We were only supposed to go to Hi-Rez ten times, but I didn't want to rush the last concept so I decided to go an additional time. Vivi and Leandro thought it was a good idea too, so we all went togeter yesterday.
As we arrived at Hi-Rez, Leandro and me realized we had a problem. We hadn't been going there together for some time and as the computers we used had been switched and taken for other purposes, we had ended up working on the same station without knowing it. The other free computers didn't have photoshop nor the 3D software he uses. Luckily, Saman, the person that works next to Jerry, wasn't there that day, so that is the workstation that I used.
Saman has an amazing workstation (like about everyone at Hi-Rez) with a big Cintiq, dual screens, and a huge desk so I can say I was very glad to have the opportunity to use it. Saman takes his pen home with him, but luckily I always have mine with me too, as I need it to use the Cintiqs at SCAD.
As soon as I was installed, I went to Jerry to discuss the concepts I had until then. He told me the elements from different concepts that he liked that I could put together in the new one. As I started the new illustration, as usual, I worked a lot on the pose. This one was a bit tricky, as this character has an unusual shape. Jerry gave me some feedback to fix it and make it look better. When I finished the line, I started doing color studies, which I won't say much about as it was the same process as the last illustration. It was my last day, and Jerry was already gone once I was done with them, so I went to find Ramon and see if he could give me some feedback on the color choices. I was mainly hesitating between one that looked really good, but was a bit classic, and one that looked very original, but I wasn't sure if it really worked. Ramon really enjoyed the original one.
Ramon also showed me more about his process. He was working on weapon concepts, something I'm not used to doing at all. He tends to start with 3D renders often done by someone else, and modify them by drawing on top of them. The way he draws is incredible, when I look at his drawings I often have a hard time saying if it's a drawing or a 3D model. He uses a lot of photos from weapons to get the right texture on the weapons, and has diagrams showing how the weapon would work. He also showed me some of the character designs he's done for tribes. He starts with a bulky 3D render too for the characters, to hasten the process. The armors he draws are full of intricate designs everywhere, he says it's very helpful for the 3D modelers and speeds up their modeling time when everything is clear.
With the feedback he gave me on my illustration, I started working on the final painting, and just did that for the rest of the day.
And that was my last day at Hi-Rez for this class/internship. I'm sorry if the posts got repetitive, but truthfully, without saying exactly what I'm doing it's hard to give a great deal of details and variation, as in the big lines I was always doing the same thing.
So overall it was a very enjoyable experience. It did a very good job in conforting me that that is really the path I want to follow, I really enjoy doing concept art, and the environment in game companies in general (at least in this one).
More on it when I graduate I guess =)
Showing posts with label Hi-Rez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hi-Rez. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Hi-Rez, day 10
Again, day 10 was just Vivi and me. Jerry was very satisfied with the piece so far, and as I had very little left to do on it, we chose what character I was going to work on next at once.
I then went to my workstation and finished the previous drawing. It mainly needed some last touches of color and textures. Adding photo textures to a concept is a great way to give clear indication of the type of material, so that the modelers that come after have an easy time figuring out how to model them. It's also fast, so that you don't lose too much time on that concept (and time is money...)
When I was done I started researching a bit about the character I was going to concept. It's an existing character, not an original one, which is why I needed to do some research. It has already been done multiple times so part of the challenge was giving it an original twist that would belong to the particular game, instead of the classic, anonymous look that is seen everywhere. So as I was concepting I wasn't only thinking about what looks good, but also about what I haven't seen.
I also look at a lot of reference, I can't really get ideas from nothing, so I pull a lot of ideas from many different pictures and places and put it together into something new that looks original.
And that was pretty much my day, looking at pictures, thinking of ideas, and most of all drawing concepts.
I then went to my workstation and finished the previous drawing. It mainly needed some last touches of color and textures. Adding photo textures to a concept is a great way to give clear indication of the type of material, so that the modelers that come after have an easy time figuring out how to model them. It's also fast, so that you don't lose too much time on that concept (and time is money...)
When I was done I started researching a bit about the character I was going to concept. It's an existing character, not an original one, which is why I needed to do some research. It has already been done multiple times so part of the challenge was giving it an original twist that would belong to the particular game, instead of the classic, anonymous look that is seen everywhere. So as I was concepting I wasn't only thinking about what looks good, but also about what I haven't seen.
I also look at a lot of reference, I can't really get ideas from nothing, so I pull a lot of ideas from many different pictures and places and put it together into something new that looks original.
And that was pretty much my day, looking at pictures, thinking of ideas, and most of all drawing concepts.
