Game Art – Advice From Someone In the Industry

[Maurice]

Perhaps, I could take a different spin on this topic as an industry Lead Concept Artist.

If you are a concept artist or 3D artist serious about breaking into the gaming industry you must be where the major gaming companies conduct their development business. The top places are Los Angeles / San Diego Counties, Seattle and Austin. I would argue moving yourself to Los Angeles and immersing into the vast talent pool of artist there.

Commit yourself to at least three months in one of these locations. Find a regular night job to sustain your living expenses and then get involve with a local Siggraph Chapter. During the day use this time to work intensely on your artistic skills and research the local gaming companies. You will only have one to two chances at the most to impress these companies so make sure it's your top best submission. (Be memorable)

It will help while you're calling these places to get friendly not annoying with the receptionist at these places. This person will be your ally when you show up in person and help calm your nerves.

Los Angeles & San Diego has over 150 gaming companies and so the convenience of being around and meeting with other talents are essential. Seattle also has about 130 gaming companies stretching up to Vancouver, BC.

Yes, this means making a commitment to your work, being patent and having persistence on your part and only serious gaming artist will succeed.

My biggest advice: "It's not who you know, It's who knows you."

Move to one of these places and be noticed.

[Unbreakable]

Good stuff, Maurice! I think I'm moving to Austin, man!!!!!

[Nyx702]

Thank you guys for the info!

Seedling: That's what I basically though, I just didn't know if there were any weird loop holes. I just didn't know that phyiscal portfolios were still used as much?

Maurice: You comment scares me so much!!! That's a big jump and I get so so paranoid that I will get out there and get stuck in a job I can't stand. Thanks for the info but the info really stresses me out.

[Seedling]

Haha! Thanks Maurice. I guess the difference between our perspectives comes from me working at a company that is based near Boston. It is rare for us to get local applicants because there is not a large pool of games or graphics companies here.

Nyx, don’t panic: there are enough companies scattered about the country (and the world) who rely on artists being brought in from far away, that it is possible to find a job remotely.

[ConCrete]

Recently I started a club on my campus. I called it the Game Developers Union and by next week we will be recognized by the campus as a real live club. I am currently the president and I am loving it. I have a few questions about what this may or may not do for me.

We are going to develop mods, I think we have a good chance of turning out something cool, but does the sole fact I founded, built and maintained a club on my campus say anything, even if we don't turn out anything groundbreaking. I mean every gamasutra news letter I get has hardly any entry level job offerings, but tons of senior and lead positions open. I have artistic gusto, not the best, but its there. If I top that off with a kickass example of my ability to work with and manage a team of freelancers, do those skill sets work? Is that good? Or should I just draw...by myself...

[Chirp Chirp]

ConCrete, first I want to say that the mere fact that you started a Game Dev club at your university is a very good thing, initiative goes a long way. Secondly, I suggest you do what the local game dev club did here, get in touch with the IGDA and see about either joining or creating a local chapter. It will be even better if you are in a city that already has game developers (http://www.gamedevmap.com/ ) as that will give you an opportunity to meet the local community. The initiative that the game dev club took here resulted in http://www.csc.ncsu.edu/news/news_item.php?id=159 . They made gameboy games and at the end of the semester, a bunch of us devs came in and judged. Also earlier in the year, because of the IGDA connection, various developers including myself spoke at some of their meetings and gave advice. So definitely keep at it but I also suggest when trying to make your first game, keep it simple!

[DeBlackKnite]

Thanks a lot to everybody who contributed to this thread, and especially to Seedling for getting it started, keeping it going and contributing the bulk of information. The most I can draw is a cartoon owl, heh. I want to get into the programming side of things but still found a lot of the information here very valuable.

I don't know if you've had any experience in the indy game production arena, but from what little I know it's a very different ball-game. With teams as small as 2/3 people, team-members end up doing a whole lot of things. The programmer might also be the 3d modeller and the artist may double as lead designer. People with a view to ultimately being employed by a major game company should not neglect the possibility of starting out with a small indy team (or even starting your own). The close collaboration that you'll get with other teamies will give you a huge insight into how the artists/modellers/programmers/designers operate and what their needs are. There are also a lot of truly awesome indy titles out there, which are unfortunately not very well known due to inability to do broad-spectrum advertising. Some small games I've played have been more entertaining than big budget titles such as Oblivion, etc. Finally, when you've produced your kick-ass title then you have something to put into a portfolio which I think would be more valuable than any awesome artwork/model you could create, which is a completed game which your future employer can play and say, "Wow, this is really fun!"

