Job Roles

Submission Guidelines

In general there are two main types of game artist, 3D or 2D artist. In the case of the 3D modeller it must be borne in mind that the definition of the role depends heavily on each game studio’s structure and an individual’s ability. A modeller can be reasonably asked just to model 3D objects or, as is more commonly the case, to create work in most of the specialised areas listed under 3D artist in the job roles section.
Read through the job role descriptions to find out exactly what each one entails. If you are looking to enter our fine industry there are additional guidelines on where you need to concentrate your creative efforts to increase your chances of success.

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JOB ROLES
The game industry has matured over the last 15 years as the scope of games has rapidly expanded. Game teams can now number more than 50 people and as such job roles have begun to fragment into more specialised areas. Listed below are the job roles currently associated with a game project art department. Click on each one to find out what each one entails.

3D Modeller & Texture Artist
Texture Artist
Technical Artist
Visual Effects Artist
Concept Artist
GUI Artist

3D Modeller & Texture Artist
As the name suggests, the 3D artist’s working day consists of creating objects, characters and scenery in 3 dimensions. The majority of this work will usually be achieved in one of the major 3D software packages such as Maya, 3D Studio Max, Softimage Xsi, Lightwave etc.

The artist usually works from a piece of concept art and creates the model (otherwise known as an art asset) from start to finish. This includes building the initial model, the creation and subsequent application of texture maps, adding project-specific blind data, and in some cases visual effects nodes and even hardware graphics shaders. Though this all sounds rather daunting, the ability to model and texture well will get you through the door – after that the rest will come as you learn on the job.

Note that some companies make a job role separation of 3D Artist and 2D Texture Artist; however, most companies expect the 3D artists to complete the texturing phase in addition to the modelling.

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Texture Artist
Some companies separate the modelling and texturing job roles, which naturally means that some artists become experts in 2D texture creation and application.

Games rely very heavily on high quality texture mapping. The creation of these texture maps and their application has grown ever more complex as game art has steadily increased in quality. There are now so many different processes and applications available for creating and applying them that game artists can easily specialise in this area. The close relationship between model topology and texturing means that Texture Artists normally work very closely with 3D Modellers.

The increase in the use of hardware shaders on the new game platforms has also increased the demand for dedicated Texture Artists, especially those that have the technical ability to create and modify hardware shaders.

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Technical Artist
Bridging the gap between art and programming, the Technical Artist has emerged as a new team requirement in many progressive game companies.

The role can emerge from either the art or programming disciplines and has an appreciation for both the aesthetics of the game and the underlying technology of the game engine and target platforms. The exact job description of a Technical Artist does vary from company to company but includes one of more of these roles: - plugin creation / script creation / technical documentation / hardware shader creation / visual effects implementation / general art asset creation and trouble shooting.

Having the ability to write scripts and plugins in addition to normal artists’ duties means that the Technical Artist is able to maintain and improve the production pipeline as well as the overall visual quality of the game. Most top-level Technical Artists also have an acute understanding of the target hardware and in some cases are able to write hardware shaders and do general programming in C or C++. This is an up-and-coming role that is currently highly desirable within the industry, due to the huge positive impact that a good Technical Artist can have on a project.

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Visual Effects Artist
Another area showing signs of specialisation is special effects. This artist defines, creates and refines all special visual effects for the game. Strong skills in texture creation coupled with an acute understanding of particle systems and geometry effects are key. Visual Effects Artists often have a good understanding of the technical restrictions of the target platform and will always work very closely with a programmer to create the effects.

Having a good level of target hardware knowledge really helps this role as finding creative ways to produce striking and efficient visual effects separates the best from the rest. Additionally, the ability to technically deconstruct other visual effects from other products helps to keep the team and company on the cutting edge as far as visual acuity is concerned.

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Concept Artist
As the title of the job states, when a new ‘concept’ for a game asset or feature is created, it’s the job of the Concept Artist to realise that concept in a visual form. Concept Artists usually draw a 2D image of the required asset, environment or character so that it may be either passed onto production and/or included in documentation.

The Concept Artist has the responsibility of envisioning and presenting the visual style of the game under the direction of the art or creative director. Superlative skills in draughtsmanship coupled with a vivid imagination are the keys to success. The best Concept Artists live to draw! Being able to draw and render well in traditional as well as digital media is a pre-requisite as well as the abilities to constantly refine your work and accept constructive criticism.

The Concept Artist has the freedom to define the look of a whole game, so thereby accepts a great deal of the responsibility for the final ‘look’ of the game. The Concept Artist role is a demanding pressurised role that thankfully is offset by a great deal of creative freedom and reward!

