Some good info

So I got to hang out with some awesome people the other day, including Robert Brackenridge, a liaison for Unity. I asked them about what I needed in my portfolio if I wanted to be a concept artist, and this is what they told me.

First off, becoming a concept artist straight out of school is next to impossible, unless you're just REALLY good at what you do. Instead, start with something like textures or 3D models, and put them up on a resource site where others can download them. You can even charge for them and make some money on the side. Robert told me that what he does is go to these sites and find a resource that he likes. But instead of downloading that resource, he contacts the artist and offers them a job. So you either make a few bucks by selling your artwork, or you get a job. Win-win, in my opinion.

Secondly, I was told that it's good to have a variety of artwork in your portfolio. Not just being able to draw characters AND environments, for example, but being able to draw characters and environments in different artistic styles. If you have thirty different styles of chairs (steampunk, fantasy, sci-fi, and cartoon, just to name a few) in your portfolio, and that's all you have, they'll still look at it and say, "Wow, this person has talent." Sure, you might not get a job over how good your chairs are, but it's a start.

The reason for this second piece of advice is because studios don't always make the same type of game every time. One game may be more fantasy styled, while the next will be sci-fi. If you can't do both, then they just wasted time hiring and training you for just one game, and now they have to fire you, find someone else, and train them to do your job. It's bad for both parties all around, and it won't look good in your resume.

So basically, draw something every day. Draw different things every day. I know that most artists learn to specialize in one thing; I'm the same way. But even if you're not perfect at drawing something, it's good to at least have a basic knowledge so that you don't get kicked to the curb the next time someone needs something. Now, if you're like me, you're the type of person who says, "But I can't think of something to draw EVERY day! I need some kind of idea from somewhere." Well worry not! I've done some research, and I've found some resources that I'd like to share.

The Daily Drawing Drill - This website not only gives you a subject, but also gives you an art style, where to get references from, and what ambiance, tools, and technique to use.

Seventh Sanctum - A large list of all kinds of different generators. You can use it not only to generate names for various characters, creatures, and places, but also to get descriptions for people and places. Use this with the Daily Drawing Drill, and you've got your idea right there.

Drawing Basics and Video Game Art - This is a book that I found just the other day at Barnes and Noble. It goes over EVERYTHING, like perspective, light, color theory, character creation, environments, ect. It compares the work of old masters to today's video games, and shows how all of the techniques that have been used for centuries still apply today. It also has a digital version that you can download, if you prefer that way.

As always, come check out my DeviantArt. You can also now view my portfolio, which will be updated occasionally over the summer.

Talking about art in general...

So since I made this blog mainly about art, I figured I should post something art related. This video kind of spoke to me, since I'm not amazingly good at practicing every day, like I should be.

The drawing habit

It really is true that practice makes perfect. A friend and I both took piano lessons for six years when we were younger. She can play Beethoven a lot better than I can because she actually practiced. I got bored with it after a while, and stopped practicing. So it's the same with art. Practice is important, and it needs to be done if you ever have any hope in being good at anything, art included.

In a related note, here's my DeviantArt page. Go check it out and send me comments to tell me to stop being lazy and practice!

Game review: Final Fantasy Dimensions

Format: Android

Genre: JRPG

ESRB rating: Rating Pending

Score: 8 out of 10

            Final Fantasy has to be the series Square Enix is most known for. From the original Final Fantasy through FF13-2, Square Enix has been entertaining players of all ages since 1987.  Final Fantasy Dimensions takes us back to the unique job system that was utilized in many of the other titles in the series. However, this game has an interesting twist; instead of having the four Warriors of Light, who were chosen by the crystals that govern the four elements, the player must now control eight warriors who get separated between the World of Light and the World of Darkness. Both parties start out with the same eight jobs in the beginning, but after gaining a fifth, temporary party member, each group gains a new job unique to that party.

            

             The job system has a unique feature that isn't found in other Final Fantasy titles. All jobs start off with three levels that you can gain. However, after certain events in the game, you are given Job points that are used to level up any job you choose. This is required to gain more skills that you can then equip to your character, even after they switch to a different job, similar to Final Fantasy 5.

            

             The game is played on your smart phone, and as such, it would first appear that game play would be limited. However, it's quite simple to do everything you would do if the game were played on another system. There is a semi-transparent D-pad on the bottom left corner of the screen that is used to move the hero around, and simply bumping into objects or NPCs acts just like clicking the action button. There isn't really a need to lift your finger from the screen, either. The D-pad recognizes when you slide your finger from one arrow to another, and changes directions accordingly. However, the downside to that, I've noticed, is that sometimes your finger might not be in exactly the right spot, and the hero will start going in the wrong direction. This is especially frustrating when you're trying to get onto a ladder and you start moving away from it instead.

