I'll be honest. As an artist, documentation is my nightmare. Fortunately if i ever land a job in the industry I'll hopefully have little or no input as to the contents of such documentation. Still, as much as i hate it, i recognise the need to produce documentation whilst on this course. In order to be able to understand and follow that which is outlined i should have experience creating those very reins.
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This will be a small scale project focusing on a specific scene. The scene in question is a market street in Paris. Though small, something with this much detail will still be a challenge. It is also important to portray as much culture as possible.
My personal aim for this project is to portray a realistic environment. A high attention to detail is crucial to achieve a photo realistic finish. There needs to be a special mention of the area where separate objects meet such as where the bottom of a building meets the street. Many games have a very harsh line where scenery objects meet.
This project will be released on the playstation 3. The reason for this being that whilst difficult to develop for, the additional power will allow the realisation of this artistic vision. This is not intended to be a stylised or low res project. The graphical level of detail should be inspired by the likes of uncharted 2.
The genre concerned here is a platformer, so as well as the visual elements, attention needs to be payed to the interactivity of the environment. Walls need to be scalable and as such will need sufficient geometry to do so. The market stalls themselves should be able to be climbed on top of.
This is aimed at the slightly older gamer. Although it is a platformer, the content involved is slightly more mature. The puzzles will require a bit more thought. As a rough estimate anyone between 15 - 40 should enjoy this game.
All concept work will be completed in either photoshop or painter with preliminary work being completed traditional.
3D models will be made in 3ds max with the texturing taking place in photoshop.
Zbrush will aid the making of normal maps, with xnormal being used to bake them.
Specs -
The lead character should not be typically heroic. Stay away from cliches such as tall and muscly. An average figure with a bit of a belly should be aimed for. Due to the lack of classical hero styling special attention must be payed to the outfit and silhouette to make the character iconic. The character will be wearing a waistcoat over a vest top as if it has been added as an attempt to look better dressed. Go for a warm but slightly dulled colour scheme. For the character's face make it interesting by exaggerating some features and creating a strong profile.
Hair should be slicked back and slightly grey.
The final model should be up to 20000 triangles with 2 x 1024 diffuse textures and additional normal and specular maps.
One level of detail will be required at 3000 triangles with one 1024 diffuse map.
This specific NPC should be dressed in an apron over a fitted top with vertical stripes. Many chains should be hanging from their belt. The face should be recognisably french looking.
The triangle count is 8000 triangles for the main model with the level of detail coming in at 2000 triangles. Both should be textured with one 1024 diffuse map. The main model should have additional normal and specular maps.
A few vehicles should be scattered around the environment but this particular one is a three wheeler. The rear is covered in mud so much that you can barely read the number plate. The paint is scraped so much on one side that it looks like its had an accident. Inside it has horrible seat covers - faded spots of purple and yellow. The car should tell a story, inviting questions. It is clearly not your average parked car. Perhaps this one is integral to the main story.
The tri limit for this car will be 9000 triangles and it will be textured with one 1024 diffuse texture and a specular map.
The environment is one street albeit rather long. To make it interesting lots of the buildings have arches and alleyways which add extra explorable space to this scene. The time of the year is festive so hanging above and across the streets are various decorations. The road should begin as tar but transition into cobbles as it gets further along the street. A main gutter should run right along the middle. Half way down the street between market stalls is a statue of french philosopher Jean Paul Satre. The market itself is basically a food market and should be stocked as such.
The tri limit for this whole street scene is 50000 triangles which includes the stalls and their main stock displayed as part of the stall. The maximum number of diffuse textures for this street scene are two 1024 maps. Additionally four 256 x 256 tileable textures can be used mainly for the walls and the floor. The same amount of normal and specular maps can also be used.
The main props in this environment will be cardboard food boxes and trash littered around. A lot of this will be able to be reused. A set of props totalling 2000 triangles should be sufficient to decorate the street. Include bin bags, cardboard boxes, bottles, paper, empty cartons etc.
One 1024 x 1024 diffuse maps should be used for all the textures. The objects are quite small and will not require a normal map but a specual map of the same size can be used.
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Well there you go, that's my attempt. I feel as if it is nowhere near comprehensive enough. But then again i imagine a lot more time would be invested in a proffesional design document. Having said that i did spend a reasonable amount of time trying to envision the whole thing and provide descriptions as well as the technical specifications.
