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3DTotal: Do concept artists in your industry specialize in particular areas, or does everyone cover the same subject matter?
Nicolas: That all depends on the project’s needs. But, most commonly, the team is broken up by speciality in character design, environment/props design, and storyboarding. Luckily at A2M, artists get to do it all, whereas at Ubisoft an artist will stick to one task.
3DTotal: Covering every base affords more opportunities, but do you ever find that you are working on a design, perhaps even struggling a little, and think, “Actually this would be better suited to someone else in the team as it is more in tune with their particular skill set?”
Nicolas: Absolutely! I never feel ashamed to admit when I can’t handle a particular task. This comes with experience and gut instinct. When an art director approaches me with a piece I usually tell him/her whether I can take it on or not. This is usually based on several factors: time, efficiency, and if I’m capable of doing it. But, time is usually the factor which is why there are usually two-three artists assigned to a project from my experience: one technical artist, one specializing in characters, and one dealing with environments. I usually don’t push away an assignment because I like and enjoy doing it all. Time is usually my enemy because production has to move on, which is why a concept team is usually formed.
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3DTotal: Can you describe one of the pieces you most enjoyed working on and the reasons why?
Nicolas: I can’t really decide on just one piece, but rather three: my two most recent fantasy acrylic paintings, because of the fact that I hadn’t touched traditional media in over three years, and the creature I specifically created for my presentation at Adapt, which was seriously fun demonstrating in front of the audience. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did creating it!
3DTotal: Your bio touches upon the creative possibilities that the games industry offers, but what specific skill sets do you feel are necessary to the job if someone was considering moving into that sector, say from a traditional illustration/painting background for example?
Nicolas: Having traditional media roots is always a good thing and makes for a stronger CG artist. It’s only a matter of
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being open and learning new tools that the trade demands. For those who want to make a transition into gaming, I suggest getting a copy of either Photoshop or Corel Painter and start practicing and developing your painting skills. CG painting has an endless amount of painting and creative possibilities that traditional media can’t produce. Painting in CG is simply more effective when it comes to in-house production work. This industry revolves around speed and constant modifications. Art and designs constantly evolve or get changed. Some artists, including myself, still draw and scan images but finalize the painting in Photoshop or Painter. Learning basic 3D doesn’t hurt either! It can help in pre-visualizing complicated angles and perspective within an environment scene. You can then use the 3D render as a template and paint on top of it. |
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3DTotal: It seems as though many artists now combine numerous disciplines, such as 3D packages, photography and 2D software to speed up the creative process. Do you see this as a natural evolution that will push artistic boundaries or a way in which certain skills are substituted for more sophisticated tools?
Nicolas: Well, there was a time (earlier in school) when I felt that drawing on the computer was an evil cheat! [Laughs] That not using a pencil, paper, canvas, paint or brush was just plain cheating! It was a |
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time of primitive desktops and software; a time when rendering a plain modeled stick figure in 3D Studio (Dos mode) would take forever – so long to render that I had the time to go for lunch, get a coffee, play hacky-sac for about 45 minutes, get back to my desk and still have at least 20 minutes left of rendering. It was a time where I felt that the computer couldn’t keep up with traditional art, which is why I concentrated more on traditional classes. But things have evolved over the past 10 years and speed is not an issue. So, the way I see it, the more you know (regarding techniques, 3D and 2D software) the better off you are! I do, and use, whatever it takes to get the job done, without losing quality in work. The quality of my work is all based on my traditional foundation: developing a good comprehension in layout design, composition, color, and especially drawing. There are some basic things every artist needs and must know. Also, experimenting with different mediums is a good thing and loads of fun! That’s always been my way of thinking. Time is always a production artist’s enemy, that’s why we resort to these mediums in order to speed up and keep up with production. I don’t deny using them, but when I have the time to put into my work I don’t hesitate in picking up a good old sharpened pencil and paper.
3DTotal: I know that you come from a background in “hyper realism”. Does this type of work always involve drawing from photographs or life, and how easy is it for you to concept something for a game that does not exist, such as an alien creature, when you have no direct references to speak of?
v: Hyper realism is creating a fictional scene, object, or character realistically. But even a hyper realistic piece has to go through its conceptual phase. And that means lots of sketching without reference in order to find the perfect pose and perfect composition. That’s when raw drawing skills and drawing from the mind come into play. Knowing anatomy and compositional design is very crucial. Photo reference is used in the end for all the necessary details. When it comes to creating a fictional character/creature/environment, most of the time I draw off the top of my head. Fiction is fun to draw because it’s kind of like playing God where you’re creating a world, a creature, or an object. I personally find more enjoyment creating something fictional rather than drawing or painting something that already exists. But don’t get me wrong, being able to reproduce what I see from either still life or photographs is what got me to where I am today – important and crucial skills to have as an artist which I use more imaginatively.
3DTotal: Given that you prefer fictional subject matter, do you feel as though the games industry is your perfect niche?
Nicolas: Absolutely! It’s this industry and the great people I’ve worked with that have molded me into what I am today. Working with many talented artists specializing in their field has been a great trip and inspiration, and I hope to continue doing it for a long time. Gaming fulfils my CG creative needs whereas potential freelance jobs fill my appetite as a traditional artist as well. I like to diverse myself creatively. I guess it’s every artist’s nature to explore different mediums and venues. Or maybe it’s just me? [Laughs]
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