FDA Games Design

Concept Art
RESEARCH
Your frst task is to understand the role that concept art plays in the video game
production pipeline. As the primary source of visual information for both
modelers, texture artists and level designers, the concepts artist role is to realise
a character or game environment. This realization is often 2D, but conception in
3D is become increasingly used. Programs such as Sculptris, ZBrush and
Mudbox have made the 3D conceptualization process more artist friendly,
allowing for rapid character and vehicle concepts to become 3 dimensional.
In your Flipped Learning you should look at both artists and their work, I have
listed the names of a number of studios, renowned for there work in both games
and flm.
Look at this work and formulate an opinion of it. Decide what is good or not so
good and use the work to direct your own. What do you think the artists were
trying to achieve in a particular piece of work? Where is the focal point? What
can you say about the colours, composition or subject?
COMPANIES
http://conceptartworld.com/?cat=5
concept artists
INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS
Barontieri
Fengh Zhu
Ashley Wood
Yoji Shinkawa
This is not a defnitive list; you should look at 10 artists, describing their work in
detail.
ART MOVEMENTS
In your research, it is important to look deeper than contemporary artists and
infuences. Impressionism is a huge infuence on modern concept design. It
allows artists to express light, shadow and feeling in a fast lively method. Possibly
this style has become too ingrained within the design industry, with work from
various studios taking on a very similar feel.
Look at work that may have infuenced the modern concept artist.
ARTBOOKS
Many companies release artbooks, these books usually allow artists to work on
personal projects. This allows them to be more creative and unconfned by
deadlines and clients.
There are also books available exhibiting the work companies and individulas
have carried out for specifc games, for example Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid and
Resident Evil. The list goes on.
All of these areas are where you should begin to look for your research into the
purpose of concept art.