Thursday, January 29, 2015
A Tiny Teaser!
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Summoner's Rift
I have been so busy being a chicken with my head cut off that I'm late in putting up some nice shots of the SR update. I am sure it will continue to grow and change like any living thing.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Unsolicited Industry Advice, Part 3
continued discussion from parts 1, and 2
Nature of the Industry
Its volatile. Just understand that at the door. Lots of factors make it that way, the important thing is to be able to navigate it. Some things to keep in mind:
Nature of the Industry
Its volatile. Just understand that at the door. Lots of factors make it that way, the important thing is to be able to navigate it. Some things to keep in mind:
- It's a creative entertainment genre with lots of money and lots more passion. More than film for several years now. That leads to the market being measured in big successes or big fails with little in between. Studios come and go all the time, but the talent pool stays about the same. Now with the mobile market so wide, smaller studios are able to make bigger stakes but profit margins are more tight than ever.
- Technology is always changing and studios have to adapt and employees' skill sets grow constantly. We can do stuff now in shorter time frames that are so much more amazing but the market is more saturated.
- A global audience at your doorstep with the generation raised on the information highway makes for an environment that is hard to have a voice in, let alone get heard. Personal growth is a constant must to stay fresh, in touch, and tech-literate. Learn to have your own voice, and find studios and clients with similar goals makes this curve much easier.
So what does this mean?
You will move, and move often. In the Americas, most of the market is English speaking, bigger hubs being CA, Austin, Seattle, and Vancouver, but being bilingual makes you way more versatile. You will Crunch. I don't care what legislation is on the books, time frames are tighter than budgets and to put out any product you can be proud of, you will put in the time. The pay off? As artists, salary runs the full spectrum of pro-bono, to minimum wage, all the way up to six figures. You're worth is totally dependent on how good you are, with how much experience. You will be pushed: artistically, socially, and personally. As a dynamic industry there is no room for the retiring house for artists to be successful. No one makes this stuff on their own, so learn how to play nice with the other kids.
Hope that helps, more notes to come.
V
Sketchbook
Wow, where did Fall go? I wasn't done. Lol.
I'm also over at ArtStation now, and really enjoy its community. But, this will continue to be my sketchblog and I'll have more industry posts soon.
Thanks guys.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Unsolicited Industry Advice, Part 2
Continuing the discussion from earlier in March:
If I'm given a blog and a portfolio link, I will always go to the blog first. It's easier to update, shows sketchbook, and how you solve problems. It shows if you're still engaged in learning and studying. It shows what you spend your free time on - aka what you love. If I like what I see, then I go to the portfolio.
Blue Sky Portfolio:
1. Bluesky Images- Defining a look/ feel with the right thematic and tone through broad stroke exploration. Show one problem solved in radically different ways. 2.Primary Images- the lay of the land. Establish artset, sell thematic, and scope. Primary image defines a world apart from other properties and informs initial environment work. Show iteration along art direction. 3. Mood Images- narrative. Sell mood, tone, personality. Personal/epic Moments, lighting, and color keys.
Show a breadth in your portfolio. Example: If everything is epic, then nothing is. Shapeshifting and photobashing are valuable tools but cannot be your crutch. The point is to be fast and loose, get the ideas out and pitch-able.These are meant for internal use, but really good ones can be player facing for promotional material if taken further.
Character and Creature Production Portfolio:
1. Character Promo image in color- the selling image to get AD approval and team alignment. Solves Character role and design needs. 2. Character orthogonal views (front/back and side, whatever is needed to properly describe)- so we know how to build it and solve any development problems. 3. In-game view angle- how the player is going to experience it. 4. Call outs- anything that needs to be described with more detail, or will be a separate model, such as weapons. 5. Texture swatches- just a few to represent how materials should be rendered in game and describe any unusual materials. 6. Gesture studies, and expression if required. 7. Iteration studies- these should not just be costume variants. They should show radically different ways of solving the character.