            

             The battle system runs on the Active Time Battle, and is as easy to maneuver as it is outside of combat. You are given multiple ways of selecting the same action, so you can choose whichever way you are comfortable with. If you want to heal one of your characters, you can select their name from the menu, or simply click on them directly. Select a specific monster to attack, or use the buttons near the bottom of the screen to switch between targeting the monsters or your own party.

            

             One issue that I've found with the game so far is that, during battles, my phone will randomly lock up. Don't worry, though. Just hit the power button on your phone to lock it, then hit it again to bring the game back up and it should work fine. It's probably just because my phone is older and can't handle the memory usage anymore, but it's certainly an annoyance. Also make sure that you have plenty of battery life. Even charging your phone while playing isn't enough to stop your phone from dying on you.

Can games make a better world?

Jane McGonigal seems to think so. Check out this video!


Gaming can make a better world

"My goal for the next decade is to try to make it as easy to save the world in real life as it is to save the world in online games.” 

So after watching the video, some of you may be thinking, "But what about violence in video games? Isn't that a bad thing?" In my opinion, only if you don't monitor the games your kids are playing.

There are ratings on the backs of every game case for a reason. "M" games are meant for MATURE audiences, meaning 18+. If your child isn't 18+, and you buy him an M rated game, then I believe that you aren't allowed to blame the game for your child's violent behaviors.

"But what if I just give him some money and he goes out and buys whatever he wants?!"

Most places that I know of don't sell M rated games to minors. They specifically ask for an ID, and they won't sell you that game unless it states that you're over 18. And if you don't like the game, most places let you return it for full price within the first week of having it. If it's later than that, most places will buy it back from you, even if you didn't buy it there in the first place. Also, if you're worried about your child buying a game that he or she shouldn't be playing, you probably shouldn't let them just run off into a game store anyway...

Other than that, I don't see why gaming couldn't make a better world. It's already been suggested that gaming can improve your hand-eye coordination, and there are plenty of puzzle games out there that help your brain stay strong. There's even training simulation games, used by police officers, firemen, doctors, ect. Why not take it to the next level?

Game Design: An update

So I found a few new sites to add to the list here.

Gamasutra - A place to go to read up on what's going on in the industry.

Game Career Guide - A sub-category from Gamasutra. This is the perfect place to go on getting information on how to get into the industry.

Also, you may be wondering, "What about actually MAKING the games?" Well, luckily for you, I have two programs that you can download to help you with that:

Game Maker - You can download a free version of this program and make games similar to Mario with it. It's a bit of a lower-end, easy-to-use program, but you can make some pretty fun games with it! These would be browser games.

UDK - This is more of the 3D graphics engine, used for making better games for consoles and your computer. The type of games you would need to download to play.

Game Design: Where do I get started?

This is a question I've been asking myself since the start of this semester. Sure, the best place to start is to go to school. You have to know what you're doing before you can do it. But what about after, or even during your schooling? How do you get yourself out there and get noticed? Well, I asked my teacher the same question, and she gave me some good starting points:

99designs - A site where you can either commission a design, or you can answer to someone else's commission and actually GET PAID for it!

Women in Games International - A place for all of us women who are into game design.

Game Mentor Online - A place where you can go to get mentoring from people who are in the industry already, or who have had previous experience in the industry.

And, of course,

DeviantArt - A free place to post your artwork. DeviantArt has a large and active community who is willing to critique your art for you.

DeviantArt is also a great place to get links to other sites. There are groups that focus on anything and everything that you can join and share your artwork with, from simple sketches to photography to 3D character and level design. There's even a number of groups based on your love of Pokemon (because we know you love Pokemon. Don't deny it.) Thanks to a few of the groups I've joined on DeviantArt, I've managed to find these forums where you can post artwork as well:

Game Artisans

Polycount Forums

www.ConceptArt.org

All three of these sites have a section for your own online sketchbook as well, as well as job information, ranging from simple freelance work between forum peers to job openings in the industry, like Blizzard, for example.

The real tip at this stage is to just do some searching, and don't be scared to post something, even if you think it's terrible. Put yourself out there, and you're sure to get noticed. There are tons of people out there who are willing to help you reach your potential. And when you're asking for critiques, don't settle for a simple, "That's cool." or, "I can't do that!" answer. Ask them what they like and don't like about the image. Even if they're not artists, they can still offer you good advice.

While we're on the topic of getting ourselves noticed, you can go check out my DeviantArt page and send me commission requests!