Learning Outcome

In this semester, three guest lecturers came to give us three challenging briefs. Ron from Atomhawk gave us a brief to design a character and an environment for the company new game, the Realm. Shelly Page from Dreamwork assigned us to redesign one of iconic fiction character from her list and Jack Couvela from Ubisoft gave a brief to design new assassin’s creed character in one specific historical period.

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of business aspects of working as a concept artist including copyright issues pricing, and the rights of an artist.

Working as a concept artist in the industry is a specialist job. The artists need to have a range of skill such as painting, illustration and communication skill. It is an intensive work because the artists are tend to produce works as much as they can using their creativity and it also depend on the producer’s satisfaction. The works can inspired from various reference but have to avoid taking other artist's creative ideas. The artist need to present their works in their own creative idea.

There are concept artist who either work as freelance or company’s employees. The right in their work for employees belongs to the company as well as the authority for pricing. On the other hand, the freelance artists have more flexible decision to make when they make a business agreement with the clients. Basically, the copyright of their works belongs to the artist but the client hold the right to use them for specific purposes. Moreover, the pricing would be rated from how professional of the artist, the high quality and speed one can ask for the high price, while the slower or amateur would get the low rate.

2. Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of concepts, information and techniques at the forefront of Concept Art.
This can be demonstrated in my Assassin’s creed development. I did some research in my idea, thumbnail sketches to show range of concepts, the character sheet that can help 3D model artist and the character in some environment to let the producer get the mood of my idea.

3. Synthesise complex concepts and professional practice into the production of original imagery.

In Atomhawk’s brief I researched the actual place in Newcastle and created my works base on the real building.

In Shelly’s brief I research about Thai costume and use the shape and texture as the references.

4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the key issues relating to Concept Art practice.To be a professional concept artist, the artists should understand clearly for the brief and response appropiate for each brief’s requirements. Moreover, the artist should produce works quickly and ontime. Working as a good teamwork is also the key point to be a good concept artist. The artist need to responsible and keep the work's progession in the office as confidenciality.

For Atomhawk’s brief, it required to do an environment based in Newcastle and an evil character:

 For Shelly’s brief, it required to draw a same character in two different ages, but they both need to look connected.

For Ubosoft’s brief, you need to bring the sense of the historical period you chose to your character and make them recognized as an assassin’s creed

 

5. Demonstrate a professional and effective approach to the specialist area of 'Pitch Presentations'.

This can be showed in the slides from my presentation to Jack Couvela from Ubisoft. This presentation fit to all requirement from the guest lecturer. 

I let the viewer know what time period I chose in the first slide. I wrote some information about that time period and showed some research I have done.

The next slide I showed a various idea of the character thumbnail

The third slide I showed my character sheet which require poses from the front, back and side of the character.

The forth slide I showed idea of my character’s weapon

The fifth and sixth slide I showed my building’ research and the detail of it.

6. Analyse and interpret challenging client briefs and produce relevant and original work in response.

In Shelly’s brief, the challenge is to redesign a famous fictional character for example Marco Polo, Barbarbella, Blurbeard or Tinker Bell. I chose Tinker Bell and I kept her iconic style which establish in Disney’s Peter Pan(1953).The challenge is to design the character in older or younger version, I did some researched about how to draw the same character in different ages and apply to my Tinker Bell. I drew her child version in more round face but keep the eyes, the color and the attitude.

In Atomhawk’s brief, it required a realistic style which suite to the game. I struggled for a while to achieve the realistic style. Then, I agreed with my course leader to make them in a graphic style which I felt more comfortable. But I still tried to response to all requirement of the brief. I drew character and environment pieces in good graphic shapes, sense of color and storytelling.

7. Demonstrate critical understanding of specialist techniques relevant to Concept Art.
This can be showed in my Assassin’s creed brief:

The building pieces, I used SketchUp to help me in 3D building shape and find the interesting camera view then I painted over it.

The character thumbnail, I used brush in Photoshop to sketch. This can be quick because it is just a brainstorm the ideas.

 

The character final piece, I drew in Illustrator to make a good shape of my character and painted and add texture in Photoshop

8. Explore and evaluate a range of visual responses to a brief.
In Dreamwork’s brief, my cartoon style quite fit in what the brief require because the company’s works mostly for the children, I managed to do researched and realized how important to do that. Researching can guild me the draw the character that can be related to the real things. I also aware of the difficulty involved in drawing a character in the different ages, I think this is a good practice for me.

In Ubisoft’s and Atomhawk’s brif requires much more realistic style which I didn’t achieve yet but I tried to add many idea in a good graphic shapes of cartoonist style and sense of color. I also received a feedback that even these are not the realistic style, but if you have a strong idea, it can be transfer to another artist to develop it further.

9. Reflect on practice and recognise and critically appraise strengths and weaknesses.

This semester I felt I have more confidence in my works. I recognised that my strengths are strong designs, good sense of colours and creative imagination. I also recognised that my best illustration style is cartoon style. I am willing to develop these particular skills and be a professional artisrt in graphic or cartoon style. 

However my weaknesses are still my low speed to produce work and other insufficient skills for example accurate anatomy ,convinced painting and perspective. I will practice and improve these skill by attending more life drawing class or leant from various successful artists.