ENROLL NOW

CREATE AAA-QUALITY LIGHTING

Boost your career and earning power as an environment artist with expert training in real-time lighting! 

DATES: 

11 MAY 2026

DURATION: 

8 WEEKS TOTAL

WEDNESDAYS AT 12 PM PT

ENROLL
Senior Technical Artist Meta Tech Art Bootcamp Vertex School
8 WEEK LIVE ONLINE COURSE - 8 WEEK LIVE ONLINE COURSE - 8 WEEK LIVE ONLINE COURSE - 8 WEEK LIVE ONLINE COURSE - 8 WEEK LIVE ONLINE COURSE - 8 WEEK LIVE ONLINE COURSE

LEVEL UP YOUR LIGHTING IN 8 WEEKS

 
DATES: 

11 MAY 2026

DURATION: 

8 WEEKS TOTAL

WEDNESDAYS AT 12 PM PT

Ready to take your lighting skills to the next level—so you can land that promotion, boost your freelance rates, increase your income, or finally step into a dedicated lighting artist role?

This 8-week bootcamp is built for artists who want to master the principles that separate good lighting from great lighting. Taught by John Waynick, Unreal Engine Supervisor and Lead Technical Artist (Ashes of Creation), you’ll learn how to create cinematic lighting setups that not only look incredible but also tell a story, guide the viewer’s eye, and enhance the entire scene.

By the end of the bootcamp, you’ll have a polished, portfolio-ready lighting project and the skills to take on advanced real-time lighting work with confidence.

THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU IF...

YOU WANT TO BREAK INTO THE GAME INDUSTRY AS A LIGHTING ARTIST

If you have 3D skills and want to focus on mastering cinematic and real-time lighting, this bootcamp will teach you how to create compelling, professional lighting setups using Unreal Engine 5—building a portfolio that gets noticed.

YOU WANT TO LEVEL UP YOUR ENVIRONMENT OR LIGHTING ART SKILLS

Take your lighting and environment art to the next level with advanced composition, physically based lighting workflows, and professional post-processing techniques used in top studios.

YOU WORK IN GAMES AND WANT TO SPECIALIZE IN LIGHTING

If you’re already working in 3D but want to focus on lighting, this course teaches you essential principles and real-time techniques to create mood, depth, and storytelling through light, with expert guidance from a AAA lighting artist.

YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE
 

Combine creativity & technical skills to earn over $100K a year.

Master real-time lighting workflows in Unreal Engine 5 and learn how to craft polished, game-ready scenes that stand out.

The average annual pay for a lighting artist in the United States is $129,241 per year, with experienced lighting artists earning even more.

Average Salary: $129,541 per year
Entry-Level: $79,806 per year
Experienced: Up to $152,500 per year 

Learn directly from John Waynick, Lead Technical Artist (Ashes of Creation). 

This LIVE online bootcamp offers expert training and hands-on mentorship to help you master cinematic lighting techniques that elevate your portfolio—and your career—in the game industry.

**Salary estimates from ZipRecruiter and Glassdoor

 
ENROLL
WHAT YOU'LL DO DURING THE BOOTCAMP

HANDS-ON PROJECTS


Transform your scenes with practical, real-time lighting exercises in Unreal Engine 5. You'll create moody environments, cinematic compositions, and a polished portfolio piece that reflects the lighting workflows used in AAA studios.

EXPERT-LED WORKSHOPS

Learn directly from John Waynick. Through live sessions and in-depth demos, you'll gain the artistic and technical skills to light environments that feel immersive, intentional, and production-ready.

PORTFOLIO-BUILDING EXPERIENCE

Produce lighting setups that highlight your creative eye and technical control. With personalized feedback from an AAA lighting artist, you'll refine your work and build a portfolio piece that gets noticed by studios.

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

JOHN WAYNICK

John's LinkedIn


UNREAL ENGINE SUPERVISOR AND LEAD TECHNICAL ARTIST

Projects John has worked on include The Mandalorian, Star Wars: Ahsoka, Ashes of Creation


John Waynick is a Creative Director with a background as a Technical Environment Artist, bringing experience across Games, Virtual Production, and VR Simulations. He has a long-standing passion for real-time technology and has been working with Unreal Engine since version 2 back in 2001.

John’s journey through the film, game, and simulation industries has given him a deep, well-rounded understanding of 3D technology, with a strong focus on environments. One of his proudest accomplishments was transitioning into Virtual Production, where he applied his game industry expertise and optimisation techniques to help studios push the boundaries of real-time technology on productions like The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Ahsoka.

ENROLL NOW
BOOTCAMP SYLLABUS

Required Software: Unreal Engine 5, Davinci Resolve (free version)

SIGN UP

INSTRUCTOR ARTWORK

STUDENT ARTWORK

What's the cost?

Pay in installments or pay in full

*Students based in the USA can select Pay in full to pay in 4 interest-free payments through Klarna or Afterpay.

Pay in full

$898 $673.50

LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICE

  • 8 weeks of live sessions 
  • Private course group
  • All live session recordings
  • Full-time technical support
  • Certificate of completion
  • 15-day money-back guarantee
ENROLL NOW

3 monthly payments

$330 $247.50

BILLED MONTHLY

  • 8 weeks of live sessions 
  • Private course group
  • All live session recordings
  • Full-time technical support
  • Certificate of completion
  • 15-day money-back guarantee
ENROLL NOW
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HAVE QUESTIONS? 

We're happy to answer any questions you may have! Submit your question below, then schedule a call with an admissions advisor.Â