Kitbasher
@thekitbasher.bsky.social
Environnement art from the trenches, daily drops on art, production, and the craft of world building
Nothing sells decay like contrast: one fresh prop in a sea of ruins tells you more than a thousand cracks.
November 17, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Nothing sells decay like contrast: one fresh prop in a sea of ruins tells you more than a thousand cracks.
The best kits are boring in isolation, brilliant in context.
November 16, 2025 at 10:28 PM
The best kits are boring in isolation, brilliant in context.
Mentorship isn’t about teaching tools. It’s about teaching judgment.
November 15, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Mentorship isn’t about teaching tools. It’s about teaching judgment.
The most invisible optimization is smart occlusion. Hide what players never need to see.
November 14, 2025 at 3:46 PM
The most invisible optimization is smart occlusion. Hide what players never need to see.
Every placeholder is a question. If nobody answers, the placeholder did its job.
November 13, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Every placeholder is a question. If nobody answers, the placeholder did its job.
The best co-dev partner isn’t the one who agrees. It’s the one who calls out what you missed.
November 12, 2025 at 4:53 PM
The best co-dev partner isn’t the one who agrees. It’s the one who calls out what you missed.
Worldbuilding isn’t about scale. It’s about history. Even a broom closet has a past.
November 11, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Worldbuilding isn’t about scale. It’s about history. Even a broom closet has a past.
Your eye always finds the brightest thing on screen. Make sure it’s the right thing.
November 10, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Your eye always finds the brightest thing on screen. Make sure it’s the right thing.
Every landmark should do 3 jobs: orient the player, sell the world, and spark curiosity.
November 8, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Every landmark should do 3 jobs: orient the player, sell the world, and spark curiosity.
The most dangerous words in production: “we’ll fix it later.”
November 7, 2025 at 5:50 PM
The most dangerous words in production: “we’ll fix it later.”
Environment art is 90% planning, 10% production. Skip the first part and the second never ends.
November 6, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Environment art is 90% planning, 10% production. Skip the first part and the second never ends.
Leadership isn’t about having the answer. It’s about asking the right question at the right time.
November 5, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Leadership isn’t about having the answer. It’s about asking the right question at the right time.
The best storytelling isn’t in cutscenes. It’s in props left behind.
What’s a small prop in a game that told you a bigger story?
What’s a small prop in a game that told you a bigger story?
November 4, 2025 at 1:34 PM
The best storytelling isn’t in cutscenes. It’s in props left behind.
What’s a small prop in a game that told you a bigger story?
What’s a small prop in a game that told you a bigger story?
Players don’t care if your shader graph is elegant. They care if the world feels real.
November 3, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Players don’t care if your shader graph is elegant. They care if the world feels real.
Players forgive pop-in faster than they forgive stutter. Performance > perfection every time.
November 2, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Players forgive pop-in faster than they forgive stutter. Performance > perfection every time.
Color is hierarchy. Change saturation or value, and you change where players look first.
November 1, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Color is hierarchy. Change saturation or value, and you change where players look first.
Reviews don’t kill schedules. Vague feedback do. Every “make it better” adds another loop you didn’t plan for.
October 31, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Reviews don’t kill schedules. Vague feedback do. Every “make it better” adds another loop you didn’t plan for.
Every great environment tells you where to go without a single UI arrow.
October 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Every great environment tells you where to go without a single UI arrow.
Visible payoff is detail where players stop and stare: hub areas, choke points, landmarks, vistas. Invest where attention lives.
October 29, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Visible payoff is detail where players stop and stare: hub areas, choke points, landmarks, vistas. Invest where attention lives.
Modularity is efficiency. Exceptions are identity. Worlds feel real only when both work together.
October 28, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Modularity is efficiency. Exceptions are identity. Worlds feel real only when both work together.
Optimization isn’t about cutting detail. It’s about putting detail where the player can actually see it.
October 26, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Optimization isn’t about cutting detail. It’s about putting detail where the player can actually see it.
Design owns the map. Art owns the memory. Players remember how the world felt and the mood painted onto the mechanics.
October 25, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Design owns the map. Art owns the memory. Players remember how the world felt and the mood painted onto the mechanics.
The fastest way to kill exploration is to put nothing at the end of the path. Curiosity without payoff turns into distrust.
October 24, 2025 at 5:55 PM
The fastest way to kill exploration is to put nothing at the end of the path. Curiosity without payoff turns into distrust.
Lighting isn’t just brightness. It’s timing. Too much light too early and you kill the mood.
October 23, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Lighting isn’t just brightness. It’s timing. Too much light too early and you kill the mood.
Environment art is subtraction. Every prop you remove makes the ones that stay more important.
What’s the last time you realized less was more?
What’s the last time you realized less was more?
October 22, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Environment art is subtraction. Every prop you remove makes the ones that stay more important.
What’s the last time you realized less was more?
What’s the last time you realized less was more?