作者： Audran Guerard

（Audran Guerard是EA游戏《死亡空间3》的美术总监，他写本文的原意是激励那些在他手下工作的人。在本文中，他探讨了成为美工的必备素质，以及如何打造对玩家和游戏有意义的作品。）

我经常收到美术生的邮件，他们的梦想着在电子游戏领域展开自己的职业生涯。他们希望有人能提点他们的作品，指导他们如何找到第一份工作。大部分邮件的内容可以总结为一个问题：我该如何提升自我？

我自己也思考过这个问题，并且仍然在琢磨。达到瓶颈的状态很令人沮丧，或者我应该说，这种停滞不前的感觉令人难以忍受。事实上，那个问题一直困扰着我。为了找到答案，我上下求索：书籍、工作室、朋友和博客。我就像在玩拼图，不断地寻找那至关重要的一块。

如何提高你的美术技能？当你问这个问题时，很多人会告诉你，“不断地动手练习啊”、不断地实战演练啊、不断地吸取经验教训啊。虽然这基本上是对的，但我总认为答案不止于此。毕竟，你可以花很多时间在错误的道路上磨练——如果真是这样的话，你不会提高很多的。这也是我写这篇文章的动机。

记住，提高美术技能并不容易。如果你正在寻找捷径，那么你恐怕要失望了。我只知道有一条崎岖的山路，但这条路没有最终目的地。最可怕的是，你越是探索美术的海岸，你会越发现自己所拾到的只是几片贝壳，而广阔的海洋仍然在你身后。所以绝不要指望在本文中发现最终的“如何”；你只能得到一些提示和线索，当你意识到它们后，你会抵达美术的新大陆，豁然开朗。

在我们开始探索新大陆以前，我想与读者们分享一条非洲人的智慧箴言：

“很不幸，种树的最佳时机是20年以前；幸运的是，现在就是下一个最佳时机。”

美术基础第一，技术其次

首先，我们是画家！画出好图的基本功应该是你的日常必需品。我们太清楚干我们这行的技术工具了。我们深入学习过了。 然而，工具毕竟是工具。我们是工具之后的创造者。技术只能反映我们从中输入的东西。要求它，欺骗它，它的唯一用途就是执行你的想法。一纸一笔，人就可以用笔在纸上留下痕迹。线条的美丽取决于执笔人的能力。只有技术，不能产生任何美丽的东西；技术需要人的输入。在我们这行，优秀意味着你能在规定的时间内，在协作的环境中，根据想象出色地表达你的美术水准并且有技术地执行工作。

我不打算讨论技术执行方面的事；因为它不是本文的关注点。我想要把重点放在想象力、执行速度和工作合作方面。

我遇到的最有助于视觉设计的强大工具，是下面我将要探讨的3个概念。它们让我理性地思考头脑中的奇怪概念和绘画的过程，帮助我与相关团队保持有效的沟通。作为美工，这些概念帮助我“抵达那里”，而不是“抵达某处”。

“抵达某处”对团队来说是很令人受挫的，因为没人确实知道工作会在哪里、何时以及如何完成。“抵达那里”能激励人心，因为团队成员们已经明确了最终结果，很容易估计目前的状况、接收反馈和推倒重来。

你从想法、清楚的意图、理想的目标和贯穿设计原则的合理的方法开始，将所有选择导向你的目标。

以下是一张表，列举了最常用的设计原则和元素。有许多艺术网站的解释，或多或少都会涉及这些原则或元素。我之后更详细地解释这些。

利用以上原则和元素，一定会帮助你构思出清楚准确的画面。对我而言，这些工具对美术总监解释想法和提供反馈极其实用的。我可以借助这些工具从设计的角度看待图象并首先提炼出它的抽象特点。当我觉得对基本形状、比例和值满意后，我可以从意各个独立元素出发，把注意力放在当前的整体剧情上。如果你的基本设计都不耐看，那么就谈不上什么微调剧情元素了。

大多数现在仍然悬挂在博物馆中的绘画作品都经过了时间的考验，它们都带有强烈的设计感。它们的根本吸引力，也就是第一层次，在于形状和色彩的基本构成，而不是它们描绘出来的幻想。作为第二层次的幻想只能强调第一层次。

你应该带着明确的意图构思画面，而不是本能地执行想法。不要误解我。带着勇气、热血和直觉工作并没有什么不妥，这些永远都是你内心反应和感觉的一部分。但这些原则和元素可以帮助你意识到这些感觉，告诉你一个高效而简单的方式与其他人进行有效的合作。为什么？因为要让别人感受你的勇气、热血和直觉实在太困难了。就我本人来说，我不敢肯定我想让别人这么了解我，因为我有一点儿内向。

你还应该看看你对以下三类的了解是否够深刻：

1、形状/轮廓

我们人类通过物体的边缘来感知物体。所以为了清楚的表达，你应该首先考虑轮廓，确保通过轮廓可以识别物体。这就像“终结者”，当他进入一个房间时，他的大脑会扫描并识别周围环境（为了发现潜在的威胁；人类真可怕）。

为了增加趣味，物体应该让人容易理解，不引起困惑。在保持美术风格的同时，你应该努力让观者只看轮廓就能识别道具和角色。我们用3D作画，所以给出从各个角度都能识别的轮廓可能比较困难。但运用游戏摄像机可以识别最重要的角度，并增强表现。

少量夸张通常可以突出物品轮廓和感情色彩。试试在形状上增加一点儿漫画元素，一定会更漂亮。

不要因为你的绘画是“写实风格”就认为夸张手法对你没用。你仍然需要一些特征性的东西来增加作品的趣味。为此，你必须扭曲现实，突出某些特点。

现在，请注意物品的形状和线条，它们的方向会流露出某种情感。你必须组织这些形状和线条，以便统一它们携带的信息。水平形状和垂直形状传达的信息有所不同，前者让人感觉平静，后者让人感觉紧张。请确保你的形状组合与你试图表达的信息一致。

