This year Started with oblivion Turned into a burning sun (re)Discovering myself Making new friends Finding my way and Feeling alive again We never know where time will take us days, weeks or months from now, but this year I truly experienced this cliché we keep hearing and don't believe when we're at rock bottom; … Continue reading A 2022 retrospective
Author: genevieve.routhier
Introduction to Environmental Storytelling: reminder cards
A small resource I'm sharing here so you can quickly getting started on your reflection! Enjoy 🙂
Quick Tip: Identity high point
What is _your_ one unique High Point of identity? What makes your visual treatment stand out from your competitors? We usually don't put the same amount of effort and energy equally on all aspects of our games, and the same can be said for art direction and the subsequent art production. It's often a good … Continue reading Quick Tip: Identity high point
Quick Tip: Shape Language
How can you distinguish your identity with shape language, using Mass Effect as example. Mass Effect has different shape languages that they use throughout the trilogy or specific games, but one that is constant and at the heart of its design is the planet curve. It’s a shape that is integrated in many elements, some … Continue reading Quick Tip: Shape Language
A small art direction AMA this month :)
I conducted a short #gamedevAMA on Mastodon and Twitter this week, so I thought of sharing the Q&A here! Hope you enjoy it. Duke of Germany @duke_of_germany@mastodon.gamedev.place Q. How does a typical working day of an art director look like? A. It depends a lot of the production, where we are in the production, and … Continue reading A small art direction AMA this month 🙂
Dare!
Sometimes, even if you doubt yourself, or you're afraid of the answer, all you need is a few seconds of wild courage. Even if you think it comes out as awkward, or silly, or anything else. It doesn't matter. It's better to have nervous courage than none. I’m not saying it’s an easy path, and … Continue reading Dare!
Twitch channel news
A small post to mention that I've started a new Twitch channel, dedicated to art direction and gamedev+gameart mentoring. For the moment I aim to start the streams with a short 15-20 minute lecture around a topic, then chat and offer feedback to people participating. My goal here is to demystify the role of art … Continue reading Twitch channel news
Art Directors Should Not Be Hands On!
If you think your art director should be hands-on and produce directly usable in-game content or illustrations, either your team is very small, or you have grossly underestimated the task on both ends. Being an art director requires one to look at the big picture, adapt ideas and provide solutions depending on constraints (tech, visual, … Continue reading Art Directors Should Not Be Hands On!
Are graphics more important than art direction?
So this debate tends to pop up in conversations once in a while and tends to sometimes generate fairly binary opinions. So here is mine 😉 Technology is a tool, and does not make things instantly appealing or good quality. It’s very easy to make a generic or a visually inconsistent game with high end graphics … Continue reading Are graphics more important than art direction?
genevieve routhier 