Hi-Rez, day 9
So... I know I'm pretty late with these posts, and I will have to make the last ones all together. I'll still make a different post for each day.
Hard to remember everything that happened two weeks ago. I went to Hi-Rez with Vivi only, as Leandro is not available on Thursdays. As I arrived, I went to Jerry to get his opinion of my drawing in its current stage. He wasn't there the precedent week, so I hadn't had any feedback from him last time. He was very satisfied with the drawing at its current stage, with some minor details to fix.
I went back to my workspace to fix those and worked on color studies for the character. I always like to make many of those. Even when I think a color combination won't work for the character I put it down, because you never know what might come out of it until you see it, and it takes away frustration from thinking about it. In this stage is when knowledge about color theory is very useful, as knowing what colors go well together is very helpful when putting them down on a character. I make combinations until I can't think of new ones that could fit. The best one is either one of my first ones, either one of my last ones, so it's always good to put down as many as I can.
Once I was done, I went to Jerry to discuss which one was the most appropriate. We didn't like the same one and we both had valid opinions, so we decided to go towards one while using other things that worked on the other one. Once the colors were decided I went ahead and started painting everything. It's time-consuming and I got pretty far with it. We stayed longer than usual as we were both into our work, but I still wasn't able to finish that day.
Hard to remember everything that happened two weeks ago. I went to Hi-Rez with Vivi only, as Leandro is not available on Thursdays. As I arrived, I went to Jerry to get his opinion of my drawing in its current stage. He wasn't there the precedent week, so I hadn't had any feedback from him last time. He was very satisfied with the drawing at its current stage, with some minor details to fix.
I went back to my workspace to fix those and worked on color studies for the character. I always like to make many of those. Even when I think a color combination won't work for the character I put it down, because you never know what might come out of it until you see it, and it takes away frustration from thinking about it. In this stage is when knowledge about color theory is very useful, as knowing what colors go well together is very helpful when putting them down on a character. I make combinations until I can't think of new ones that could fit. The best one is either one of my first ones, either one of my last ones, so it's always good to put down as many as I can.
Once I was done, I went to Jerry to discuss which one was the most appropriate. We didn't like the same one and we both had valid opinions, so we decided to go towards one while using other things that worked on the other one. Once the colors were decided I went ahead and started painting everything. It's time-consuming and I got pretty far with it. We stayed longer than usual as we were both into our work, but I still wasn't able to finish that day.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Hi-Rez, day 7
Apparently I don't have a post for week 7, so I'm doing it a bit late. I just hope I'll remember everything...
So on the seventh week I went to Hi-Rez alone with Leandro, as Vivi had something to do. I drove there for the first time and managed not to get lost (apparently both Leandro and me have terrible orientation sense). Upon arrival, as usual, I went to Jerry to talk about my assignment for the day, then went to my usual computer to work on it.
I was starting a new concept, which I had researched some the week before, so I went directly to work. I probably already said some of this but when doing these concepts, the first thing I do is look for a pose that might suit the character. Then I sketch as many variations as I can think of using reference and my imagination. I use three different values to show which materials will be different, only three because it is best to keep the materials limited. It also adds interest to the concept.
So that is pretty much what I did all day... It's pretty fast to write but rather time-consuming to do. The hardest part comes after having done a few concepts, when trying to think of something new. The interesting part is, the best concepts are rarely the first ones. In the later concepts you can start to reuse the parts from the earlier concepts and re-use them in new ways.
So on the seventh week I went to Hi-Rez alone with Leandro, as Vivi had something to do. I drove there for the first time and managed not to get lost (apparently both Leandro and me have terrible orientation sense). Upon arrival, as usual, I went to Jerry to talk about my assignment for the day, then went to my usual computer to work on it.
I was starting a new concept, which I had researched some the week before, so I went directly to work. I probably already said some of this but when doing these concepts, the first thing I do is look for a pose that might suit the character. Then I sketch as many variations as I can think of using reference and my imagination. I use three different values to show which materials will be different, only three because it is best to keep the materials limited. It also adds interest to the concept.
So that is pretty much what I did all day... It's pretty fast to write but rather time-consuming to do. The hardest part comes after having done a few concepts, when trying to think of something new. The interesting part is, the best concepts are rarely the first ones. In the later concepts you can start to reuse the parts from the earlier concepts and re-use them in new ways.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Hi-Rez, day 8
Yesterday Vivi and me went to Hi-Rez for the seventh time. Jerry had sent me an e-mail the night before telling me that he wouldn't be there for that day and that I should talk to Ben, another concept artist, if I had any questions. He also sent me a lot of feedback on the project and told me what I was to do the next day. I was to draw a more finalized illustration of the character I had been working on the previous week.