请允许我再多说一些。上图中的两只狗让人产生不同的反应。一只看起来比另一只更好斗。这是因为它们的体态不同。杜宾犬看起来更敏捷更好斗，因为它的身体轮廓比较倾斜和锐利。而侦探犬让人觉得它又重又迟钝，因为他的眼皮下垂，看起来没精打采的，总之不太机警。

这些设计属性不只适用于活物。你可以利用这些绘出不同感染力的作品。比如，你可以设计一张样子愉快或悲伤的桌子。剧情元素应该主导你的设计选择。记得Anton Ego吗，好像是《料理鼠王》里的人物？我们来参观一下他的办公室。私人空间反映了他的个性和身体特征。他本人是个美食家，又高又瘦，还很阴郁。他的办公室，天花板很高，空间狭窄，框架和窗户高垂、光线昏暗、环境冷清。即使你的风格是所谓的“写实派”，你也可以根据剧情需要增加一点个性化的元素。

颜色和值

“颜色”是一个冗长的主题，主观性也比较强。没有什么硬性标准，如果有的话，也都有例外。所以只要记住几件事：颜色带有温度和情绪范围，要以所表达的剧情为基础，可能要避免使用某些颜色。可以利用颜色让玩家更容易理解游戏机制。比如爆炸的红色滚筒！见过吧？

可以用颜色创造象征性的联系。这可能很微妙，但却很强大，比如皮克斯动画公司的《飞屋环游记》就用得很好。在那部动画里，美工用紫红色作为Ellie的象征色，在她的穿着和使用的物品经常可以看到紫红色；当粉红色的阳光消失在窗户的反光中，她离开了，这种既定的色彩象征为观众描绘了一幅凄美的画面。

很多书都专门讨论了颜色，但学习颜色的有效方法是看电影，然后仔细分析其中的色彩运用以及对剧情表达的作用。我们不只关注和谐的色彩搭配，还要注意剧情氛围与和谐的色彩之间的组合。

构成/引导视觉

在美术概念中，构成大概是最难理解的。如果我可以将它表述成一句简单的话，那我会说，构成是通过画面引导视觉的艺术。假设不存在糟糕的构成，只有误用的构成——太紧密或太松散。在某个情节中管用的构成放到另一个情景中可能就不管用了。构成的唯一目的就是让玩家读并且理解预期的空间和剧情。

最常用的办法是使用冲突和对比、方向线或形状。形状上的冲突、颜色和值上的冲突。人的眼睛通常最先注意到框架内的最高对比区域。当你确定焦点，请确保其他元素不会产生冲突或干扰观者的注意力。所有元素的分层结构应该最终引向一个焦点。人们往往误解了构成，把它简单地理解为黄金分割，事实上构成的内涵远不止于此。

功能

当创造一个虚拟世界时，你希望的是人们会信以为真，忘记它只是虚构。你想将人们的注意力从后台引开。你不想让他们看到布置，你想让他们觉得这个世界非常自然。构成这个世界的道具应该逼真可信，发挥功能。道具不是死物。物体和场景应该尽可能地细致描绘。

我经常看到美工为了让某物具体化，努力地往上面增加任意的细节。他们觉得有什么东西不太对，所以要努力修正，但不幸的是，他们的处理方法错了。对于这样的作品，我会坐下来从三个方面入手评估要增加的小部件。

设计上的功能。比如说画了一扇门：它是否发挥了功能？如果它就在我旁边，我能使用吗？我要怎么用，怎么打开，怎么进入？把柄的大小与我的手相符吗？（美工往往把它画得太小或太大。）为了让它更实用，我还能增加（或移除）什么细节。

游戏玩法上的功能。从期望的经验来说，这个道具或空间有多重要？它在整个关卡设计方案中发挥了什么作用？玩家如何与之产生交互作用？我们如何帮助玩家理解期望的交互作用？它是不是太显眼（或不显眼）？

剧情上的功能。这个道具或空间是否很好地体现了剧情？它是否与其他东西相抵触？为了增加视觉上的趣味，我可以增加什么剧情相关的细节？从主题的角度看，它与周围物品的整合是否良好？

当你开始增加细节时，记住不是因为你有能力增加，而是因为你应该增加。我们的作品受到许多因素的限制，例如纹理、多边形和时间等。所以你必须优先考虑最能体现道具的特征，然后根据“必不可少”的原则分级减少细节。

请确保你增加的东西对游戏的玩家来说是有价值的。还要保证它不会与你的整体构成产生冲突。你最好能够从玩家的角度评估，尽量结合其他工具——不是在Maya的着色视图中。

这里有一个关于细节和剧情的例子。假设你在制作一扇门——这是继木桶之后第二受欢迎的道具。美术总监经过时告诉你把门做得旧一点，现在这个太新了。许多美工的反应是，打开Photoshop，添加一层漫反射的污垢图层和一层高光纹理，大功告成！

好吧，我们再深入一点儿。我们从因果逻辑来分析。因为这扇门是经常使用的，所以会有各种明显的痕迹。粉色区域是手比较常碰到的地方，手掌和手指会在上面留下汗渍和油污，所以这里会很脏。黄色区域是脚或其他物体（可能是自行车轮和脚踏）与门相撞的地方，会有种压痕和划痕。另外，这片区域也是水渍比较多的地方。

因为不断开门和关门的压迫和撞击门框，绿色区域会有剥落或掉漆，比内缘多挤出一点儿。要利用这些细节告诉玩家一些可信的小故事。这些细节越逼真，玩家就会越相信。

“看”是关键

绘画、雕刻、建模和贴图需要敏锐的观察。成为优秀的美工，“看”是一项主要的发展技能。这与你使用的纸笔、Maya或Max无关，是你自己以精确的感知抓住事物的本质的能力。

当3D建模师拿到一张概念图时，他必须足够敏感，能抓住设计和角色的微妙之处。将一张手绘图转化为3D物体通常非常困难。这不是简单地将2D转化为3D，而是根据2D概念图进行3D化的再创作。这就好像听爱乐乐团演奏重金属乐队的音乐。这两个版本听起来会非常不一样，但如果处理得当，都会产生不错的效果。