I do think that was a worthwhile exercise just in terms of the scope. Although i have produced design documents for my game production projects they have all been for individual elements such as one character or a prop. Having to consider an entire game and all that it contains really made me appreciate documentation on a whole new level. I think i shall be spending a bit more time on my documentaion in the future if anything just to prepare for the FMP next year.
Monday, 3 January 2011
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Level Design
Following on from the composition post, it seems logical to talk about level design. Before an environment artist even gets a chance to start making a scene look beautiful it will already exist as a white box in many cases. It may also use placeholder art. The purpose of this is simply to be able to experiment and refine the playability of a level without the art getting in the way. Stripped back to basics, a level designer can get to work. If it works well as a white box then it will work well as an amazingly detailed environment.
Although part of the level design process deals with the visual aspects of a level it is mainly left to the concept artists to create. An actual level designer is more likely to concern themselves with the playability of the level. This includes all manner of things such as -
- Laying out the map, considering how the player is directed through the level.
- Defining where/when key gameplay actions occur, such as set pieces
- Placing start points, NPC's etc
- Overall goals of the map relating to the gameplay for example a FPS map which is largely corridors would inspire use of short range weapons.
Level design is essential because it controls of the quality of the player's experience and their goals should there be any. Depending on how certain elements in a map are organized the whole genre of the game can be set. Also it’s not only the elements themselves but various devices which are used to direct our attention to certain elements.
For instance we could have two arguably identical maps, however subtle differences could make one a platformer and another a FPS. One of the ways attention is directed around a level can be the use of collectible items placed in a way to move the player forward. Other tactics include effective use of lighting and colour to make certain objects or platforms stand out. Another good one I always find helpful when playing is the camera angle. Even in a game where the user has full control of the camera, the default position has many times helped point me in the right direction.
As games have grown over the years so has the need for level designers however despite doing some research I’m not sure how someone would end up with this as a job. To start with it is both a technical and visual position requiring artistic knowledge as talked about in the composition post but technical knowledge is also a must because of the tools they use. A game engine will come with its own set of tools housed in a level editor that the designer must be fluent in.
In many ways their job is creating a balance between the visual and technical. This is not to be confused with a technical artist though who serves to mediate between programmers and artists. That is an altogether different beast.
Another key requirement I would imagine is experience - someone who has held a position working on games in the past. I highly doubt that a company would employ a graduate as a level designer unless it was in exceptional circumstances.
As an artist, 2d or 3d, my job would be heavily influenced by the work undertaken by the level designers, and it is simply up to us artists to make their work look good.
Thursday, 30 December 2010
Composition
Composition is one of those key art disciplines that you cannot ignore whether you enjoy painting people, environments or machines – solid compositional skills are a must. I would go as far to say that even conceptualising potential silhouettes for a design is loosely related to composition as the fundamental key to a good silhouette is that the shapes work well together creating a certain level of impact. This is the same as organising the space in an environment painting. However, regarding pictorial composition there are a few key structures. Firstly we have the rule of thirds which turns the picture area into a grid of 9 equal parts. It is pleasing to the eye if focal elements are placed on either of the 4 cross sections. A similar idea is the Fibonacci curve which looks like a large spiral which is made by tiling squares whose sides are consecutive Fibonacci numbers. Essentially it is a more organic flowing version of the rule of thirds. It is an approximation of the golden spiral.
I used to mistakenly assume that there was more to composition than these basic principles and whilst there is, this belief led me to not properly understand the basics. I thought that such rigid ideas could only produce the same types of images but I have gradually learned that proper use of compositional elements such as size, shape, repetition etc can take advantage of the rule of thirds to produce extremely strong and imaginative compositions.
Charles Bernard in his art trek videos surmises the principles and elements of design/composition as the following –
Principles of Design
• Unity
• Harmony
• Gradation
• Contrast
• Balance
• Alternation
• Dominance
• Repetition
Elements of Design
• Shape
• Value
• Direction
• Size
• Texture
• Colour
• Line
The premise is simple to understand but practise is needed to successfully utilise them effectively. Using them in conjunction with the rule of thirds for example would be a good starting point.
Moving on, an interesting area of discussion revolves around how composition applies to 3D artists. In my opinion, it actually requires a greater mastery. A 3D artist must at all times be able to consider how the scene elements work together from different angles. Each asset added to the scene needs to be thought of in terms of how it will eventually be viewed.
