Get ahead in the Game
Simon Fenton, Head of Games at Escape Studios, shares his tips for breaking into the games industry
Escape Studios’ head of games shares his advice for breaking into the game art industry
The games industry is one of the most creative, diverse and exciting industries for a digital artist to work in today. As a games artist you can create stunning worlds, characters or props in styles ranging from the realistic to cartoon-like. But how do you get ahead in this game? I’ve pulled together some top tips for getting into the games industry.
Software and hardware for game creation have become more accessible – and more powerful – than ever. When I first started out 22 years ago I could only get access to a Silicon Graphics workstation and had to become a runner at a postproduction company to start the learning process. Now there is a wealth of free applications and discounted hardware available. However, because of this huge choice of tools, it can be difficult to know where to start.
Learn some Programs
As a student, Autodesk will allow you free access to its industry- standard applications, which include Max, Maya and Mudbox.
However, if you’re not a current student and you just want to test some different game development tools, you can start by making digital art with Blender for 3D, and Sculptris for sculpting. From my experience, students who could only access Blender make the transition to learning an industrystandard package such as Maya with very little trouble.
For any prospective coders who want to learn technical art, Houdini Apprentice is the gold standard in procedural art tools. But with great power comes a steep learning curve.
At Escape Studios we focus on teaching the industry-standard software including Maya, Zbrush, Substance Painter, Mudbox and Unreal Engine, so students have the skillset to hit the ground running.
It’s also important alongside software to learn and explore the game engines that are available. The hero two to test are Unreal Engine 4 or Unity, which are both free and fantastic.
Hone other skills
There is a wealth of packages out there to test and get to grips with but it’s important to keep in mind that they are just tools. It’s your core skills that will help you create that standout portfolio work and you will need to demonstrate through art that you can observe reference, and translate it into a games context and a particular style. Your work should show that you understand real-time rendering, as well as all of the constraints that go along with it.
It’s also incredibly important to practise your transferable skills, especially when it comes to working in a team. Game Jams – meeting fellow gamers and working on a project in a short time – can be a great way to practise this. Escape Studios runs an annual Game Jam to encourage postgraduates to get together to develop these skills. Working in teams helps you communicate, express ideas and – most importantly – shows that you are engaged at a community level, learning from your peers while contributing at the same time.