Dilemma

[Riiroi]

Hi guys. Im a student who aspires to be a concept artist for games. Im fine with environments etc. However, when it comes to character design, im sort of having this problem. Im currently still trying to master human anatomy by learning from masters like loomis and hogarth and Im still trying to develop my own style but i think that once ive learnt realism i'd like to go for that realistic animeish look as ive been exposed to so many korean and japanese illustrators and their style. Its not like i do not like western-styled characters and i know that as a concept artist, we should be versatile however, i truly prefer drawing asian styled to western styled.

Perhaps somewhere along the line of Gez Fry and several of the pictures below

http://ic1.deviantart.com/fs9/i/2006/059/4/d/VMC_Mascot_Designs_by_Artgerm.jpg

http://features-temp.cgsociety.org/gallerycrits/165635/165635_1180547394_medium.jpg

http://www.black-eye.co.kr/images/img/illu/05/c-07.JPG

http://www015.upp.so-net.ne.jp/shunya/image/d07.jpg

http://features-temp.cgsociety.org/gallerycrits/205717/205717_1136368835_submedium.jpg

http://features-temp.cgsociety.org/gallerycrits/123008/123008_1112178572_medium.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c108/norisan/00108233.jpg

However, im told that concept artists who do anime styled characters will find it difficult to make it into the industry. If so, should i just go with a more realistic style and forget about the above styles....or should i just stick with concepts for environments etc and do characters like that for illustration anybody has any thoughts? id really like to hear them.

[Elwell]

I gather from your posts in the Art Center thread that you haven't even started college, right? Don't worry so much, you'll learn and change so much over the next few years that this will become a non-issue.

[Seedling]

If you work in any sort of art job that involves a team of people, such as games, then you typically won't get to decide what style you work in. Learn to be versatile.

Check out the games industry link in my sig, and also Concept Art 101.

[Justin.]

Your post has too much style in it... listen to Elwell

[Farvus]

Maybe after intensive exploration you could go beyond those styles and do something even better. Why treat them as your final finish line then?

[Micaiah Nelson]

Thats what I was told in the bussiness. That type of art that your reaching for maybe just good for personal work. but Its what they tell you what to draw is the most part of Concept Artist. I'm just guessing but it could also work by companies. Example like art with Capcom Square-Enix. There concept for there games are always like that

[Riiroi]

Wow...thanks for the replies guys, didnt really think that anybody would reply
yea...i hope to go to Art Center as well =D
anyways, i still have a few questions in mind:

1) Isnt concept design really more about ideas then lets say a pretty picture?(although ur concept has to be clearly illustrated) I know that one also has to be versatile in sci fic, fantasy, medieval etc and that it is very important.
but why does style in a character really matter?

Im told that Korean and Japanese game companies only hire concept artists from their respective countries and ive noticed that American and European game companies rarely hire people who have asian-influenced styles. Is style really such a huge factor when it comes to hiring concept artists? Cos i doubt ill see artists like Hyung Tae Kim get snapped up by lets say Microsoft Games or artists like Ryan Church working for SquareEnix. Which makes me wonder if it is even possible for a concept artist to work for companies in both regions...i mean, if they have good ideas and concepts, why not?
(*Styles here refer to how character looks and not sci fic, fantasy etc.)

2)Is there a difference between illustration for games(if it exists) and concept design for games?

3)I often do character designs when i have ideas. In what style should i approach it, realistic or styles from various artists(impressionistic, realistic, manga, Psychonauts, Art-Nouveau, Disney, Ukio-e ..like mentioned in Seedling's thread) to experiment or both?

4)Is there a limit to how stylized a character can look like in games?

Sorry for the multiple questions, but im really curious and would like to learn more. I hope i dont sound like an idiot when i ask =D Thank You.

(Ps: I really like your threads Seedling. They are really informative =D)

[Seedling]

Hi Rii. . . I’m glad you have found my posts helpful. :-) To answer some of your questions in an unorganized fashion. . .

Concept art. . . (“concept design” is a combination of two amazingly vague words, so I go with “concept art”). . . is more about communication than a nice-looking final product. That said, a concept artist at a game company may find herself tasked with the occasional finished and pretty illustration, such as an illustration for a magazine article on a game still early in development.

A concept artist has to adapt to the style of the company they go to work for, because they are making the blueprints that other artists will create work from. An architect couldn’t make blueprints for an Art Nouveau house and expect the builders to build something Gothic. If a concept artist is there at the beginning of a project, they’ll get to establish the look of the game, but the style and genre won’t be up to them to a great extent, because people higher in the chain of command will be saying “we want a sci-fi zombie shooter in the style of a Chinese ink painting.”

Working in multiple countries requires additional skills, such as knowing multiple languages and cultures. It also would require the artist to be an amazing artist above and beyond the typical successful concept artist, because relocation expenses would be mighty expensive. Not many people are both that amazing at concept art and have the language and culture skills.

There are all sorts of limits in making games. Some of those limits will be technological, and some will be stylistic limits set down by people higher in the chain of command.

Cheers. :-)

[Elwell]

“we want a sci-fi zombie shooter in the style of a Chinese ink painting.”
If only ;).