How to generate Ideas for assets/designs?

Jaykrass

I've always found it confusing how to keep true to a specific style, I really enjoy Stylized 3d assets, but I can never seem to get things to match properly, whether it be tones and shading, object design and the such.
There are many different forms of stylized textures and models, they all look similar, but they each have something different about them, I can follow all the tutorials on how to create stylized works, but I can never seem to find tutorials on how to generate new designs while still keeping true to the style, when I attempt to create new designs, it always comes out being too realistic, I try to tone down on the detail, but then it just looks too fake.

Another thing I can't seem find is tutorials/advice on how to generate new ideas/concepts for objects/assets, I hear a lot of "Use references," but that doesn't help, I'm just copying what I see, that's not making something original.

Any advice, or links will be helpful, thanks.

ZacD

Draw, draw, draw. Create your own rules and guides. Pay attention how small, medium, and large details work together in your style. Pay attention to shape language and silhouettes as well. 

PyrZern

Another thing I can't seem find is tutorials/advice on how to generate new ideas/concepts for objects/assets, I hear a lot of "Use references," but that doesn't help, I'm just copying what I see, that's not making something original.

"Use ref" is for accuracy, not about being new or unique. Exploring styles seems more like experience to me.

lotet

Study caricature. stylized stuff is not about level of detail, textures or color, thats seccondary and can change depending on style.
its about shape and form. you need to find a shape or curve, then exaggerate and optimize it.

Drocho

Sometimes when I want to create something but I haven't any ideas, I just start creating any old thing and eventually something comes to me. I suppose I could say that, in my experience, it's best to just first get into the swing of it, of creating something. Then the style just sort of appears right in front of you.

Kevin Albers

Jaykrass said:

There are many different forms of stylized textures and models, they all look similar, but they each have something different about them...

No. If it seems to you that 'stylized' stuff all looks similar, maybe you are thinking of a narrow subset of stylized stuff. A simple stick figure does not look really similar to an Orc in World of Warcraft.

One way to stay consistent within a style is to clearly define the style, by examples and a text description.  If you know the rules are 1- everything is black and white, with no color or gray values,   2- small details are always blown up to be much larger, and easier to see from a distance and 3- characters and objects are more 'tall and skinny' than they would normally be,    ...then you will have a better idea if any given object is following those rules.  If you make something that looks like it's from the game Journey based on the above list of rules, then you didn't follow the rules.

Don't focus on 'tutorials' for stylized assets. Tutorials are more likely to teach you how to create a very specific style, and you probably want to be able to follow ANY style, not just the style that a tutorial demonstrated.

Jaykrass

Hey, Thanks guys for your advice, I hope to keep this going so I can learn still from what I need to hear, here's my pinterest, It's got the kind of "Stylized" stuff I primarily want to project towards (Note: looks more towards the buildings, assets and such these are what I really admire and like most when it comes to "stylized", that whole WOW theme.)

On another note, when it comes to building things like in those assets I have a hard time brainstorming ideas of what I want to build, how I should design it, what can I add or do to it to make it my own, to make it unique rather than a copy; when I try to think of ideas or ways to design, or designs to come up with, I hit a wall, I become unmotivated because of the inability to think "originally" and make something my own and be creative.

https://www.pinterest.com/Jaykrass/design/

Harconem

Hey! I'm by no means on expert on any of this but here's my two cents -

I've always thought creating new things within the parameters of an already defined style is hard to do well! I can only echo what some of other people have said but - A lot of people make style guides to help - which are just big illustrated rulebooks for the design in a particular project. You can find some style guides for a few projects online (Chris Oatley linked one by Hans Bacher for Mulan here if you wanna see one). I'd say the best way to get started is by studying silhouette and rhythm. Then have a look at things like the colour schemes they use - are the complimentary, analagous, triadic or the like - then you can generate new colour schemes following their rules that fit into the style.

Basically, there's no one single way to do it - so all the tutorials in the world will only get you so far. I always find pen and paper is usually a good way to start getting to know a new style.

As for generating ideas... I always find adding more constraints on an idea helps to generate more ideas. For example, coming up with prop ideas for a 'birthday party' would get you stuff like 'cake', 'birthday hats' and maybe a few other things. Coming up with prop ideas for a 'birthday party that is pirate themed' will give you looooads more ideas! I guess the same can go for games? Make an infinite runner. Make an infinite runner in the wild west. Make an infinite runner with robots in the wild west. Each time you add constraints adds to the potential for inspiration (just don't add too many or it gets ridiculous). 

There's actually a great book about coming up with ideas that you might like here - how to steal like an artist.