As long as you’re not glued on the screen for too many hours straight, playing a video game is a beneficial form of entertainment. It’s useful to both adults and children in terms of improving thinking abilities. Certain factors affect the quality of video games; resolution, game frame rate, video frame rate, and game graphics, among others. A game artist develops characters and images for video and computer games. Their prominent responsibilities include user experience, animation, and concept design. A 2D game artist is an important professional in the game world. So, how can you become a video game 2D artist?
Who is a game artist?
A game artist is a generalist animator with skills to create 2D and 3D art for video games. These experts play a big role in video games, especially concept art and design briefs. Most game artists specialize in visual elements needed to put a game together, such as objects, characters, assets, textures, props, environments, weapons, and many more. The extent of these video game development roles depends on the size of the project and studio. During their career, game artists can perform different functions within a 2D modeling or animation team, and it takes a few years to have a deeper understanding of game development.
Roles and responsibilities of 2D game artists
- Animating creatures and characters
- Adding textures to all visual elements
- Developing 2D models of each asset that aligns with technical problems of the game engine
- Performing research, resources, and references needed to produce assets of the game in making
- Collaborating with lead developers and designers regarding the designs of the game
- Sketching key elements and designs of the visual style
- Applying shading and lighting effects to all elements, ensuring colors and intensity have the right consistency levels
- Integrating special effects to game textures, events, and scenes, including smoke, explosions, weather effects, and steam vents.
- Creating sound effects, and audio mixes
- Solving technical and creative issues in the game design
- Understanding user experience and needs and designing games that suits clients’ needs
- Maintaining proper production documentation
- Providing advice on new 2D technologies
How can you become a Video game 2D artist?
Qualifying as a 2D game artist for hire needs expertise in computer animation, art, and good experience with computer video games. Employers prefer working with game artists with formal training on top of a bachelor’s degree in game design, art, or graphic design. Most employees are serious about these professional qualifications. That’s why you have to earn proficiency in different types of computer animation software. 2D video game artist career requires you to be skilled in various aspects of game development. As your professionalism progresses, you may specialize in an area that serves specific talents and interests you the most. Games development involves teamwork. Hence, interpersonal and communication skills are critical for successful game production.
2D video game artists should have the following skills;
- Trained in animation and game art
- Excellent 2D modeling skills and good familiarity with its principles
- Great abilities to work independently and a team player
- Can work under pressure and meet deadlines consistently
- Knowledge of layout design, asset creation, and texturing
- Good ability in creating special effects
- Brilliant drawing skills and ability to visualize and design from nonfigurative ideas
- Advanced knowledge of visual language-spatial awareness, dimension, color, shade, proportion, or scale
- Greatly skilled in visual storytelling
- Deep understanding of game genres and updated to the latest trends in gaming
- Working experience of video game standard software
Which software do video game 2D artists use?
- Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop CC
- CAD
- Unity 3
- Krita program
- PaintTool SAI package
- 2D Studio Max
- Houdini
- Unreal Engine
How can a video game 2D artist win the client’s heart?
Earning a client’s trust is very important for any career, especially sophisticated ones like game development. Trust maintains a good artist-client relationship, and it offers huge benefits. When problems arise during game development and referrals to new clients, patience and understanding are the main benefits a 2D game artist for hire will reap if trust is cultivated. Poor trust will harm your reputation, drive away clients, and cost your future business. Due to the complexity of video game projects, you’ll need tips that’ll make your clients have confidence in you. Here they are;
Have a solid online presence
Your online presence is a powerful way of earning a client’s trust who you’ve not yet met in person. Outdated online presence is a red flag for any prospective client. Let your professional profiles like website and LinkedIn stay updated and appealing. Your portfolio should display video games styles and techniques you can achieve. It should demonstrate you’re highly skilled in game designs.
Consistent, effective communication
Good communication is a great way of building trust. It’s necessary to communicate your design process and engage clients to understand the entire process. They should be aware of what’s happening.
Use the right software tools
Using 2D modeling software will help you meet your client’s expectations. The right tools will help you design and provide accurate visualizations, closing the room for any misinterpretations from clients. Modeling software will also help you accurately predict conflicts that may occur during the project construction, allowing you to solve challenges and minimize change orders. Special tools will bring you a new exploration and make you succeed with all your 2D plans.
Avoid overpromising
One of the most important rules in game development is to deliver what you promised. Avoid committing yourself to a project you cannot accomplish. To avoid promising what you can’t do, find out from the client their project goals in terms of budget, design, and schedule to ensure you can handle the job.
Play your role correctly
Always be ready to offer new and creative solutions. Double-check factors like applicable codes, properties of tools you want to use, and everything required for the project. Be confident and deliver the best service to make your clients happy and satisfied.
Conclusion
Video game 2D artist is an important specialist in game art. If you’re interested in this career, start by figuring out what you’re best at. Once you find your niche, go for the job and become the best in it. Becoming a successful 2D artist takes time and effort. But you’ll eventually turn out to be a pro if you follow our tips.