Saturday, January 18, 2020

Game Concept Art - Week 1 (Spring 2020)

Game Concept Art - Introduction



Spring Semester - JAN 21, 2020



Who is Frederick Gardner? 


Discuss education and work experience. 

Frederick Gardner Film/TV Credits

Class Structure will be as close to a studio environment as possible. 

Life Drawing


Artists will participate in Life Drawing :30 min before Call Time in the studio. One volunteer will be asked to pose for various 3 minute poses while the rest of the artists execute quick gesture drawings in pen and marker, pencil or other medium of choice. The goal is to have the model sit for 8 poses in :30 min. Life Drawing will be held every week before the studio lecture and production time.

Life Drawing Examples:










Suggested Materials for Life Drawing:

- Small Sketchbook to fit in pocket or backpack. Paper quality is important! Moleskin Sketch Book is the best brand.








- Pencil and Pencil Sharpener





- (or) Mechanical Pencil



- (or) 30% Gray Marker and Fine Point Black Sharpie



- (or) Black, Sepia or Brown Brush Pen




The best place to shop for Art Supplies is Asel Art Store  or Blick Art Supplies (online). Always ask for a student discount, usually 10%. 

Asel Art stores are located all over Dallas:

Asel - Cedar Springs
Retail Store & Corp. Office
2701 Cedar Springs Road Dallas, TX 75201
 

Asel - Warehouse
8900 Premier Row,
Dallas, TX 75247

Asel - Plano
2929 Custer Rd. #340,
Plano TX 75275

Asel - Richardson
101 S. Coit Rd. Ste #375,
Richardson TX 75080

Asel - Arlington
618 W. Park Row Ste. C,
Arlington TX 76010

 

Lecture 1 - "World Building, Materials & Creating Drama"


Discuss the production design of the Book of Life. Note the difference between the 2 worlds, wood (Land of the Living) and stone (Land of the Dead). How do the materials affect the story and limit the characters?



Discuss the concept of the world in 1890. What are the inherent limitations? How does the period and technology guide the story and the character quest? Steam Power, Disease, Electricity, Revolvers, Balloons, Exploration, Bicycles, Chemistry, Psychoanalysis, Medical Operations
  



Assignment 1 - "Circle, Square & Triangle"

Design (3) 8 1/2" x 11" compositions using a circle, square and triangle in line or shape or a combination of the two. You may use black, white or any shade of gray. Do not use color. The goal is to tell a story or multiple stories in your composition using shape, line, contrast and composition. Save the files for your designs as jpeg files (300 dpi) on a USB drive and bring them to Game Concept Art 2 the following Tuesday for a review.








How to get Adobe Photoshop using a Student Discount or for FREE using the Free Trial:

 If you want to get Adobe Photoshop for Free, Adobe gives you a couple of options.You can order Adobe Creative Cloud which includes a Free 7 Day Trial or you can order the Student/Teacher version of Creative Cloud (which includes Photoshop) for $19.99/mo. Photoshop is no longer offered as a downloadable program and is sold as a monthly cloud program for $20.99/mo. It makes more sense to sign up for the Creative Cloud using your student discount at $19.99/mo.

Here is the link to the latest Adobe Photoshop trialAdobe Photoshop Creative Cloud - Student Discount




Textbook:

- The Noble Approach by Tod Polson (& Maurice Noble)









The Noble Approach on Amazon


The Game

Watchmen 1890, Night Watchmen, Knightswatch

Scientists, Authors and Fictional Characters team up to fight the horrors of London in 1890. 

Create a team of period super heroes, discover clues to the chaos in the fog, sewers and sea. 

Stolen Time Machine! Who is murdering scientists?










Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Game Concept Art - FINAL Week 16

Game Concept Art - Week 16 - Dec 10, 2019

 

The FINAL Pitch - 

 

 NOTE: Artists must choose 22 of 30 (Lettered) Designs/model sheets for final pitch. less than 22 designs is a fail. any additional designs included in the final pitch of 22 designs is extra credit. 


