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