美工要观察物体的形况、体积、各部分之间的关系、消极和积极空间的特点及其表面。我们还要观察人物、他们的年龄、着装、身体强壮还是衰弱、他们的阅历。我们必须挑选唯一必要的信息作夸张处理，抛弃那些无关紧要的信息。成为专家要学会放大事物的本质。

“看”与画出像照片一样逼真的物品的能力无关。艺术创作不是单纯的复制生活，而是来源于生活但高于生活。为了使观者觉得可信和有趣，艺术必须夸张。如果你要画一些阴暗的东西，那么你必须把这个东西画得比现实生活中更加阴暗。夸张有两个方向：漂亮的更加漂亮，丑陋的更加丑陋。

在求职者的作品集中，我总是看到名人照片转手绘的逼真作品。如果你画得不如照相机快，那也没什么了不起的。我总是偏爱那些三条线勾勒出人物样貌的作品。我知道能这么做的人必定观察力敏锐、线条表达能力强。另外，这与你使用什么工具无关，无论是昂贵的3D软件包还是沙滩上的一小截树枝。

归根结底是观察。练习观察能力的方法是不停地画，画任何东西、在任何时间都画。你应该随身带一本草稿本。当你有五分钟闲暇时间、坐公交车、在银行或坐着等咖啡时，拿出你的笔和草稿本，画点你周围的东西。可以是人、也可以是物。你的唯一关注点是事物的本质。你要简化或夸张某些形状；你的个人风格是由你画下来的东西决定的，而不是你记住处的东西。

以下是两幅Matt Jones的作品。我非常喜欢他描绘城市的方式。他所选择的、忽略的、强化的和弱化的细节使他的作品比旧金山本身还更旧金山。

如果你学习人体素描，不要只关心骨骼，还要想象一下人物的生平。推测、夸张、扭曲现实，这才是创作伟大的作品的方式。不要让自己的能力变成一台相机；要让自己成为真正的画家。

一般人会这么认为，“我的工作是3D，我不需要知道怎么绘画。”对此，我会说，“可能是这样吧。但你到底为什么要跟自我提高过不去呢？”绘画能力是想象力和观察力的体现。许多人认为画画是发生于手指和笔之间的活动，但事实上，画画发生在大脑中，即利能你的能力在脑内清楚地想象出某些东西。

如果你的手足够敏捷，能抓住笔写下自己的名字，那你就具备了大多数绘画大师的敏捷度了。你和大师的区别在于，观察能力。就我的经验来看，我的团队中最具表现力的人往往是画草图的人。虽然不总是如此，但他们非常擅长快速执行，把握形状的特性、贴图和概念解读。

在90年代中期，因疾病所累，Frank Frazetta （游戏邦注：他是美国早期的传奇漫画家和插画家）再也不能使用右手了。他开始通过绘画训练自己的左手。不出几个月，他就能画出非常不错的作品了。有些评论家甚至说他的绘画水平事实上是提高了。好吧，我不知道这回事，但他确实在相当短的时间内用他不占优势的左手画出了水平。

我举这个例子的目的还是告诉读者绘画需要敏捷度。因为Frazetta在头脑中已经知道如何画画了，他唯一的问题就是让他的左手像右手一样灵活。我没有低估“唯一”的重要性，让大脑建立新的神经联系仍然需要付出相当大的努力。左手作画必定需要巨大的耐力，但他做到了。那时，他用右手画画已经50年了。

关于画画，我要说的另一点是，不要在时间或体验上放松。长期画画不像跑步或开车这种机械化的活动。你的作品会随着时间越来越好。你会变得自信。然而，困难还是一样的。

你为自己定下的目标会随着你的技术提升而提高。你是否注意到画家往往会公开贬低自己的作品？因为他们看到了自己本可以克服的“缺点”。因此，有句话说“艺术从未圆满。”

技巧和公式不值一提；捷径是留给业余者的。学习绘画，你要脚踏实地。一旦职业技巧仿佛成为你身上的第二层皮肤，你就可以自由地表达你的所思所想。技巧和公式不能带来这样的自由，它们只能发挥一点点作用。

作为伟大的艺术家，你想得到表达的自由。自由地画画、雕刻你牢记于心的影像。你关注的不应该是如何画画，而是画什么。不要再画75度角的肖像画了，因为它只能帮你画好鼻子。你要从各种角度练习，把你自己从固定的角度中解放出来。不要再画紧握的拳头了，画完整的手臂，让手臂参与到你想表达的故事中。不要把人物的脚藏到茂盛的草丛中了。学习画各个角度的脚、鞋和靴子。不要回避你的弱项，要迎难而上。

如果可能，不要害怕使用参考资料。只要你不是纯粹的抄袭，参考就是工作的明智方法。参考资料可以告诉你某个物品、某种环境、情绪或角色的基本信息。你必须用你的美术基本功将这些信息转化为你的想象。你必须以参考为模型，画出你个人的风格。

不要认为参考资料来源于你的头脑。你得有个文件夹保存参考资料，不要以为优秀的美工都凭记忆作画。他们当中许多人都使用参考资料。Hugo Pratt（游戏邦注：意大利连环漫画家，把高超的讲故事才能与广泛深入的历史研究相结合，于2005年被列入漫画名人堂） 为了创作《 Corto Maltese》花了无数个小时在图书馆里作研究。Norman Rockwell（游戏邦注：是美国三四十年代一名家喻户晓的职业杂志插图画家。50多年的创作生涯中，他用画笔广泛而生动地反映了美国人民生活的各个方面）利用模型和照片完成了自己的代表作。为什么把使用参考资料当作弱点？让一个人知道所有东西并凭记忆作画，能指望他画得多逼真呢？

超越风格和类型

探索来自不同文化的多种艺术风格。研究老一辈大师和新画家。不要让自己卡在某个特定的风格中，那会限制你的实验范围和潜力。如果你不能灵活地在各种风格之间转换，那说明你的能力还不够。游戏行业还处于幼年期，许多作品都是“写实风格”。随着休闲游戏的崛起和平台的增加，为了让自己的游戏从同类中脱颖而出，开发商必须多样化游戏风格、争取更多的原创性。我要为《Journey》、《Team Fortress 2》、《Castle Crashers》 和《Limbo》 出色的视觉画面喝彩。总算看到一些新鲜的东西了。

