Suddenly Lead Artist
polycounter lvl 7
Hello All,
since half a year I am a lead artist in a small games company. I was 3d-artist beforehand for a year and before that student at a media design school.
The Lead Artist position came somewhat unexpected to me and I realized in this last half year that I'm not quite aware of the qualities a Lead Artist must have. I think I made some mistakes in that time but on the other hand it's hard to compare to other Leads to learn from them since there are none in the company and I don't know anyone who is one.
So I wonder if you all could help me out with this, perhaps with some answers and/or with some links to articles about that issue.
To some up my questions:
What qualities should a Lead Game Artist possess?
What is his purpose and how should he achieve it?
Thanks all in advance, I hope that we will get a focussed discussion here running.
Best regards, AMess
since half a year I am a lead artist in a small games company. I was 3d-artist beforehand for a year and before that student at a media design school.
The Lead Artist position came somewhat unexpected to me and I realized in this last half year that I'm not quite aware of the qualities a Lead Artist must have. I think I made some mistakes in that time but on the other hand it's hard to compare to other Leads to learn from them since there are none in the company and I don't know anyone who is one.
So I wonder if you all could help me out with this, perhaps with some answers and/or with some links to articles about that issue.
To some up my questions:
What qualities should a Lead Game Artist possess?
What is his purpose and how should he achieve it?
Thanks all in advance, I hope that we will get a focussed discussion here running.
Best regards, AMess
Replies
has many answers
http://brau3d.blogspot.com/2011/11/igda-leadership-forum-session-notes.html
Its funny, cuz i posted it to start some discussions and insight, but nobody ever replied. :P
I once suffered under a guy with that title (for an unpaid community game) who said he liked my models but he didn't like me as a person even though we had never met or had any arguments. He then went on to restrict my access to online planning documents just because he didn't like me. Even though I think at that point I had made more models than anyone else on the team, I decided to quit on his ass and didn't give him any models either because he was treating me like a 2nd class citizen for personal reasons only. Because as I said, he never had any issues with the models I was making. And I was told by someone else that he was even pleased with them.
It's not something I'm proud of that I quit, but his pettiness was interfering with my ability to do my job. He didn't even want to talk to me. How on earth is a modeler supposed to do their job when the lead artist doesn't want to talk? I had to beg for someone to even tell me the naming conventions for the models and materials.
But the lesson I can try to convey to you is what it would have been nice for him to know. Even if you don't like someone personally, as long as they are doing their tasks you should under no means restrict them from having access to crucial documents out of spite. In fact, as lead, if you don't like someone, it's probably best to never ever show your dislike unless it's for something that's strictly professional.
Dealing with that guy was miserable. And I hope that the people who work under your leadership don't have to deal with such situations.
http://willkowach.blogspot.com/2011/12/stunted-growth-being-positive-art-lead.html
But in terms of the qualities and characteristics of a lead role, some folks are different and I really think it's about their approach to solidifying that role as leads. In any case there are some general characteristics that I believe leads should have to maintain a positive influence in the studio environment.
In general, Lead Artists act as a glue between the art team and the director, as well with the studio creative director or producers. In many cases, it would be the leads that communicate between tech, design and production in order to properly maintain a schedule that they can directly oversee with artists under their leadership.
I firmly believe lead artists need to actively stay engaged in communication and really keep tabs with their artists in order to stay up to date with their tasks and provide feedback along the way to ensure continuity in terms of art. When it comes artists pumping models or environments, it's extremely valuable to have someone checking up on it periodically and providing immediate feedback before it becomes "after the fact" when it becomes harder to go back and make appropriate changes. That being said, the Lead Artist should always seek to ensure a smooth pipeline with artists so that if any issues come up, it could be forseen and handled immediately. Nobody likes to be blindsided and ultimately the lead would have a better heads up if he remains in touch with various studio disciplines.
With that said, Lead Artists at least in my experience, seek to pursue leadership traits that is something all together a matter of compatibility and role that person enjoys filling. While there are leads who literally sit and say nothing except for respond to emails, i've had leads before who were actively engaged without having to peer over your shoulder ever 30 minutes, and maintain an open line of communication that really saved our Art Director a lot of time and hassle. Glue, being the key word.
In terms of my personal experience, and the bar I set for myself, I do it to make sure our artists are well informed, know what they need to accomplish and by when, provide and oversee that we maintain appropriate naming conventions, and assist in pipeline, like making sure checkins are up to date and before they leave for the night, all their work is properly updated and checked in so they don't get a random call in case something blows up. I enforce this only to really protect them but to make sure the integrity of our progression is preserved, and it's a good habit to get into anyway. I also eat lunch with my artists on a daily basis, to keep friendship and that core teamwork together, and I try to involve them in important discussions or reviews so that they feel an integral role in the studio. When it comes down to it, being a Lead entails the values of leadership, communication, and a line of trust that allows you to communicate proper feedback without bringing out the worse in people. This of course is my 2 cents, and not every lead is the same, not every studio even has a lead but in my experience, a Lead should always be proactive and a source of motivation with his peers.
Kaburan and the others have already given some excellent advice, so I have just a few things to add.
Become familiar with your team and identify strengths and weaknesses so that assignments can be given out appropriately, and so the artist has a connection with what they're doing. Be careful not to give too many tedious tasks to a particular person - you are also there to help prevent burn out. I think an art lead should act as an insulator of sorts to the art team, and minimize the amount of tactless comments or other bullshit that tries to reach your artists so that their motivation and positive attitudes can remain strong. You are there to help build their spirits and act as a mentor as well. When making decisions, I think it's important to be as decisive as possible, even when you are unsure. Nothing causes doubt among the art team more than a lead that can't make up their mind. Accept the fact you might be wrong sometimes and figure out how to correct the course.
Last, and maybe something that was hard to come to grips with, is the fact that depending on team size, etc. you might not be doing much of the artwork. I've literally had to go weeks without doing my own art because meetings, scheduling, trouble shooting, and other things came up. I'm not sure how other places are run, but I've also dealt with managing things outside of the art team as well.
However, there are a lot of perks too! Being a lead and watching your artists flourish and a well-executed plan come to fruition can be very satisfying
Best of luck!