concepts.

[fallendream]

im currently making concept art for a psp homebrew app (a game for psp) and im enjoying it. is there a future in concept art? ive got good feedback sofar. are there any tricks to improve? ill upload photos later/tommorow

[George]

This thread belongs in Entertainment and Technology. >__>

And yes, there's a future in concept art, it's a very crucial part of software development. However if you're going to go down that path it might be a good idea to learn at least the basics of bringing your concept art into fruition.

[fallendream]

thanks george even if you are a thread-location nazi 0.o.

also, what do you mean bring them into fruition?
im currently doing these specifically for a game for psp.

[George]

I mean being able to develop them. Being able to translate a picture into code is a very tricky thing but definitely worth it.
I know from my experiences in web design if someone can draw something and then translate it into even a simple web page, it's a great kick start to a new project.

[GhostDog]

Originally Posted by George

This thread belongs in Entertainment and Technology. >__>

And yes, there's a future in concept art, it's a very crucial part of software development. However if you're going to go down that path it might be a good idea to learn at least the basics of bringing your concept art into fruition.

Yes, this!

From what I've learned, you have to work your way up to concept art, at least if you're working for a video game company (which is what I'm assuming you're referring to - concept art for video games). They're generally not going to hire someone and put them straight on concept art, unless you've got X years of experience in the industry and you're in demand. A lot of people in the video game industry have a passion for and a lot of good ideas for games, which is why they're in the industry! But it does mean you have some competition.

But! You could go into it with ambitions of doing concept art, and work your way up, but you'll probably have to learn all the basic things like showing you know how to draw a wide variety of things quite well, actually building 3D models (and whatever their 2D equivalents are called), drawing textures, working in development teams, and so on and so forth, before you can even get your foot in the door. (Or learning all the programming basics, if you want to approach this more from the actual game engine angle of things, but I don't know as much about that. You mentioned art, so that's the perspective I wrote from.) It's like having to learn how a house is actually put together before you can start drawing building plans.

The video game industry is huge. Competitive, but huge. There's definitely a future in it, you just may have to fight tooth and claw (or, more to the point, have lots of experience and a bitchin' fantastic portfolio) to get the particular position you want.

[George]

Originally Posted by GhostDog

The video game industry is huge. Competitive, but huge. There's definitely a future in it, you just may have to fight tooth and claw (or, more to the point, have lots of experience and a bitchin' fantastic portfolio) to get the particular position you want.

Just to highlight this fact, with the advent of all these new gaming platforms for EVERYONE (the Wii, SIXAXIS, etc) the industry has exploded, and has been growing at a rapid rate for the past few years now. I think it was something like 200% (yes, PERCENT) growth in the past year. And with the world now turning to video gaming as a strong entertainment platform, there's only going to be more jobs created in the industry.
It's also worth mentioning that in recessions and economic downturns, this industry generally stays strong, or at least steady throughout. Nintendo has practically been untouched by the global financial crisis!

And what GhostDog says is absolutely correct. You'll have to work your way up to concept art. Some people get into that job from different pathways, but it is a very high-profile job in the first developmental stages of creating a program, game and the like. But to get to the high-end of the business, you have to be very, very good at what you do.

[Eccentric]

I'm actually a member of an (unnamed here of course) concept art forum. If you want a future in this, if you want some tricks to improve, here it is: DRAW MOAR. Practice your ass off and focus on improving your drawing skills.

[GhostDog]

Originally Posted by Eccentric

I'm actually a member of an (unnamed here of course) concept art forum. If you want a future in this, if you want some tricks to improve, here it is: DRAW MOAR. Practice your ass off and focus on improving your drawing skills.

Hehe.

If that is the site I am thinking of (and even if it's not), I would suggest that those interested in concept art just... Google "concept art". A very good forum is, like, the first result. =P

It's both intimidating (because you are literally looking at your competition and OH MY GOD they are good) and crazy-inspiring at the same time. Also, you can get a lot of good advice there! Just don't be afraid to post something because it'll get torn to shreds in critique. Because it will. And there's nothing wrong with that, because that's how you improve. =3

Also, yes. DRAW MOAR. Draw everything. Draw shoes and trees and cars and coffee shops and lizards and still lives, draw things you wouldn't think you'd ever have to draw, pay attention to how light falls and colors interact and how rust looks and dogs move and the reflections of the traffic lights on wet cement in the rain. The funny little things in life that most people don't pay any attention to, but do so much to make a painting look real, even if it's a painting of a giant alien lizard-man with a ray gun. So much of art is just learning how to see.