写实风格是电子游戏的棘手问题。许多人认为玩家需要写实的画面。我认为玩家想要的是真实性，他们想沉浸于幻想中，被虚构的世界所感动。事实上，写实是很容易做到，很容易表达，也很容易被人理解。这也许就是为什么写实成了开发商的首选。为了写实而添加道具，这样作品就更容易预测。总之，在许多方面都降低了难度。

在《The Art Spirit》中，Robert Henri说道，“只要一个人有艺术精神，无论他从事什么工作，他都会是一个善于创造、研究、敢于自我表现的人。他不安、焦虑、顿悟，找到更好的理解方式。艺术精神是一本书，非艺术家会合上这本书，而他却打开了，并发现仍然有很多页可读。”

如果你根据公众需求的市场研究工作，那么你的这本书是合上的。市场研究不能告诉你市场想要什么，我们画家得找到新路径。这是我们的挑战之一。风格化有一个大优势。你越倾向一种特定的风格/抽象，艺术挑战的难度就越高，但剧情表现力就越强，游戏体验越好。

游戏玩法和美术之间往往是分离的。剧情总是被排挤、忽略，成为玩法序列的托辞。你可能听别人说过，你可以对玩法运用任何美术风格。这是一种难以置信的损失；游戏不只是玩法，还有整个游戏体验。

美术、剧情和游戏设计应该结合在一起，互相补充并传达统一的信息。游戏体验的深度取决于这种结合。你可以想象《旺达与巨像》的美术风格是各不相同的吗？肯定有可能，但这三个部分（美术、剧情和设计）结合得如此完美，难以分割。

学习多样风格的另一个原因是，取其精华，为己所用。塑形或描影的方法有无数种，你可以受到各种资源的影响；加以混合可以产生某些原创效果。艺术有一个漫长而丰富的历史，忽视前辈找到的解决方法是错的。如果前人已经开好路，你何必重新辟一条道呢？当我开始仔细研究迪斯尼的电影后，我的绘画技术突飞猛进了。这个方法让我理解了设计如何影响我的作品，让我在画外景时更加自由。

让你培养美感时——寻找美时，美会通过其他渠道和媒介反映在你的生活里。许多著名的画家不只是研究绘画，他们还曾经做雕塑、玩音乐、当厨师、写诗或成为放荡不羁的旅行者。他们好奇、探索和实验。灵感无处不在，形式各异。你的所有经验会丰富你对生活、世界和整个宇宙仍至世间万物的视野和表达。

不要让自我期望扼杀了艺术精神

这么多年以来，我最大的敌人一直是我自己和我的期望。如果你不断地盯着自己的肩膀，你是不可能自由工作的。与此类似，如果有人站在我身后，看我做每一步，我也无法工作。你必须创造一个自己的房间，容纳你的错误、允许你实验、排除批评。

你往往会对自己的作品不满意，因为没有画出自己想要的效果。这是非常正常的。我把这种失望当作个人成长的动力。随着技术提高，你会越来越挑剔。你目前的作品与想象中的样子之间总是存在差距。所以很多人放弃了绘画，告诉自己不是这块料。

艺术作品没有完满的时候；你总是会发现还有所欠缺或需要“修整”。在这方面，团队合作可以起到非常大的促进作用。要相信同事的眼光，他们可以帮助你清楚地看到你要达到的目标。你可选择暗地里创作，从不展示你的作品，或者你也可以向众群展示作品，看他们对你的作品的评价。

我们不是为了自己而创作。艺术是一种交流，但为了产生交流，你需要相应的接收者。接收者是伟大的老师。你对批评和反馈的反应、你对向你提出重要意见的其他艺术家的态度、你所接受的一切都会像你所拒绝的一切一样，塑造你的艺术生涯。就好像乐曲中短暂的停顿，可能为整首乐曲锦上添花，当然，也可能画蛇添足。

学院教育

我想提醒所有3D学院的未来的学生，学院教育既昂贵又费时。这些学校进行商业化经营，商业性就是其本质。学生就是消费者，每个进入学院的学生都要支付高昂的费用。因此学院热衷于招收尽可能多的学生。

一旦你踏出校门，学校未必关心你的职业前途。学院可以教你3D方面的技术、软件、语法、工作流程、团队合作。但大部分学院不会教你艺术。原因是，传授技术容易，启发艺术困难。

有些负责任的学校会要求学生入学以前出示作品集。这些学校的目的是确定你在学习完技术以前，就具有日后成功所需的艺术背景。有些学校既能教你技术也能教你艺术，但通常需要更长的学时。如果你没有艺术背景，我认为这两类学校更适合你。

至于找工作，我已经招聘了不少优秀的美工，我招聘的不败法则是：经验、教育都不是问题，人格和作品所表现出来的潜力才是根本。我们喜欢能够适应团队工作的人，我们也喜欢比一般人具有更高艺术修养的人。我们不需要苦力，我们需要的是有想法、有想象力和有表达的信心的美工。如果应聘者表现出优秀的沟通技巧和强烈的艺术价值，那么我不介意他的技术能力尚未成熟。因为我知道传授技术容易，启发艺术困难。

永不言弃

我可能又要老调重弹一次了，我坚信艺术家是后天的，不是天生的。我不太信任天生的艺术禀赋。许多艺术家会告诉你，把辛辛苦苦培养出来的才能叫作“天赋”是很侮辱人的。我们所谓的“天才”是热情和辛苦工作的必然产物。

最终，长期发挥作用的东西是你自己对成长进步的渴望。不要满足于你所认为的极限。因为各人绘画的经历不同，许多人在这一点上与我意见不一。他们可能失败了几次，所以现在他们坚信自己不是执笔作画的料。因为他们相信自己打出生就没有得到上天的恩赐的绘画魔法，所以就不再对此作任何努力了。常言道，每一个伟大的画家背后都有至少1万幅失败的画作。每一幅失败的作品都会让你吃一堑长一智。热情和努力工作会带给你想要的东西——当然，这不是天生会画画的魔法。

