1 – 16 Feb, 2025 — Donita Kadharusman
Games Art Pipeline 24/25
2D — Creature Concept, Pre-project
Character Challenge
Before the unit started, Yiching (YC) Yang hosted a character design challenge for 30 days. Of course I joined the challenge, as this served as a warm up for the project. Furthermore, the challenge lets us brainstorm the idea of character design.
Each day, I had to come up with unique lore and design for each characters. This trained my mind to blurt ideas quickly. Although it was challenging, I tried to find real-life references which helped me to generate ideas, designs, and even backstories. Another aspect I noticed was that picking the right colour could complement the character’s overall design (choosing one or two accent colours could highlight their personality).
Overall, it was an amazing opportunity as I got to practice my idea generation and improve my understanding of human anatomy. However, forcing my brain to think of a design each day was exhausting and time consuming, this led to an art burnout where I discontinued the challenge after day-5. Moving forward, I plan to set a time limit for each design or even learn new technique to generate designs more efficiently.
ZBrush Workshop
As the 2D unit required incorporating 3D sculpting into our final piece using ZBrush, YC suggested that we join an introductory ZBrush workshop as a heads up before starting the unit (thanks, YC!). During theworkshop, the tutor covered the fundamentals of the software.
We were tasked to sculpt Finn from Adventure Time as he had simple shape and design, making it easier for beginners. Through this process we learnt the essential shortcuts for moving, rotating, zooming in and out, and selecting the model. The tutor also guided us to use the ‘move’ and ‘select’ tool to create his ears. To create symmetrical aspects effectively, we simply enable the symmetry tool. Finally, I learnt that ZBrush provides detailed 3D models, such as the hands and facial structures, hence, these could be used as base structures. I believe this introductory session will definitely help me get used to the ZBrush shortcuts and tools for the upcoming sculpting sessions in the unit.
LOOP Talks
Additionally, I attended the LOOP talks, which I found really helpful and informative. The guest speakers were incredibly interesting, they shared their industry experiences and provided us with various valuable guidance on skill development, useful websites, and transitioning from student life to the professional field.
One of the speakers who stood out to me was Daniel McGarry. In McGarry’s presentation, he provided an insightful and detailed list of how to get into the art industry. He explained that doing research on the companies’ art standards and styles was very important. Furthermore, he included many lists of aspects we should avoid if we would continue being 2D artists and one of them was ‘a lack of 3D skills’. This made me realise how crucial the upcoming unit is, which is to incorporate 3D into the 2D concept. It also means that I should always expand my skill set as the world’s technology keeps on evolving.
Another essential point I learnt was that ‘art is a team sport’. This is because the art industry is filled with people (artists) whose aim is to work together toward a shared vision. That is why communication and problem-solving are essential in the art industry, not only to achieve the final goal, but also to learn and improve from one another. Hence, I plan to seek support and constant feedback from peers and tutors. Finally, he mentioned that consistency is key. Creating art every single day will pay off in the long run, this benefits both our art skills and our chances of breaking into the industry. It shows your dedication, passion, and growth in art. He also highlighted the importance of networking, as it can improve the opportunities for getting into the industry. So, I aim to join art events in the future, such as Concept 101 and many more, to build connections and advance into the industry gradually.
(While listening to the talks, I also stole some glances at the crowd and sketched them haha. I believe this could help improve my observational skills and understanding of human anatomy)
(I should keep practicing my anatomy to better my character design’s fundamental structure)