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GUI Artist
Usually found in the domain of the larger developers and publishers, GUI (graphic user interface – pronounced gooey) Artists usually stem from a graphic design background. Primarily responsible for menu systems and in-game ‘score’ elements, the GUI Artist must have good layout, graphics design and typographical skills. Many GUI Artists also have major input into the design and flow of the game’s front end (menu system) and HUD (head up display).

Because the GUI is the first interactive visual element that a gamer will get to see in any game, the GUI has to be engaging, clear and artistically excellent. GUI Artists have a lot of responsibility in this respect and therefore they are usually motivated and driven by the desire to do great graphics.

With the earned ability to influence the flow of the front end, there is considerable responsibility as a poor front end can break a game.

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GUIDANCE & ADVICE
Getting into the game industry can be very difficult, even with good skills. The guidance and advice section will give you more direct advice on what you’ll need to be good at and which areas to concentrate on in order to significantly improve your chances. Click on the links below to get the skinny on each job role: -

3D Modeller & Texture Artist
Texture Artist
Technical Artist
Visual Effects Artist
Concept Artist
GUI Artist

3D Modeller & Texture Artist

Skills Required
There are two primary requirements here. Above all else, you need good artistic skills; a general grounding in traditional art is of paramount importance. This should include, but not be limited to, good drawing skills, anatomy, an appreciation of form, composition and colour theory. The ability to demonstrate good traditional artist skills is becoming more and more important.

The other big requirement is well-practised abilities in the use and application of 3D modelling software like Maya, 3DS Max, XSI or Lightwave. These packages are the industry standard and as you’ll be using them day in and day out it stands to reason that you should be good at using at least one of them.

Good levels of competence in the creation and applications of texture maps using at least one image creation package such as Photoshop, Painter or Z-Brush. Additional experience in 2D vector art packages such as Illustrator is highly desirable.

Tips

• There are many sites on the Internet that specialise in the creation of art assets for modifications of existing commercial games. These sites contain a wealth of information regarding the creation of game quality art assets. All prospective game artists can learn a great deal from these sites; they also give you the opportunity to create some art yourself and see it running in a real game engine.
• If you have a PC but don’t have the software, visit the main sites of the 3D package manufacturers and download free personal learning editions. These will allow you to learn the packages and get in all those vital hours of practice!
• Scour Ebay and other sources for books and learning materials. Many people get rid of books soon after they have worked through them and usually sell them on for a fraction of their original cost.

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Texture Artist

Skills Required
The essential quality here is the ability to draw and create very high quality texture maps and imagery for application onto models or incorporation into shaders. Texture maps can be created using a very diverse number of techniques with a growing number of art creation packages. A very desirable quality is the ability to adopt different art styles as per the requirements of any given project.

Being an artist, a solid grounding in traditional art that should include but not be limited to good drawing skills, anatomy, an appreciation of form, composition and colour theory. The ability to demonstrate good traditional artist skills is becoming more and more important within the industry.

Equally, Texture Artists must understand the fundamentals of texture co-ordinate layout and mapping and also clearly understand what the different types of maps are and how they relate to each other.

Tips

• Practise and demonstrate a wide range of skills and styles. This may seem obvious, but many job application portfolios only exhibit one style. Having a varied portfolio of styles will separate you from the rest.
• Draw as much as you can and invest in learning primary packages such as Photoshop as much as you can. The secret to being a good Texture Artist lies in being fast as well as being good.
• Look for and collect good texture reference. The Internet is a good place as well as photography and even generating your own library of base textures. All good Texture Artists have a vast library of source images upon which they can draw when creating new images.

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Technical Artist

Skills Required
Being a very versatile job role, the Technical Artist is required to be a general artist with a strong technical awareness and abilities. Artistic requirements are the same as the other artist roles, with the added ability to communicate and work closely with programmers.

On the technical side of things, Technical Artists that have the ability to program plugins or write scripts and even create shaders rank very high on the desirable skills list. Practise your scripting and plugin programming by creating tools that speed up and facilitate artists and animators in their daily work. Examine the ways that artists and animators work and look for ways to help them save time; even if it is a small saving, it all counts!

From creating effects, manipulating skeleton structures and processing data to improve the visual quality of the game or the toolsets of the art department, the Technical Artist is now becoming vitally important.

Tips

• Practise speeding up repetitive art and animation tasks using scripts and plugins – it’s the secret to success in this role.
• Learn as much as you can about the game production pipeline and look for ways to speed things up and remove bottlenecks.

