Internship/Freelance

SkyHaven Job

Internship and freelance job as 3D generalist at SkyHaven Studios

Job Overview

As a student in Digital Arts and Entertainment (DAE), I was required to find an internship and came across SkyHaven Studios — a small independent company developing their voxel-based game Cosmos, and working with a mix of freelancers, volunteers, interns, and permanent employees. I was initially hired as a 3D game animator, given my experience with Blender animations and rigging, but over time my role expanded far beyond animation, allowing me to contribute to various aspects of the 3D art and technical pipeline.

This internship lasted for five months, after which I continued working with SkyHaven Studios for an additional three months as a freelancer , assisting with new animations, 3D models, and several other ongoing projects.

Tools Used

Blender

Substance Painter

Photoshop

Godot

PureRef

Huly

Figma

Clockify

Github Repository

Discord

Teams

Google Drive

About SkyHaven

SkyHaven Studios is a small independent game development studio composed of passionate programmers, artists, freelancers, volunteers, interns, and a few permanent employees. The studio’s goal is to create fun and engaging games with a distinct stylized visual identity.

The company originally began as a community gaming server, hosting various games for friends and family. Over time, this evolved into a full-fledged game development team with the mission to bring that same sense of joy and connection to a wider audience.

SkyHaven’s current main project is Cosmos, a voxel-themed adventure game developed in the Godot engine. The game emphasizes creativity, exploration, and a unique artistic direction that sets it apart within the indie game space.

The studio values span self-driven, proactive team members who can take initiative and manage their tasks independently, especially given its remote and flexible work structure. Despite its small size, SkyHaven maintains an ambitious roadmap and a strong collaborative spirit among its members.

Location: Remote from Belgium

Language: English

Size Company: 3-10 Employees/Volunteers/Freelancers

Extra Files

Since there are too many gifs, pictures and explanation needed to fully talk about my internship I include here the extra files and documentation I made during my internship.

Internship Final Report: Final_Report

Internship Final Presentation: Final_Presentation

My Responsibilities

3D Animation

Created animations for the main character and in-game creatures, including actions like crafting, carrying, mining, chopping, climbing, and rope movement .
Developed both Mixamo-based and fully custom animations, gradually transitioning to animating from scratch.
Worked on animation blending and transitions for fluid gameplay motion.

Rigging

Reworked the main character rig for better usability and efficiency.
Designed and rigged a full skeleton for a new in-game creature (the Jackalope).
Implemented IK/FK switching systems for smoother animation control.
Rigged 30+ hairstyles and weight painted them to look natural with the animations.

Technical Art

Researched cloth simulation techniques in Godot and Blender to improve the realism of ponchos and cloaks.
Experimented with soft body physics, jiggle bones, and wind-based motion to enhance character realism.
Used the same jiggle bones on the hairs to make them flow with the animations and movement in the engine.

3D Asset Creation

Modeled and textured stylized, low-poly assets such as clothing (poncho, cloak, boots), a straw hat, rope, compass, and other in-game items.
Modeling 30+ hairstyles from 2D designs and giving them shapekeys to make them fit the forehead and head for character creation.
Optimized high-poly models, baked textures, and ensured visual consistency within the stylized art direction.

Documentation & Workflow Support

Created guides and documentation for animation setup, file export, and rigging systems.
Cleaned up and reorganized project files for better workflow consistency.
Used Clockify for time tracking and Huly for task management.

3D Gallery

Models

FoxHen

Hairs

Animation Gallery

Jackalope

Fall

Rope

Spear

RunTurn

Mine/Stairs

TechArt Gallery

Failed Cloth Simulation

JiggleBones

Hair

Rigging Gallery

Main Character

Jackalope Rig

JiggleBones

Self Reflection

My internship at SkyHaven Studios was a valuable learning experience that helped me grow both technically and professionally. I improved significantly in animation, rigging, and 3D modeling, gaining confidence in Blender and learning how to adapt my work to a professional game pipeline. I also developed stronger communication and time management skills while working remotely.

Not everything went smoothly — delayed feedback, engine crashes, and the occasional struggle to balance quality with efficiency were challenges I had to overcome. However, these experiences taught me the importance of problem-solving, clear documentation, and adaptability in a production environment.

Most importantly, I discovered my passion for creature animation and stylized art, realizing that variety and creativity keep me motivated. This internship gave me a clear sense of direction for my future as a 3D generalist and confirmed my desire to continue working in game development.

Back to Work Next Project: Fluffy Nature