Learning how to keep a blog alive!

Today we had a slight change on the classes that take place on Wednesdays. Instead of having a lecture, followed by a seminar, first years have spent most of the day in the library getting valuable advice on how to keep our blogs going!

It is true that most of the times I don’t feel motivated enough to write a blog post even though I actually enjoy it while doing it.

Some of the tips I found helpful included writing every day, even if it is a few words.  Something to keep the writing going.

Set time targets. Decide how long will I spend doing a piece of work and meet the target. After that I can relax and get distracted. Also, put deadlines to projects so I can finish it before the uni deadline.

The rest of the session concentrated on how to get started on a post and I found it quite boring as I find it easy to pick topics to write about, structure my argument and show my points in a clear and organised way.

My next session though, it was more interesting. The main theme was how to use words creatively. We were given range of pictures and in groups of four we had to pick one and talk about it in an artistic way.

I do struggle to talk about art. I just started taking part in art courses about two and a half years ago. No one ever taught me technical aspects of art. On my A-levels I remember they just gave me a sketch book and a paint brush and I was told to produce art work.

This year I need to learn it all and fast but I still find it hard to evaluate an art piece. Working as a team was very helpful as I was able to listen to my team mates opinions and feel more confident about my own thoughts. I realised that art can convey all sorts of thoughts and emotions and that everyone experiences it in a different way and that whatever my opinion on a piece of art is, it is the right answer because that’s the way I perceive it.

Last but not least, “tools of visual practise and using them in your critical writing”

This session was by far my favourite one, perhaps because I was familiar with the lecturers but mainly because it was about expressing my creativity into words.

First, they had us doing an exercise on analysing screenshots from movies and games. We were meant to be able to understand what was the story behind the scene by looking at the colours used, composition, characters, clothing, environment etc.

In the end we did a creative writing exercise. We had  to write a scene for a horror/action game, that will fit into the “Last of us” universe. We only had five minutes but in that time we had to describe, when, where and why the scene was taking place. How was the sky like? Ground texture, how did it smell? Taste? Temperature, ambient and characters.

I love writing stories so I found that task very enjoyable. I can’t wait to turn my little narrative into a picture.

I believe today was a very productive day. I learned many things about how to make my blog better as well as knowing myself a little bit more. I am very grateful our tutors decided to organise this conference day and I am sure I am not the only one who found it very helpful.

Thank you for reading,

Carla. 

References:

1. Writing Lives. Norah Brain (1907-1987): Life writing, class & identitiy [Online picture]. Available from: http://www.writinglives.org/norah-brain/norah-brain-1907-1987life-writing-class-identity

2. NCCATA. [Online picture] Available from: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=art&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Mh48U6iFN4PKhAfyrYCoCQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=936#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=PRoU4LFPum0j2M%253A%3B8YONDKM2Z0u58M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fstatic.wixstatic.com%252Fmedia%252F58c7c6_93081902eb2b8915e41cf28b9f401699.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.nccata.org%252F%3B680%3B453

My ideal job

Hello! As part of my critical studies module at uni, we were asked to look at job roles, to pick our favourite one and analyse it. We were meant to look through the skills needed for the job and decide whether it is possible for us to reach their requirements.

so, this is the job role I found more appealing to me, in Zenimax media Inc.

Character/Creature Concept Artist

Division: id Software | Department: Art | Location: Richardson, US-TX, US

id software located in Dallas, Texas is looking for an amazing Creature/Character Concept Artist to join our industry leading team. The Character/Creature Concept Artist will work with the Art Director along with Character and Animation Lead to concept highly creative and visually compelling creatures and characters.

