Do you want to be a video game artist?

Deathsythe | July 03, 2008 | Blog | Playstation 2 Playstation 3 Misc Gaming Tech/Hardware

It was everyone's dream job when they were growing up (and hey, maybe even still), but gotgame goes through a lot of detail in how to become a professional video game artist. A lot of good information in the article for upcoming game designers.

Art in its many varied forms has, and always will be, a staple of every human culture that has ever walked the Earth. Over time, nearly everyone has debated what constitutes art thats worthy of display, of reflection; why a single image may evoke a great deal of emotions in one person while it leaves another cold and uninterested. This works rather well for art contained within the many varied galleries scattered across the globe, but that kind of ambiguity will rarely get you honorable mention in mediums that rely heavily on you got it technical expertise.

The consumer market may be easy to fool with rudimentary attempts at fan art from your favorite game or anime, but knowing you have the talent and expanding that talent are two extremely different things. PHiddy RepresentsUnfortunately, thanks to social networking sites like deviantArt and its numerous clones, many are under the delusion that the groping their ego receives in the form of comments or favorites make them impervious to conventional criticism. So heres rule number one, in case you missed it:

You are never above criticism no matter how good you think you are.

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Comments

3 thumbs!
Raziel_326 | July 03, 2008

Thankyou for posting this article. Me being an illustration art major in college, and though I already knew many points presented, I still found it quite helpful. Though it's not exactly my dream job, it's a good job I wish to start off with.
- 2 thumbs!
  Raziel_326 | July 03, 2008
  
  Wow.. thumb me down for posting my opinion and thanking the article poster? What the *bleep*?
  - 1 thumbs!
    Seproth | July 03, 2008
    
    A lot of people are quick on the negathumb thing these days.
    
    On a related note your first post sorta seemed like is was sarcastic to me though... I'm guessing that's what they thought as well.
0 thumbs!
Red 9 | July 03, 2008

Jeez, remind me not to take my art skills into video game design. Of course being 15 and still learning does me no good, but I'd never be able to take the pressure.
- 0 thumbs!
  Raziel_326 | July 03, 2008
  
  The same type of skill is required for pretty any art illustration job in the industry. The competition is extremely brutal out there. Be prepared to take some harsh art criticism in college. You will have teachers telling you straight up to your face that your art is a piece of shit.
  
  Some industries won't even bother looking at any degrees if your portfolio blows them out of the water.
  - 0 thumbs!
    Red 9 | July 03, 2008
    
    I used to be good, but I've been neglecting my art for months now.
-1 thumbs!
Zeon I | July 03, 2008

OMG, I could so do that. I already draw on caliber with some professionals, so in a couple years, I could be awesome, designing characters for the next big Video Game.

I pray that I can do Manga as well.
- 0 thumbs!
  Red 9 | July 03, 2008
  
  Thanks for crapping on the little guys
- 0 thumbs!
  Slumpy monkey | July 03, 2008
  
  Have a good time finding a job. Like Raziel said Art jobs are VERY competitive, especial in the gaming market.
1 thumbs!
RabidChinaGirl | July 04, 2008

It's a booming industry, but as such, is teeming with competition. I do like the article's little bit on fan art. Yeah, you won't be able to mask your horrible sense of anatomy with Photoshop coloring at that point. And you won't get 200 positive comments/feedback JUST because you drew Sephiroth.

I have a decent grasp of fine arts and what not, and the trouble for me now is applying my rudimentary knowledge in digital form.

Art is a generic term. I can say that while in college, I enjoyed watching the professors piss on the kids who thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread because they drew (bad) manga/anime and knew Flash.

And honestly, how many times have you heard, "I'm going to move to Japan and draw manga!"
- 1 thumbs!
  Raziel_326 | July 04, 2008
  
  Though the Manga style is rather popular, many of the professors at my art college strongly hate it and for good reason. I grew out of the Manga style long ago, I'm much more into traditional and realism style now (of course with my own style added to it) and already after a first full year of art college, I can hardly bare to look at manga at times. You really look at art from a whole different view after taking so many classes. The best example being anatomy class. After taking anatomy, I'm VERY anal about any figure or character with ugly anatomy to it, or if the anatomy is off.
  
  See, alot of these kids think they're going to make it straight into business if the detail in their art gets better, which is FAR from the case. If you want your art to get the attention you want it to get, it has to stand out from everybody else's. Detail doesn't mean shit if your art (or art style) is the same old shit that everybody sees all the time.
  - 0 thumbs!
    Red 9 | July 05, 2008
    
    I prefer the anatomical style as well, and I do it worlds better than manga. However, the comic book style is quite alluring; it's anatomical, but the bold shading gives it an otherworldly feel.
0 thumbs!
cbjones | July 04, 2008

This makes me want to start drawing again. I used to have skills....Not such much now though.
0 thumbs!
Bandito | July 07, 2008

i doubt they will let me publish a game.
- 0 thumbs!
  Raziel_326 | July 09, 2008
  
  What are you talking about? Being a video game concept artist has NOTHING to do with publishing a game.