Journal - From stick figures to 3D models, Learning how to be a game artist

Hi Everyone!

It seems like there are a lot of threads by artists or designers who want to learn how to code in order to make a game that is all their own. But I see very few threads from the other side, programmers who are completely lacking in artistic skills, but also want to be able to make a game all their own and are willing to learn. This is exactly where I find myself.

In fact, it seems like the answer most people give when I ask what I should to do learn game-art is to "hire an artist." There seems to be a perception that, with art, you either "got it" or you don't, and you can never learn it. Well, I intend to prove that wrong, and that's why I made this thread.

The intent of this thread will be to catalog my journey in learning to be a game artist, starting from stick figures, and ending (hopefully!) with some real beautiful art that I can actually use in a game. My goals are to learn both 2D and 3D art, but to basically start with 2D stuff.

My hope with this thread is two-fold, first, I hope that it actually helps someone else who wants to learn game-art. Second, I hope that experienced artists or others who are learning might contribute some tips to help everyone.

So without further adieu...let's started...I'm already about a week in at this point, so I'll try to give as accurate a recollection I can of what I have done this far.

Preliminary Days: Before I actually started what I consider the "real" learning process, I spent a lot of time wandering around aimlessly trying to find what I should do, and basically feeling lost. I scoured the internet for tutorials on how to learn game art, I bought game art programs thinking they would somehow make me a decent artist (lol), I asked questions on forums hoping to get some direction...but all to no avail.

Eventually, and after many failed "sprites," I learned that game artists will typically sketch concept art using conventional means before diving in to an art program, so I decided to just try to sketch some concept art...and I quickly came to a realization. I can't draw. Which leads me to...

6/20/2012: Today, I resolved to learn how to draw. And pursuant to this purpose, I got the book:

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards

The book has you attempt to draw a self-portrait to take a record of your skills before teaching you anything, and well, mine is terribad . But I'm going to post it here just to show where I started, hopefully I will be far better than this in a few weeks time.

First Self Portrait:


6/23/2012: Today, the book had me draw my hand using this crazy viewfinder technique to aid in my perception. Surprisingly enough, it came out much better than my original terribad self-portrait. Signs of improvement already...


6/24/2012: Today, I tried to draw my half-broken closet door and my self from perspective. It was pretty difficult and it forced me to twist my mind around some odd concepts, but overall I think it went fairly well.

Closet:


Perspective Drawing of Shelf:


6/25/2012 - 6/27/2012 I don't really have much time to work on drawing stuff during the work week. But I did find some time at home to do some drawings. I did a copy of Madame X line drawing by Sargent that came out okay, and I'll be posting that once I get a chance to scan it.

Also, I decided to start learning Blender at the same time that I'm learning drawing stuff because sometimes I'm not able to practice drawing, but I can muck around on the computer and read a book. Pursuant to this purpose I got the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Blender-Foundations-Essential-Guide-Learning/dp/0240814304

I am learning a lot from it, but I can't really say I would recommend it thus far. The book has a lot of good information, but several things it says are just off. I have Blender 2.6, the book is specifically made for Blender 2.6, and yet the book seems to constantly disagree with the software. For instance, the book will say that "up arrow" advances your current animation by 10 frames, but it does not do that...things like this abound in the book.

Here's the Madame X copy drawing:


06/28/2012: Still working through the Betty Edwards drawing book, about 70% through now, I did a drawing today focusing on light logic aka shading. It was a pretty educational experience, I felt like I learned a lot about how we perceive reality as "3D" largely via how light falls on objects, and how you can "mimic" 3D in drawings by accurately mimicking realistic lighting. Anyway, here is my drawing, it was a copy of a master artist's work...can't remember who.

While it's not perfect, I think it's really leaps and bounds from where I started. And considering I started just about a week ago, I'm pretty pleased with my progress thus far.

Light logic drawing:

 

Reserved for future comments.

 

Reserved

 

I'd be interested in just seeing some good examples of a full art pipeline. With an explanation of what each piece is, who produces each piece, what it's for, how it's made, typical prices for each piece (depending on industry), etc.

I'd also be interested in seeing examples of what exactly artists need when tasked with creating game art, e.g., what information do they need, and what do they produce (character sheets, specs, etc), and what each item is used for. For example, the ortho drawing that the 2d artist creates which the 3d artist then uses to create the 3d model. What are the proper terms for these images. Stuff like that.

If you come across that kind of info, I hope you share!

 

I will definitely share if I come across that info, though I am focusing more on developing my own art skills rather than finding out what industry pros typically do. So I'm not sure that I will find the information you want.

Hopefully though, I will be able to tell you what my process is to create game art in the future .

 

Hey, I exactly feel like you. And I was thinking of buying art academy game on Nintendo ds as well. Good luck on your journey!

 

Thanks, and I wish you luck as well .

It's really good to see that I'm not the only one out there trying to develop art skills from the bottom up. Let me know if you need any advice on getting started on anything. My hope is that we all can help each other out in this thread!

