoft. His teaching style was honest and focused, offering clear feedback and strong technical guidance.
Amanda picked up tools like ZBrush, 3ds Max, Substance Painter, Marmoset Toolbag, and Unreal Engine 4 at the time. She enjoyed experimenting with different art styles, from stylized to realistic, and particularly enjoyed learning about texturing and digital sculpting.
This cute Animal Crossing inspired piece was one of her first projects, she took inspiration from Nappi‘s 3D rendition of Goldfishkang‘s original concept art.
“The course was fast-paced, but having regular projects really helped me stay on track. It gave me something to work towards every week.”
Looking back, Amanda says the most valuable part of her experience was the feedback. “Getting critiques helped me see things I wouldn’t have caught on my own. Just having someone go through your work, even briefly, can make a big difference.”
Digital Sculpt done in ZBrush, of Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil Village.
She also found encouragement in working alongside her classmates. Despite studying online, they stayed connected and still keep in touch to this day, most of them proceeded to work in different 3D industries.
Today, after working in the creative industry for 3 years, Amanda continues to build her portfolio and refine her skills through freelancing. Her work reflects not only what she learned at MAGES but also the personal growth she experienced during her time there.
You can check out Amanda’s portfolio here.
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