Do you really need to get a degree specifically for game art or would be a bachelor’s degree in design such as graphic design sufficient and learn everything else with online courses and tutorials by yourself? Also, is a master’s degree also benefical or not?
I am really confused right now, because I took a 2-year-diploma-course in graphic design and right now I am doing my bachelor’s degree in Information Design, where I absolutely don’t have the feeling that it prepares me for the game industry at all.
And I have found a relatively cheap bachelor’s programm in the Netherlands that is called International Game Architecture and Design where I will learn 3D modelling, character design, animation and whatnot related to the art side of game development. However, I already have a good background in illustration. And my dream is to work as a concept artist in a really big studio such as Blizzard… Would another bachelor’s degree in game art be wise or would it be a waste of time, because I could teach myself all the skills or taking online courses instead of having to study for another three years? Help, I don’t know what to do anymore!! I really need your advice, thank you sooooo much in advance for all of your helpful responses!!
Thank you so much !! I just wanted to make sure because the application deadline for this college is coming closer. Do you think it would be best to just take several online courses of for example Gnomon School or CG Spectrum and watch tutorials, work on my skills, go to game events where industry professionals hold lectures and doing a masters’ degree in games would be a better option?
Total waste of time, just learn on your own using all the resources available to you nowadays. The hard part about that dream of your’s is that you need to be better than hundreds upon hundreds of other people who want the same thing you do. It’s an extremely competitive field, make sure you’re cut out for what you’re signing up for.
Ya what usually matters most is just being good at the core profession. Same reason most companies hire for just good smart developers first, and domain specific experience second. You can take someone who is just good at the core of what they do and teach them industry specific tricks and techniques in a relatively short time period. You can’t say the same for someone that knows all the industry specific stuff, but just has no grounding in the fundamentals of their craft.
Check out ArtStation and make your own portfolio. If yours stacks up to the standard of quality found on that site then you’ll have no trouble getting a job. If you’re not sure if you have the skills for it then start with small, simple models for game development that are part of a greater series and try to sell them on the Asset Store. If people are paying for your art they are much more likely to give you honest feedback and the number of people who buy it is an indicator of how you’re doing all on its own.
I agree on the artstation part but I think if concept artist at a AAA studio is the end goal, then assetstore-anything is a waste of time and a pointless distraction. In good artist communities you get brutally honest feedback when you ask for it. Absolutely no need to sell stuff on the assetstore to get feedback.
@ Martin_H You mean that I should just focus on my concept and 3D modelling skills, right? I read so many threads in different forums and some are saying that you need formal education in games and some are saying that having a degree in design or art (be it fine arts or applied arts like graphic design or animation) is enough - I really feel confused and don’t know what is right for me anymore >_< I know that you cannot predict the future but still…
I think I just need some guidance from someone, maybe a menthor or an online course. I feel that another bachelor degree is just unnecssary because of its duration of 3 years… However, I still need some direction, though, otherwise I might get lost, because it is all a massive labyrinth, seriously…
@LaneFox yeah, you’re right. I really have the feeling that I can also do it on my own, however still need some guidance from a mentor. You’re all right to say that in the end, only your skillset, connections and portfolio matter.
The first step is deciding what you want to learn. Do you want to focus on being a 3D polygonal modeler or do you want to focus on concept art? Do you prefer characters or environments? Do you just enjoy digital art in general and aren’t sure where to start?
Concept art is very different to production art, although knowledge of both disciplines is never a bad thing.
Disclaimer: I’m not an artist, and I don’t pretend to know everything, but from a developer and designer’s perspective and from what I’ve seen working with some amazing artists in my time:
You’ll need to be good at communicating and taking direction.
You’ll need to be fast, and I mean really fast at doing good work! Practice, practice, practice!
You’ll need to be good at visualising what’s in OTHER people’s heads.
You’ll need a solid understanding of game mechanics so that your concepts can communicate key game mechanics and how they’re presented to the player from the start (not enough people have this skill, imo).
You’ll need a good understanding of 3D space and shapes so that you can communicate any concept to a production artist so it can be developed into 3D assets.
You’ll need to be versatile! Characters, aliens, plants, rocks (lots of rocks), environments, colour pallets, vehicles, machines, buildings, vistas, you name, draw it, a lot!
You’ll need some graphic design skills as well, for HUD and UI concepts.
I doubt much of this stuff will be learned by doing a degree, or at least, there’s nothing here you couldn’t do yourself.
The moral of the story, hard work, draw, draw, draw! Create, create, create! Do things you’re not good at to improve your skills and versatility! And after all that you’ll have no problem showing a tonne of work to a possible employer and getting them interested.
@cjdev Actually, yes, I enjoy Digital Art in general, be it 3D and 2D for both characters and environments, however I would rather focus on one or two things. What I love and always loved to do most, though, is concept art.
However, I have read that game companies more likely hire 3D modellers than concept artist, so my chance of getting into the field is even more slim. That is also why I don’t know anymore what to do.
@Antony-Blackett thank you so much, you really helped me out to make the best decision in my current situation! Deeply in my heart I also know that I don’t need a degree, when all this stuff is already out here to learn by myself. Also, I love to be free and not be pressed into another stiff curriculum again and instead learn at my own pace and fully decide what I will do.
I don’t have “industry insight” because I’ve only ever freelanced (as an artist). I have a degree in communication design and while I did pick up a few useful things along the way, literally no one I ever dealt with gave a sh1t about my degree. You are right that a degree does not prepare you for the job. I personally think freelance work is much more accurate preparation for a fulltime position. In the end only your skills and experience matter, not your degree.
The artist’s journey is not an easy one. Frankly I don’t recommend it as a job choice. Imho if someone can be discouraged from it, they should be, because it’ll likely save themselves years of being unsatisfied.
If you want to be a AAA concept artists, you literally will need to be better than dozens to hundreds of applicants who will apply for the same job openings. If you can get a kick out of fighting years for a your goal, working really hard, wanting to be better than others and most importantly better than you yourself where a month ago, then maybe it suits you well.
Then I suggest you focus on concept art. If you follow what you love, the work you put out will inevitably be better for it. A good source of tutorials for digital painting and topics surrounding it is CtrlPaint.com and I personally really enjoyed the teaching style of the guy who runs it. When you’re confident enough in your skills and want feedback to improve them, I’d suggest posting your work on DeviantArt and selecting the ‘request feedback’ option when submitting. You’ll get a lot of good comments but the critiques by established artists are the things you should pay attention to the most. Learning the reason something doesn’t feel right is always valuable so even if the review of your work is critical, take it as something valuable you can use to grow into a better artist from. But most of all, have fun! If you are enjoying yourself, including the process of failing and learning from it, then your art and even your life will be better off for it.
Basic 3D modelling and rendering is immensely useful for concept artists, a bit of zBrush sculpting experience doesn’t hurt either.
Don’t base your job choice on what you can read somewhere now, because the market might look different once you get closer to being at the level you need to be to get hired. When taking advice from others, make sure you have a strong grasp of what “survivorship bias” is.
Have an eye on what jobs are more likely to be replaced by AIs in the future. I think 3D modellers are gonna be replaced sooner than concept artists, so concept artist might be a good choice in that regard.
I’m not sure 3D rendering and Zbrush sculpting is something I would call “immensely” useful for concept artists. While they can be beneficial for generalist digital artists and for blocking out form and shape for concept artists, having the expensive software and extensive knowledge required is by no means necessary. I also disagree that AI will replace 3D artists or really any kind of artist at all, and certainly not in the near future.