These Arenanet art tests.
polycounter lvl 8
I didn't want to start a mini debate in someones thread so.
I noticed the first crept up not so long ago. Looked it over and it was pretty good. Then moved to my next tab, ( i tend to open a ton of threads then work through them) I had to double check it was a new tab since i seen the same lizard. Little surprised but never-the-less it was good. Now roll on the other threads.
I get your following the concepts but most people are doing it to a flaw. Everyone's work looks the dammed same and that can't be a good thing. Don't get me wrong the work is good, nice clean poly flow and ever-so-clean normals but theres hardly any originality. There all carbon copies of the concept work.
From the Areanet blog post-
Since its not the best layout im pretty sure this actually applies to the character/organic art aswell. Show some flare and separate yourself from the competition.
That colour scheme? exaggerate it. Those spikes? displace them around the body. Those teeth? double there size and thin them out. Adapt them to a certain habitat! add webbed feet, just be creative!
I can't be the only one whos stumbled onto this and i'm pretty sure there are lead artists here. So i'll ask for future reference, if you gave out a concept would you expect them to copy it flat out or would you want them to add there own style/take of it?
I noticed the first crept up not so long ago. Looked it over and it was pretty good. Then moved to my next tab, ( i tend to open a ton of threads then work through them) I had to double check it was a new tab since i seen the same lizard. Little surprised but never-the-less it was good. Now roll on the other threads.
I get your following the concepts but most people are doing it to a flaw. Everyone's work looks the dammed same and that can't be a good thing. Don't get me wrong the work is good, nice clean poly flow and ever-so-clean normals but theres hardly any originality. There all carbon copies of the concept work.
From the Areanet blog post-
Feel free to add your own interpretation to the style, cleanliness, and add any extra supporting elements as needed.
Since its not the best layout im pretty sure this actually applies to the character/organic art aswell. Show some flare and separate yourself from the competition.
That colour scheme? exaggerate it. Those spikes? displace them around the body. Those teeth? double there size and thin them out. Adapt them to a certain habitat! add webbed feet, just be creative!
I can't be the only one whos stumbled onto this and i'm pretty sure there are lead artists here. So i'll ask for future reference, if you gave out a concept would you expect them to copy it flat out or would you want them to add there own style/take of it?
Replies
1. You can follow the concept and deliver exactly what the art director is looking for. If you can do that, and you can do it with a deadline coming, and you can do it well, then you're going to be a great asset to whatever company wants to hire you at any given point. It means you can deliver and that you have enough power of observation to be able to pick out the details that make a design what it is, and you have the technical ability to execute it in 3D effectively.
2. You follow the concept and the model turns out to be crap. Bad textures, bad topology, fucked up UVs, whatever. No modeler can save a mediocre concept, but ArenaNet has some of the most skilled and highly talented people in the business working in their concept department, so that's no excuse. You made a crap model, so move on; nobody cares about your stuff until you improve.
3. You execute the concept, you do it well, and you add your own flair to it. You deliver what the art director was looking for, but you don't know the AD and you can't be sure if they will like your additions, even if you feel they improved the piece. Do this well enough, and they'll probably just be happy that you're creative enough to add something cool.
4. You execute the concept and add your own stuff to it, but it looks like ass. Old, dirty, hairy, wrinkled grandma ass. You fail. Art director sees your failure, doesn't hire you, you're fucked because you decided you were better at the concept artist's job than he was.
So basically, you're walking a tightrope with this ArenaNet stuff. Lean too far one way and you splatter your brains on the pavement. Too far the other way and it's the same result. Yes, everybody's doing the same stuff, but that also means you can compare your stuff to what's already out there and you can see how other people are failing. If you can see how other people are failing, you can avoid those traps and succeed.
I'll prolly post my WIP sooner or later, I have been busy working on it and usually when i should post shots im too tired to bother =3=
Are we really already out of original ideas or other cool concepts that we are now just all doing the same damn test?
You have to understand that alot of people are still trying to break into the industry and if someone offer you an internship position we would be foolish not to take up on it. Besides, soon you'll see the board saturated with superheroes cos Comicon is about to be due then as well =3=
*hah justin beat me too it.