 

Try to study perspective drawing, hatching techniques and theory of composition, and use pencil as your "level 1" weapon of choice. You are gonna improve a lot that way. Let me suggest some sketching books for you:
- "Pencil Sketching" by Thomas C. Wang.
- "Drawing Scenery: Landscapes and Seascapes" by Jack Hamm
By the way, Jack Hamm has other books that you might find useful. Start with a small collection of graphite and carbon pencils/sticks, a lot of double letter sheets and let your hand loose. Remember that when you draw, you are always balancing light and darkness (chiaroscuro) as well as weight and textures.
Don't try to go to ink techniques, water colors, markers or other techniques (including digital) right away, or you'll get frustrated.

 

Is it necessary for me to start with the traditional tool? Let say I already have an Intuos5, if I straight away using digital pencil would it hamper my art development?

 

You can give that ridiculous piece of plastic to me if you want!
In the old days I used to help my architecture major class mates to improve their drafting abilities. Pencil is always your first love... it's easy to control, gives beautiful and dramatic results and helps you understand composition due to the fact that you are using a very limited color range. Plus, the real feedback you get with pencil and paper is what a tablet and software is trying to emulate (like digital pianos try to emulate real pianos.) In this case, pencil and paper are way cheaper than a PC with a tablet and ArtRage or Photoshop that try to emulate pencil and paper.

 

Hey,

I visited Kuala Lumpur once, OK, I lie, I had a 8 hours stopover and used that as a chance to walk all over downtown.

If you have an Intuos5 buy Anime Studio Pro 8 (expensive: almost $200) or Anime Studio 8 (better: only $20) and teach yourself how to draw and animate in it. What you learn will translate well to making games in Unity.

Also learn how to model in Blender after you've spent 2 - 4 months creating characters and scenes in Anime Studio 8.

 

I agree

 

Well from all the smudges on your art work it doesn't seem that you are using a proper drawing table to draw on and you're sketching with very soft charcoal. I have not much talent drawing either and when I draw: I draw, toss, draw, toss, .., ..., until I've finally regained some proficiency drawing. It's not so easy for me either as I have to draw slow and calculate ratio in my head whereas others just freehand instantly.

But I'll give my opinion: unless you are trying to become an 'artist' as a profession: Albert Anker, Auguste Rodin, Francesco Messina, ...don't waste too much time trying to create 'realistic' artwork.

Go straight to teaching yourself to draw and create cartoon style work as that is what is in popular use in games and bluntly: the realistic type games as far as their models and art go: are all perilously close to be created via film and the models generated from the film for use in games. Your artwork is not going to win that battle.

Go out and buy Anime Studio Pro 8 (or Anime Studio 8) and learn how to caraciture, cartoon, and animate in that first and supplement it with a good book. The tutorials that come with Anime Studio are surprisingly good and using Anime Studio surprisingly easy.

 

Thanks for the advice! The book I am learning from (Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain) is actually teaching me a lot of what you are talking about. It goes over basic concepts like composition, negative space, perceiving lights and darks, etc. And it does it all through pencil sketching exercises.

Depending on where I am when I am done with this book, I may look into one of the other pencil sketching resources you recommend, because so far my book has great information on drawing concepts, but not that much on pencil sketching techniques like cross-hatching.

 

Yeah take it from me, starting with pencil is the way to go. I actually did exactly what you seemed to have done and bought an Intuos tablet right off the bat, and tried to learn all digital. But the fact of the matter is, that, while the tablet is 1000x easier to use than a mouse, digital is not as precise as a real pencil, at least that's been my perception.

I think what a lot of digital artists do, is they first make a rough pencil sketch of what they want to draw just to get all the proportions and angles right, then they scan it in, and do their digital drawing "on top of" the pencil sketch. So I would say that pencil sketching is definitely a vital skill for even a digital artist...at least that is what I have seen thus far.

 

Hahah yeah, the smudges on the shelf one are because I attempted to tone the paper with charcoal before drawing and that was just a bad idea all around . Definitely just sticking with pencil only from now on. The other drawings are a bit smudged up because of excessive erasing probably...but hey, it's an accurate measure of how I've been learning mistakes and all .

So Anime Studio huh? That definitely sounds intriguing. I did some research on it and it looks like it has animations...is there any way that you can import them into Unity? Also...I actually went ahead and bought Anime Studio 7 Pro from Amazon because they were selling it for like $23 .

Oh also, I'm with you with the whole realistic art thing. I'm definitely not trying to be an "artist," I'm basically just doing realistic stuff for now because the instructional book I'm using has you do them as exercises to teach you the "basics" of drawing. I know that I won't be drawing realistic stuff in the future, but I really do think the skills that it is teaching me are pretty valuable. Before I started with that book, I never even thought about things like negative spaces or composition.

 

Go buy an animation desk, i bought one from an ex Disney employee who is moving to america to work for Dream works it cost like $80 with three thousand sheets of animation paper i havent used any of the animation paper but it is sooooo good for drawing on even normally