In many respects, this is very similar to what a set designer does. They too need to understand how the set will eventually come across on camera. This forethought is something that comes from being an artist. In my opinion all creative people benefit greatly from an artistic understanding of composition.
There is however one key difference that makes a 3D artist’s job even more complicated – the in game ability to control the camera. With set design and games using a fixed camera system the composition of each scene can be directly controlled. However in games where the camera is controlled by the user, the angles at which the world can be viewed are almost limitless. Whilst perfect compositional harmony cannot exist at absolutely all angles it’s definitely something that can greatly enhance the experience if kept in mind.
I was recently playing the new Assassins Creed and I was on top of a rather tall building admiring the view of the city stretching off into the distance. After diving into the city and running around for a bit I then got thinking about how good it looked and how everything flowed and even a bog standard street looked easy on the eye. The little things such as the placement of various barrels, hay, wagons and even platform enabling ledges all just worked together. I then went on to think how much of a nightmare it must have been to make the game world work visually on all these different levels. It is almost like there are different layers of composition in games.
One last point I’d like to make about pictorial composition is that I feel it is possible to completely over saturate an image by using too many compositional elements. When I first started to really think about composition I attempted to use every principle and element I knew to make it perfect. However what I was unknowingly doing was constricting the image. By using everything I knew I was greatly limiting what I could do with the picture as it had to conform to so many rules. I now know that a good use of composition will utilise a handful of elements but use them creatively.
Nowadays my own use of composition is ok – I would say it is not bad, but I really need to strive to make it more exciting and creative.
I used to mistakenly assume that there was more to composition than these basic principles and whilst there is, this belief led me to not properly understand the basics. I thought that such rigid ideas could only produce the same types of images but I have gradually learned that proper use of compositional elements such as size, shape, repetition etc can take advantage of the rule of thirds to produce extremely strong and imaginative compositions.
Charles Bernard in his art trek videos surmises the principles and elements of design/composition as the following –
Principles of Design
• Unity
• Harmony
• Gradation
• Contrast
• Balance
• Alternation
• Dominance
• Repetition
Elements of Design
• Shape
• Value
• Direction
• Size
• Texture
• Colour
• Line
The premise is simple to understand but practise is needed to successfully utilise them effectively. Using them in conjunction with the rule of thirds for example would be a good starting point.
Moving on, an interesting area of discussion revolves around how composition applies to 3D artists. In my opinion, it actually requires a greater mastery. A 3D artist must at all times be able to consider how the scene elements work together from different angles. Each asset added to the scene needs to be thought of in terms of how it will eventually be viewed.
In many respects, this is very similar to what a set designer does. They too need to understand how the set will eventually come across on camera. This forethought is something that comes from being an artist. In my opinion all creative people benefit greatly from an artistic understanding of composition.
There is however one key difference that makes a 3D artist’s job even more complicated – the in game ability to control the camera. With set design and games using a fixed camera system the composition of each scene can be directly controlled. However in games where the camera is controlled by the user, the angles at which the world can be viewed are almost limitless. Whilst perfect compositional harmony cannot exist at absolutely all angles it’s definitely something that can greatly enhance the experience if kept in mind.
I was recently playing the new Assassins Creed and I was on top of a rather tall building admiring the view of the city stretching off into the distance. After diving into the city and running around for a bit I then got thinking about how good it looked and how everything flowed and even a bog standard street looked easy on the eye. The little things such as the placement of various barrels, hay, wagons and even platform enabling ledges all just worked together. I then went on to think how much of a nightmare it must have been to make the game world work visually on all these different levels. It is almost like there are different layers of composition in games.
One last point I’d like to make about pictorial composition is that I feel it is possible to completely over saturate an image by using too many compositional elements. When I first started to really think about composition I attempted to use every principle and element I knew to make it perfect. However what I was unknowingly doing was constricting the image. By using everything I knew I was greatly limiting what I could do with the picture as it had to conform to so many rules. I now know that a good use of composition will utilise a handful of elements but use them creatively.
Nowadays my own use of composition is ok – I would say it is not bad, but I really need to strive to make it more exciting and creative.
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Addiction and Games
I've just watched the Panorama episode dedicated to games addiction and am rather annoyed. Although the program doesn't portray games in a completely negative light, it definately swings further that way.
