Incase You Wabted to Make Your Own Concept Art Dead by Daylight

Concept art is one of the most sought-later artistic fields in the games industry.

When the GamesIndustry.biz University put together its guide to getting a chore in game art, Teazelcat CEO and game director Jodie Azhar pointed out that concept art roles can accept hundreds of applicants for i position, making it 1 of the most competitive roles aslope character artists.

Olivier Leonardi, practiced art director at Ubisoft Reflections, then added that most everything in game development starts with concept art, making it an ideal surface area of specialisation for young artists. But concept art is also widely idealised past outsiders, who don't realise what it actually entails.

"A common misconception is that concept art is about doing cool and pretty drawings or illustrations - it is non"

Pierre Armal, Shiro Games

"A common misconception is that concept art is about doing absurd and pretty drawings or illustrations -- it is not," says Pierre Armal, concept artist at Shiro Games. "It is about ideas, and solving bug for the 3D artists and game designers. Drawing is simply a tool used to that stop."

And it's not the only misconception about the field, adds Cécile Jaubert, also a concept and VFX artist at Shiro Games. For example, despite common beliefs, you don't need to be a flawless illustrator to be a proficient concept artist.

"lxxx% of the job is designing 'small things'," she says. "There's only so many of import characters in a game, but boy is there a lot of chairs and rooms and VFX sometimes. You will spend a lot of time working on things that might seem insignificant, but your work remains important for your coworkers.

"You don't need to exist an incredible painter to be an excellent concept creative person. The well-nigh important part of concept art remains skilful design skills. Equally long as you depict (or photobash) well enough for people to understand your design and transcribe it in 3D or in a concluding 2d work, so you're doing your job."

Pierre Armal

Armal actually wasn't drawing until he started studying to work in the games manufacture. He went to a 3D graphics school and started drawing after he realised concept art was what he wanted to practise, then he started learning more about the field in his own time and through 2D art lessons.

On the other paw, it'due south Jaubert's dearest of drawing that led her to concept art. She initially wanted to piece of work in animation but following "a series of failed tests," and inspired past a friend who was following that path, she ended upward enrolling into a generalist video game school.

"We studied a lot of things there: 3D, animation, only not too much 2D," she says. "I am lucky in the sense that I've been cartoon since I was immature and it never really left me. Doing all these dissimilar things during schoolhouse hours was motivating me to draw more for myself on the side.

"But through schoolhouse information technology besides became apparent to me that I practice similar the 'puzzle solving' aspect of pattern, so little by lilliputian it became obvious to me that a expert way to combine drawing and design was concept art."

• The role and responsibilities of the concept artist
• Qualities, skills and good practices
• Advice for new concept artists

Layout exploration by Cécile Jaubert for Shiro Games' Darksburg (artstation.com/zellk)

The part and responsibilities of the concept artist

Armal explains that concept art consists in the whole visual designing procedure of everything the player will see: the characters, the environments, the colors, the moods, the style.

The role of the concept artist is crucial to exploring early game ideas, delving into what could work and what doesn't, and iterate speedily. That inherently means a lot of dorsum and forth between art and design teams.

"Drawing is ane of the fastest -- and by proxy, cheapest -- ways to explore various possibilities for an element of the game," Jaubert says. "Depending on the precision of the initial pitch, the exploration can become really wild or remain centered around the same cadre elements but with a bit of variation. It commonly takes [some] back and along to find a design that fits the directors and when that's done, the concept is sent to other team members that will be in charge of making the concluding 3D -- or 2nd, depending on the game -- model and animate it, add sounds to it and insert it in the game.

"Drawing is one of the fastest -- and by proxy, cheapest -- means to explore diverse possibilities for an element of the game"

Cécile Jaubert, Shiro Games

"Information technology is possible that once integrated in the game, the team realises some things aren't fitting -- that would take been hard to figure out before being contextualised in the game -- so some retakes can happen, simply by and large the pipeline remains the same."

That as well means that concept artists have to produce a lot of dissimilar visual options and directions based on the initial pitch, whether that'south a character, an environment, an object, or an ability.