If you know how to see the world around you, I guarantee you, the technical skills will come with practice. <3

[George]

Expect to have to be able to produce stuff like this.


And a good forum is this. >_> Was that so hard?

[GhostDog]

Originally Posted by George

Expect to have to be able to produce stuff like this.

< KICK ASS RAWR PAINTING ! >

Yes, those will be the people you're competing with.

But!

But but but!

Absolutely do not get discouraged if you are not instantly that orgasmically amazing at painting. I wasted a lot of time only drawing things I already knew how to draw, just because I was too afraid to draw things that looked shitty (and then I'd look bad next to all those AMAZING artists that I looked up to so much). I have a lot of old sketchbooks filled with... dragons and dogs and weird demon things. That's, like, it.

There are a lot of kick-ass artists out there, and it can be really intimidating to look at them and go, "How the hell will I ever be that good?" And I'll admit, there were times when I wanted to give up because I never thought I'd be able to do those things. I'm still not that good. But I'm a hojillion times better than when I started seriously trying to improve.

I feel like all the posts so far (my own included!) are like "RAWR CONCEPT ART IS HARD". And it is! It takes a lot of work! But when you look at those amazing paintings, what you don't see is the years and years of determined practice and piles of shitty sketches that those artists made to get there.

So don't let us scare you off of concept art. =P Enjoy making your PSP concept art! Enjoy making art just for shits and giggles, in addition to serious studies you make to improve your work! You're 15. If you can make stuff like that painting, you are crazy-ahead of the game. If not, just practice practice practice and don't feel like you have to "race" to get good.

I'm just sayin', because this post would've depressed the crap outta me when I was 15. =P

[fallendream]

Originally Posted by GhostDog

Yes, those will be the people you're competing with.

But!

But but but!

Absolutely do not get discouraged if you are not instantly that orgasmically amazing at painting. I wasted a lot of time only drawing things I already knew how to draw, just because I was too afraid to draw things that looked shitty (and then I'd look bad next to all those AMAZING artists that I looked up to so much). I have a lot of old sketchbooks filled with... dragons and dogs and weird demon things. That's, like, it.

There are a lot of kick-ass artists out there, and it can be really intimidating to look at them and go, "How the hell will I ever be that good?" And I'll admit, there were times when I wanted to give up because I never thought I'd be able to do those things. I'm still not that good. But I'm a hojillion times better than when I started seriously trying to improve.

I feel like all the posts so far (my own included!) are like "RAWR CONCEPT ART IS HARD". And it is! It takes a lot of work! But when you look at those amazing paintings, what you don't see is the years and years of determined practice and piles of shitty sketches that those artists made to get there.

So don't let us scare you off of concept art. =P Enjoy making your PSP concept art! Enjoy making art just for shits and giggles, in addition to serious studies you make to improve your work! You're 15. If you can make stuff like that painting, you are crazy-ahead of the game. If not, just practice practice practice and don't feel like you have to "race" to get good.

I'm just sayin', because this post would've depressed the crap outta me when I was 15. =P

lol, i draw alot of random crap like you said. i actually counted how many thongs (the sandals) ive counted...7...who draws an odd amount of shoes?

[Eccentric]

Originally Posted by GhostDog

If that is the site I am thinking of

don't be silly kirah

So, where are those pretty pictures you said in your OP that you'd upload?

[fallendream]

ill do it tonight =p ill spend the day drawing random crap =D

[fallendream]

Originally Posted by Eccentric

don't be silly kirah

So, where are those pretty pictures you said in your OP that you'd upload?

wait, you want them to be pretty?

i should mention its gunna be a psp adaptation of gears of war...

^before you mention the originality its not my choice of game...gears of war scares me

[Eccentric]

beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
I'm sure your gears of war psp adaption concept art will be very pretty.

[fallendream]

Originally Posted by Eccentric

beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
I'm sure your gears of war psp adaption concept art will be very pretty.

ill make sure to draw and upload a flower gun so they will be =P

[fallendream]

album uploaded, camera is rather dodgy =/

[Eccentric]

Do you have a scanner? Because for stuff like drawings on paper, a scanner would be really handy.

[fallendream]

Originally Posted by Eccentric

Do you have a scanner? Because for stuff like drawings on paper, a scanner would be really handy.

sadly no, i DID have one...but then we got vista...[insert anti-vista speech]

i might be able to get a friend to lend me use of one at some point.

[George]

Well, from those pictures you've got up, you wouldn't really get far with them.
That being said, you're only 15. If you keep practising and practising by the time you're out of uni/college/whatever you'll be pretty good.