The program calls for games addiction to be a recognised medical condition, and for research to be undertaken to this end. The problem with this is that looking at the games is never going to give anyone any answers. A better study would be to look at addictive personalities and to try understand why certain people get addicted to just about anything, games included.
The way i see it, fun is addictive. If you are enjoying yourself, and feeling elated and happy you will obviously want to continue doing the activity in question. It drives everyone - who can honestly say that they don't like having fun? It's in our very nature to enjoy ourselves.
The problem arises when an individual has a lack of satisfaction in their life. Without a variety of things to immerse yourself in it is more likely you'll lock down on one specific thing. Gambling addiction is a good example as the people who participate obviously get their own personal high from the rare win. Presumably nothing else in their life gives them such satisfaction. It is rather sad to be honest but happens all too often.
I personally don't play games often. When i'm with friends i play utilising them as a bonding activity and if ever i genuinely have some free time ahead such as a holiday i'll probably try and kick back with a day of gaming. The important thing to note here is that i'm so busy i rarely see friends of have free time. I prioritise what is important to me in my life and i am fortunate that my chosen career as an artist is very rewarding and enjoyable to me. I am also lucky to participant in a wide variety of activities other than gaming and as such i am well aware that games are simply another means of entertainment. To this end, to get the most out of them i choose very carefully when i will play them.
I would say that pretty much all game addicts are not satisfied with their lives and use games as a means of escape and entertainment in one. Of course, the question remains as to why they simply don't seek out other entertainment or a better life. The simple answer to that is that we are not all the same, whilst it may be second nature for some of us to actively seek out new experiences it is not always the case.
Their life experiences have obviously cultivated the personality they have.
Obviously this requires a much greater in depth analysis which i may undertake over christmas but for now i just had to rant about the program.
Games should not be held accountable for addictive personalities. Games do not force people to play them. They encourage people to come back, but just how often an individual comes back has nothing to do with the game itself.
The program calls for games addiction to be a recognised medical condition, and for research to be undertaken to this end. The problem with this is that looking at the games is never going to give anyone any answers. A better study would be to look at addictive personalities and to try understand why certain people get addicted to just about anything, games included.
The way i see it, fun is addictive. If you are enjoying yourself, and feeling elated and happy you will obviously want to continue doing the activity in question. It drives everyone - who can honestly say that they don't like having fun? It's in our very nature to enjoy ourselves.
The problem arises when an individual has a lack of satisfaction in their life. Without a variety of things to immerse yourself in it is more likely you'll lock down on one specific thing. Gambling addiction is a good example as the people who participate obviously get their own personal high from the rare win. Presumably nothing else in their life gives them such satisfaction. It is rather sad to be honest but happens all too often.
I personally don't play games often. When i'm with friends i play utilising them as a bonding activity and if ever i genuinely have some free time ahead such as a holiday i'll probably try and kick back with a day of gaming. The important thing to note here is that i'm so busy i rarely see friends of have free time. I prioritise what is important to me in my life and i am fortunate that my chosen career as an artist is very rewarding and enjoyable to me. I am also lucky to participant in a wide variety of activities other than gaming and as such i am well aware that games are simply another means of entertainment. To this end, to get the most out of them i choose very carefully when i will play them.
I would say that pretty much all game addicts are not satisfied with their lives and use games as a means of escape and entertainment in one. Of course, the question remains as to why they simply don't seek out other entertainment or a better life. The simple answer to that is that we are not all the same, whilst it may be second nature for some of us to actively seek out new experiences it is not always the case.
Their life experiences have obviously cultivated the personality they have.
Obviously this requires a much greater in depth analysis which i may undertake over christmas but for now i just had to rant about the program.
Games should not be held accountable for addictive personalities. Games do not force people to play them. They encourage people to come back, but just how often an individual comes back has nothing to do with the game itself.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
A Plan
I read the concepting link on Blackboard years ago, completely forgot about it until i saw it again. It is a great example of the process an artist should go through in order to create an image.
I'd like to think it's exactly what i have been focusing on this year. Really making sure i do my research before starting a final. Generally my process involves generating a successful thumbnail and a few variations, then to produce either a pencil or digi paint of the values as a quick paint over. If i'm working in colour i will then spend some time creating a palette, and outline in my head the order in which i will work through the picture. Lastly, before getting in to rendering i will get my reference images. Once all of this has been done, it really is as simple as painting by numbers.