作为画者，世俗的成功不一定依赖职业能力——在许多情况下，完全不是这样的。即使没有上千种上万种，也有上百种因素会影响职业生涯，也许最重要的两种就是你所处的社会环境和你的作品所表达的信息。所以，你不可能成为达芬奇，但你就是你，你有绝对的自由提升自己，提升的方法得让你的同事、客户和上司看到你的工作和其中的价值所在。

还是那句非洲的至理名言，从事让你长期受益的事永远不会太迟。所有失败的画者都有一个共同点：他们都太早放弃了。所以，你要坚持，绝不放弃，不断学习、进步、成长。你的决心会带来丰厚的回报。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

The Great Catch: Becoming the Artist You Should Be

by Audran Guerard

In this extensive feature, originally started as a way to inspire those who work for him, Electronic Arts’ Audran Guerard, art director on Dead Space 3, explores what it truly takes to learn and grow as an artist — and to create works that have meaning and interest for the players of your games.
Cover art illustration by JiN.

I often receive emails, from art students, dreaming of a career in video games. (Poor souls, if they only knew.) They are looking for hints on their portfolio and seek guidance on how to land their first job. I can sum up most of these emails with one simple question: How can I improve?
I too, have pondered that question. I still am. The feeling of being stuck on a plateau is frustrating — unbearable, I should say. In fact, that question came to the point of being an obsession with me. I combed everything I could to find answers: books, workshops, friends, and blogs. I was constantly on the lookout for crucial pieces of information to complete that puzzle.

How do you build your art skills? When asked, a lot of people out there will tell you, “by doing it,” by being exposed again and again, by gaining experience. While this is generally true, I always thought that there was somehow something more to it. You could, after all, spend long hours honing your trade the wrong way — and not improving much, if at all. This is what pushes me to write this today.

Keep in mind, building art skill is not easy. If you’re looking for a shortcut, you’ll be disappointed. I only know the steep uphill path that leads to better art, and that path has no final destination. The most terrifying aspect is that the more you discover about art, you realize how little you knew, and that there is so much more left to understand. So by all means do not consider this text as the ultimate “how to”; it’s merely a series of hints and clues which, when you become aware of them, give you a new dimension of art to explore and untangle yourself.

Before we dive into deeper territory, I want to share some African words of wisdom:

“The best moment to plant a tree, unfortunately, was 20 years ago. Lucky us; the next best moment is now.”

Art Fundamentals are King; Technique is Subordinate

Above all, we are artists! The fundamentals of good picture making should be your daily bread. We all know too well the technical tools of our craft. We depend on them. However, we should remember that they are just tools. We are the creative force behind the tools. Technology will only reflect what we input into it. Challenge it, cheat it; its only purpose is to execute your vision. As with a pencil and a white paper, it takes someone to hold that pencil to leave marks on the paper. The beauty of the lines is up to the might of the one who holds that pencil. Tech alone cannot make something pretty; it needs your input. In our trade, being good means how well you articulate your art fundamentals around the vision and execute the work technically through your medium, within an acceptable amount of time, in a collaborative work environment.

I will leave the technical implementation aspect to the side; it is not my concern with this article. I want to focus on the vision, the speed of execution, and the collaborative aspect of our job.

The most powerful tool I’ve come across that helped me to function with a visual design approach is the three concepts I’ll discuss below. Together, they help me rationalize in my head the eerie concept and process of picture making, and help me communicate about art effectively across multidisciplinary teams. As an artist, these concepts help me to “get there,” as opposed to “getting somewhere”.

“Getting somewhere” is frustrating for the team because no one really knows where, how, and when the work is going to be finally completed. “Getting there” is motivating because the end result is clearly communicated, and it’s easier to measure current status, receive feedback, and iterate.
You start with a vision, a clear intent, a desired goal, and with a rational approach through design principles, you guide every choice that will take you to where you want to land.

Here is a list of the most common Design Principles and Elements I use. There are multiple websites that explain, more or less, these principles and elements. I may in the future explain them in deeper detail.

Principles of Design

Unity
Conflict
Dominance
Repetition
Alternation
Balance
Harmony
Gradation    Elements of Design
Line
Value
Color / Hue
Texture
Shape / Silhouette
Size
Direction

The words above, when used as tools, concretely help you build your pictures with clear, precise direction. To me, they’ve been extremely useful as an art director to explain vision and provide feedback. They allowed me to see an image from a design perspective, thriving first for its abstract quality. When satisfied with the basic shapes, proportions, and their values, then I can focus on the actual storytelling as a whole in view of each individual element. There’s no point in fine-tuning storytelling elements if your main underlying layer is not interesting to look at.

Most of the paintings that have survived the test of time and still hang in museums today carry a strong sense of design. Their primary appeal lies in the basic composition of shapes and colors, not in their depicted fiction. The fiction is a second layer that will only accentuate the first layer.

It should be your goal to build an image with clear intent, not to try and execute the vision instinctively. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing inappropriate with working with guts, fiair, and instinct; it will always be part of your internal response and feelings. But these words can help you rationalize these feelings and give you an efficient and simple way to include others for efficient collaboration. Why? Because it’s hard for others to taste your guts, smell your fiair, and read your instinct. Besides, I’m not sure I want to stand this close to anyone… I’m a bit of an introvert.

You should also seek to deepen your awareness in these three categories:

1. Shapes / Silhouettes

We humans perceive objects by their edges first. So for clarity of statement, you should think silhouette first, and make sure your object is identifiable by it silhouette. Pretty much like the Terminator, when you enter a room, your brain scans and identifies your surroundings (the purpose is to highlight potential threats; we are so awesome).
To increase interest, things should be clear and easily readable, not confusing. Within your art style, try to make identifiable props and characters just by looking at the silhouette. We work in 3D, so it might be difficult to give a clear identifiable silhouette from every angle. But use the gameplay camera to identify the most important angle, and give it some extra love.

Often, a slight exaggeration will help you describe an object through its silhouette and enhance its emotional charge. Try to sprinkle a bit of caricature in your shape work, it will surely be… spicier!

