What is an environment artist?

[marks]

In that case, I'm tempted to say that level design probably has better promotion prospects (because in most studios level design is tied much closer with game design) but I couldn't tell you definitively. I think it probably varies between studios aswell. Often the higher-up art positions are also more to do with management and scheduling (art lead, department leads) rather than art direction and actually making art aswell, the exceptions being creative directors and such.

[Saxon]

Yeah I guess long term I would be looking to move to management, but that would be a long way off. Right now a foot in the door is the main thing to gun for!

Thanks Marks, I'll bear all of that in mind

[joe_rogers_11155]

While we are on the subject of actual job titles in the industry, why not bring up the role of Technical Artist? The technical artist is the one that joins the programming side of things with the artistic side of things. This is the guy who makes the artwork functional or multi-functional. That is the job title I would aspire to if I was serious about game design as a career.

http://www.skillset.org/games/careers/profiles/article_5287_1.asp

[Gary]

Something else about the industry I noticed, we got to make sure we really make out selves stand out. As half the teenage population wants to be in game design, lucky for us though, most of them only know how to play games.

Just a thought.

[marks]

why not bring up the role of Technical Artist?

Because the name entails wildy, wildly differing things from studio to studio. A TA at one company might have a completely irrelevant skillset for a TA position at another company. From what I've seen it seems like a specialty that most people go into from holding another (different) position in industry first.

[dux]

Sure does differ from studio to studio. We don't have any on NS2, the mapper does everything while we have modellers and texture artists churning out assets.

[maktoKo]

i think there's a clear distinction on what's implied between a level designer and an environmental artist, these terms interchangeable with level artist and environmental designer as well.
an article i was looking at earlier sums it up decently:
Environment artist is someone who builds the assets that go into the environment. They model, often texture and sometimes light their environments.

Level designers are responsible for taking the assets that environment artist have created and assemble them into an environment that we can all play in. They design gameplay elements, create scripted events and test gameplay.

depending on how large the studio is these 2 sets of tasks may be done by one or two people, i imagine larger studios will have an artist cranking out concepts and color pallets and a designer on the side will be mapping it into fruition, where a smaller operation will have a single guy going at it with only require concept work

good read: http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categ ... -part1.php

[Vilham]

that bot is amazing

[joe_rogers_11155]

I am truly impressed by environment artist, that project work was just outstanding. The section details contains most of all parts including hidden wall etc. So good presentation. And watch this space for ads!!

[RawMeat3000]

good read: http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categ ... -part1.php

Nice find. A few of the books he recommended are under $5 used and most were under $10. I get free 2-day shipping as a student so I have no excuse!

[kraid]

The importance of these jobs are different from game to game, too.
Some need very excessive ammount of concept art and lots of enviroment art,
others just need some generic stuff that can be built using real world references.

Also the engine is very important.
e.g. source still gives a lot of work to the actual level designer aka mapper,
while UDK challenges the enviroment artist a lot more.

Practically it will be an advantage if you're skilled in both fields,
so it's always possible for you to shift your focus onto one of them,
depending on the actual project and requirements.

[zombie@computer]

Note to ppl: kraid didnt necrobump, a bot did.

[joe_rogers_11155]

thanks, i was totally about to tear him a new butt hole.

good article though.

[Epifire]

Funny that this was mentioned. According to Hourences (*this Hourences* http://www.hourences.com/the-hows-and-whys-of-level-design-about/) back in the day these definitions were literally done by the same person, because games were still so much more simpler then. Him among other great people like Robert Briscoe are a great inspiration for a guy like me trying to get a foot into the door of the industry.

So many more definitions now then there used to be, just because games have become such a complex undertaking. I am worried that by the time I want to get into the industry it will be a nightmare trying to stand out among the rest of the crowd wanting to be hired.

Something else about the industry I noticed, we got to make sure we really make out selves stand out. As half the teenage population wants to be in game design, lucky for us though, most of them only know how to play games.

Just a thought.

I hope they are total noobs just to second you on that one.

[LordDz]

You'd have a lot of people ready to playtest your games tho