The only problem i'm having this year is that i feel as if i have rushed alot of my final pieces, most notably the first few weeks.
When the vehicle project rolled around i thankfully had last year to fall back on. I spent ages on it last time trying to learn how to concept something and thankfully i recalled the same process this time.
Using photoshop i bring in random photos and start sketching the negative space and just look for any interesting shapes that i can pick out. Once this is done i do some additional scribbles off the top of my head. Then i go through and pick say about 6 that i really like and work them up a little bit. Up until this stage i stictly focus on the silouette but here i add some detail. Then i may wipe the detail and work into the same designs with different detail. Generally i will repeat this process a number of times until i have a design i like.
Once i pick one it is then time to get reference together and render up!
My process is ok. It isn't great, but it's way better than it used to be. This year i would rather spend all my time concepting stuff and not produce any finals at all. It sounds stupid, but i know i can produce a final, rendering is my thing, there is no point in endlessly rendering things. I'd much rather spend the time concepting and doing quick paintings, so that when i do sit down and spend some serious time on a final it's better because of it.
I think the main thing i need to do to continue to improve my process is to make it more habitual. Although my process works for me, when set a task my first instinct is still to jump straight in and that's holding me back because i think it influences the process and makes it less free. My first thought literally needs to be open and free and just dive into shapes and compositions first.
Essentially a professional process will produce a professional outcome (or at least it will go a long way in doing so)
And in this industry, concepting and design is everything!
I'd like to think it's exactly what i have been focusing on this year. Really making sure i do my research before starting a final. Generally my process involves generating a successful thumbnail and a few variations, then to produce either a pencil or digi paint of the values as a quick paint over. If i'm working in colour i will then spend some time creating a palette, and outline in my head the order in which i will work through the picture. Lastly, before getting in to rendering i will get my reference images. Once all of this has been done, it really is as simple as painting by numbers.
The only problem i'm having this year is that i feel as if i have rushed alot of my final pieces, most notably the first few weeks.
When the vehicle project rolled around i thankfully had last year to fall back on. I spent ages on it last time trying to learn how to concept something and thankfully i recalled the same process this time.
Using photoshop i bring in random photos and start sketching the negative space and just look for any interesting shapes that i can pick out. Once this is done i do some additional scribbles off the top of my head. Then i go through and pick say about 6 that i really like and work them up a little bit. Up until this stage i stictly focus on the silouette but here i add some detail. Then i may wipe the detail and work into the same designs with different detail. Generally i will repeat this process a number of times until i have a design i like.
Once i pick one it is then time to get reference together and render up!
My process is ok. It isn't great, but it's way better than it used to be. This year i would rather spend all my time concepting stuff and not produce any finals at all. It sounds stupid, but i know i can produce a final, rendering is my thing, there is no point in endlessly rendering things. I'd much rather spend the time concepting and doing quick paintings, so that when i do sit down and spend some serious time on a final it's better because of it.
I think the main thing i need to do to continue to improve my process is to make it more habitual. Although my process works for me, when set a task my first instinct is still to jump straight in and that's holding me back because i think it influences the process and makes it less free. My first thought literally needs to be open and free and just dive into shapes and compositions first.
Essentially a professional process will produce a professional outcome (or at least it will go a long way in doing so)
And in this industry, concepting and design is everything!
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Guest lectures
Thought i'd cover Blitz and Del's lecture in one. The Blitz lecture was great. It was extremely helpful and encouraging to hear that they are interested in the people on our course and also to hear what they are looking for in a potential employee. Jolyon's talk was much the same as last years albiet with a slighty greater amount of content. The premise was however the same. I asked a question regarding our chances of being hired compared to people that have been in the industry much longer. I kind of figured that they would have the edge, being better artists and more experienced however both Aaron and Jol said that they tend to prefer competent graduates over more experienced industry veterans. The reason being for this is that veterans tend to be a little jaded and less passionate and enthusiastic. This was good news to me as i have always had the mindset that there is always a better artist than me out there. Perhaps not the most productive mindset but there you go. Solid core skills and a real passion to do well should be a good start in getting noticed.
