During my presentation I was told to choose what was most important to me because I'd chosen to do too much. I wanted to create a selection screen which would mean me making the characters, animating them, setting up all the UI and making backdrops. Long story short the learning curve would be far too steep and I would burn myself out from all the workload and stress.
I was however, told that my ideas weren't bad as I was consciously considering the pipeline process and seeing the characters in a game context. An issue that character artists have at times is getting caught up in the details but not thinking about how it would actually work in-game or the pain the animators will have to go through; that is something I wish to change.
My answer was creating 3D character (game-ready) specifically, but what is a game-ready character exactly?
From what I can find online it's the processes of modelling (or sculpting and retopologoising), texturing, rigging, animating, and then readying it for export into the game engine.
In terms of 3D I had already started a base sculpt which I could work off of later for my characters. I'd heard from sources that quite a few character artists in industry will have base models, e.g. male and female and sculpt new details for their characters on top of those.
To answer my question, I first need to find out what a character artist actually does.
What does a Character Artist do?
Here are 4 job descriptions from some companies, I've chosen to look at an entry/junior level position, mid-level, senior, and finally lead. I wanted to see how the responsibilities, requirements and language changes in their roles.
[1] Sony PlayStation, Junior Artist (https://www.playstationjobs.co.uk/vacancy/1577-Junior-Artist/page/3?src=JB-10380):
Creating high quality assets within agreed constraints and art direction.
Work alongside Senior Artists and Designers to develop game assets and worlds from prototype to completion.
Requirements
A modelling and texturing portfolio showing a diverse range of realistic asset types, completed to a very high standard.
Extensive experience using Maya for modelling.
Superior eye for creating texture maps of different real-world materials.
An understanding of art production workflows.
An understanding of the cost of game assets relative to game engines, in particular VR platforms.
Experience using Unreal or a similar engine.
An appreciation of scale, composition and the importance of silhouette when modelling.
Self-motivation, good time management, communication skills and a good team player.
[2] Sumo Digital Nottingham, Character Artist (https://careers-sumo-digital.icims.com/jobs/1149/character-artist---sumo-nottingham/job):
Be able to produce excellent high polygon models in both traditional 3D and sculpting packages
Transfer your high poly models to low poly models that adhere to required guidelines
Have a good knowledge of creating efficient meshes that are good for performance
Experienced in the baking pipeline in order to generate high quality in-game assets
Understand and be experienced in the baking pipeline in order to produce high quality in-game assets
Create well laid out, high quality textures suitable for both traditional and PBR pipelines
Keep up to date with modern processes in the character art pipeline
Excellent understanding of sculpting human anatomy
Troubleshoot Character art issues from a creative and technical standpoint
Create readable documentation for techniques and pipelines for the character production process
Be able to schedule your time and others in order to meet the project deadlines
Have good organisational skills and produce work files that are easily used by others
Collaborate with the concept team by highlighting and providing solutions to any design problems before the modelling
Work closely with rigging and animation to ensure that your models work well in motion
Mentor other Character Artists and share your personal experience to improve our character production process
Help set the standard for model creation for the project
Comfortable working with scan data as a starting point.
[3] Splash Damage Bromley, Senior Character Artist (http://www.splashdamage.com/content/job-details?gh_jid=249369)
The Role
Talented Character Artist to help us build stunning and inspiring characters for upcoming titles.
Working closely with Art leads and you'll be responsible for sculpting hi-res realistic characters and help to bring them to life. You'll assist with establishing our workflows and help drive improvements in our character art pipeline. You will maintain a consistently high standard with your work and be capable of taking a character from sculpt through to in game setup.
Responsibilities
Sculpt and create highly realistic characters and creatures for games
Realise the character with in game and cinematic meshes and textures
Collaborate with Art and Design leads to create technically sound, engaging and memorable characters
Maintain quality, efficiency and consistency across your work
Essential Skills and Experience
Expert level of capability with ZBrush
Highly experienced working with (PBR) and capable of creating well defined and readable realistic materials
Highly experienced and proficient with 3D Studio MAX or Maya, ZBrush (and/or Mudbox) and Photoshop
Strong understanding of anatomy and art fundamentals
Great working knowledge of real time game engines such as UE4
Desirable Skills and Experience
Knowledge of rigging, skinning and animation principles
Passion for game development
Demonstrable creativity and ability to present new ideas
[4] Ready at Dawn, Lead Character Artist (http://www.readyatdawn.com/careers-list/lead-character-artist/)
Working together with the other art leads, designers, and animators, the lead character artist is tasked with managing the character art department.