When we arrived I went to Ben to say hi and present myself and then started working. I spent some time working on the pose of the character, I know it's a big weakness of mine. My poses often look very stiff so I looked for reference that I could use. The character I'm drawing needs to convey a lot of personality through his attitude. Once I decided on a pose and worked on it for some time, I went to Ben to ask for feedback.
After the corrections I started drawing the clothes that had been chosen during the conceptual stage. A few hours later, once the clothes were sketched on the character I went to Ben again for feedback before starting to draw the final line drawing.
I finished the line drawing just when it was time to leave.
When Vivi went to her supervisor before leaving, I talked to Ramon and showed him what I was working on. He showed Vivi and me a very useful way of using paths in photoshop to create smooth linework with simulated pen pressure. It's a bit time consuming for most lines, but when a long smooth line is needed it can be very useful.
When we arrived I went to Ben to say hi and present myself and then started working. I spent some time working on the pose of the character, I know it's a big weakness of mine. My poses often look very stiff so I looked for reference that I could use. The character I'm drawing needs to convey a lot of personality through his attitude. Once I decided on a pose and worked on it for some time, I went to Ben to ask for feedback.
After the corrections I started drawing the clothes that had been chosen during the conceptual stage. A few hours later, once the clothes were sketched on the character I went to Ben again for feedback before starting to draw the final line drawing.
I finished the line drawing just when it was time to leave.
When Vivi went to her supervisor before leaving, I talked to Ramon and showed him what I was working on. He showed Vivi and me a very useful way of using paths in photoshop to create smooth linework with simulated pen pressure. It's a bit time consuming for most lines, but when a long smooth line is needed it can be very useful.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Hi-Rez, day 6
Yesterday, Vivi, Leandro and I were finally able to go all together to Hi-Rez again. As soon as I arrived I went to Jerry in order to see what I'd be working on that day. He suggested I render the concept I had done last time and showed me some techniques with photoshop that would help me produce a higher quality drawing, some of which I already knew.
He showed me some customization options of photoshop brushes, as well as how to use a texture by making it into a pattern and applying a layer mask to it so that it only covers relevant areas. He also talked to me about adjustment layers, and shared with me his texture library, which I greatly appreciate. Once he was done explaining all this, I went back to my workstation and spent most of the day detailing my concept.
I was almost done with it when Jerry came by, as it was time for him to leave. We talked about my next assignment, and I got to decide which character to work on next. I'm pretty excited about the next project. As I was doing some research, I could hear one of Hi-Rez's concept artists, Ramon, share his expertize with Vivi. After a moment I decided to go and see what he was explaining. He shared a lot of tips on customizing photoshop and wacom's properties in order to make the workflow faster. We all talked with him for a while, and once we were done it was time to go. He's a very nice person and I enjoyed the conversation a lot. On the way out we stopped by the workstation of Vivi's supervisor, where he was showing some of the special effects they had for the games.
He showed me some customization options of photoshop brushes, as well as how to use a texture by making it into a pattern and applying a layer mask to it so that it only covers relevant areas. He also talked to me about adjustment layers, and shared with me his texture library, which I greatly appreciate. Once he was done explaining all this, I went back to my workstation and spent most of the day detailing my concept.
I was almost done with it when Jerry came by, as it was time for him to leave. We talked about my next assignment, and I got to decide which character to work on next. I'm pretty excited about the next project. As I was doing some research, I could hear one of Hi-Rez's concept artists, Ramon, share his expertize with Vivi. After a moment I decided to go and see what he was explaining. He shared a lot of tips on customizing photoshop and wacom's properties in order to make the workflow faster. We all talked with him for a while, and once we were done it was time to go. He's a very nice person and I enjoyed the conversation a lot. On the way out we stopped by the workstation of Vivi's supervisor, where he was showing some of the special effects they had for the games.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Hi-Rez, mid quarter
I can't believe it's already the fifth week... There still so much to do before the end of the quarter! Time to start panicking (as every quarter I uess).
So, yesterday was my fifth time at Hi-Rez. Leandro went by himself again and Vivi announced in the morning that she had just learned that she couldn't come with me that day, so I found myself going to Hi Rez alone. Upon arrival, Jerry informed me that the game's aesthetic had completely changed and that pretty much every drawing done for it was now obsolete. They're keeping the mechanics though. I was to finish with the concept I had started for that day, and then move on to the different style.
