Rockstar Tips

Mr. Ian Bowden, former art director at Rockstar Games, leaves his current job for another one, but he leaves behind some useful tips for new and old artists alike. Firstly, he reminds us all that his job was still a job. Yes, he did have some fun doing it, but ultimately it was still a job and there was still work to be done. When it comes to the actual art, one should pay attention to what others are doing and what's "in" at the moment, but they should never aspire to be unoriginal or to follow the crowd. Keep in mind the little things that are grabbing people's attention but also aspire to be different. The whole world is changing and becoming different, so your art should change with it. Be unique. Next, when one is working on a mobile game, give it the best visual qualities it can have. Don't skimp out on the details just because it's smaller. It needs to grab attention and have charming visual qualities that keep people coming back for more. Little details are what sell, not always high polygon counts and or ultra-realism. Even little icons that appear on the phone's app screen need to be attractive. They need to make people want to touch that app and play the game. Heck, even the icon for the store where the game can be purchased needs to be visually appealing. Spare no details. Also, one should always keep a sketch book on hand so they can catch the little artistic thought bunnies that would otherwise get away. Practice practice practice. Keep your art skills up to par by practicing with your sketch book on the go. Sidewalks, faces, fabric, etc can all be practiced while out with your sketch book. Lastly, an artist needs to experiment and try new things. Expand your knowledge and don't be stuck down on one singular method or style. Find inspiration from other peoples' works and learn from the people who may or may not be better than you. There will always be someone who knows something you don't.

Very useful article. These tips are good for any artist to know and keep in mind, as intended by the author of this article. I can't honestly say that I didn't know any of this stuff, but it's always good to have a referesher (even though this kind of stuff comes at us from all directions. But if it wasn't important, then fewer people would say it). I agree with this article completely and whole heartedly. How would one get their start in this field and what exactly does one with this occupation do? Anyone in the digital media field should keep this in mind. They might as well be fundamental principles of media. This information might be everywhere, but that just means that it's important and we should know it.