Responsibilities:

• Illustrate a wide range of highly creative character and creature concepts for in-game use
• Assemble reference materials to support the concept designs
• Assist Art Director in establishing and maintaining a visual style for character and creature designs
• Produce art ranging from rough thumbnails to clean line work to print quality images
• Collaborate with other departments to concept strong in-game character concepts

Requirements:

• Highly creative, passionate, and driven concept artist
• Ability to rapidly illustrate concepts based on verbal and written directions
•  Ability to create clean orthographic drawings to be used a modeling guide for in-game asset creation when needed
• Strong foundational knowledge of anatomy and proportions with the ability to exaggerate as needed
• Excellent digital Illustration skills with an advanced understanding of Photoshop and or Painter
• Able to take direction from Art Director and collaborate with Character Lead and Animation Lead
• Ability to hit tight schedules as required
• Self-motivated, good communication skills, and team player
• 2 years of game industry or film experience

Desired Skills and Pluses:

• Environment concept capabilities as well as character and creature designs
• 2 years or more of game development experience with one or more shipped titles
• 3D modeling and/or animation skills
• Dedicated gamer
• Knowledge of id software games

Portfolio Requirements:

• Character and Creature designs demonstrating an ability to infuse personality and emotion into designs
• Demonstrate a variety of character types; Creatures, Demons, NPC’s, Space Marines etc.
• Clean isometric drawings to be used as modeling guides for creation of production assets
• Completed polished illustrations demonstrating an ability to render subject matter in an environment

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please submit an application through Taleo.

Apply to Position: Character/Creature Concept Artist

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I think of concept art, this is what comes to my mind:

But concepting is more similiar to this:

Disney's Brave and Wreck it Ralph concept art

The fundamental skills required for the job are strong art skills. Being able to work from scratch and refine your sketches until they reach a high standard. 

This semester we've just started doing conceptual drawing. Working fast and producing good work. I have been learning the process of creating a character through the use of mood boards, silhouettes and orthographic views. As I keep on doing this process I am confident I should be able to fulfill the role the company is asking for.

My digital work is not at industry standard yet, but that's why I am in this uni course, to become an excellent artist in all aspects, including 3D.

Soft skills required:

I am a shy person when I first interact with people, but I am very sociable when I feel a bit more confident around them. I believe I have good comunication skills and that I can show my opinions and ideas without imposing them on others. If I have to take leadership I will do it, I like being in charge and having a certain degree of responsability. 

I tend to be the person that keeps everyone together in a team because of my carefree personality. I tend to approach situations from different angles and reach agreements.

I am passionate on what I do and very positive. I hope I become more confident over the next couple of years so that I will be able to aspire to more ambitious jobs in the future, such as art director.

Therefore, when I finish university I should be qualified to apply for this job, but hold on...

• 2 years of game industry or film experience

They ask for experience before they give you experience. This is the world which graduates face every single day, but that won't bring me down. I know what I want and it doesn't matter how long it takes, I will stay positive until I can reach my goals.

As always, thank you for reading

Carla.

Links and references:

ZeniMax careers: http://jobs.zenimax.com/requisitions/view/574

Images from google.

cityscape studies in Leicester

Here are some cityscape studies I had to do as part of my uni course. The idea was to use simple and fast strokes to sketch a scene. As an artist, it is important to be able to draw fast. Specially if you're working on a team. The artist it is expected to show his/her thoughts so that the rest of the team has a basic understanding of how it is going to look like when finalised.

I enjoyed this project. Using fine liners and pens as a media is something I a used to, therefore I felt comfortable while drawing the scenes. I had to go to town several times to draw the crowds, the buildings and the people sitting in cafes and restaurants. Most of the time it was freezing cold and I wasn't able to draw for too long because even if I was wearing gloves, my hands would go numb and shaky.

After I finished the pen drawing I usually took a picture and then use inks to add contrast to the scene. I did this process at home most of the time because inks are messy and It is hard to paint with them in the street.

I think what I liked the most was the freedom this project gave me. Since the beginning of the course, we had been told what to draw and for the first time I was able to choose what I wanted to draw, in other words, use my artistic judgment.

Christmas Evil Character

The week before christmas the tutors asked us to come up with a character. Through its body language and clothing we had to show the evil in the character.

