illustrator or game artist
polycount lvl 666
I am seriously thinking about getting back in to illustration of some kind . Been doing game art since 1997 and TBH I am starting to get a bit jaded with it. Its been a real hassle working in games for me from dealing with bullshit politics to downright nasty people:) with big egos and zero talent.
TBH I have also worked with some cool talented people also, but its always the odd few who spoil it for eveyone else.
My mind is currently torn between games , film work and illustration.
Its a shame because I thought games had huge potential for creativity, but in reality they work more like the old medieval artists apprentice system where you are a like a slave to the senior artist or sometimes the designers or programmers.
I was always amazed at how controlling, hiercarchical some companies are.
Expressing an opinion is important , but some companies just hate this and I have seen people become like ghosts because of it. sad really.
I am currently enjoying my freelance work, but I am thinking of the next year or two that I may just duck out of games altogether.
Ironically working in games actually killed my passion for game art.
I really don't know how the way games companies work could be made better. I think the way artists are perceived by coders/designers has to change and hopefully they will become more recognised as dedicated specialists and given a bit more respect.
anyway rant over:)
TBH I have also worked with some cool talented people also, but its always the odd few who spoil it for eveyone else.
My mind is currently torn between games , film work and illustration.
Its a shame because I thought games had huge potential for creativity, but in reality they work more like the old medieval artists apprentice system where you are a like a slave to the senior artist or sometimes the designers or programmers.
I was always amazed at how controlling, hiercarchical some companies are.
Expressing an opinion is important , but some companies just hate this and I have seen people become like ghosts because of it. sad really.
I am currently enjoying my freelance work, but I am thinking of the next year or two that I may just duck out of games altogether.
Ironically working in games actually killed my passion for game art.
I really don't know how the way games companies work could be made better. I think the way artists are perceived by coders/designers has to change and hopefully they will become more recognised as dedicated specialists and given a bit more respect.
anyway rant over:)
Replies
Having said that, if you do decide to move on from the games industry Ruz, try to still spend at least some of your time keeping up with it and creating new personal works. If you leave and decide to come back at some point you wouldn't want to feel like you'd been left in the dust by the changes that had sense come about.
Alternativly, maybe you should think about opening up your own small games studio so you have a say in everything
I found that joining a small company, or becoming a key member of a start up, is a great way to love game art again.
Josh_Singh - yeah I would n't mind geting invlolved in a start up,but that presents its own set of problems ie not having the staff to do the things you want to do:)
you are a very good game artist.
Alex
Interesting, because I'm in an opposite position. I'm sick of illustration; I just think theres too many identi-kit illustrators out there doing the exact same style and yet, they get contracts. "The Boy Fitzhammond" (cringe.), I'm looking at you.
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That rhyming/ "poetry" is terrible
But with your obvious talents you'd be fine in either industry, you have a strong personal style.
Most illustrators hibernate for a year or so to hone their skillset and re-emerge with skin as thick as iron. You'd need to do this stand any sort of chance. Also if you're going it alone, not under employ, you'll need those cast iron balls too.
I feel for ya, I work for a small company and started out doing environmental art. Each enviro artist has a huge amount of creative freedom and is responsible for a few environments. The company wanted to bring character creation/animation back in house and since I was one of the only guys who could, and was willing to put his neck on the line, I switched.
I don't know about other places but characters are so tightly regulated and locked down its been a huge creative drain to work on them. I feel like I'm moving backwards actually. I think I'll start looking for another enviro artist position once I get a few people trained and they can handle it on their own.
Long story short, you seem like you've done an S-Load of characters, maybe switching to environmental art for a while might be the change of pace you need? Too bad almost every company sees it as a step backward =/
Sage - I agree that it could be even worse, but I was previously an aspiring commercial artist before becoming a games artist and had a 'little' experience of doing commercial stuff ie greetings cards - also stuff I did for Lucozade sport, but think I could do it a lot better this time around.
hawken - I think after working in games for this long, my balls have never been bigger. I think I could handle the clients ok, although clients do vary in quality same as artists:) cheers for the advice though.
The potential pitfalls have gone through my mind too.
cheers Vig - I have never had the position in a company where I was happy. It's a bit like goldilocks and the three bears ie this ones too technical, this ones not creative enough, this one has an overbearing prick in charge:)
you are right about the character stuff - so rigid and the environments is going the same way IMHO, ever increasing technical demands etc.
I was doing environments previously and its kind of fun,but could n't do it all the time.
The current company I am working for freelance is fine and have been accomodating in nearly every way, but I feel I can move in to an area of illustration where I might feel a bit more satisfaction in the long run. I will have to see really.
I only got in to games to work on tombraider. ha ha too late now unless core get the franchise back.
I made decent scratch in the IT industry and spent the last two years finishing up my degree, I may go into editing if I can find a position, I'd love to do game art but I haven't had one email or call back from anyone in Dallas yet and I emailed and applied for many jobs on the list at gamedevmap.
abuse companys for the connections and talents you can meet there, then sell them you ideas, concepts and steal\liberate their people
++++++ make sure they dont own you (in the sense of anyideas you have while in their employ)
can you tell its that time of project?
I first applied in 1997 but only got my first job in 2002 and I hated it he he.
SHEPEIRO - I would love to have my own company, but would maybe go down the route of selling 3d models or outsourcing if I ever did that.
all the fun no hard labour, you in? =D
I think ther is a huge untapped market for pc games that are 'not' next gen
cheers caseofchill