Not much to say about the day aside from that. I finished the drawing in pretty much the same way as the last project, I redrew the line more precisely and added detail, I added value and color study, and it took me almost the whole day. I then started to make some drawings for the next project. I must say I'm personally happy with the change of aesthetic as it fits what I do and enjoy much more than the previous one. I know it's all very vague, but I don't think I can say more.
So, yesterday was my fifth time at Hi-Rez. Leandro went by himself again and Vivi announced in the morning that she had just learned that she couldn't come with me that day, so I found myself going to Hi Rez alone. Upon arrival, Jerry informed me that the game's aesthetic had completely changed and that pretty much every drawing done for it was now obsolete. They're keeping the mechanics though. I was to finish with the concept I had started for that day, and then move on to the different style.
Not much to say about the day aside from that. I finished the drawing in pretty much the same way as the last project, I redrew the line more precisely and added detail, I added value and color study, and it took me almost the whole day. I then started to make some drawings for the next project. I must say I'm personally happy with the change of aesthetic as it fits what I do and enjoy much more than the previous one. I know it's all very vague, but I don't think I can say more.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Hi Rez, day 4
So, with the Snowpocalypse that happened two weeks ago, I find myself with five make-up classes on fridays. So we decided to change our meeting days to Tuesdays. I got there with Vivi, as Leandro went on his own (he wanted to arrive and leave sooner than us).
When I got there I had a small meeting with Jerry. I finished the concept for my last character and was set to work on a new one. Jerry wants me to work on four very different projects, so this character does not look like the previous on at all. I was taught a nice way to create slight variations on the same base for outfits. It seems very simple, simply use layers, but also layer the clothes so that there is one in a simple suit, another in a slithly heavier outfit, and so on, including layers with only variations. I've always used layers for different versions, but never to really layer the clothes. It's an amazing way to create intricate armor without having to think of everything at once.
As usual, I was only drawing for the whole time I was there. It's just interesting to see how almost everyone leves around 6 PM. Near the end Vivi and me were almost alone in the studio.
When I got there I had a small meeting with Jerry. I finished the concept for my last character and was set to work on a new one. Jerry wants me to work on four very different projects, so this character does not look like the previous on at all. I was taught a nice way to create slight variations on the same base for outfits. It seems very simple, simply use layers, but also layer the clothes so that there is one in a simple suit, another in a slithly heavier outfit, and so on, including layers with only variations. I've always used layers for different versions, but never to really layer the clothes. It's an amazing way to create intricate armor without having to think of everything at once.
As usual, I was only drawing for the whole time I was there. It's just interesting to see how almost everyone leves around 6 PM. Near the end Vivi and me were almost alone in the studio.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Hi Rez, day 3
Yesterday we went to Hi Rez for the third time. We managed to get lost in the hallways at all and arrived directly at destination.There isn't much to say about the day though. I was mostly sitting at my desk drawing, with some feedback from time to time.
At the beginning I was able to present some variations on the concept that I have done at home, and one of them was selected to finalize and add detail to. From there it was just linework and detailing. It's a time consuming process but I enjoy it. From time to time Jerry pointed out a detail that needed changing. I also worked on the value/color scheme and tried to figure out what material fit where. In the end it was almost done, although there are still some changes to do.
The highlight of the day for me was the pizza and the salad, which the company got for all the employees. I greatly enjoyed those.
At the beginning I was able to present some variations on the concept that I have done at home, and one of them was selected to finalize and add detail to. From there it was just linework and detailing. It's a time consuming process but I enjoy it. From time to time Jerry pointed out a detail that needed changing. I also worked on the value/color scheme and tried to figure out what material fit where. In the end it was almost done, although there are still some changes to do.
The highlight of the day for me was the pizza and the salad, which the company got for all the employees. I greatly enjoyed those.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Hi Rez, day two
I'm not sure this is the best way to present this... Might be too detailed and boring. I can only hope that if it is, someone will say so.
Today, after spending a week snuggled at home because of some snow turned to ice, we went to Hi-Rez for the second time.
We decided to start a bit early in case it took longer than usual (again, because of the snow). Not only did we make it on time, but we arrived 20 minutes early. Everyone was out for lunch so we had to wit for everyone to come back before being presented to our workstations. Jerry, my supervisor, showed Vivi and me how to use Perforce. It's a program that Hi-Rez uses to share and centralize files within the employees.
I was then presented with my next assignment for today, as well as the next session(s), which will be to work on some particular character concepts. i eeven got to choose which one to start with. Then I went to my station and started working on photoshop.
Quickly I was presented with my first difficulty, which is wacom's last driver. The tablet ignores pen pressure every few strokes, which can be dealt with but is clearly annoying. Luckily I had faced the same problem at home some days ago and immediately knew what the problem was. It can be fixed by replacing the new driver by the previous version of the driver, which can be found on wacom's website.