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Visual Effects Artist

Skills Required
The requirements for a Visual Effects Artist are pretty impressive. In addition to the obligatory traditional art skills, you’ll need to have excellent 2D art abilities, a very acute awareness of the technical restrictions of both the game engine and target platforms, and above all have the creative vision to create stunning effects.

The ability to solve problems and experiment, often without much guidance, is also essential, as many tasks are fairly open-ended. Being able to predict how to transfer effects from one game platform to another and exploit the strengths of different target platforms is absolutely vital.

Visual Effects Artists normally stem from a career as a regular game artist. The likelihood of landing a job as a Visual Effects Artist straight from college is pretty remote due to the technical requirements of the role. But if it’s eye candy you’d like to create, then this is the job to aim for!

Tips

• Study all the visual effects reference you can lay your hands on and practice figuring out how you would go about implementing the same effects in a game engine. Look at ‘making of’ sections of DVDs and effects publications like Cinefex for inspiration.
• Become expert in the use of particle systems and focus on creating effective textures for use with them.
• Play plenty of games and maintain a clear picture of what the current state of the art is in terms of visual effects, especially games that are recognised for exemplary effects.
  

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Concept Artist

Skills Required
Drawing, drawing and more drawing!! Different styles, different rendering techniques and all sorts of subjects should form the backbone of your career focus.

A good mix of traditional as well as digital art is a must. Being able to communicate your ideas quickly and effectively is absolutely vital, so whether you have a pencil, stylus or brush in your hand, make sure you can draw well.

In terms of drawing skills, most good Concept Artists study subjects like anatomy in order to facilitate and improve their work. Concept Artists able to tackle any subject matter will always do well.

Tips

• Visit web sites like conceptart.org to get tips on technique and immerse yourself in the incredible art of other concept artists.
• Draw everything. Don’t limit yourself to characters or objects or environments. A good Concept Artist can draw anything at a moment’s notice in a variety of styles.
• Many games require the artists to emulate art styles, especially if you are going to work on a sequel. To train yourself in the art of emulation, find a few art styles you like the look of and practise copying them. The workflow you learn by doing this will help you learn new styles and develop a way to synchronise with other styles.

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GUI Artist

Skills Required
Being essentially a 2D graphic design role, it stands to reason that good graphic design skills are paramount. Of particular importance are good layout awareness, a sound knowledge of colour theory and excellent typographical skills.

The ability to comprehend and design menu structures and visual elements that represent game functions is fundamental. GUI Artists’ responsibilities can range from just doing a few simple images all the way through to designing the flow and function of the front end and/or HUD.

The ability to draw well on paper is a real bonus too. When meetings about the GUI or the HUD begin, GUI Artists often have to draw on the fly to try out ideas during the meetings. In any case, GUI Artists will usually have to have a paper design approved before production on the final assets begin.

2D art packages like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are the industry standards here, although the ability to model and render objects in a 3D package is a distinct advantage. Many GUI and HUD elements are now rendered in 3D before being manipulated afterwards in Photoshop.

Tips

• Study every layout and screen design for as many games as possible. Take care to study why screen elements have been placed where they have and try to work out the underlying flow of in-game menu systems.
• Read books on user interface design and layout and build a solid working knowledge of iconography. Universal iconic representations of game elements can be very difficult to create, especially in our global cross-culture game industry.
• Practise your skills by re-designing the GUI or HUD for existing games. In this way you can evaluate what is already there, play the game and try to improve on or change the style of the GUI. This is especially useful if you think a particular game suffers from a poor GUI.
• Develop a good library of fonts. Always be careful to maintain details of where the font comes from and if possible which foundry or artist produced them. In this way, if you decide to use a font in the game, the studio will be able to pay for the rights to use the font.
  

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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
All artist submissions have many common requirements: -

Applicants for all artistic areas in the game industry must be proficient in the basic components of art. The ability to draw and communicate your ideas visually is overwhelmingly important, as well as other core skills such as understanding colour theory, anatomy, proportion and an overall appreciation of good visual aesthetics.

Applications should consist of a covering letter, an up-to-date copy of your current CV / resume along with a portfolio of your BEST work and any application form if required. Artwork should either be supplied printed on good quality paper or preferably on a CD-ROM or DVD. For CD-ROM or DVD submissions bear in mind the following: -

• Images should be correctly labelled and supplied in either JPEG or BMP formats.
• Turntable and fly-through animations should be supplied in AVI or Quicktime format and should be encoded with an easily available generic codec.
• Make sure any materials you supply have your name and contact details clearly and legibly marked on them.
• Include your cover letter, CV and work on the same disc.
• Don’t compress or zip the work on the disc.