*dick head mode off now
Though it seems alot of people are nearing a finish early. If they had time, would making another variation of the concept be brownie points worthy, maybe paint-overs with clear+backed up reasons for changes, Not the 'Cus it looks kewl' An if you gave reasons it'll lesson the giant F-U to the concept artist, which from what I've gathered are pretty dam good a there job. Basically I'm trying to find ways to show you have scope.
Or is it, you never finish attitude that dominates it. Why did they do this when they could have spent more time polishing this. ect.
Yes i tend to ask alot of questions but I'd be a idiot if i didn't.
Also it's not like I've got anything against the thread's, it was just that once grey area, that interested me.
Comicon is already running just so you know...
yeah, but from what i remember the due date for both of them are around the 21st-22nd?
Based on what I can see in the original GW and in a lot of what's been shown with GW2, they do a lot of stuff with their textures. You can sort of see how they'd approach things because some of them were done already - you know that "balthazar" looking guy that's next to the female mage you're doing in the concept image? That guy's already in the first GW, and I think people can buy the armor, so you can see how they approached it.
Concerning all these people posting the same art test threads, I don't mind seeing them. I do sort of which they'd very the titles - maybe put their usernames in the thread title or something, but I do like seeing them all.
"An art test is not the same work you would do in a studio, or a competition. It is a test to test what you can do on your own. To gauge your artist and technical ability alone without influence of others."
That is what I have heard from a few people on art tests. Also I think studios would prefer people not getting a hold of there art test as then its easier to cheat the test. Some people could make assets for it before hand to get a leg up.
I just want to make it clear that for this art test in specific, ArenaNet said this:
"You may post your progress online, but you MUST email your final renders along with a breakdown of your texture sheets."
Just clarifying. I would never post progress of an art test unless given the green light to do so.
That is good and all.
I am just curious how valid the end result is if a lot of artistic and technical decisions were influenced by people on a forum. Wouldn't at that moment the Art Test represent a community of artists instead of the artist itself???
I think also, if you completely, 100% are relying on others for your direction then the piece probably won't be that good anyway
That's like saying that every single art piece presented here on polycount is a piece made by the community as a whole.
You may have gotten help from the people here but you're the one who's actually made the piece from start to finish. It's not like you're handing your work over to someone else to do the job for you.
You'd be able to easily see all your competition and learn from each other, and easily see critiques on similar mistakes.
I 'like' this.
True that. But like Autocon said which I agree with
"An art test is not the same work you would do in a studio, or a competition. It is a test to test what you can do on your own. To gauge your artist and technical ability alone without influence of others."
So any thing we post here in polycount we are doing to get better and get feedback and all. An art test seems like a totally different thing to me. IMO it should be more personal.
I was just thinking out loud and wanted see what people thought about this.
I like the idea.
I agree. I would hope that they got permission before publicly posting someone else's IP all over the internet.
Do I think it's a good idea to keep tests private? Yeah, definitely -- even if the company says it's okay to put the test on your reel. But just because you're getting feedback on an internet forum doesn't invalidate your abilities or decision-making. The hardest part of receiving feedback is sifting through the good and the bad and figuring out which critiques to take into account when you make revisions (without losing your original vision). I consider this an important skill, whether the feedback comes from a lead or an experienced artist on Polycount.
I agree with this. Still, like you, I consider is a better idea to keep it private.
I don't have a problem with people following the concept art. You only seem to have a problem with it, because everyone is doing it, which after seeing the same one, time after time, I can appreciate what your feeling. There's nothing wrong with showing that you can execute the concept art given to you by someone who probably had it approved by the lead/director. That said, if you can differentiate yourself by mixing it up and adding in your own flair, then you might have a leg up on the competition. Don't forget though, that they're not advertising a listing for a concept artist, its for an environment artist, so first and foremost, people should be showing their technical skills, followed by their ability to artistically massage the concept art.
When I see a hard character concept I usually don't back down unless I don't have the time. But if I do have the time its like the concept is challenging me to a fight and I will conquer it by successfully creating it ! Its weird but I love this nack I have
Im still new to incoporating straps into my work so I wouldn't do the girl, but the armor dude I've definitely thought about. but I have difficulty reading the forms.
Im trying to learn as much as I can so im not on the same level as the majority where they create the same basic stuff over and over again, I want my portfolio to scream "holy shit", and part of that is doing what no one else dares.
Characters are FUN
but yeah making the armor bits did bring out a tear in me.