How to Become a Video Game Artist: The Insider's Guide to Landing a Job in the Gaming World

313 Pages·2013·13.59 MB·English

by  Sam R. Kennedy

Marketing art for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced
Warfighter 2. © Ubisoft/Red Storm Entertainment.
Copyright © 2013 by Sam R. Kennedy
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by WatsonGuptill Publications, an imprint of the Crown Publishing
Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.watsonguptill.com
WATSONGUPTILL and the WG and Horse designs are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kennedy, Sam, 1971-
How to become a video game artist / Sam R. Kennedy. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Computer games—Programming—Vocational
guidance. 2. Computer animation—Vocational guidance. 3. Computer art. I. Title.
QA76.76.C672K47 2012
794.8′1526—dc23 2012023965
eBook ISBN: 978-0-82300810-0
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8230-0809-4
Artwork by Sam R. Kennedy, except as otherwise noted.
Interior design: M.80 Design
Cover design: W. Youssi, M.80 Design
Front cover art (clockwise from top) : Sam R. Kennedy
© Ubisoft/Red Storm Entertainment; Mark Molnar; Sam R. Kennedy
v3.1
To all the young artists who hunger for knowledge
World of Warcraft (WoW) art by Mike Sass.
© 2012 Blizzard Entertainment.
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
INTRODUCTION
How I Became a Video Game Artist
How This Book Can Help You Land a Job
WORKING IN A VIDEO GAME PRODUCTION STUDIO
Video Game Jobs Defined
The Studio Environment
THE FUNDAMENTALS: DRAWING AND SOFTWARE SKILLS
Drawing: The Artist’s Alphabet
Drawing Key Art
Animation and Key Poses
Drawing Storyboards
Digital Drawing and Color in 2D and 3D
CONCEPT ARTIST
Job Description
Articulating the Vision
Essential Training and Education
Artist Profile: Meet Andrew Bosley
Help Wanted
ENVIRONMENT ARTIST
Job Description
Working with the Team
Working in a Game Engine
Three-Dimensional Modeling
Texturing
Essential Training and Education
Artist Profile: Meet Dennis Glowacki
Help Wanted
CHARACTER ARTIST
Job Description
Preparing to Model the Character
Creating the Character Model
It Has to Animate
Essential Training and Education
Artist Profile: Meet Joseph Drust
Help Wanted
CHARACTER ANIMATOR
Job Description
Principles of Animation: Achieving Realistic Natural Motion
Cyclic Animation—Walks, Runs, Idles
Understanding Key Poses and In-Betweens
Essential Training and Education
Artist Profile: Meet Sam R. Kennedy
Help Wanted
USER INTERFACE (UI) ARTIST
Job Description
Technical Aspects
Essential Training and Education
Artist Profile: Meet Ryan Bowlin
Help Wanted
MARKETING ARTIST
Job Description
Turning the Vision into Visuals
Multitasking
Essential Training and Education
Artist Profile: Meet Mike Sass
Help Wanted
CONTINUING TO GROW
Hone Your Skills at Home
2D and 3D Art Tools
Using ZBrush for Illustrations
Using Photos and Web-Based Photo Databases
CONCLUSION
INDEX
About the Author
Magic: The Gathering by Mike Sass © Wizards of the Coast.
INTRODUCTION
This book is for anyone who wants to do art and get paid to do it.
Specifically, it is about working successfully as an artist in the video game
industry. I wrote this book for those artists out there who, like me, love to
draw and paint and animate and either have or would like to have a video
game career. You may not be a working artist right now, but if you read this
book you will learn how to become one. If you are already a professional, I’ll
tell you how to break into video games or how to move to your dream job if
you’ve already broken in.
Video game art is like no other art form. Like movies, video games
demand excellent visuals, interesting stories, and compelling animation.
Unlike movies, however, video game art is interactive and intertwined with
complex and changing technology. A movie audience sees only what is in
front of a camera, whereas a video game player is free to walk around the
set. Video game artists have to build an entire world for the player’s
character to live in, not just a set that looks realistic from one angle.
Video games are engaging to play and amazing to watch, and it takes
many talented artists working on many different aspects to create each
game. There are even artist tech jobs that don’t require you to have strong
drawing skills. If you are determined and work hard at perfecting the right
skills, there will be creative roles you can fill in the industry.