This spread should leave no questions on who the Character is, and how to build it. Everyone in the production pipeline should not need to come to you for follow up information. It is a complete package. Bonus Points: Demonstrate ways to be more efficient with characters in their rigs, textures, or geo.
Notes: Games are all about being over the top. If it isn't memorable, its garbage. You don't need to render the hell out of everything. Usually the promo image is the one to spend the time on for sell factor.
Environment Production Portfolio:
1. Promo image in color- the selling image to get AD approval and team alignment. Solves for Design mechanics. 2. Various Views- game view angle, Level layout, Interior/ exterior. 3. Mood/ Weather shifts- Lighting, time of day, weather, mood variants. 4. Call outs- anything that needs to be described with more detail. Usually a "hero" asset, and population assets. 5. Texture Swatches- Material keys. 6. Iteration studies.
This spread should leave no questions on what the environment is, and what elements are needed to pull it off. (In a Holodeck, build an environment kit, culture kit, Modular kit, or whatever the game/genre calls for). A good environment can be expanded and extrapolated upon or scoped way down and still preserve Look/Feel.
Notes: Some gameplay mechanics will be in every property you work on. Its your job to solve it in new and interesting ways. Creates for example: if I get a spread of creates that are interesting and memorable but still cheap breakables that I have never seen before, then you're on my favorite persons list. Again, you don't need to render the hell out of everything, solve what you can with tight comps.
Promo/ Illustration Portfolio:
1. Character Promo- Internal/external promotional marketing material. Pin-ups or teasers. Full color, high degree of polish/rendering and establish narrative. Maintains style guide and branding. 2. Game Promo/ Property Promo- Internal/external promotional marketing material. Defines style guide and branding. 3. Event/ Narrative Promo. Illustrates poignant moments to interact with audience.
Notes: Don't disregard your backgrounds. They have just as much to say as characters. Don't use the same lighting set up in every image, and have breadth in your pallets. Really learning material rendering and material interaction with lighting will carry a huge weight. There is a big difference between bad anatomy and stylized anatomy. Again, everything is over the top in games, so make your illustrations dynamic and compelling. Push further, break stuff, then scale back.
Notes on what you bring to the Table:
Bring your sketchbook to interviews. Leave the portfolio on the web.
I don't look for degrees. I only look at the work, your experience level, if you're someone fantastic to work with. I think that being a gamer is important because that is the client you are solving for. We can draw all damn day long, but if it doesn't solve for the problems of production, and an amazing game experience, then it doesn't matter.
Hope that stuff helps. Other topics to cover in the future: Nature of the Industry, Work/Life balance, Average Day, Personal Projects.
- What I look for in a Portfolio-- Games Concept Design and Development. In 8 to 12 images I need to know what you love, and how you bring it to life. I need to answer if you're a Specialist or a Jack; Bluesky, Production, or Illustration. Then I know where you fit in a production pipeline and if you fulfill the job requirements.
If I'm given a blog and a portfolio link, I will always go to the blog first. It's easier to update, shows sketchbook, and how you solve problems. It shows if you're still engaged in learning and studying. It shows what you spend your free time on - aka what you love. If I like what I see, then I go to the portfolio.
Blue Sky Portfolio:
1. Bluesky Images- Defining a look/ feel with the right thematic and tone through broad stroke exploration. Show one problem solved in radically different ways. 2.Primary Images- the lay of the land. Establish artset, sell thematic, and scope. Primary image defines a world apart from other properties and informs initial environment work. Show iteration along art direction. 3. Mood Images- narrative. Sell mood, tone, personality. Personal/epic Moments, lighting, and color keys.
Show a breadth in your portfolio. Example: If everything is epic, then nothing is. Shapeshifting and photobashing are valuable tools but cannot be your crutch. The point is to be fast and loose, get the ideas out and pitch-able.These are meant for internal use, but really good ones can be player facing for promotional material if taken further.
