As players travel through the world of Ganedan, they will encounter many fantastic creatures, places and sights, from the towering jabberwock, to the pint-sized mord, to the majestic Taladius and the great dwarven Heart of the World. Before players see these things and experience them in-game, they must first be visualized by another. That is where the concept artist comes in. From only an abstract concept, the concept artist must forge an image, brand it onto paper, and take the first major step into bringing it into the world.
Nadirak Lord
This, on the surface, might seem like an easy job, but as has been proven time and time again in the world of fantasy gaming, there is very little that is new or original under the proverbial RPG sun. It is the concept artist's responsibility to take a tried and true idea and put an original, never before seen spin on it. A poor concept design can destroy an idea before it even begins the production process. It would be very easy to lean on Ray Harryhausen's now classic design and draw a towering, horned monster with one eye and call it a cyclops, but innovation is one of the concept artist's most important talents.
In order to create something that is truly unique, one must be willing to venture outside the typical creative lines. For example, a cyclops has one eye; therefore, it is logical to assume that its depth perception would be hampered. So, by adding a thick rope of sensory organs on each side of the creature's head, we have put an original take on an ancient idea. We add in features that reflect a logical culture and climate, unique to Wish, and as a result, our cyclops takes on a life of its own.
Originality is paramount in the world of concept art, but it is not the only thing that is important.
Working for a medium as demanding as 3D graphics requires the consideration of the limitations and advantages that are available through a typical 3D software package. It is very easy to get carried away in your creativity and create something that, although it works on paper, may not be practical for the medium. Polygon counts, bone counts, scale, animation and modeling difficulty must all be accounted for in order to see the concept through to completion. Keeping this in mind, and working closely with the modelers, animators and programmers makes it possible to ensure a very true to concept creature.
After much coffee and regret for staying up too late the night before, the paper comes out to begin the process of creating a concept. Usually, I like to work on a piece of 11" X 17" white copy paper, using BIC 0.7mm mechanical pencils. The hunt for inspiration begins next; sometimes, I just need a kick start in the right direction. I find the work of Feng Zhu, Todd Lockwood, Sam Wood, Doug Chiang and Iain McCaig to be particularly motivating, but the real inspiration actually comes from real life sources and amateur artists.
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I begin by laying down a few preliminary sketches and starting a draft, which helps to bring the different elements I want to incorporate into a single drawing. Most times, this draft process brings me right to the final image, but occasionally, I need to take it back to task and start fresh with a new angle. It's important to be able to admit when your work is headed in a bad direction and start with a clean slate. After adding details and shading, I scan the image and take it into Photoshop for highlights and texture. The whole process takes about a day, including front and side sketches that do not require the same degree of detail as the original concept.
The modeler's own artistic interpretation inevitably adds to the work as it is translated from one medium to another, but the final product remains very close to its original concept. Even though the concept artist's work is not typically seen in the game, it provides direction and integrity to what is a complex and multi-step process.
A real thrill for me as a concept artist is that I have the rare chance to do go beyond the inspiration. Every creature and item in Wish has one of my sketches available for the player in the examine window. This gives Wish a more immersive feel, and immortalizes my work directly in the final product.
Spell Fiend
The concept artist's job is challenging and at times frustrating, but ultimately both rewarding and fun. Bringing something from nothing in the creation of creatures that inhabit the world of Wish is an amazing journey. However, it is even more rewarding to be part of the team effort needed to produce a game of this magnitude. Thanks to the efforts of the programmers, the content team and management, I can see the creatures I've drawn come to life. That is something any artist can appreciate.
Matthew Goodmanson
Concept Artist, Wish
Mutable Realms
Originally posted August 16th, 2004 on the RPG Vault, including five exclusive drawings. |