"Our art helps the rest of the team project into these possibilities in a more than concrete manner and make choices from that," Jaubert continues. "Having a visual under the optics helps the directors come across which options fit more the feeling or data they want the player to accept. It'south much easier for anybody in the team to hear, 'This design feels scarier than this one, keep pushing in that management' than, 'Brand something scary' and become from there.

"We can never completely forbid big changes from happening and work being 'thrown away,' as it is the life of every project, merely nosotros limit this as much as possible by weeding options out beforehand."

Cécile Jaubert

While the role of the concept artist may exist slightly different depending on the size of the studio, and evolves alongside development, information technology is the most crucial at the beginning of a project, as everything needs to be fleshed out.

"That's the moment when we demand a lot of pre-production art to find the game'due south management and design the characters and environments that will later be congenital," Armal explains. "Because we are a small studio at Shiro Games, equally 2d artists nosotros accept to design the UI, all the icons and interface-related things likewise. When the production [reaches] the end, nosotros participate in checking everything that can be polished visually, in both 2D and 3D."

Finally, as concept art is a manner to explore the game's atmosphere, storytelling will oft transpire through the art, meaning narrative elements are something concept artists frequently take to keep in mind when working.

"I recall it'due south important, while designing, to ask yourself questions like 'who?', 'where?', 'how?', 'why?'," Armal says. "For instance, for a character, what do they do? Where do they come from? What are they doing here and how practice they intend to reach whatever information technology is they want to achieve?"

Same goes with objects, Jaubert adds. Y'all'll need to call back almost how it will be seen in-game: will information technology exist up shut? Or only from one bending? It's not all well-nigh telling a story or transmitting a strong intent for a character or environment.

"Sometimes information technology's just designing a chair that fits a room. Simply even then, you tin find little things to put in them. Your tools will exist the shapes and colours y'all use, but call up too that a lot of the design volition also come to life through the animations, sounds and furnishings of the last version."

Concept art by Pierre Armal for Shiro Games' Darksburg (artstation.com/sicaeth)

Qualities, skills and good practices

• The qualities of a practiced concept artist

Concept fine art is the ability to convey ideas in a visual course, meaning that good communication skills -- both in your art and verbally with your colleagues -- is crucial.

"A expert concept artist in my stance is someone who has skilful and interesting ideas, is able to come with visual solutions to problems, and communicates that through clear and concise cartoon and paintings," Armal says.

Jaubert adds: "Sometimes people aren't clear on what they want, and then you won't always take clear cut pitches to base yourself on for your pattern. Try to understand what they desire, while also minding what you remember is proficient for the game."

Closely linked to communication skills, synthetic thinking and problem solving are a must to be a skillful concept creative person.

"Don't lose yourself in the details, particularly not at outset"

Cécile Jaubert, Shiro Games

"Don't lose yourself in the details, especially not at first," Jaubert warns. "Like sculpting a rock, start with the big shapes and once those are validated, then y'all can work on the details. Information technology might too be up to you to [decide] what the identify of the element y'all're designing is in the game. A game designer will give you parts of the data, a QA might complement information technology afterwards doing in-game tests, your fine art director will also have their own word most the element you're trying to design. Merely you need to summarize all these views together to piece of work. On top of that you'll as well demand to learn the visual and design style of the game and so that your concepts fit nicely in the universe."

Finally, curiosity is another key quality to being a good concept creative person, as you'll demand to learn well-nigh all sorts of unexpected things, from fauna beefcake to engineering, to perfect your drawings.

"It's impossible to have noesis about everything, [and] you'll need to larn for each project you piece of work on," Jaubert says. "My best advice is to cultivate your marvel, every bit it is easier to acquire something when you make it interesting for yourself. Curiosity will as well help you cultivate your own references and nurture your tastes, what volition eventually grow to be your condolement zone, and what you similar working on the most."

Concept fine art past Cécile Jaubert for Shiro Games' Darksburg (artstation.com/zellk)

• Skilful practices for concept artists

In addition to cultivating the qualities listed higher up, Armal says that one of the best things y'all can practice to improve is constantly feeding your "visual library" through reading, watching movies, or playing games. And regardless of your level as an artist, you should e'er be working on your drawing fundamentals.

