What is a Level Artist?
polycounter lvl 8
Hello all!
During a browse for job positions, I came across a position known as Level Artist. Googling the term only brings up Level Designer and Environmental Artist (some mention Level Artist but not too specific). Is Level Artist something in between those two because judging by the job description it kinda sounds like it.
The position is at DICE, Stockholm:
DICE is now looking for a Level Artist with solid technical knowledge and skills that are able to push a programmer to generate new innovative looks, lighting, and moods in their levels. You are used to push yourself and others hard to achieve amazing results, you are also flexible to change and able to modify their work if it will result in improving the overall ambiance of the world they’re creating. The Level Artist must have a passion for building new and innovative worlds.
During a browse for job positions, I came across a position known as Level Artist. Googling the term only brings up Level Designer and Environmental Artist (some mention Level Artist but not too specific). Is Level Artist something in between those two because judging by the job description it kinda sounds like it.
The position is at DICE, Stockholm:
DICE is now looking for a Level Artist with solid technical knowledge and skills that are able to push a programmer to generate new innovative looks, lighting, and moods in their levels. You are used to push yourself and others hard to achieve amazing results, you are also flexible to change and able to modify their work if it will result in improving the overall ambiance of the world they’re creating. The Level Artist must have a passion for building new and innovative worlds.
- The ability to think in 3D
- Drawing/sketching skills that display basic skills as well as any modeling and texture work related to objects, buildings, natural terrain, etc.
- Excellent sense of form, weight (mass), and volume
- Good use of light and shadow
- Breadth of artistic styles
- An understanding of optimization
- Excellent sense of scale and level of finish
- Experience with 3D Software such as Maya
- Highly commitment to deadlines with ability to set realistic time estimates for own work
- Proactive and driven
- An excellent eye for detail and focus on delivering the very best quality
- Team player and good collaboration skills
Replies
It's often the case in the industry though that alot of job positions with the same names are vastly different. For example an Environment Artist is commonly known as someone who does alot of asset creation and environment planning ontop of a level designers blockout.
While I know for a fact that at Guerilla Games for example an Environment Artist doesn't create any assets, but places pre-existing assets in the world. It seems that that's what a Level Artist is called at DICE?
That's my limited knowledge anyways
making those amazing vistas and such things, lighting, leading the eye , a lot of composition and so on, think Bob Ross - and the ability to make things in 3D if needed and know about lighting, shading, processing and such in engines.
Probably some heightmap and master landscape material knowledge.
Caters more to classical artist traits, concept and visualization, + requires a lot of modern technical knowledge, so the full program for the more experienced artists that could cater to a lead artist role or so.
So basically, an environmental generalist with a traditional edge?