Once that was done I worked on the concepts for a few hours and got some more feedback from Jerry in the middle. He suggested I use stock photos or 3D models as background for my drawings to accelerate the process and to get proportions right straight away. He also pointed to what was and what wasn't working in the concepts I had done 'til that point, so that I was able to go in the right when in the next ones.
With that advice I was able to get better concepts for the second half of the day. We selected which concept was the most successful, as well as best suited the character. Next time, I will be defining the most successful concept as well as making slight variations to it, maybe using some of the other successful elements from the other concepts. Jerry also adviced me to limit the use of textures and colors when I got there in order to unify the piece.
It was a good day overall. My supervisor was happy with my drawings, which makes me happy in turn. I mainly spent time at my workstation drawing, which I enjoy. I wish I could socialize more with the employees but I'm shy and am afraid of bothering anyone. I might be working at home before next time (luckily I only need photoshop to work), I really want the concepts to be the best I can do in the end.
Today, after spending a week snuggled at home because of some snow turned to ice, we went to Hi-Rez for the second time.
We decided to start a bit early in case it took longer than usual (again, because of the snow). Not only did we make it on time, but we arrived 20 minutes early. Everyone was out for lunch so we had to wit for everyone to come back before being presented to our workstations. Jerry, my supervisor, showed Vivi and me how to use Perforce. It's a program that Hi-Rez uses to share and centralize files within the employees.
I was then presented with my next assignment for today, as well as the next session(s), which will be to work on some particular character concepts. i eeven got to choose which one to start with. Then I went to my station and started working on photoshop.
Quickly I was presented with my first difficulty, which is wacom's last driver. The tablet ignores pen pressure every few strokes, which can be dealt with but is clearly annoying. Luckily I had faced the same problem at home some days ago and immediately knew what the problem was. It can be fixed by replacing the new driver by the previous version of the driver, which can be found on wacom's website.
Once that was done I worked on the concepts for a few hours and got some more feedback from Jerry in the middle. He suggested I use stock photos or 3D models as background for my drawings to accelerate the process and to get proportions right straight away. He also pointed to what was and what wasn't working in the concepts I had done 'til that point, so that I was able to go in the right when in the next ones.
With that advice I was able to get better concepts for the second half of the day. We selected which concept was the most successful, as well as best suited the character. Next time, I will be defining the most successful concept as well as making slight variations to it, maybe using some of the other successful elements from the other concepts. Jerry also adviced me to limit the use of textures and colors when I got there in order to unify the piece.
It was a good day overall. My supervisor was happy with my drawings, which makes me happy in turn. I mainly spent time at my workstation drawing, which I enjoy. I wish I could socialize more with the employees but I'm shy and am afraid of bothering anyone. I might be working at home before next time (luckily I only need photoshop to work), I really want the concepts to be the best I can do in the end.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
first visit
During the winter holidays, I was pleasantly surprised to be selected for an internship at a game studio, Hi-Rez. Our first visit at Hi-Rez was on January 7. We had a hard time finding the right building because of the GPS's vague directions, but we got there almost on time.
We met the people that were going to guide us during the internship. After the presentation I was separated from the other two interns, as my task is different from theirs and I will be working with someone else on the character side for Global Agenda. I was explained what I was to do during the internship, which is to create new character concepts for the game. I might also be doing some 3D modeling with 3DSmax, but nothing major, only props. I'm really glad with the assignment, I was afraid I would spend the week doing nothing but modeling.
I was shown many concept works that have been done in the past, and spent some time drawing to get the feel of the game's artstyle.
However, we didn't stay for long as Vivi and Leandro had nothing to do. The computers had nothing set up for them yet, so we left early together as we car pulled.
I'm pleasantly surprised with my assignment and the people at the company seem really nice. I look forward to going back.
We met the people that were going to guide us during the internship. After the presentation I was separated from the other two interns, as my task is different from theirs and I will be working with someone else on the character side for Global Agenda. I was explained what I was to do during the internship, which is to create new character concepts for the game. I might also be doing some 3D modeling with 3DSmax, but nothing major, only props. I'm really glad with the assignment, I was afraid I would spend the week doing nothing but modeling.
I was shown many concept works that have been done in the past, and spent some time drawing to get the feel of the game's artstyle.
However, we didn't stay for long as Vivi and Leandro had nothing to do. The computers had nothing set up for them yet, so we left early together as we car pulled.
I'm pleasantly surprised with my assignment and the people at the company seem really nice. I look forward to going back.
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