Aspiring pro thread? Aspiring pro thread. Some thoughts I've

Getting a job in the video game industry is ALWAYS through recommendation first. Doesn't matter if it's AAA or indie. Recruiters ask employees if they know anyone first before even looking at any random resumes. It's very hard to just submit a resume and get a job.

Technical skill demand isn't low. People aren't dumb. They know if the art in their game is bad it's going to look like a shitty cheap game. You have to be good no matter what.

3d is extremely important. It drastically improves the speed and workflow of a concept artist. Even a basic program like sketchup makes a huge difference.

That being said, it isn't necessary to know 3d to be a concept artist. Whoever said that is a fucking idiot.

>concept artists 5 years for both indie and AAA projects. Console and Mobile.

>>2289890
>Most of the explosive growth of the industry has been in the casual games sector. And not so much in the 'cool realistic triple AAA title' sector.
Keep in mind that handheld devices are getting incredibly powerful compared to consoles and PC.
In 5 years time we will have medium tier phones able to render 720p visuals of a PS3, which has been the point where going "realistic" is aesthetically pleasing.

Games will remain casual, yes, but many of them will look like your generic AAA console tripe because the tech will get there. Which is what matters to you, the artist.

>>2289890
>concept art
No thx

>>2289912
This.

>>2289890
>Is the concept artist of 2025 someone who can create an entirely animated inhabited world from scratch in 3d wearing an oculus rift, or something like that?
Pretty much. Take a look at that minecraft virtual reality map rendering.
Holograms will be the next 3d. People will open virtual pages from their google glasses and holograms will pop out.
They will rotate in real time so 3d knowledge will trample 2d rendering at that point. Sad times.

At that time, digital 2d art will die. Oil painting will survive as a niche, as they always will.

However it's not gonna happen in 2025. The world's progress has slowed down in the last 5 years due to the recess. Moore's law is already crumbling.

>>2289908
>That being said, it isn't necessary to know 3d to be a concept artist. Whoever said that is a fucking idiot.
They're probably taking a quote from some pro out of context. But the fact of the matter is that 3d is becoming more and more important and if you look at job postings these days almost all the positions mention it as either a requirement or a highly desired skill, even if it is a 2d position.

>>2289911
I wouldn't be that optimistic about that. We are at a point where processors are hard to make more efficient without increasing their size.

>>2289908
3D will objectively shorten your times for some things. Even if you used it 1% of the times, that's still an advantage.

>>2289917
>digital 2d art will die
topkek

>>2289927
>year 1990
>"hey dude, people will mostly paint with a computer"

>top kek dude lmao if it's not happening now it'll never happen in the future

>>2289929
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illustration

>>2289929
>implying all traditional painting is completely gone and dead now

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>>2289890
I hate video games
>>2289939
How much of a market is there for illustrators now? Oh, that's right, absolutely zero.
There was a time when illustration was a critical component of advertising, that time is long gone...sorry.
Comics is really the only large market for illustrators now and comics are dumb.

>>2289954
>comics are dumb
>zero market for illustrators
Kekus Maximus.

>>2289954
>How much of a market is there for illustrators now? Oh, that's right, absolutely zero.

Is this actually true? I know it's not a gigantic market but it must exist... surely?

>>2289957
Name the market, senpai

>>2289960
Covers, books, designing stuff for animations, games, movies, magazine illustration, posters, you already said about comics (although for slower artists that are not comfortable with doing sequential it might be hard) - I'm not saying it's big but it's not a zero (Jock said recently he is making more money on comics, than on movie designs>, sir.

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>>2289954
>How much of a market is there for illustrators now? Oh, that's right, absolutely zero.

>>2289958
No it's not true, illustration is very much alive and thriving.

>>2289960
Off the top of my head: editorial illustration for numerous magazines, covers for book and magazine and e-book and comics, promotional illustration and splash art for video games and movies and mobile games, children's books, technical/scientific illustration for articles and textbooks, board games and trading card games, advertising.

>>2289962
>Jock said recently he is making more money on comics, than on movie designs

And everyone knows who Jock is, obviously.

>>2289968
Nah, I didn't implied it. Jock is one of the most famous comic book guys I think - lots of designs to movies (Dredd, Ex Machina, Star Wars 8 lately), he did Batman, Wytches, Losers, Covers for Scalped. He has very inky, gritty, sketchy style. I know that he is one of the top stars, he's working with other guys that are making books sell (Scott Snyder) and it's not saying about industry as a whole, but it's not a zero.

>>2289939
A medium that is used as an efficient shortcut will get completely replaced by the better shortcut as the tech improves.

And yes, all of traditional is gone except oils (unfortunately). Oils are the exception because they are the ultimate show in craftmanship in the art world.

What is the point of professional graphite/charcoal today? Digital is a better shortcut. Oils are the better high-end product. Boom, the 2 former mediums now do not sell.

See how it works? The art mediums gravitate towards both far ends of craftmanship and efficiency. Inbetweens die. Especially when we keep flooding the field with new ways to draw.

>>2289954
All mainstream comics have long passed to digital m8

>>2289980
>graphite/charcoal today
I see some in art auction in my town. You sound like doomsday fanatic

>>2289980
I see point in using charcoal as a illustration method. If someone feels comfortable with it then it's fine. Depends on a person. I would probably see less sense in doing oils (I don't know how to use them, plus I'm impatient), but I can respect that someone likes it and does it.

>>2289968
Jason Shawn Alexander.

>>2289980
>What is the point of professional graphite/charcoal today? Digital is a better shortcut.
It's not all about shortcuts. Many illustrators still use traditional media like graphite, pens, ink etc. Maybe you just aren't looking at what is out there at the moment and making assumptions.

>>2290000
nise get

>>2289917

>digital art will die.

Just like pixel art. nobody is doing that either nowadays. Totally dead.

>>2289911
>Games will remain casual, yes, but many of them will look like your generic AAA console tripe because the tech will get there. Which is what matters to you, the artist.

I actually hate working in the mobile industry because I like my games (both those I play and those I make) with a hefty size of storytelling, and unless this fucking candy crush look and nickel-and-diming trend ends I'll still be gunning for AAA.
It's sad to see such potential for doing great shit like AAA but everyone's busy copying each other's microtransaction models and diabetes-inducing visuals and concepts.

>>2289890
>Most of the explosive growth of the industry has been in the casual games sector. And not so much in the 'cool realistic triple AAA title' sector. However that's the jobs everyone is competing for, and catering their portfolio towards.

Most concept artist are hardcore gamers and grew up playing AAA games. The interest in getting in a big studio is partially due to the chance of working on some of your favorite franchises, those that directly influenced you and put on on this career path.

You don't really see that kind of fandom in mobile games. I have never heard anyone say that Angry Birds got them interested in working in the games industry as a concept artist.

>>2289929
yet a lot of people have no problem living from traditional art. So i guess it's not really an either or scenario.

>>2289924
This. I spoke to a working concept artist in person. He said that even if you don't know 3d, you will be competing with artists who do and who are willing to use whatever tricks in the book to finish work fast. How can you compete speedwise, when art director says, I like this concept but lets try a different perspective or angle...do you redo the entire painting? Or you could have fast turnaround because you built it in 3d, so changes like that aren't as painful.