Video games have become a very popular way for people to relax and be entertained. Millions of people all over the world immerse themselves into these interesting worlds of game play every day. There are three things you need to make a great video game and that include graphics, gameplay, and concept art.
Video game development is a lot harder than most people think and concept art has to be the most important part of the entire process. The reason why it’s so important is because it establishes two things and they include:
- The look of the game
- The overall feel of the game
Without there being good concept art within a video game the game may feel like it’s not finished or that it’s actually unpolished.
- Overview Of Video Game Concept Art
Video game concept art within game development is like its mentioned before the most important part of the whole process. Its entire responsibility is to set the tone for the game as well as the style. It’s also used to communicate the vision of the game to the one’s creating it and eventually to the ones who will play it.
Concept art transforms interactive games especially because it creates an abstract notion and makes it into a real world object. Concept art is the foundation upon which the finished product will be made in the industry.
- Original Ideas
Sometimes the original artwork doesn’t even resemble the original idea, however concept art has always been a crucial part in developing any kind of video game. Furthermore, it’s not just used in video games but also:
- Films
- Television
- Comics
- What Do Concept Artists Do?
Concept artists are the ones who are mainly responsible for the overall look and feel of the finished game. They end up creating three main things which include the following:
- Characters
- Environment
- Objects
The reason concept art is so critical to the development of the game is because it literally sets the overall tone and the unique style of the game itself. Concept art can be done by using any medium, however digital painting has become the most popular method of creating concept art.
- Why Is Digital Painting More Popular?
The reason digital painting is much more popular is because it allows for much better detail and it’s very flexible unlike traditional methods such as drawing with pen and paper. And digital painting lets team members share concepts with other development team members easily.
This alone helps them to ensure that everyone is really on the same exact page when it comes to the overall game’s visual direction.
- Types of Video Game Concept Art
Within video game concept art, there are really just three different types:
- Character art
- Environment art
- Prop concept art
Character art is the art that depicts the game’s characters, it’s used to design what the characters are going to look like. Environment concept art is used to actually design the games world which include:
- Architecture
- Interior rooms
- Landscapes
- Small details
Prop concept art is used to design props that aren’t characters or the environment such as:
- Guns
- Weapons
- Furniture
- vehicles
For any successful gaming industry, having a great concept artist is essential to their success. It helps them to create a video game millions of people will want to play and of course purchase.
