I must, I must, I must improve my......Photoshop?

So after watching the presentations I became increasingly more appalled at the quality of my photoshop "skills".

As I watched the many superior examples I began to see where I have been going wrong so I sat down and tried to implement what I had taken in from watching and the result is below......

Though its still not quite up to standard, it is easily the best photoshop work I have done and hopefully marks a turning point in my digital painting progression. There are some parts I like others I don't but I will endeavour to keep practicising and hopefully improve further more now it seems to have "clicked" at least a little.

On a side note this development couldn't have come at a better time, he says sarcastically. It's typical of me that the penny finally drops the day after final submissions for work, still better late than never, damn it!!!!!

Week 24! the final stage.

So here it is my last formal blog and its the one that is causing the most problems. I don't think there is a lot i would have changed i think the course has moved at a good pace and that the responsibility is on me really to now develop what has been taught so far.

As for constructive feedback i think the changes such as sculpting and looking at more traditional art sound very positive and any other additional subject areas such as film are of course a bonus and would be a great addition to this opportunity.

But for now thanks for reading.....

Week 23! I just don't know what to do with myself.

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Week 22! ahem! err, yes GDC is nearly upon us!?!?

ok.... i apologise, so im running a little late and GDC has passed me by but i had a bit late so i have had a bit of a peruse of the ol' youtube and found some GDC videos that were fairly interesting.

Week 21! Destiny's powerful hand has made the bed of my future, and it's up to me to lie in it.

So my first "year", and i use the term loosely as it has flown by, is coming to an end and its time to look back and assess how things have gone so far.

Generally I think things have gone OK. I feel there is a lot of room for improvement and I intend to keep grafting over the summer period and return in year 2, providing I'm allowed of course, at a level I would feel much happier. I think returning to education has been a bit of a culture shock and it has taken some getting used to but it is definitely a change for the better.

The biggest change I have noticed is in my drawing capabilities, I find myself approaching a scene in a much more methodical way, my thought processes have changed, as well as my technical capabilities. I have learnt new techniques and styles and have been able to see the results of these changes clearly by looking at sketch books past and present.

Area's I would like to focus on are digital painting which was a new medium to me at the start of the course. I can see improvements from when I first started but again this is an area I will be focusing on developing along with the bane of my existence 3ds max. 3ds max is much like walking a tight rope, all it takes is one little error and you're done for, at least that how it seemed to me. Again its not all bad I have definitely progressed from the start of the year and hop to continue to progress with all the practice I can get.

What i would like to gain from the course is the knowledge and know how to move into a field which interests me and with the structure and content of the course I think if I knuckle down and continue to develop the skills i have already learnt along with what is still to come the doors to a multitude of different and exciting careers will be opened.

Week 20! Manny, don't squash their creativity.

Creativity is really a difficult word to define. It can manifest itself as a novel solution to a problem, or it could be an ingenious and groundbreaking development, but for a word that covers such a vast array of meaning, it ain't half hard to describe!!!

I suppose creativity is all around us really. Every thing we see and use on a daily basis is a result of one, or several persons "creativeness", some more striking and apparent than others. I suppose the most obvious forms of creativity are things such as music, art etc. but it can also appear in the form of problem solving.

With this in mind it is possible that in the realm of game design creativity may not be hindered by technical restraints but may in fact be the result. Particularly in the earlier days of gaming when the consoles were not quite capable of delivering the grandiose vision that the designers had hoped.

I believe creativity is abundant in games. Its always going to be required and while it may not always be strikingly obvious, creating a game is too much of a creative process for it not be in there somewhere, in some shape or form from the graphics style, a use of sound or a innovative control method

Leading on to a company who at the moment are demonstrating a creative approach to gaming, I'm talking of course of Nintendo and the Wii along with its long list of games which utilise the innovative control method and implement it in new and creative ways. Though some view it as a gimmick it is undeniably the product of creative thinking and as a result a whole host of games developers have got the ol' creative juices flowing trying to cash in... i mean, come up with new ways of using the unique capabilities and opportunities the Wii offers.

As a budding designer myself I'm still trying to get back that creative spark that after several years working for an insurance company was rapidly drained from within me, along with this there is another common problem with creativity that you inadvertently end up with a rehash of already existing ideas. I hope that once I do retrieve said spark I will be able to produce some fresh and exiting work that will hopefully become lodged in future game art students minds and in turn will be rehashed by them in a substandard manner.

Week 19! He also wants video games banned because he believes that they're destroying education... come on Dick, it's the only education we got.

So the question that has been troubling man since the dawn of time....



Artist trained as modeller?



or,



modeler trained to be an artist?



it is a conundrum.

I think there are arguments for both. I suppose though it really comes down to the needs of the employer. A skilled programmer requires little technical training, and as a result can start work almost immediately however there is the likelihood they may become a one dimensional tool user. On the other hand a creative candidate can bring fresh, new ideas to the table but may also require extensive training to get up to speed on industry standard software.

It appears to me, in particular on my course, that the two are not mutually exclusive. Creative, artistic people are being taught to tools of the trade in order to have all bases covered as it were. This in my opinion is a good approach and from what I understand about the feedback on the course from the industry this has been recognised. As a result of this approach a more rounded, fully formed game artist is being produced with a strong artistic understanding as well a knowledge of industry standard software.