Don’t assume this doesn’t apply to you because you work in a “realistic style”. You still need some amount of characterization to make art interesting. You need to distort realism, to make it louder, in order to be entertaining.

Now be aware that your shapes/lines and their directions carry an emotional charge. You need to orchestrate these shapes and lines so they can carry a unified message. Horizontal shapes and vertical shapes do not evoke the same thing. One calls for quietness, and the other calls for austerity. Make sure your shapes’ arrangement supports the ongoing story you are trying to tell.

Please bear with me for a moment while I wear the title of Captain Obvious. These two dogs trigger different responses; one looks much more aggressive than the other. It’s all because of their physical appearances. The Doberman looks more agile, faster, and aggressive because of his lean and sharp silhouette. The bloodhound feels heavier and slower, and his droopy eyes give him an air of laziness; he doesn’t look very alert.

These design attributes doesn’t apply only to living things. You can create anything and give it a different appeal. You can design a cheerful looking table or a sad one. The story should dictate your design choices. Remember Anton Ego, from Pixar’s Ratatouille? Let’s revisit his office. His personality and physical attributes are reflected in his personal space. He, himself, is austere, tall, slender, and dark. His office has a high ceiling, a narrow space, tall vertical frames and windows, dim lighting and is hushed. Even if you’re working in a so-called “realistic style”, give yourself some freedom to customize things according to the story.

Colors & Values

“Colors” is a lengthy subject, and a very subjective one, too. There are no hard rules; if there are any, they all have exceptions. So just keep few things in mind: Colors come with their ranges of temperature and emotion, and based on the story you want to tell, there might be colors you want to avoid. Colors can also be used to help with readability of gameplay mechanics. Explosive red barrel! Ever seen that one?

Colors can be used to create symbolic links. This can be subtle but yet powerful, as in the intro sequence of Pixar’s Up. The artists used the fuchsia color as an expression for Ellie, often seen on objects or clothing she uses — and finally use that established symbol to illustrate her passing away when the pink sunlight disappears in the reflection of the window. Beautiful!

There are multiple books talking specifically about colors, but an efficient way to study colors is to watch movies and dissect the color choices made, and their purpose in the story. We’re not only concerned with harmonious color combinations, but story mood and harmonious color combination.

Composition / Leading the Eye

Composition is probably the most elusive art concept. If I can reduce it to one simple statement, The art of composition is the art of directing the eye through a picture. Let just assume there is no bad compositions, only misused compositions — stronger or lesser compositions. What may work in a specific story might not work in a different setup. Your sole goal with composition is how you want the player to read and understand the space/story that is being proposed.

The most common tool is to use conflict and contrast, and directional lines or shapes. Conflict in shape, conflict in color and value. The eye will usually jump on the highest contrast within a frame. When you have your point of focus, make sure the other elements don’t fight too much for attention. At best, the hierarchical organization of your elements should altogether gradually lead to the focal point. Composition is often misunderstood, and reduced to the tier rule; there is much more to it.

Function, Function, and Function…

When trying to build a world, you want people to buy in, and forget they are within a fiction. You want to distract them away from the backstage. You don’t want them to see the set; you want them to feel the world as naturally as possible. The props that will populate your world should feel believable and functional. It’s a no-brainer. Your objects and scenes should be as descriptive as possible.

Too often I’ve seen artists struggling trying to embellish something by adding random details. They feel something is not quite right; they are trying hard to fix it, but unfortunately from an angle that isn’t broken. With them, I will sit down and evaluate the piece from three specific angles.

Function in design. Does the object appear functional? Would I be able to use it if it was right next to me? How do I carry it, how do I turn it on, how do I access it? Can my hand fit on the handles? (Artists tend to make them either uber tiny, or friggin’ huge.) What details can I add (or remove) to make it purpose or usability clearer?

Function in gameplay. In the desired experience, how important is that prop or space? What is its role in the whole level design scheme? How does the player interact with it? How can we help the player understand the desired interaction? Does it attract too much (or not enough) attention?

Function in story. Does this props or space sell the fiction well? Does it contradict anything? What story-related details can I add to add visual interest? Does it thematically blend well enough with its surroundings?

When you start adding details, remember that it’s not because you can, but that it’s because you should. We work under multiple types of constraints: textures, polygons, time. So you must select and prioritize what best characterizes your props, and work hierarchically from the most obvious “can’t do without” to the lesser details.
Make sure what you add bring value to the game for the player, and make sure it doesn’t conflict with your overall composition. It’s best to evaluate all this from the player perspective, with as much of the other assets integrated as possible — not the in Maya shaded view.

Here is a short example of details and story. While you were modeling and texturing the most beautiful door ever — the second most popular prop after barrels — your AD drops by and asks you to age it a bit. It feels too brand new. The reflex of many artist at that point is to jump into Photoshop, add an even layer of dirt on the entire diffuse and specular texture, and voila!

Well… let’s push things further a bit. Let’s work from logical “a cause and effect” point of view. By the way a door is used daily, there will be multiple distinct types of traces.

The pink area, is where the hands are more likely to touch the door, so over time, sweaty palms and greasy fingers will leave a thin layer of dirt. The yellow highlighted area is where the feet or objects (bicycle wheels and pedals, maybe) might collide with the door, leaving dents and scratches. It’s an area also prone to water damage.

The green area will be stressed by the incessant opening/closing of the door, constantly hitting the frame, it will likely chip the paint off and wear the edge out more than the interior edges. When adding details, try to use them to tell believable micro-stories. The more believable they are, the more the player will buy in.

Seeing is Key

Drawing, sculpting, modeling, and texturing require an extra keen sense of observation. Seeing is the primary skill to develop in order to become a good draftsman. It’s not about the pen or paper you use. It’s not about Maya or Max; it’s about your own ability to seize the truth about an object with top-notch precision.

When a 3D modeler is given a concept art, she needs to be sensitive enough to grasp the subtleties of the design and the character behind it. Often it’s very difficult to turn a gestural speed painting into a 3D object. The key here is not to do a simple translation 2D to 3D. It’s to re-create/re-interpret in 3D the gesture proposed in the 2D concept art. It’s like listening to an interpretation of your favorite heavy metal band by a philharmonic orchestra. The two versions will sound very different, but both will vibrate the same energy if executed skillfully.

