If you love video games, leading a team of exceptional artists to create fantastical new worlds might sound like a dream job. But in an industry that's more competitive than ever, how can you set yourself apart? And what do you have to do to forge a path to the top? A veteran art director with close to three decades' experience working on AAA titles such as the God of War series is Cecil Kim. "First off, you should know what area of art production you want to get into," he says. "It means knowing what you're passionate about doing." Like any career, it's tricky to work out your specialism at an early stage, but finding the things that are a natural fit for you as soon as possible will make your life much easier. "If you aren't certain, take some courses and see if you enjoy learning a certain discipline," advises Cecil. Finding that passion will give you the drive you need to keep learning, discovering, and pushing yourself that bit harder than your peers.
For example, if you're drawn to worldbuilding or character design, Cecil points out that a "strong interest in world cultures and ancient history" will help you. Reading up on these and other relevant topics might uncover an interest you never knew you had.
LEARNING JOURNEY
It's also worth noting here that a formal education is by no means a prerequisite for finding success in the games industry. "Times have changed a lot since I was starting out," reflects Bethesda Game Studios lead artist Alexander Alza. "These days you can absorb so much knowledge for free online. I know people who are self-taught and have had solid careers in the industry."
Denne historien er fra November 2024-utgaven av ImagineFX.
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Denne historien er fra November 2024-utgaven av ImagineFX.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Jan Wessbecher
Dominic Carter talks to the visual artist about creating his own comic and why sketchbooks are great for creative experiments
Kyounghwan Kim
The Korean character concept artist speaks to Dominic Carter about staying open to ideas and the value of drawing regularly
Slawek Fedorczuk
Dominic Carter talks to the concept artist about what keeps him motivated and the advantages of using physical sketchbooks.
Raquel M. Varela
Raquel is inspired by magic, fantasy and fairy tales. She loves designing female characters from distant worlds. \"My greatest reference is Loish's art, thanks to her I learned to draw the movement and fluidity I like to convey.\"
Estrela Lourenço
Estrela is a children's book author and illustrator. Her work is influenced by her background in character animation and storyboards for clients such as Cartoon Network, and she channels comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes.
Daria Widermanska
Daria, also known as Anako, has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Inspired by Disney and classic anime, she loves creating new characters and often finds that a single sketch can spark a unique story.
Allen Douglas
Allen has been painting professionally since 1994 for the publishing and gaming industries. Inspired by folklore, he distorts the size, relationships and environments of animals, and calls his paintings 'unusual wildlife'.
Thaddeus Robeck
Thaddeus has been drawing from the moment he could hold a pencil, but it was the 2020 lockdowns that gave him the time to focus on honing his skills.
DRAW FASCINATING SYMBOLIC ARTWORK
Learn how JULIÁN DE LA MOTA creates a composition from his imagination with a focus on crafting figures, volumetric modelling, and light and shadow
First Impressions
The artist talks about his journey into the mythological world