The conditions you'll work under will be very different I think compared to working in the industry proper (small team, multi-tasking, low/no budget, only yourself for motivation, technical limitations) but if you're stuck for work and are eager to just BE working on a game creation team then seak out the indies.

As a final note to people wanting to get into the game industy: Be an avid learner, always strive to know more about your profession and about everything going on around you. No matter what area of game production you want to be part of, you become a more valuable cog the more you know about your own craft and those of the fellows you work with. If you are an artist and you read about some game design tricks then you can enrich your artwork by making sure that it will communicate with players in a way that is congruent with the game they are playing.

Peace, and thanks once again.

[Sanest]

Hey Seedling, thank you so much for telling me about this thread this is priceless information. I've just finished plowing through the first page (which has already taught me show much) and will enjoy the final two.
Havn't got any questions formulated yet but i sure will...eventually.

Thanks again

[Seedling]

does the sole fact I founded, built and maintained a club on my campus say anything, even if we don't turn out anything groundbreaking. ...

ConCrete, that’s wonderful! I don’t know if it’ll help you significantly at the entry level, but having experience running a team could certainly help you later if you want to get a position as a lead. Keep doing whatever it is that you are inclined to do – and if that happens to be organizing artists or designers more than making art yourself, this industry and others need those sorts of skills. Don’t feel like you have to do exactly what everyone else is doing. Just make sure that whatever you do, that your heart and your hard work are in it.

I want to get into the programming side of things but still found a lot of the information here very valuable.

Oh good, I’m happy to hear that!

Indeed, I know very little about indy games. Thanks for your insights!

Havn't got any questions formulated yet but i sure will...eventually.

I look forward to your questions. :-)

[ConCrete]

Chirp Chirp

My hats off to you, that is something I am going to look into right after I finish this post. A million thank you's. Invaulable!

I want high fives around the table, this forum rocks, thanks again seedling!!

[blacky]

Damn, I finally need to get a printout of all of this.
Priceless

[Seedling]

Don't go giving me a fat head now!

[cH_aos]

[/QUOTE]


ROFL! Dont hug the lava monster!

[Seedling]

Mokad asked me some good questions in PM, and says it’s okay if I share my answers here for everyone. . .

Well the program i am looking into at Sheridan is a 1 year certificate program. It has the nude figure drawing as you've suggested, but doesn't require a portfolio review to enroll in it...is that questionable?
here's a link if you get curious
http://www1.sheridaninstitute.ca/pro...partf/?secid=1

Huh. What a curious program. My interest is piqued.

My lead artist at LucasArts was a graduate of the Sheridan’s animation program, and he only had good things to say about it. Aside from that, I don’t know anything about the school. That they are willing to take students without a portfolio isn’t necessarily a bad sign. I’m of the belief that everyone has the ability to be an artist, with the application of diligent work, and it looks perhaps as if this program year is run on a similar assumption. This is just a guess. . . but it strikes me that this, followed by a stint at a two-year game school, might just be a good educational combination for getting into games as an artist. Maybe. With the application of lots of hard work.

when you say "it's not the degree or 'credentials' that matter, but the education you get from it", what exactly do you mean by this? My understanding of it is that it's what you make of the skills you learn and develop, and the implementation of them into the portfolio i suppose. Am i somewhat close here?

You need to yearn the necessary art skills before any portfolio-building will be possible. Those skills can come from a four-year degree program; or they can come from a salad-bar style education, with classes taken here and there as you need them; or it is possible, I suppose, to get the skills on your own without any formal education, with some serious hard work and relying on internet and book resources and the feedback of any artists you can get hold of. Regardless of whatever piece of paper you do or don’t get at the end of your period of studying, what matters is what you have learned, and (following that) how you go about showing what you have learned to potential employers.

How do you recommend people find work? Through these forums? Comic convnetions? game conventions?