Artists look into evaluating shapes, volumes, their relations to each other, the pattern of the positive and negative space, their surface. We also look at the character of things, their age, wear, sturdiness or fragility, their stories. We need to select only the essential information. It’s caricaturing on the go — leaving out information that doesn’t matter to focus on the truth. Become expert at oozing out the essence of things.

Seeing is not about being able to create a photorealistic drawing of an object. Art is not interested in duplication. Art in entertainment should be bigger than life. Art needs exaggeration in order to be convincing and entertaining. If your art direction calls for something dull, then you need to create duller than life. It work both ways; the nice becomes nicer, and the ugly gets… uglier.

From time to time in applicants’ portfolios, I see highly realistic renderings of famous people done in pencil from photographs. If you’re not at least as fast as a photocopy machine, it won’t be impressive. I will always prefer a three-line drawing capturing the likeness of someone. I know that person has a keen sense of observation and is capable with very few lines of expressing ideas, feelings, or stories. Again, it doesn’t matter which medium you use, whether it’s an expensive 3D software package or a lost twig on the beach.

It comes down to observation. One way to practice your observation skill is to draw anything, anytime, all the time. Carry a sketchbook with you. Whenever you have five minutes to kill, commuting, at the bank, or sitting for a coffee, pull out your pencil and notepad, and draw something that is around you. It could be people; it could be an object. You sole focus is essence. You want to simplify some shapes, you want to exaggerate some others, and your personal style is defined by what you leave out versus what you keep in, crowned by what you add.

Here are two delightful drawings by Matt Jones. I really enjoy the way he depicts the city. The details he chose, ignored, enhanced, and weakened made his drawings more San Francisco than San Francisco itself.

If you study life drawing, don’t focus solely on anatomy; go for a story. Extrapolate, exaggerate, twist reality. This is how great drawings are achieved. Don’t reduce yourself to the capacity of a camera. Be the artist you ought to be.

There is a popular belief that goes, “I don’t need to know how to draw, because I work in 3D.” To that I would say, “Maybe. But why on Earth would you limit yourself?” The ability to draw is proof of your mental visualization and observation power. Many people think drawing happens between your finger and your pencil, but in fact drawing happens in your brain, using your ability to visualize something with extreme clarity.

If you have enough dexterity to hold a pen to write down your name, you possess enough dexterity to draw like most of the masters. The difference between you and them is the power of your observational skill. From my experience, the top performers in my teams were often good draftsmen. Not always, but they had the upper hand in speed of execution, quality of shapes, texturing, and concept art reading.

In the mid ’90s, stricken by illness, Frank Frazetta couldn’t rely on his right hand anymore. He started to train his left hand by drawing and painting. After few months, he was able to create some very decent pieces of art. Some critics even say that his drawing actually improved. Well, I don’t know about that, but he drew skillfully with his non-dominant hand after a relatively short period of time.

My point here, again, is about the required dexterity to draw and paint. Because Frazetta already knew how to paint and draw in his head, it was only a matter of making his left hand as agile as his right. “Only” is an understatement; it still takes effort to get the brain to wire new neural connections. It must have required great patience of him, but he did it. At that point, his right hand had more than 50 years of experience in drawing and painting.

Another thing I could add about drawing is that it never gets easier with time or experience. It remains hard. It is not an automated task, like running or driving a car. Your drawings will become better over time. You’ll gain confidence. The difficulty, however, will remain the same.

The goals you set for yourself will rise with your skills… all your life. Have you ever noticed how artists will often diminish their work in public? They’ll only see “errors” they think they could have done better. Hence the saying “a piece of art is never quite completed.”

Tricks and formulas are to be ignored; leave shortcuts to amateurs. When learning to draw, you want the real deal. It will be hard, but once the skill of draftsmanship envelops you like a second skin, you’ll be free to express whatever you want to say. Tricks and formulas can’t give you such freedom. They will work only for a tiny speck of possibilities.

For great artistry, you want freedom to make statements. The freedom to draw, sculpt or paint the views you have in mind. Your main concern should not be how to draw, but what to draw. Stop drawing three-fourths angle portraits because it’s the only way you can draw a nose properly. Free yourself from that angle by learning to represent a nose in multiple angles. Stop drawing clenched fists; draw the full hands and let them participate in the story you are depicting. Stop hiding the character’s feet in tall grass. Learn to draw feet, shoes, and boots in all possible angles. Try not to avoid what you consider your weaknesses; confront them.

Don’t be afraid to use reference when possible. It’s a clever way of working, assuming that you’re not bluntly copying. A reference should give you some basic information about an object, an environment, a mood, or a character. You need to twist that information using your art fundamentals and the vision you’re trying to achieve. You need to mold that reference to match your personal statement.

Don’t think it all needs to come from your head. You have to have documents; don’t assume good draftsmen draw everything from memory. They don’t. Many use references. Hugo Pratt spent countless hours in libraries for his research for Corto Maltese. Norman Rockwell used models and photographic references for his masterpieces. Why is it perceived as a weakness to use references? How realistic is the expectation that one should know everything and draw from his head?

Transcend Art Styles and Types

Explore multiple art styles from different cultures. Study old masters, new artists, and everything in between. Do not lock yourself in a specific aspect of art. It will limit your range of experiments and, thus, potential. If you’re not fiexible and able to work in multiple styles, you’re not preparing yourself adequately. The game industry is still in infancy. Many of the current products out there conform to a “realistic” art style. With the growth of casual gaming and multiplication of platforms available to consumers, developers will have to diversify their approaches from each other and strive for more originality in order to be noticed. I acclaim titles like Journey, Team Fortress 2, Castle Crashers, and Limbo for their mind-blowing visuals. Finally, something fresh to look at.

Realism is a touchy subject in video games. Many people believe that customers demand realistic graphics. I think gamers want authenticity; they want to be immersed and moved by the fiction that is being presented. Realism is actually easy to achieve, easy to communicate, and understood by all. This is probably why it is the first choice for developers. The tools are built for it; production is likely to be more predictable. It’s less challenging in many ways.

