Interns in the Wild
A Talk with Kaylee and Mary
Coded Arts Summer Training Program is a Creative Caribbean Project funded by the ACP EU Culture Programme which is implemented by UNESCO, Caricom Secretariat and the the UWI.
The Squad
Getting the chance to intern at a game art studio in Trinidad and Tobago is rare. The opportunity to do so with your closest friends is even more so. We’re Kaylee Ferreira and Mary-Kate Carrera and we could not have been more excited to join the CodedArts family and the experience thus far has exceeded all expectations.
“I have always referred to myself as a ‘hard surface girlie’ and I’ve always thought of concept art as tedious, but the more I worked with Temarius ‘T’ Walker, the more I was able to apply his teachings to my own work and have fun while doing so!”
We started the workshop off learning about core pillars in concept art, which would guide the vibe of the entire piece. Then we gathered our own references around Trinidad, to draw quick, loose thumbnails focussing on composition, shape language and the overall feel of the sketch. After we finished sketching, we voted on the most visually appealing iteration and moved on to develop that piece in Blender.
We made a quick block out in 3D using basic shapes and forms, applied some materials to them and exported a few renders to Photoshop, and used those as a base for a paint over and our final concept! We then applied this workflow to create some concepts for an internal project at Coded Arts, where we both found ourselves completely immersed and having fun in the painting process.
Concept Thumnails
by Kaylee Ferreira
“From the first-time meeting with him, Temarius was so lively and eager to help answer any of our questions. No matter how insecure myself or my peers felt while in the earlier, messier stages of the workflow, Temarius kept cheering us on with encouraging words and constructive criticism to help improve our work. As artists, most of us are visual learners, so when he needed to show us how to do something, he’d light heartedly ask, “Can I drive?” before taking over our mouse and keyboard to offer us hands-on assistance”
Concept Art
by Mary-Kate Carrera
“Having worked with him over the course of the week, I realised how fast-paced the industry truly is. With a constant emphasis on iteration and experimentation, it can be easy to get lost or fall behind, however, he was always there to provide guidance and encourage us to be brave and try new things. Instead of being locked onto the idea that every piece must be aesthetically pleasing at all stages, he challenged us to let go and just create.”
Having the opportunity to intern at Coded Arts over the summer, work in the video game art industry, and learn from professionals like Temarius, all in Trinidad, has been so surreal.
Temarius taking in the sights!
Something that really struck us as interns, was a moment when Temarius was admiring the stack of concept art books in the office. He picked up ‘The Art Of Ghost Of Tsushima’ and said,
“One of my buddies from college worked on the concept art for this game.”
We thought, “Wow! That’s really cool and I want to be just like him!”
You could feel the amazement from the students and interns in the room after he said that. Everyone felt so inspired. We realised at that moment that we were on the path to becoming ‘just like him’ at Coded Arts.
Mary-Kate and Kaylee
By- Kaylee Ferreira and Mary-Kate Carrera
2025 Summer Internship