My first though was to make a snow queen but then I thought that idea wasn't orginial at all so I decided to make a phychotic character. It would add  realism, which I liked.

This were some of my first sketches. I wanted to capture a crazy look yet normal look for her.

I also looked at body postuures and this way, slowly define the personality of the character.

Next, the clothing. My first sketch included a skirt and armour as well but I decided to keep it simple. Something comfortable so that she would be able to move discretely and quick.
She carries daggers and knifes on both sides of her legs for an easier access.

This was the final outcome. I did a colour test in photoshop before moving onto acrylic paint.
Since it was a christmas evil character I believed green and red had to be present. I think the colours combined pretty well all together. I also added fluff to the hood in the end.

I enjoyed this project.
For the first time I was able to do something I love, which is to draw characters. I was able to use my creativity to create something, which is great.



Carla.

Blog Task: Cinematics in Video Games

                                     

After I took a look at the history of video games it was clear to me that over the past few decades, video games have experienced many changes. They are not two bars hitting a ball across a screen anymore; they have become an interactive form of art.

Current video games combine elements from narrative fiction film, music and sports. The amount of work to produce a single game can be very large, especially in terms of art. The development of game environments is an intensive process involving the creation of level maps, lighting sources, setting detail and visual texture complexity.

“Another important element is a belief that creators are artists. At the same time, however, it’s necessary for us creators to be engineers, because of the skill required for the creations.”

                    -Shigeru Miyamoto- (Game designer and producer of Nintendo’s biggest names)

Knowing that art plays a very important role in video games, one of the things I find that makes them very enjoyable it is when they are telling a story. If the story is good, the player would want to discover more by playing the game. They would want the game to take them in a journey and feel like they are living someone else’s life.

In my opinion, cinematics are key to set the game mood and to tell the story.  They add depth and substance to the game. The gaming industry knows it and they make sure to make a good use of it. Such is that, it is common for videogames to start with cinematics. They are used to sell the idea of a game sometimes months before a player will ever get behind a controller.

A well-crafted cinematic will succeed in total immersion of the player before the game even begins. Also, powerful narratives in games like Red Dead redemption and Uncharted 2 have helped show the world that games can be just as meaningful as any other form of art.

On most of games, especially on Japanese games, cut-scenes come across quite often. They are essentially pre-rendered sequences in which the player plays the role closer to that of a detached observer. They are often used to establish the initial setting and background storyline or to push the story forwards.

Some may say that cut-scenes are overused. That it turns the game into a movie and videogames are made to be ‘played’, engaged with in a manner that it is much more active. They might be right, but to me, cut-scenes are quite important. They narrate the story, and guide the player through a journey. They make the gaming experience much better because the player gets to know the characters and immerse himself with the game mood. 
Cut-scenes have the opportunity to convey emotions that would be otherwise disregarded by the player. Game developers can now present emotion through complex facial expressions and body language. The ultimate goal in games is to make them as realistic as possible, and that’s the reason why developers use film techniques in games, to enhance realism.

It is true that sometimes, too many cut-scenes make the player disconnect from the game. When a cut-scene begins all the tangible elements of the game that the player has grown accustomed to become obsolete. That is a thing the industry must be careful about. To tackle this problem, they should provide minimum disruption of gameplay flow. The use of written material such as signs or notes inside the game might be a possible option. In the game world they can be read as the player explores the environment and therefore push the storyline forwards while playing. Also, NPCs (Non Playable Characters) could make interventions to give out clues or tell part of the story plot but without the need to stop the game.

Ultimately what the player wants is to feel like he/she is part of the game. Until now there’s usually been a clear visible gap between the higher quality graphics found in cut-scenes and the lower-quality images that characterise more interactive periods of gameplay. I believe that as the gap reduces with the introduction of more powerful technology, games would lower the number of cut-scenes. It will reach a point where the player would interact with the gaming environment to progress along the storyline as if it were real life. Like if it were a movie, with the distinction that the player would not be viewer, but the central figure.

