Do 3D/VFX artists get the same creative freedom as concept artists?
Hi all,
I'm a generalist 3D art/3D animation/VFX student, just wanting to get some industry advice on where I should direct my learning or if I should specialise early on. Do concept artists by their nature get more creative agency than 3D artists? Or does it depend on the size of the studio? I love all aspects of 3D art and animation, but I'm a bit worried I'll be working off other people's concepts for most of my career - I'm totally okay with doing that for years but not my entire career.
I'm not too bad at drawing but not incredible, would it be worth dedicating a lot of my time to drawing skills if I do want more creative agency in the future? Is it much different depending on whether the project is a film, video game or tv show?
Replies
there is some creative freedom or maybe rather various level of creative boundaries to adhere to. unless you do designs in 3d, yes you will be following other peoples visions.
that doesnt mean you only have to follow a concept artists design, but also make sure the end result is in line with the final product, many levels of boundaries that will have to work together. the concept art is just the idea, but might not represent the style of the game, what the artdirector wants to see might have to be brought in line with other technical hurdles and so on. there is creativitivy, even in the big productions but it is not the same as creating something from scratch. but then again, a concept artist often is also confined to the ideas of others.
Thanks for replying :) I came from an industrial design / generalist design sort of background before I switched to 3D/VFX, so I tend to design my stuff with a mixture of a 2D concept drawing, and then continue designing it in 3D, I feel like both mediums can more easily come up with certain types of ideas than the other. Do art directors tend to come from a 3D or 2D background?
either or both at the same time or even sometimes from completely elsewhere.