I mostly don’t know the answer to this. It depends on the job and on your personal situation. If you happen to sit down on the bus next to someone in an industry you like, then that person could hook you up with information about a job opening. If you aren’t that lucky, then you’ll have to go searching for possibilities. There isn’t one well-worn path. Research, followed by snail-mail and e-mail and phone calls; or, if there’s an opportunity to do so, meeting relevant people in person at conventions or IGDA meetings or lectures or whatnot, followed by more research and snail-mail and e-mail and phone calls.

Do you have any suggestions or maybe 'assignments' someone much as myself can work on during my spare time to develope more creative pieces aside from fanart of superheroes and of the like? I would like to stray away from them, ithnk i draw them too much.

Aside from the assignments that are already posted in this thread, yes. :-) I’ve just started another classroom-style thread called Concept Art 101, which may be of interest to you.

Good luck!

[mokad]

Seedling:

Thanks a lot for the time you've taken to answer my questions! I'll be sure to keep checking this forum regularly to educate myself. I really appreciate it.

[Maurice]

I have only heard good things about Sheridan. Most of the professional folks I have worked with over the years got a job right out of school. I know the school gets recruiters from all the major studios through out the year.

[John T]

Thanks for taking the time to make this thread, this is excellent information.

[Bishopt Tutu]

Seedling, thanx for postin all of this good information. I still havent even read it all and its still helpin me, but one of my current issues right now is this:

My college objectives are to get good art training and education, and 3d modeling and animation education as well, but im afraid that the current college im looking at (University of Texas in Tyler, Texas) may not allow me to study some of the 3d modeling classes i wanted, due to them being under a different degree plan. My plan as far as the game industry is concerned is to do something in concept art and/or animation and modeling, but im not too sure what my plan should be or consist of yet. Im truly desperate, and I want professional advise on what to do, and if you could find and give me any information on about what to do, i would truly appreciate it. Thanx

[Seedling]

Hi Bishopt Tutu,

Well, I got my education in RISD’s Illustration department. I took the one or two computer classes that were available to me in my department, took one class for no credit at a community college, and then I whined and complained and kicked administrators in the shins until they let me into the computer classes that I needed, which were in the Film/Animation/Video department. As annoying as it was to work around the system to get into those classes, it did ensure that the bulk of my courses were in traditional fine arts, which was a very good thing. So fight to get what you need, wheedle your way into classes however you can, but don’t panic if your course load is light on digital stuff. It’s just another medium that you can pick up when you are ready for it.

Also, repeat this a few times:

Concept art is a subset of illustration!
Concept art is a subset of illustration!

For that matter, so is 3D modeling. This is very important. If you take away the parts of illustration that look on the outside to be irrelevant to concept art or modeling/texturing, you could be left with a dangerously narrow skill-set.

[Bishopt Tutu]

I really do appreciate this man. Good looking out.

[Seedling]

Man?

;-)

You're quite welcome.

[Beonarri]

I agree Seedling!

Those illustration classes, I find more helpful than almost any other...oh yeah I came from an Illustration department myself.

The other classes help, but speaking in terms of computer classes and computer programs, you don't need a class for them. Finding a Personal Learning Edition or Demo version work just as well as the real thing.

But you can't substitute Illustration training/skills.

[Ryan DeMita]

i dont know if i should feel confident, or scared.

i think scared.
but a well-informed-draw-untill-my-fingers-rot kind of scared.
thanks for this information seedling
-ryan

[Seedling]

i dont know if i should feel confident, or scared.

Stay scared enough to keep yourself on the road to improvement, and confident enough to keep yourself happy with what you are doing. :-)

[DARAF]

Thanks again for the assignments. They are a great practice to level up my skills.

[Seedling]

Justin Oaksford brought this to my attention: a map of game developers around the world. If you want to find a place to work near you, this tool is your new friend.



DARAF – glad to be of service! :-)

[Vincent87]

This is like a going to College

[Zaknafain]

This is like a going to College

nah... its much better

[Seedling]

nah... its much better

Aww shucks, now I'm going to have a fat head all day. Quick, bring the head-deflator!

[sisqinanamook]

Hey Seedling,
Thank you for showing me this thread!!! Finally, I know that I will study Illustration and the only question left is where to do these studies.
I hope you are right that the “it’s all about who you know”-thing isn’t correct...
Now, I will read the whole Concept Art 101 too and then sit down and work on some of the assignments, you put in here.
Thanks a lot!
*hug*
sisqi