Careers in games
The art department is a very occupied area of the games industry, and is difficult to get into. Looking at the different jobs within the art department early , and seeing whats needed to get the jobs, will help make sure i have the best chance at getting a chance for one of these jobs.
Concept artist
The concept artist is a vital part of the team when designing a game as they will be what decides the style of the game. They take briefs from the producer and design environments, characters and enemies. Their sketches are used to give the rest of the team, including the 3D modelers, programmers, producers and publishers, as well as other artists on the team, a idea of what the game will look like.
The drawings of the concept artist are the starting point of all artwork and also the marketing.
Whats a concept artist good at?
Art: able to draw by hand, understand art theory, draw in a style such as scifi, fantasy or cartoon
Creativity: imagine how a character will look from only a written or voiced description
Using art software: being able to use both 2D and 3D software to create art, know the latest technology and techniques
Communication: work with other artist and designers in a team and share the vision of the game designers and developers
Knowledge of games: understand gameplay, have market awarness, understand and appreciate how art is seen by the player
Who does a concept artist work with?
concept artists work with all members of the art department and report to the art director, and sometimes the creative director.
How to get a job as a concept artist?
To get any creative based job it's important to make a portfolio of your work and to continue adding to it at every possible moment. Your portfolio is what an employer will look for when hiring you and it's a good place to show off your skills. If you can't display a collection of your work easily it shows you aren't organised and you won't even be considered when they go to hire.
Additionally, artists that are able to use 3D modelling software and create decent 3D models are more likely to be hired due to their wider skill set and also the ability to use their 3D models to then create art from.
3D modelling artist
3D modelling artists create the models for all 3D art assests within the game, anything from cars to characters. They often start with a brief or 2D drawing by a concept artist and will build their models from that.
Sometimes 3D modellers will specialise in a given area, and be known as a vechile artist, character artist or environment artist.
Whats a 3D modelling artist good at?
Using 3D software: create artwork using a range of programmes, know the latest technologies and techniques
Using game engines: implement art into game engines, understand their technical constraints and possibilities
Art: have strong artistic ability, good understanding of form, colour, texture and light, know how these elements work together
Knowledge of gameplay: imagine how an object will be experienced when a game is played
Collaboration: work well with other artists, designers and producers
Organisation: work withing a schedule, manage files, meet deadlines
Who does a 3D modelling artist work with?
3D modelling artists work with all other members of the art department. They also work with the designers and programmers, especially those that will be using their 3D models for their tasks. 3D modelling artists usually report to the art director.
How to get a job as a 3D modelling artist?
To get a job as a 3D modelling artist it's important to make a portfolio of your work. Additionally, having drawing skills can help add more artistic flair to your work and help you understand the concept art given to you. Networking is important for finding a job as a 3D modelling artist. 3D modelers are needed for big budget films, and there can be a larger number of them working on a film, so having a network set up between you and other 3D modellers will mean when one of you gets in, all of you do.
Environment artist
Environment artists create a world in 3D from either a 2D concept by a concept artist, a photograph or their imagination. This world could be anything from fantasy to sci-fi or even a real world setting like an office.
Environment artists carefully consider the level designer's gameplay requirements. They find out whats important to the gameplay and make sure those are included first, then they can work on additional aspects of the world to make it live and breath to be more believeable to the player.
At entry level, environment artists learn about the technical constraints within a gameplay engine. Something experienced artists must always take into consideration, or you'll end up with a game like Final Fantasy 14 where the polygon count for a flower pot was similair to that of a player character and this flower pot was a repeated model in towns. If you don't know the limits of a game engine when creating a world you could negatively affect frame rate, load times and much more, causing the whole teams project to have a poorer final product.
What an environment artist good at?
Art: be good at drawing, have a strong understanding of art theory
Knowledge of environments: understand architecture, have good awareness of city spaces and landscapes
Using game engines: know how to work with art within game engines, understand their technical limitations, keep up-to-date with their possibilities
Collaboration: communicate, work well with other artists, designers and programmers
Organisation: work within a schedule, manage files and meet deadlines
Who does an environment artist work with?
Environment artists work with all of the art department as well as designers and programmers that are working on the same game.
How to get a job as an environment artist?
Much like the other creative jobs, building a portfolio is the most important thing you can do in order to secure a chance at a job. Ways to get experience with environment making can be anything from making your own world in a game engine like unreal engine 4 or unity or making mods for games with modding capabilities, like skyrim or fallout 4.
Texture artist
Texture artists apply textures to 3D models to make them believeable. They can also add imperfections, such as rust to metal, tears in fabric and reflections on windows.
They are focused on making surfaces realistic, to help the player feel immersed in the world they are playing. They may use a combination of techniques such as hand painting, photos, digital and 3D art, to create unique textures.
What's a texture artist good at?
using software: create artwork using a range of programmes and know the latest technologies and techniques
Using game engines: implement art into game engines, understanding their technical constraints and possibilities
Knowledge of materials: understand how they behave in different conditions, what they look like and use shader tools
Art: have strong artistic ability, understand form, colour, texture, and light and know how these elements work together
Collaboration: work with other artists and game development staff
Organisation: work within a schedule, manage files and meet deadlines
Who does a texture artist work with?
Texturing artists work with all members of the art department as well as designers and also progammers. They usually report to the art director.
How to get a job as a texture artist?
Exactly like environment artist, building a portfolio and getting used to tools and software for texturing/modelling is a good way to show off your skills and be ready for the job. Modding games or working in a game engine is a good way to learn how to texture models.
What I want to do
I want to become a concept artist, doing both characters and landscapes. In order to get there i need to continue to pratice my drawing skills and techniques in both digital drawing software and on paper while building up a portfolio of work i can use to get a job. Alongside practicing my art skills i need to learn 3D modelling. Having another skill set will put me above the rest and it can also help aid my drawing by giving me a reference to work from when drawing landscapes and characters.