The candidate is responsible for the character art team’s creation of visually stunning 3d characters and interactive gameplay models that both closely capture the “look” and artistic style of the concept art, as well as efficiently satisfy all technical engine and animation requirements.
Other than strong leadership skills, a successful candidate must demonstrate a strong understanding of sculptural form, anatomy, and a familiarity with and ability to work in a wide range of artistic styles. A high attention to detail and strong technical and artistic problem solving abilities are equally important for the position.
Qualifications:
4+ years games industry experience
Excellent communication and collaborative problem solving skills
Strong technical modeling skills (extremely clean mesh, UVs, and scene organisation are a must)
Full understanding of the character art pipeline and to work with other departments to create efficiencies
Strong understanding of game character creation (retopology for ideal rigging deformation and to convincingly support normal maps)
Software: Maya, ZBrush, xNormal, Photoshop (or comparable programs)
Strong traditional sculpture, drawing, painting, and texturing skills are a plus
Now we're through will the text wall, what can we take away from these in a nice tl;dr format?
Analysing Job Roles
As you go along up the job totem pole that demands get higher; you need to know more software, be more adaptable, analytical, and be able to convey your ideas to a team:
For a junior or entry level job you need to know the basics, be able to demonstrate your range of work and evidence how you'd become a good asset to the team/company through your portfolio. However, this role is more so about being trained to fit within a company and gives you time to learn from your seniors.
Key language used: high quality, work alongside, experience in, an understanding, an appreciation, time management, communication skills, team player, understanding of workflows.
For a mid-level job (advertised as character artist) not only do you have to be understand and be good at what you do, but do it to an excellent quality, and able to mentor others on you processes. Now that you're a steady part of the company you are expected to help make it more efficient and by communicating with other disciplines, see yourself less as an individual and more like a team, benefiting the company as a whole.
Key language used: excellent, good knowledge, be highly experienced, excellent understanding, high quality, keep up-to-date, pipelines, troubleshoot from a creative and technical standpoint, create documentation, mentor others, set the standard, collaborate, comfortable.
Moving upwards to a senior role, you are now expected to be a master of your craft and work with the art leads to create visually and technically stunning memorable characters. Manning a team you will ensure work is efficient and true to concept work. Being that you have to guide and steer your team's direction and workflow your own abilities with 3D software must be to an extremely high standard. At this stage you must be able to understand and act out the process of taking a character from a sculpt to in-game setup.
Key language used: talented, stunning and inspiring, work closely, realise character in different medium, collaborate, maintain quality, efficiency, consistency, expert level, highly experience, capable, well-defined, proficient, strong understanding, great working knowledge, passion, demonstrable creativity/ability.
Finally, a lead character artist's job is to oversee the work produced by the character department and work with other leads to create the feel for the game, making sure work is sticking to the initial art style. You must have excellent communication and problem solving skills and have strong leadership skills. Having traditional art expertise will help oil the process. At this point you are also expected to have years of experience within industry and have worked on shipped games.
Key language used: Working with other art leads, responsible for, efficiently satisfy, solving abilities, industry experience, excellent communication and collaborative solving skills, strong technical skills, full understanding, strong traditional skills
Over the course of my masters I plan to cover a range of these requirements which will help towards my ability to work a company.
Bibliography
[1] SONY PLAYTSTATION (2016) Junior Artist. [Online] SONY PLAYSTATION. Available from: https://www.playstationjobs.co.uk/vacancy/1577-Junior-Artist/page/3?src=JB-10380 [Accessed 24/10/16].
[2] SUMO DIGITAL Character Artist. [Offline - Page now unavailable] SUMO DIGITAL. Available from: http://www.splashdamage.com/content/job-details?gh_jid=249369 [Accessed 24/10/16].
[3] SPLASH DAMAGE (2016) Senior Character Artist. [Online] SPLASH DAMAGE. Available from: http://www.splashdamage.com/content/job-details?gh_jid=249369 [Accessed 24/10/16].
[4] READY AT DAWN (2016) Lead Character Artist. [Online] READY AT DAWN. Available from: http://www.readyatdawn.com/careers-list/lead-character-artist/ [Accessed 24/10/16].