In conclusion, a video game while cinematic it is not a movie. To make the gaming experience truly engaging is to find a point of balance. Resorting to film techniques to engage with the audience should be avoided but not to the extent that the game lacks all sense of emotion. If cut-scenes were to be abolished, it would strip away one of the most effective storytelling techniques.

Games are a form of art and just like books, ballet or films, they have a narrative. As technology allows the industry to use better graphic engines, cut-scenes will not differ from actual gameplay, making the player feel like the protagonist of the game.

As a future game artist I believe my task is to make the industry push its limits. It is my task and the rest of future generations of game artist’s task to make better graphics, better characters and better stories. Our goal is to make games as visually attractive as possible since I believe, art is key to a video game success.

Thank you for reading,

Carla Chanquia.  

References

1.  Cinematic Camera Control in 3D Computer Games. http://front.cc.nctu.edu.tw/Richfiles/12146-G31.pdf

2. Computer Games / Cinema / Interfaces. http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/05164.41114.pdf

3. Publications by Henry Jenkins. Games, the new lively art. https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/download/attachments/7143524/jenkins.games.pdf

4. The Best Opening Cinematics in Video Games. By Hanuman Welch. August 8, 2013. http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/08/best-opnening-cinematics-video-games/

5. Dusty Cartridge. Dusty Cartridge Debates: Are cut-scenes outdated?  November 2013. http://dustycartridge.com/features/dusty-cartridge-debates-are-cutscenes-outdated/

6. Contemporary Aesthetics. Are Video Games Art? By Aaron Smuts. 2005. http://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/ca/7523862.0003.006?rgn=main;view=fulltext

7. Wired. 5 film violations in videogame cut-scenes. By Jason Schreier. September 2011. http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/09/videogame-cutscenes/?pid=1984&pageid=38345#slideid-1984

8. Google images. 

Trees in 3D?

Yes, this project was about trees. Creating branches from splines and using planes to add leaves.
I had to model and texture two different trees using references from real trees.

This was my first tree:`

The process of modelling the branches was the most challenging part. Making sure that the triangles did not exceed the maximum budget (1000) was difficult. It made the tree branches look pointy and jerky.

Nevertheless I like the texturing. It is hard to position the planes in such way that the leaves look realisitc. I don't think I fully accomplished that but I am happy with the end result.

The LOD (level of detail), which is the tree farthest away, in my opinion, I believe it was quite successful. One wouldn't think they are just two pictures intersecting with each other.




My second tree:

 This time around, I did a better job with the branches, they looked neater and nicely attached. Sadly, I used too many triangles and I ended up not being able to fully cover the tree with leaves.

The LOD doesn't look as good as that of the first tree because of the position of the tree itself. I don't dislike it though, I think it's still quite effective.

Next time, I will find the balance between the two.


Overall, it was a good project and a good experience, it helped me to gain more confidence using the 3D software and photoshop as well.

Thank you for reading!

Video Games: What lies ahead?

Since the year 2000 onwards, three main consoles have been dominating the market. The Xbox developed by Microsoft, the Play Station, developed by Sony and Nintendo with its different platforms (Nintendo 3DS, Wii).

Over the years, the big companies have used more 3D graphics to engage the player into the game and so far it has been very successful. The players can truly feel that they are part of the game.

But for how long?

Triple A titles such as Call of Duty and Grand theft auto have massive teams working that the cost of producing a new game is just too high.  Many companies do not get a profit off their games.

On the other hand, what seems to be thriving are the indie companies which rely mainly on simple 2D games like the immensely popular Angry Birds. They are cheap to produce and they don't require a large team. Also, indie games sometimes are even free to play on phones, tablets and laptops, technological devices most of the population has.

That means trouble for the consoles. Is it the end of the big titles?

In my opinion I don't think it is over for the big companies. Games will always be within our society, they transform and adapt to the demands of the players. As a game artist I believe it is important to keep an open mind and be willing to adapt and change like the industry itself.

References from google images.