Del's lecture was a real surprise. Not that i thought it would be bad, just that i had no idea what he was going to talk about. He made some great points and though he was slightly nervous at first he delivered in my opinion a fantastic lecture. I particularly liked the few stories he told. The one about badly wanting air hit home the most. I feel that last year i wanted air more than anything else but this year i'm quite content under water. The problem is that i can't figure out what changed. I guess the ridiculously long summer didn't help but although i didn't do much work i was still regularly learning, studying anatomy and colour plus learning to use Painter. I think the real reason i feel a bit stagnant right now is that im not learning.
Having said that, i wrote this entry last week in my sketchbook on the train. In the time it has taken me to type it up i feel like i'm back on form. I'm slightly behind with one final but other than that i feel i'm on top of things and my current final i'm working on for this week feels like a real step up from last year so i'm pretty chuffed with it. I have always tried to make each piece of art the best thing i have done up until that point. Last year i can safely say that that was the case for most of the finals as i did them. The first 4 weeks this year however were pretty terrible. This in turn had me feeling rather dejected. I'm glad i've put that behind me now and i guess it was an important process to go through.
Additionally, in regards to the guest lectures, it would be awesome to get some experts in their field in to give us specific lectures. For example a 2 hour session from a perspective expert or colour theory master would do wonders for everyone. A friend of mine on a design for film and television course had a perspective expert in and she said it was extremely helpful.
Del's lecture was a real surprise. Not that i thought it would be bad, just that i had no idea what he was going to talk about. He made some great points and though he was slightly nervous at first he delivered in my opinion a fantastic lecture. I particularly liked the few stories he told. The one about badly wanting air hit home the most. I feel that last year i wanted air more than anything else but this year i'm quite content under water. The problem is that i can't figure out what changed. I guess the ridiculously long summer didn't help but although i didn't do much work i was still regularly learning, studying anatomy and colour plus learning to use Painter. I think the real reason i feel a bit stagnant right now is that im not learning.
Having said that, i wrote this entry last week in my sketchbook on the train. In the time it has taken me to type it up i feel like i'm back on form. I'm slightly behind with one final but other than that i feel i'm on top of things and my current final i'm working on for this week feels like a real step up from last year so i'm pretty chuffed with it. I have always tried to make each piece of art the best thing i have done up until that point. Last year i can safely say that that was the case for most of the finals as i did them. The first 4 weeks this year however were pretty terrible. This in turn had me feeling rather dejected. I'm glad i've put that behind me now and i guess it was an important process to go through.
Additionally, in regards to the guest lectures, it would be awesome to get some experts in their field in to give us specific lectures. For example a 2 hour session from a perspective expert or colour theory master would do wonders for everyone. A friend of mine on a design for film and television course had a perspective expert in and she said it was extremely helpful.
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Dreams
Having recently spent 5 months at home, my perspective on the future has rather radically changed. When Year 1 ended, I was riding the crest of University and consequently couldn't see the bigger picture. Looking back I'm not sure what I thought, however that's partially the problem. It took the down time for me to realise life goes on, no matter what you do. This much I already knew, but it sunk a little deeper over the summer. Next year marks the advent of my last summer - by which I mean that after Year 3 I should be working full time. It's not the biggest revelation reading it back but it was at the time.
I found myself asking ‘What does it mean to be an artist? It seems as if all my life I've had an unreachable goal. When I first fell in love with drawing I never thought I’d be an artist. When I got good at it I never thought I could be a game artist. Finally, when I wanted to be a concept artist, it seemed an even more unlikely possibility.
Who am I kidding? I will never be the artist I want to be. That's the first step. Why? It’s because the artist I aspire to be is based on the idealization of other concept artist’s work. Try as I might, my fine art background will not budge. This isn’t the worst thing that could happen, but seeing as I desire to be more conceptual it's not very helpful. I almost think I should stop looking at other people’s art because it's so different to mine. As proud as I am of the work I produce I can't help but be unhappy with it on some level.
So I probably won't be a concept artist. But I'll be an artist. My philosophy has always been to be the best artist you can be. That's pretty much all there is to it. There is a lot of talk about how to get into this industry and whilst it’s not unhelpful, all it boils down to is being a good artist. If you are an artist, you will see how an artist sees and learn and snowball as they do. To be immersed in colour, to recognise perspective, and to observe anatomy. To live and breathe art is to truly be an artist. I wonder how many people who call themselves artists actually are. I sometimes wonder if I can even consider myself an artist. Am I as passionate about art as I should be?
