| How often do we hear people that have careers | | | | To become a concept artist you need to be |
| complain about never doing the job they were | | | | yourself, you cannot really take training to be one. |
| trained to do? They did not realize when they | | | | Simply being because it is based on creativity. No |
| entered into their chosen field that there would be | | | | one can teach you to be creative, but they can |
| many aspects to the job. | | | | teach you to develop your natural creativity. This |
| The same premise applies with the video game | | | | is usually done by practice and more practice. You |
| artist. Before really researching the subject many | | | | can never reach a plateau where you can say |
| would be artists think it is just a matter of sitting | | | | you have mastered it all, it just does not happen |
| down and designing a game and then putting it | | | | with the arts. Another thing to remember is doing |
| into production and it is ready to play. It does not | | | | not be a copier, be a creator. It does not take |
| quite work that way. If it did there would | | | | much creativity to sit down and copy anothers |
| probably be even more games on the market | | | | work. |
| than there already are. Video game artists have | | | | Be observant, watch things how they move, |
| such a variety of jobs to do that many of these | | | | animals, humans and even the elements. By doing |
| jobs have somewhat evolved into becoming | | | | this you will perfect your skills in proper |
| specialties. | | | | proportions, and skeletal structure. The setting |
| A good example of this is the concept artist. In | | | | you are going to place your characters in is |
| other words the idea maker. It is his job to be | | | | almost as important as the characters |
| creative and dream up the various characters and | | | | themselves. You are setting the atmosphere, |
| the types of atmosphere it will demand.. Once it is | | | | which in turn sets the theme. |
| put to paper it is scanned into the computer and | | | | You may decide that you want to specialize in 2D |
| it is cleaned up using a software program with | | | | or 3D animation, which is great. It means you are |
| these types of capabilities such as Photoshop for | | | | going to have to determine the levels of the |
| example. Now we are still at the rough stage and | | | | various games and edit them as necessary. You |
| color now has to be introduced. | | | | may even have the responsibility of that of the |
| This is where the texture artist now fulfills his roll. | | | | texturing artist. |
| It is his job to create the texture for the colors, | | | | Now the 2D texturing artist has the job of |
| and then it moves onto the 3D model builder. So | | | | texturing all of the elements found within the |
| where did the role of the video game artist end? | | | | game as it pertains to the 3D objects. This can |
| Actually, it did not; the video game artist may | | | | be greatly perfected and enhanced by the use of |
| have been doing any one, several or all of the | | | | good quality software designed for this purpose. |
| duties as outlined. | | | | |