PPD WEEK 2 - Art Roles

Week 2 we were set out to find out what different types of Artists there are in the industry.

Here are few.

Animator

Vehicle Artist

Object Artist

Character Artist

Concept Artist

Game User  Interface Artist

Environment Artist

SFX Artist

Technical Artist

Generalist

These jobs all have very different roles in the industry and all play a very important part in Video Games Development.

Animators need to know how to rig and skin characters/objects along with creating key framed animations for characters.

Vehicle Artist's need to be able to create vehicle exteriors and interiors, they need to work very closely to reference so everything is perfect. They need to be able to rig vehicles for physics, setup materials and need to be very mechanical minded.

Object Artist are very general in their role, they have to have different art styles, this job is good for varied work, when you are working on different things all the time.

Character Artist's need to be able to create characters of all shapes and sizes, work very closely from reference, be able to rig and skin characters an amazing understanding in anatomy, and excellent modeling and texturing skills, apparently this is one of the most hardest positions to get into.

Concept Artist's need to be able to concept anything from 2D to box art, they need to work very closely with the director or the creative lead, you need to be able to communicate well with 3D artists so they know what they are making, need to be able to be fast and work under pressure.

GUI Artist's need to be able to create and design menus and HUD's they also need alot of direction form the creative lead or director, they will also work very closely with programmers, is a very specialized position and you need good traditional graphic art skills.

Environment Artist's need to be able to create interactive functional environments, design levels from written breifs or sketches given by leads or designers, you need a very good eye for detail as well alot of research is involved in building environments.

SFX Artist's need to be able to create visual impressive effects for in game and cut scenes, they need to work closely with art departments and programmers, need an interest in cinematic techniques along with being very technical, this is usually part of another role.

Technical Artist's need to create solutions for art related problems they develop tools for other artists to speed up their workflow, and liaise with different code too, they need very good communication skills.

General Artist's has an ability with most roles, but still has an expertise in one area, this is the go to person in the team, and tends to be very experience in the industry, their skills are very good for smaller indie teams.

In summary:

Games are very complicated and need alot of people from all over to successfully make a good game, video games brings people together with very high skill sets.

In the future I would like to be an asset artist or a generalist - but then gradually become specialised in Environment art.

Reference:
http://www.slideshare.net/Thomas_Giblin_16/job-roles-in-the-games-industry-21097601
http://artforgames.com/file/2014/05/GavinGoulden_BioshockInfinite_HR_mopat1.jpg