Character and Creature Production Portfolio:
1. Character Promo image in color- the selling image to get AD approval and team alignment. Solves Character role and design needs. 2. Character orthogonal views (front/back and side, whatever is needed to properly describe)- so we know how to build it and solve any development problems. 3. In-game view angle- how the player is going to experience it. 4. Call outs- anything that needs to be described with more detail, or will be a separate model, such as weapons. 5. Texture swatches- just a few to represent how materials should be rendered in game and describe any unusual materials. 6. Gesture studies, and expression if required. 7. Iteration studies- these should not just be costume variants. They should show radically different ways of solving the character.
This spread should leave no questions on who the Character is, and how to build it. Everyone in the production pipeline should not need to come to you for follow up information. It is a complete package. Bonus Points: Demonstrate ways to be more efficient with characters in their rigs, textures, or geo.
Notes: Games are all about being over the top. If it isn't memorable, its garbage. You don't need to render the hell out of everything. Usually the promo image is the one to spend the time on for sell factor.
Environment Production Portfolio:
1. Promo image in color- the selling image to get AD approval and team alignment. Solves for Design mechanics. 2. Various Views- game view angle, Level layout, Interior/ exterior. 3. Mood/ Weather shifts- Lighting, time of day, weather, mood variants. 4. Call outs- anything that needs to be described with more detail. Usually a "hero" asset, and population assets. 5. Texture Swatches- Material keys. 6. Iteration studies.
This spread should leave no questions on what the environment is, and what elements are needed to pull it off. (In a Holodeck, build an environment kit, culture kit, Modular kit, or whatever the game/genre calls for). A good environment can be expanded and extrapolated upon or scoped way down and still preserve Look/Feel.
Notes: Some gameplay mechanics will be in every property you work on. Its your job to solve it in new and interesting ways. Creates for example: if I get a spread of creates that are interesting and memorable but still cheap breakables that I have never seen before, then you're on my favorite persons list. Again, you don't need to render the hell out of everything, solve what you can with tight comps.
Promo/ Illustration Portfolio:
1. Character Promo- Internal/external promotional marketing material. Pin-ups or teasers. Full color, high degree of polish/rendering and establish narrative. Maintains style guide and branding. 2. Game Promo/ Property Promo- Internal/external promotional marketing material. Defines style guide and branding. 3. Event/ Narrative Promo. Illustrates poignant moments to interact with audience.
Notes: Don't disregard your backgrounds. They have just as much to say as characters. Don't use the same lighting set up in every image, and have breadth in your pallets. Really learning material rendering and material interaction with lighting will carry a huge weight. There is a big difference between bad anatomy and stylized anatomy. Again, everything is over the top in games, so make your illustrations dynamic and compelling. Push further, break stuff, then scale back.
Notes on what you bring to the Table:
Bring your sketchbook to interviews. Leave the portfolio on the web.
I don't look for degrees. I only look at the work, your experience level, if you're someone fantastic to work with. I think that being a gamer is important because that is the client you are solving for. We can draw all damn day long, but if it doesn't solve for the problems of production, and an amazing game experience, then it doesn't matter.
Hope that stuff helps. Other topics to cover in the future: Nature of the Industry, Work/Life balance, Average Day, Personal Projects.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
sketchbook
Dear Bloggspot, Why are you darkening all my images? Anyone know why and how to resolve it?
* Fixed. Thank you.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Substrata
I finally received my copy after much anticipation, and I have to say, it is better than I could have ever hoped. It is amazing. This book is not only a source of inspiration, but a major resource to my craft. It will have a permanent place at my desk. Thank you Paul and Lena and everyone else for the awesome, and looking forward to the next.
KKG
Update of my work for KKG. Really proud to be able to participate with such good people on such a great project. https://www.facebook.com/Gamersf0rGood
lil environs
Sorry for the absence. Sometimes life kicks you squarely in the balls, and I needed a little time to recover, re-evaluate, and re-engage. I will be catching up on posting the arts.
Monday, March 24, 2014
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