Calling all Environment artists

3Dash

If you had 12 weeks to learn a certain aspect of game environments, such as particles, high-low poly, vertex painting, texturing... anything really what do you wish you spent that time learning?

The reason I'm asking this is because I have a module where I will spend around 200 hours learning and I'm wondering what you environment artists would pick, what's most important? what do you wish you had learnt?

Thanks in advance.

tottot

As an environment artist, if given free time to study something else, I would recommend diversifying and studying character art.

[edit] I completely misread the question, thought you were an env artist asking what else you should study

Zepic

Modular High-Low poly.

PixelMasher

for anyone whos starting out, i would recommend:

composition & lighting
Usings a couple tiling textures and trim textures to do 90% of your environment
prop creation (high-low poly)
Modular environment creation (although 3/4 games ive worked on havent been modular)

Stromberg90

Everything.

Basically if you have time to spend, try and do some of everything, then figure out what you find most interesting and focus more on that towards the end.

PixelMasher

also, if you want to be an environment artist, focus on making entire environments. a portfolio with a crate, barrel and dumpster does not make you an environment artist, thats a prop artist folio, and chances are props like that will be made in 20 mins by artists on the team or outsourced to china.

3Dash

thanks for the response, I have been doing environment work and currently working on a racing game but with this I want to focus on a certain aspect, I'm wondering is vertex painting used in the industry quite often, would it be useful to go deep into it and learn all there is to know? or should I focus more on textures which I'm thinking of right now because I'd like to improve in that since it's so important

PixelMasher

vertex painting is used pretty extensively now, most blends support masks and other interesting effects, but there is rarley a case where the artist makes the shader and uses it in the game. every game I have worked on there is a specific shader library you can choose from with some modifiable values to tweak it that were made by the tech artist team.

if you are more interested in the tech art side of things I would dig deeper into it, otherwise focus on making the best looking art possible.

Rurouni Strife

Which fundamental aspect of game art are you worst at (Painted textures, lighting, z sculpting...on)? I'd start there, focus heavily on that and work down. With 200 hours you can definitely improve significantly.

3Dash

thanks for the responses, since I want to improve my texturing skills I may start there

Goeddy

composition and lighting.
i think this is most important for the quality of a scene, and at the same time takes the least effort to execute.
i am not an env artist by choice, but still this is what i realy would like to be way better in.

Fingus

With 12 weeks? Definitely scripting. It's something I've dabbled in lightly but I simply don't have time to learn it in depth. The amount of utility it offers is huge.