I would have loved to have lived when the masters did; I envy them, to be so close visually to this world. To get up every day at dawn and sit and draw the ever changing colour. Sod the money and the luxury, I'd give it all up to go live in the country and paint every day. As long as I've got enough food to live, I'd be happy.
That's the somewhat ridiculous dream. You never know, it might happen. But it most likely won’t.
The more achievable dream is to work for Naughty Dog or Santa Monica Studios. They are the makers of Uncharted 2 and God of war 3 respectively. Those teams are true artists. Seriously breathtaking work.
I've recently succumbed to 3D. Del made a good point when he wrote, “if you don't like 3D then that's probably because you are shit at it.” That hit home. I mean if I was proficient at it, I still doubt I would enjoy the outcome anywhere near as much as a 2D image but nonetheless I wouldn't dislike it as I do now. At the end of the day if I end up as a 3D artist that's not where I want to be. But to put it in perspective, would I rather be working at Tesco? Obviously the answer is no. So 3D wouldn't be the worst job. I've barely invested any time in it, though I'm competent enough. Therefore my goal for this year is to invest some serious time. Modelling is the same as it would be in real life just with that infernal program in the way. Just need to learn it inside out and let the artist within do the rest. Already this week the treasure chest model seemed to come out of nowhere and I haven't done any 3D since last year so I was surprised that I remembered everything.
In terms of concept art it’s pretty simple. Keep hammering away at the fundamentals and apply it all to this process -> http://www.adamnichols.net/tutorials/concept-art-process-101.php?id=8
One day.
I found myself asking ‘What does it mean to be an artist? It seems as if all my life I've had an unreachable goal. When I first fell in love with drawing I never thought I’d be an artist. When I got good at it I never thought I could be a game artist. Finally, when I wanted to be a concept artist, it seemed an even more unlikely possibility.
Who am I kidding? I will never be the artist I want to be. That's the first step. Why? It’s because the artist I aspire to be is based on the idealization of other concept artist’s work. Try as I might, my fine art background will not budge. This isn’t the worst thing that could happen, but seeing as I desire to be more conceptual it's not very helpful. I almost think I should stop looking at other people’s art because it's so different to mine. As proud as I am of the work I produce I can't help but be unhappy with it on some level.
So I probably won't be a concept artist. But I'll be an artist. My philosophy has always been to be the best artist you can be. That's pretty much all there is to it. There is a lot of talk about how to get into this industry and whilst it’s not unhelpful, all it boils down to is being a good artist. If you are an artist, you will see how an artist sees and learn and snowball as they do. To be immersed in colour, to recognise perspective, and to observe anatomy. To live and breathe art is to truly be an artist. I wonder how many people who call themselves artists actually are. I sometimes wonder if I can even consider myself an artist. Am I as passionate about art as I should be?
I would have loved to have lived when the masters did; I envy them, to be so close visually to this world. To get up every day at dawn and sit and draw the ever changing colour. Sod the money and the luxury, I'd give it all up to go live in the country and paint every day. As long as I've got enough food to live, I'd be happy.
That's the somewhat ridiculous dream. You never know, it might happen. But it most likely won’t.
The more achievable dream is to work for Naughty Dog or Santa Monica Studios. They are the makers of Uncharted 2 and God of war 3 respectively. Those teams are true artists. Seriously breathtaking work.
I've recently succumbed to 3D. Del made a good point when he wrote, “if you don't like 3D then that's probably because you are shit at it.” That hit home. I mean if I was proficient at it, I still doubt I would enjoy the outcome anywhere near as much as a 2D image but nonetheless I wouldn't dislike it as I do now. At the end of the day if I end up as a 3D artist that's not where I want to be. But to put it in perspective, would I rather be working at Tesco? Obviously the answer is no. So 3D wouldn't be the worst job. I've barely invested any time in it, though I'm competent enough. Therefore my goal for this year is to invest some serious time. Modelling is the same as it would be in real life just with that infernal program in the way. Just need to learn it inside out and let the artist within do the rest. Already this week the treasure chest model seemed to come out of nowhere and I haven't done any 3D since last year so I was surprised that I remembered everything.
In terms of concept art it’s pretty simple. Keep hammering away at the fundamentals and apply it all to this process -> http://www.adamnichols.net/tutorials/concept-art-process-101.php?id=8
One day.
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