Each design should be properly labeled and include the artists name & Date.
Presentation will be made in front of the design class and projected on the video screen. ensure your pitch is formatted to be shown using preview, iphoto or Powerpoint.

Dinosaur Inspiration from Charley Harper &  James Gilleard:


Charley Harper - 










James Gilleard - 











































Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Game Concept Art - Week 15

Game Concept Art - Week 15 - Dec 3, 2019

The Business

 

Resume:

Write a clear & concise resume with accurate contact information all on one page. 

Cover Letter:

Write a cover letter explaining why you want the job and why you are the best candidate for the position. Sell yourself and your abilities. List your availability and the various ways you can be contacted.


Business Card:

Show your potential employer that you are creative and unique by sharing some of your art work. Do something that stands out from the stack of business cards. 

The best business cards can be made at: Moo.com

Portfolio:

Spend every moment you have putting together the visual story of your abilities. Nothing is more important. Start with a summary of your resume. The first page of art should be your best work and the last page should be even better. Art & more ART!

The best place to assemble a portfolio is: SquareSpace.com


Blog:

Update an art blog regularly to show your working style and thought process. Don't post anything you aren't proud off or you wouldn't want your mother to read. Anything you say CAN and WILL be used against you in your career! Art & the thinking behind your art, influences, theories, etc. 

Blogger.com is very easy to use.

Register a Website:

Come up with a domain name (that is professional) and register it. 

Go Daddy! is an easy choice and one of the largest providers in the world. 

You can find their website here: GoDaddy.com


Portfolio Website:

A multimedia version (or addendum) to your printed portfolio. What is it about your works that makes you different? Find out and exploit that. Update your online portfolio regularly and after every production is completed. Take advantage of security settings to show restricted designs to potential supervisors. 


Linked In:

The Industry standard for an online resume and work profile. Every studio or employer will request a link to your profile so make sure it is professional and use it only for contacts and recommendations. Keep friends off the site, that's what Facebook is for. 

LinkedIn.com

iMDb:

Your online list of professional credits from film & television. The Industry standard for credit verification.  

IMDb.com 


Professional Organizations:


- ATAS - https://www.emmys.com/

 - AMPAS - https://www.oscars.org/

 - NCS (National Cartoonists Society) - https://www.nationalcartoonists.com/

 - ASIFA - http://www.asifa.net/

 - VES - https://visualeffectssociety.com/

 

Looking for the Job:

The Gig Economy:

 

The Animation & Art Directors Guild:

TheAnimationGuild.org

TheArtDirectorsGuild.org

 

Zerply.com - https://zerply.com

 

Attend Conventions/Get Lunch/Show Your Work

 

Lawyers, Agents & Representation

 

"Its Not Who You Are, It's Who You Know" 

 

"Its Not Show-Friends, Its Show Business"

 

Contracts


The Job Description


Benefits:



  1. Salary & Raises
  2. Position
  3. Work Environment
  4. Location
  5. Studio History
  6. Credits
  7. Project or Director or Both 
  8. 401k
  9. Health & Pension
  10. Bonuses
  11. Vacation/Sick Days
  12. Frosting


Working the Job:

 - Hours

 - Tools

 - Software to know
  1. Photoshop - https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html
  2. Illustrator - https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html
  3. Sketch Up - https://www.sketchup.com/
  4. Maya - https://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overview
  5. Microsoft Word
  6. Quicktime


 - Salary

 - Rules of the Industry

 - How To Be A Better Artist

  1. Life Drawing
  2. Weekend Sketching
  3. Watch Movies 
  4. Read Classic Stories
  5. Learn to Paint, Sculpt, Weld, Sew
  6. Take Acting Lessons or Comedy Workshops
  7. Travel 
  8. Experience NEW Cultures
  9. Visit Museums, Galleries & Comic Book Stores
  10. Study Architecture, Interior Design and Costumes
  11. Listen to Classical Music
  12. Visit the Opera, Musicals and Stage Plays

- Professional Art is a Vocation, NOT a Career!