In The Art Spirit, Robert Henri said, “When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressive creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and opens ways for better understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it and shows there are still more pages possible.”

If your work is based on marketing studies of what the public seeks, you are keeping this book closed. They can’t tell you what they want; we artists have to find new ways. It’s part of our challenge. Stylization has a big advantage. The more you lean toward a specific style/abstraction, the higher the art challenge gets, but the better you can tell your stories and enhance the gameplay experience.

There is a tendency to dissociate gameplay and art. Too often the story is shoved down/rushed/overlooked, and is used as a tool just to create pretext for gameplay sequences. You may also hear from people that you can apply any art style over any gameplay. It’s an incredible loss; a game is not solely about the gameplay. It’s about a whole experience.

Art, story, and game design should come up together, amplifying each other and carrying a unified statement. The depth of the game experience depends on it. Can you imagine Shadow of the Colossus in a different art style? It’s surely possible, but the three components (art, story, design) are so nicely welded together that it makes it hard to disassociate them.

Another reason why it’s good to study multiple styles is to feed on them and enrich your personal style. There are endless ways of shaping or shading things. You can take influence from various sources; mixing them will result in something original in your own work. Art has a long, rich history, and it would be a mistake to ignore the solutions our predecessors have found. Why reinvent the whole wheel when you can take off where others have left? My painting skills quickly ramped up when I started scrutinizing Walt Disney movies. It helped me to understand how design was affecting my work and allowed me more freedom when painting outdoor scenes.

When you cultivate beauty — when you seek it — it will soon echo back in your life through other channels and media. Many famous painters didn’t solely study painting; many of them used to sculpt, play music, branh into culinary art, poetry, or became unquenchable travelers. Be curious, explore, and experiment. Inspiration comes from everywhere, in many forms. The sum of your experiences will enrich the view and statements you have on life, the world, the whole universe and everything beyond. It will give you breadth — a heavenly, sexy attribute.

Kill Your Expectations Before They Kill the Artist in You

Throughout the years, my biggest enemy has been myself and my expectations. You can’t possibly work freely if you are constantly watching over your own shoulder — the same way I can’t work if someone stands behind me, watching every step. You need to create room around you — room for errors, and room for experimentation, free of critics.

Often you’ll find yourself disappointed with your output, the result being not quite what you had in mind. It’s perfectly normal; I see it as a motor for personal growth. As you gain skill, you get pickier and pickier. There will always be a gap between your current output versus the thing you envision. This is where many people give up on art, unsatisfied and now convinced that it is not for them.

A piece of artwork is quite never finished; you will always find things to add or “fix”. This is where collaboration can give you an incredible boost. Rely on your peers’ eyes, and help them help you to clearly see what you are trying to achieve. You can choose to work in the dark, and never show your work, or you can stand out in the crowd and learn from how other people respond to your work.

We don’t make art for ourselves. Art is communication, but for communication to happen, you need a receiving end. That receiving end is a great teacher. Your reaction to criticism and feedback, your attitude toward other artists who may hold a piece of advice you critically need, and what you accept will define you as a much as what you reject. Just like that split second of silence in a piece of music, it can enhance a whole composition… or not.

Not All Schools Are Built Equal

I want to warn the prospective students about the myriad of 3D schools out there. School is time consuming and really expensive. They run like businesses; that is what they are. The students are customers, and each one of them brings in a hefty sum. It’s in the schools’ interest to recruit as many students as possible.

They’re not necessarily concerned with your professional success once you step out. They will teach you the technical side of 3D, the software package, the semantics, the process and workflow, team collaboration. But a big majority of them won’t teach you art. The reason being that teaching tech is easy; teaching art is another thing.

Some more conscious schools will require a portfolio prior to your enrollment. These schools want to make sure you possess enough art background to succeed later, once you learn the technical side of things. Some other school will teach you both art and tech, usually with a longer curriculum. I favor these, if you don’t have an art background.

About hiring, I’ve recruited a good number of artists, and there is one rule that never failed me so far. It’s not about your experience; it’s not about your education. What will get you a job is a mix of your personality and the promise of your portfolio. We like people who can work in a team, collaboratively. That’s nothing new. We also like people who know more about art than the average person. We don’t want peons. We want artists with opinions, vision, and the confidence to speak up. If a candidate shows great interpersonal skill and possesses a strong artistic value, I wouldn’t mind hiring him even if his technical skills are not up there. For I know teaching tech is easy, but teaching art is another thing.

If This Is What You Want, Don’t Ever Give Up On You

I will probably sound cliché once more, but I firmly believe that artists are made, not born. I don’t believe in the innate gift of artistry. Many artists will tell you — calling something you’ve sweated so much for a “gift” is demeaning. What we call “talent” is the inevitable byproduct of passion and hard work perceived in an individual.

Ultimately, what will make a difference in the long run is your own eagerness to grow. Don’t ever settle for what you believe is your maximum. Many people will disagree with me on this topic, based on their personal experience at drawing. They probably failed a few times and now they are forcefully convinced that they are unable to hold a pen and draw, sabotaging every effort with the belief that they didn’t get the magical dust of talent at birth. As the saying goes, every great draftsman had at least 10,000 bad drawings in them. Each of these bad drawings will grant you a piece of knowledge. Passion and hard work will get you where you want to be — not magical dust.

The social success of an artist doesn’t rely only on his draftsmanship abilities — in many cases, not at all. There are hundreds, if not thousands or parameters — probably the two most important being the social climate of your epoch and the message you are delivering. So no, you can’t be DaVinci, but you are yourself, and you possess the absolute freedom to improve that self — in a way that your peers, clients and the old masters could look at your work and see value in it.

Going back to those African words of wisdom, it’s never too late to work on something that can feed you in the long run. All failed artists have one thing in common: They all have quit too early. So just hang on, don’t ever give up, keep learning, keep pushing, keep growing. The ensuing will be a byproduct of your determination.(source:gamasutra)