It’s simple: show your work in a very accessible, immediate way. If the employer has any trouble seeing your work for whatever reason at all, you are already going to be in trouble or worse still your application will be discarded!

Other things to remember: -

• If the work has been a collaborative effort between yourself and others, please clearly specify your involvement in the work.
• Only include work you are sure represents you and your best efforts.
• Keep your CV to a maximum of 2-3 pages in length and be sure to have other people proof-read it for you to remove mistakes and pass back feedback to you in order to improve it.
• Be clear on what the job role you are applying for involves and make sure that your portfolio of work is relevant!
• Lastly, if you are an artist, don’t refer to yourself as a designer! A designer is a different role in the game industry, in that a designer designs the mechanics of the game – nothing like a graphic designer. Failure to appreciate this casts doubt on your knowledge and desire to enter the industry.
• Enjoy the application process! It’s a great industry – induction will come to those whom have the skills, drive and positivity to succeed!

3D Modeller & Texture Artist
Texture Artist
Technical Artist
Visual Effects Artist
Concept Artist
GUI Artist

3D Modeller & Texture Artist

Role Specific Requirements
The basic requirement of any application is to convey your ability to turn ideas and drawn concepts into functioning game-ready 3D models. In addition to modelling and texturing skills, traditional art skills like drawing are also important.

• Concept art / initial sketches from which you built your models.
• Clean, clear renders of your completed models. Try to include details on things like the polygon counts and the number and sizes of the textures used.
• Images of the texture maps you used in the models.
• If you wish to include 3D meshes, make sure that all textures are also included as well as renders of the model as specified above.
• General art skill support work such as drawing, concept art etc.
• Any support details such as the project briefs, people involved and outcomes.

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Texture Artist

Role Specific Requirements
As the name suggests, the basic requirement is for you to demonstrate the ability to create compellingly accurate and detailed texture maps. A broad range of style and speed are key here.

• Many examples of different types and styles of texture maps.
• Try to include a few layered Photoshop files thereby allowing the reviewer to gain an insight into your workflow technique as you build up a texture.
• Examples of different types of texture maps such as diffuse, bump, specular and normal maps. If possible demonstrate how they are all combined to create a finished surface effect.
• General art skill support work such as drawing, concept art etc.
• Any support details such as the project briefs, people involved and outcomes.

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Technical Artist

Role Specific Requirements
Being a fairly new role, the requirements are pretty specific. In addition to the basic artistic requirements, the Technical Artist must also demonstrate an understanding of the technical aspects of the role.

• Good work examples that demonstrate solid artistic abilities for modelling and perhaps animation. See above for details.
• Scripts and plugins submitted with details on why they were created and what impact they had on the production pipeline. These may have been created as part of a live project or just for you to improve your own workflow.
• Any support documentation that you feel demonstrates your knowledge of the relative strengths and weaknesses of different hardware platforms or game engines.
• Details on your part on any project work where you acted in the capacity of a technical artist, even if this was just at college or University.

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Visual Effects Artist

Role Specific Requirements
This one is all about eye candy. All you need to show is how cool your effects work can be and how you’ve gone about creating those effects.

• Any concept art or initial sketches of the effects.
• Any briefing materials used to initiate a special effect.
• Texture maps and / or models you created as part of the effects you have created.
• Animations / video of effects systems or particles that demonstrate your ability to create compellingly impressive effects.
• Traditional art examples – anatomy, life studies etc.

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Concept Artist

Role Specific Requirements
This one is pretty easy, as you only really need to supply lots and lots of drawn artwork. That said there are some bases that need to be covered.

• Show images in different styles – both in terms of rendering style and drawing style. The biggest strength of concept artists is to adopt any style necessary.
• Try to include some art as layered Photoshop files - that will be very useful for the reviewer to understand how you work.
• Where possible please include the time it took to complete each piece. Although you probably won’t work at the optimum speed required for the industry when you begin work, the duration for each piece gives the reviewer more information about you and what needs to be done if you are successful.
• Traditional art examples – anatomy, life studies etc.

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GUI Artist

Role Specific Requirements
The things you need to include for a GUI Artist application are pretty straightforward. The bottom line is that you need to show a good comprehension and appreciation of layout and visual style.

• Great examples of initial concept art at various stages from thumbnail concepts right through to full colour visuals and mock-ups of GUIs and HUDs.
• Final textures for use as a game GUI or HUD with any associated brief or requirements list.
• Mocked-up screenshots showing how your own designs would work on-screen. If you have redesigned an existing GUI or HUD, include both versions for comparison and indicate where you think you have or have not improved things.
• Graphic design layouts showing good use of layout, type and colour.
• Traditional art examples.

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