"Sketch a lot, [do] drawing practice," he continues. "And have fun. If you don't like to draw -- which was my instance in the beginning -- learn to beloved it, it will be incredibly worth it. My favourite [practice] by far is to build a larger personal projection, something y'all work on during a few months. It trains you lot to work on designs that are cohesive together, and that'southward when I personally have the most fun and come up with better designs and ideas."

"Creativity and blueprint are muscles that grow more flexible and strong when used often"

Cécile Jaubert, Shiro Games

Jaubert advises to sketch out your ideas often, fifty-fifty if they're random, which will also help find your own style. At a bones level, you simply demand a pencil and paper to practice, but the Shiro Games artists had a few recommendations when information technology came to software.

"Photoshop is an manufacture standard but in that location'southward a lot of them out there at present," Jaubert says. "Krita, Gimp, FireAlpaca, Clip Studio Paint, Paint Tool SAI... My advice is to try the ones you lot're curious nearly and encounter their strengths and limitations. Encounter how they piece of work and which i clicks best with you.

"Creativity and design are muscles that grow more flexible and potent when used frequently. It doesn't mean y'all have to draw 5 hours a day though -- only a sketch can be enough. The thing is more than to practice putting the thought downwards and 'making it visually existent' rather than keeping information technology in your caput, where it will always exist a bit shapeless. The human activity of putting what is in your brain on the newspaper tin can exist really tricky sometimes. Some ideas will be clear cut, others will escape your grasp like h2o and it will exist a struggle to actually draw them 'similar y'all desire them to feel'."

Concept fine art often means producing a lot of different visual options based on the initial pitch - Concept fine art by Pierre Armal for Shiro Games' Darksburg (artstation.com/sicaeth)

Advice for new concept artists

When it comes to finding a job as a concept artist in the games industry, Armal advises to make sure that you accept piece of work in your portfolio that actually matches the needs and projects of the studio y'all're applying for.

"If there's a studio y'all actually really want to piece of work at, don't hesitate to tailor all your work towards that studio," Jaubert adds. "Also don't hesitate to do fanart. Some people might say you should only exercise original piece of work, but fanart is an splendid way to written report designs you like, share your passion near something with people that like it too, and get noticed by people that work on said thing you beloved a lot."

"That shit is no joke, take intendance of your body."

Cécile Jaubert, Shiro Games

Film and blitheness artists moving to games, which can be a very logical sidestep, may have an advantage in terms of employability, only game artists trying to get into concept art also have the advantage of understanding the pipeline already.

"If you lot're coming into the game industry [from movie], don't diminish what the cognition you already take can bring you," Jaubert says. "Designing stuff for a game isn't so unlike equally for a movie -- existent or blitheness. Just remember to be mindful that game design has priority over visuals. You're making a game. And so the most important part of it is, does it feel good to play? Is your design helping that management? And that's it.

"If you're already in the game manufacture, talk to the concept artists you know. Ask them about their job. They might have precious advice for you, and different from mine."

And as a final give-and-take, Jaubert says y'all should also exist taking very good care of your body.

"Your hands and eyes are your tool of craft," she says "Even if you lot don't feel pain or problems, stretch them often -- each fourth dimension you take a petty break, or every two hours if you need a timed reminder, walk outside and do squats to milkshake off the long hours of sitting. Pushing until you lot feel discomfort or pain is the sure way to go towards injury that will accept you out of practising for months at a time, and sometimes even years. That shit is no joke, have care of your body."

More GamesIndustry.biz Academy guides to Working in Games

Our guides to working in games encompass various perspectives, from hiring to retention, to landing the job of your dream or creating the correct company civilization:

• How to get a task in the games industry
• Mike Bithell: What I wish I knew when I started in games
• Is the games industry open to working class people?
• More manufactures about working in games...

arthursuchalm.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-01-20-a-brief-guide-to-becoming-a-concept-artist