Contextual Studies Essay

Why is Concept Art important in the Games Industry?

This essay will look at the ways in which Concept Art is important for the Gaming industry. Before we answer this question, we have to understand the context in which concept art is implemented into the gaming industry. Concept art has been around since video games first began, and is one of the most important aspects needed in creating a successful video game. An online article ‘Concept Art: what is concept art and why is it important?’, states “The world of video games that we all love so much would not be possible without concept art”. (Raymond, 2014).

The main role of a concept artist is to create characters and environments that will go into a game being developed or updated; (it is also used in films) the process begins when the creative director comes up with an idea of how the characters should look in a game, they give a couple of descriptions of their ideas to the concept artist, he/she will then create a portfolio with hundreds of images based on that idea. The initial ideas will mostly be rough sketched (sometimes writing a list of attributes and emotions helps) either traditionally or digitally, and then painted in more detail in 2D, before being creating as a 3D model. For example, if the artist was doing a fast character, they would draw them with less armour and clothing to move about fast. Whereas a heavy character would have more armour and weapons to defend themselves. Between these stages the artists will make suggestions on iterations. As well as characters, concept artists will also be asked to create various props that the character may use during the gameplay. The artist will also provide a colour palette, lighting, shading, texture techniques and materials best suited for the character and worlds; also be able to pay close attention to detail and have great observational skills, this process is repeated until a final outcome has been decided upon. “Everything that can possibly be seen (before the development stage of a games production) is designed”, Hutchinson (2010).

The main skill required is artistic talent; when going for a job interview, a concept artist must show a portfolio that shows their ability to draw, paint and create 3D models with the software provided to them (e.g. Photoshop, Maya, Zbrush). Having an education and good communications will also improve their chances of a getting a job, as well as having access and knowledge about the software used at these companies. Most gaming companies use 3D graphics, so understanding the basic mathematical skills will also boost your chance, some studios will provide lessons if you are willing to learn them. A concept artist must also be able to communicate their ideas clearly and efficiently, and be able to take constructive criticism and apply it to their designs.

Concept artist is one of the most important parts of games design; it is a difficult job to obtain, due to the limited openings and tough competition. An artist will need a top notch, up to date portfolio, amazing drawing skills, “Quality not quantity” (Bow, 2015) and complementary skills. Their designs will have to be imaginative and creative showing that they can experiment outside their comfort zone. Interviewers also look for an artist’s personal art style, being able to use range and flexibility in their work. When applying for a job most of the time it’s good to get your foot in the front door, however that also means you’ll be dealing with all of the other candidates who managed to get their foot in the front door. So sometimes try the back door, you might run into a games director in the elevator, so slip him/her your portfolio and start a friendly conversation and give the interviewer a good impression of yourself before the interview. It also helps to have connections to people from the industry for references through social media, handing out business cards is also good way to get closer to your dream job “make them remember you” (Silcock, 2015). It will take a few jobs before you reach your dream job, in an email from senior concept artist said that “Ubisoft hired me in 2007 to do matte paintings…. In 2008, I had the opportunity to join Assassins Creed 2 art team to help them during a crunch time. I now work full time as a concept artist for Ubisoft Montreal”. (Beloeil, 2015)

Concept art has evolved into having a massive online community with hundreds of websites, having millions of users that are fans of the subject. “A quick google search for ‘concept art’ will employ over 265 million web pages related to this keyword”, (Raymond, 2014). When looking up concept art in google, you find that there are amazing finished pieces of work done by a professional, this is where some people will get confused, these are actually finished illustrations created by illustrators (AAA games) or games artist’s (Indie). While concept artists use iteration sketches to explore ideas and decide the outcome, these illustrations are taken from a few of those sketches, re-draw them, detail and give them an elegant look, before being ‘leaked’ by gaming companies to get gamers excited about an upcoming game. During the overall development process a variable number of final illustrations are made, say a quick sketch might take 10 minutes, and a full illustration would take 3-5 days to complete. Playful concept art can also be found these sites, this type of concept art focuses more on what professional’s draw in their spare time, whether it’s drawing a favourite character from a game, or creating their own characters and world’s in which to show what kind of art style they like. “I paint with oil and watercolours for fun, at home”, (Beloeil, 2015) “It shows how the area of visual development is an integral part of video games and how much fans respect the craft”. (Raymond, 2014)

These elements, like Raymond’s (2014) statement show us how important the role of concept art is, and how it shows the public the skills and requirements needed for just one small role which has a huge effect on the gaming industry, for the production of a game cannot move forward without its initial designs. Whether it’s a terrifying enemy alien with hydra heads or a friendly purple dinosaur, the actions, moods, or emotions, are what concept artists strive to produce with their hundreds of iterations.

Bibliography

Beloeil, G., (2015) Concept Art Questions. Feb 2nd 2015 Email to Gilles Beloeil from Nick Thomas

Bow, S., (2015) Junior 3D Artist NUA Lecture 15 Jan 2015

Concept Artist, (2015) Concept Artist [Internet] available at http://getinmedia.com/careers/concept-artist (Accessed 15 Feb 2015)

Games Artist, (2015) Games Artist Role [Internet] available at http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles_and_stories/job_roles/330_games_artist (Accessed 15 Feb 2015)

Hutchinson, D., (2010) The Importance of Concept Art for Video Games Available from: https://mediahammer.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/the-purpose-for-concept-art-in-video-games/ (Accessed 15 Feb 2015)

Raymond, J., (2014) Concept Art: what is concept art and why is it important? Available from: http://artistryingames.com/concept-art-concept-art-important/ (Accessed 15 Feb 2015)

Silcock, R., (2015) Community Manager and Games Developer NUA Lecture 29 Jan 2015