Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
CONCEPT ART AND MODEL SHEETS
Concept art consists of drawings made early in the design process to give people an idea
of what something in the game will look like most often, a character. Many people
involved in the game design, development, and production process will need such pic-
tures. This includes everyone from the programmers (who might need to see a vehicle
before they can correctly model its performance characteristics in software) to the mar-
keting department (who will want to know what images they can use to help sell the
game). By creating a number of different versions of a character, you can compare their
different qualities and choose the one you like the best to be implemented by the game's
modeling and animation teams.
Concept art shouldn't take too long to draw minutes, not hours. The object isn't to pro-
duce final artwork; the concept drawings shouldn't end up in the final product at all.
Rather, its purpose is to explain and inspire.
Figure 6.5 shows a character drawn by artist Björn Hurri. Told only to draw an imaginary
Mongol horsewoman as the hero of an action-adventure game, and without any reference
materials, he made a number of key decisions about her age, features, clothing, and
weapons, all of which are visible in the picture. Her emotional temperament comes
through in the image as well this is not a woman to be trifled with. Good concept art
like this definitely bears out the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words.
FIGURE 6.5
Concept art of a
fantasy Mongol
horsewoman.
Courtesy of Björn Hurri.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search