# UK CG training
Learn 3D, VFX, animation, and motion graphics.
Independent UK reviews of Blender, Maya, Houdini, Unreal Engine, Escape Studios, CGMA, and every serious CG course in 2026. Read before you spend a pound.
01 Independent editorial
02 UK salary + career context
03 Affiliate-disclosed on every review
04 Updated 2026
# software / substance-painter
Best Substance Painter courses in 2026: UK learner’s guide.
Substance Painter is Adobe’s texturing tool: PBR painting, smart materials, procedural texture authoring. Since Adobe’s 2019 acquisition, £173/yr Indie (under $100k revenue) or £433/yr commercial. Core to UK games (Rockstar North, Sumo, Playground, Creative Assembly) and VFX texturing pipelines (Framestore, DNEG, ILM London).
Skill level: beginner-friendly, intermediate ceiling £173/yr Indie, £433/yr commercial
Typical career use.
Substance Painter is standard on every UK games studio character and environment art pipeline. Rockstar North, Sumo Digital, Creative Assembly, Playground Games, Rocksteady and Media Molecule all use it. VFX texturing at Framestore, DNEG, MPC, Cinesite and ILM London runs Substance Painter alongside Mari for hero assets. UDIM support, smart materials and non-destructive layering make it the fastest path to portfolio-grade texture work.
UK games texture artist salary: junior £24,000 to £30,000. Mid 3-5 yrs: £33,000 to £46,000. Senior: £46,000 to £65,000. Lead texture artist: £65,000+. Freelance rates for texture-heavy VFX work: £300 to £450/day.
Substance Painter pairs naturally with ZBrush (hero sculpts), Maya or Blender (UVs), Marmoset Toolbag (portfolio bakes) and Unreal or Unity for games use. Learning the full stack takes 6 to 12 months of consistent work.
Related courses worth your time.
- CGMA Character Creation for Games: 10 weeks, £790, includes Substance Painter.
- CG Spectrum Game Art Diploma: £4,800+, texturing embedded across the diploma.
- Escape Studios Games Art Diploma: £8,900, London in-person, includes Substance training.
- Udemy Substance courses: £15 to £150, good for specific material workflows.