P2: Be able to Generate Concept Art Ideas for Computer Game Graphics

Unit 78: Digital Graphics for Computer Games
P2 Be able to Generate Concept Art Ideas for Computer Game Graphics

Stimulus:

A brief is a specification of an idea in which a client has. On the brief would be a list of potential rules that they want you to follow. If you are working on your own then you would consider working on your own brief to give yourself basic guidelines to follow or this could be something you produce after you have received the client brief is their brief is not very limited.


Ideas Generation:

Brainstorming: Brainstorming is when you put all of your ideas together. You can also string of a main idea and put in sub ideas such as; Ice, icicles, snow and then fire, flames, orange and red tones and so on.

Mood boards: Mood boards are created so that you can create a mood for your game. For example if your game was based on a gothic style then you would put a bunch of pictures of old castles, dark skies, gargoyles, thunderstorm etc.

Thumbnail Sketching: Thumbnail sketches are quick small sketches of ideas that you may have. They are very quick and small ideas and they are considered as artists notes.

Concept Drawings such as: Backgrounds, Sprites, Character, Weapons, Vehicles and Environments
Concept drawings are drawings in which the artist has developed from all of the stages above. (Brief, brainstorming, mood boards and thumbnail sketching). Concept drawings could be considered as their final design for the backgrounds, sprites, characters, weapons, vehicles and environments. Concept art is a way of displaying visual ideas for games, films, animation, comic books etc. Concept art can include ideas for characters, weapons, backgrounds, vehicles and much more. The concept art in which is created for a project is used as a guideline for the entire projects itself, it gives the look and feel to the project. Others consider concept art as visual development for concept design.


Legal & Ethical Considerations:

The Copyright act was introduced in 1988. The name for the copyright law is “The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988”. This UK copyright law covers broadcasts, copying, issuing, lending copies and renting. It stops people from stealing people’s creations.

Libel is making a false statement about a product/company. It has the potential to ruin the reputation of that company/product.

There are not many female protagonists in game. The one of the most popular female protagonist however is Lara Croft from Tomb Raider. When Tomb Raider was first released the players loved her however the critics didn’t. In the newer game of Tomb Raider, she has less of an exaggerated figure and made into more of a real person with scars and cuts.

"The industry as a culture feels less sexist than it used to," says University of Southern California professor Dmitri Williams.

"The research is pretty consistent that there are two types of female characters: the 'damsel in distress' or the 'ultimate warrior'," says Edward Downs, a professor of communications at the University of Minnesota, who notes that most "ultimate warrior" characters are depicted as hyper-sexualised.