(Some of) the Weapons of Bioshock 2
Vincent Joyau - along time member of Polycount - recently shared with me some of his creations for Bioshock 2. Primarily he was tasked with creating the weapons you as the player would use in Bioshock 2. Additionally, he was responsible for some attachments and a few modular environment bits. What a perfect combination to pass on to you guys.
Rendered using 3point Studio's new 3D Studio Max '3point Shader', we'll have a look at 4 weapons, 3 sets of weapon attachments and 3 examples of Joyau's modular environment art.
Weapons, Bioshock 2
When creating this artwork, Joyau was under tight deadlines and really had to plan his construction phase. He writes,
"I had to define a precise and reusable workflow for the texturing because the allocated time per weapon was very short due to production reasons. My main task was to identify the recurring materials and create processes for each them that would fit the style and quality level of the game. That way I could 'quickly' get a base material for all the assets that would be cohesive and on par with the other assets of the game."
Judging by the next few images, it's safe to say that his planning before his execution really planned off. The era and aesthetic of the world of Rapture is so well achieved in his work. The mark of not only a great artist, but a smart artist.
[caption id="attachment_648" align="aligncenter" width="630" caption="One of the weapons created for Bioshock 2 by Joyau."]
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[caption id="attachment_650" align="aligncenter" width="630" caption="One of the weapons created for Bioshock 2 by Joyau."]
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[/caption][caption id="attachment_653" align="aligncenter" width="630" caption="One of the weapons created for Bioshock 2 by Joyau."]
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Click on to page 2 for a look at Joyau's weapon attachments for Bioshock 2.
Weapon attachments, Bioshock 2
Using the same techniques he discovered for the weapons, Joyau then moved on to some weapon attachments found throughout Bioshock 2.
[caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="630" caption="A set of weapon attachments created for Bioshock 2 by Joyau."]
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"It was a lot of stress because Bioshock is such a great IP and the art style is so well defined that you have a lot of things to pay attention to. Overall it was a lot of fun, I learned a lot."
[caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="630" caption="A set of weapon attachments created for Bioshock 2 by Joyau."]
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[caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="630" caption="A set of weapon attachments created for Bioshock 2 by Joyau."]
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Next up we'll check out Joyau's modular environment creations for Bioshock 2.
Modular environment assets, Bioshock 2
Working from concept and the layout of the level the art would be used with, Joyau set off to create environment assets with a typical modular design. His first goal was was figuring out exactly which pieces the level designers needed immediately rather than what he'd like to dive right in to immediately.
"This is actually something very important. Often I see environment artists rushing the modules like there's no tomorrow, but not asking the level designer what he actually needs. Having built levels for quite some time at Digital Extremes and in my personal time, I can definitely tell how frustrating it is to try to build something relatively complex architecture wise and not having the right pieces to play with."
[caption id="attachment_661" align="aligncenter" width="630" caption="Modular environment pieces for Bioshock 2, by Joyau."]
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[caption id="attachment_662" align="aligncenter" width="630" caption="Modular environment pieces for Bioshock 2, by Joyau."]
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[caption id="attachment_663" align="aligncenter" width="630" caption="Modular environment pieces for Bioshock 2, by Joyau."]
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A lot of artists out there dive right in to what they're doing and collect reference or information along the way. And while their talent will pull them most of the way its proper planning that well take any good work and make it great. The thing I love the most about this post, is not the exceptional artwork Joyau created for Bioshock 2, but seeing the results of concentrated planning & execution. If there was ever any doubt that planning your work before you get to it yields entirely successful results.
I hope it is this that you take away from these examples and that the next time you go to create something, you give it the time it deserves and properly think about what it is you're about to create. Whether its weapons, characters, environments or effects all things will be better for it.
I'd like to give a huge thanks to my good friend Vincent for sharing these with Polycount. If you haven't yet, check out his new thread in the Polycount Forum where he showcases some other artwork he's been cooking up over the past year. Once you're done there head on over to his portfolio and check out the rest of his amazing artwork.
If you're a professional artist who's recently finished something you think is a great example of the craft, feel free to contact us and let us know. We'd love to share it to the rest of the world!
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