Know why? Who would want to pay high prices for trained 2d artists who can draw from imagination and nail perspective and lighting when 3d gives you all that for free and all you need is a monkey to press the buttons.
@@BC-sh7en well not every artist has the same imagination also depends what they are looking for some people prefer 2d in the video game industry they prefer 3d
@@Mintzoid that's a misconception, nobody can draw anything from nothing. Drawing from imagination is just drawing from memory, which requires tremendous amount of grinding to get good at. Anybody can achieve that level, it's not some bullshit "talent" or "good imagination", but few are willing to put in that time and effort. People only care about easy and fun.
"Some studio's dont like you working on your own personal projects outside the office, they own everything you do-" I will *_NEVER_* respect a studio that pulls off garbage like that. Being hard and demanding on your employees is one thing, but owning every single thing they do throughout their life? *_NUH-UH BOI._*
I think he was trying to say that they want you to stay in the mind set of their projects. I've found it difficult to mentally switch from project to project. It's more simple to keep focused on one and push thru it.
Concept Artist here sorry to tell you this is VERY common in contracts with companies, as a freelancer you can avoid it however. Though it's not as strict as what you are likely thinking, they wont stop small scale projects but if you were to start working on another IP or the like at the time they "could" claim it as theres. Ultimately if you want to do a big solo project or indie project save up and take sabbatical to do it, or freelance on the side
@@MaceHead117 thank you for the input on this. Even though I am not a working artist in the industry, it makes sense that they would not want your priorities divided between projects. It also makes sense that someone who is not full time in house would have more freedom once they finish their short term. I had assumed that part of the issue would be that if an artist came up with an ip during their time under contract that it's possible it would be derivative of the contracted work. Anyway, thanks again for the insight.
Imagine drawing your own stuff on your own time, but hiding it under the desk- in your mattress or your safety deposit box! And dodging the studio goons when they come around to see your work, like the James Bond of art! Years later you get sued by the studio anyway when they find out you drew the art while on their payroll.
@@YOUCANTDOTHATONTELEVISION - no he actually meant it word for word. for as long you are an employee of that company, THEY OWN YOU. whatever you create in and outside the company THEY OWN IT even when it has nothing to do with the IP the company is currently working on.
TIMESTAMPS 1:15 1. Typical Day 9:53 2. Current Projects 12:34 3. Pros/Cons 15:45 4. Early Roles 17:09 5. Biggest Turn-off 19:26 6. Work-Life Balance 20:55 7. Inspirations 23:22 8. Resources & People 25:23 Ending (also Trent if you see this, you can copy and paste these timestamps in your descriptions so they show up on the video's progress bar)
i want to know all the "boring" details about contracts... i want to know when should i feel confident about my level of skill, how much do my art worth, how much YOUR art is worth, i want to drain every drop of knowledge and experience you and many other pro artists have... dont hold back on the details :3
I put all of the more in-depth videos in my box set of tutorials. If I post it on youtube the algorithm kills it, because youtube doesn't promote videos that actually help people.
@@TrentKaniuga mate, all this time i watched all your vids, i even got a few challenges in your discord group, thanks for teaching me a lot of things i needed even if it wasnt directly
Honestly, daily morning meetings so that everyone is on page sounds like heaven to me. It may seem tedious or repetitive, but that kind of organization helps my brain so so so much.
I started learning art at 30 after burning out in software dev. Screw game studio bull pens, Imma draw treasure chests and barrels for Trent some day 🤷♂️
Hey man i am 22, currently starting an art major and i am afraid about the financial security and not making it. I Was thinking on switching to software develepment but i have a feeling i might not like it and i am just considering it by fear and for the salary. What would you recommend me?
while i was a teacher i actually told my students to go bug some pros out there. One of the main reasons we do that (i think) is probably because students will go contact some of their favorite artists, those they hold in high regard. So yeah, as teachers, we ARE doing the job, but students sometimes won't listen, cause who are we to tell them about their future career, we are just teachers here right? what does a REAL artist has to say, you know, the guys from Blizzard, Riot or any other company that a teenagers has heard of... or maybe artists they know from youtube ;-)
The most human thing I heard here, is that even professionals can admit that they "burnt out" of a certain piece or project and are still allowed to keep their job. That was one of my greatest fears, "can a professional have the luxury of burning out without losing everything?" While growing up there was never any indication that professionals have human needs too, that they had to have exceptional super human work ethic. And lately I've been seeing all sorts of artist, big time artists, admitting their burnout or mental health breaks and it's honestly so relieving. Personally I don't really ever burn out, my muse will skip a project but eventually come back for it, but the fear of such a thing happening in a big gig really warped my perception that working for any company would never be a reality since there used to be no examples of weakness, only success until this point in the internet and social media.
Good management is hard to find anywhere to be honest. And the issue of choosing between a career and a family is present in many industries. That sucks, but it is hard to avoid.
When you talk about the disposability of concept artists I now feel very lucky to not feel that pressure and don't feel the need to compete within my team, even if I'm working at one of the big studio but like you said, it's different between studios. however, I think it's really important to remind yourself that to stay at the top of your game if you're aiming at the big AAA studio.
About conceptart art books. There is a book called "The Skillful Huntsman" by Design Studio Press. In that book three students work on a bunch of concepts for fictional IP based on a fairy tale. They comment and explain their thoughts and process and Scott Robertson comments from teacher/pro standpoint.
Yes. But it's still just an art book. There are many of those. But there are no books that outline a specific workflow that game developers could even use to utilize functional concept art. It would not sell, because it is not glamorous.
I’m currently considering a career change and going for concept artist position, that was one of the most informative videos I’ve watched with a lot of food for thought. Thanks man, subscribed.
Great long form content. Any aspiring artist young or old should be taking notes and internalizing this advice. Not only is it invaluable, but one of the only sources where you are getting straight unfiltered truth about what you can expect under many situations in the industry.
Honestly...not anymore. Fell out of love with it and I finally have some savings that I don't want to spend in some major city that *might* secure work. But it's cool seeing other people's art online.
When I was in art school I didn't really have a clear idea of what I wanted to do so I would just say Concept Art because that's what I would see a lot of my favorite artists do (or at least what I thought they did). I realized I'm a lot more interested in the illustration aspect rather than perhaps the conceptual design (which I still enjoy too, but not as much as depicting story or cool images). This video helped put into perspective what else I could aim for than just a studio concept art role.
There might be another reason you're getting the same questions over and over again. When I was employed to help figure out the syllabus for a concept art course, in order to get government funding we needed to comply to the national syllabus requirements. Part of this involved getting consultation from industry professionals. Getting students to send an email to someone in the industry was just the fastest way to check that box so we could get back to teaching them the stuff they actually needed to know. That was just in my country, I don't know how it is elsewhere and I'm sure there are multiple reasons, but I wouldn't expect to stop receiving those emails any time soon.
I have actually become more motivated to follow my dreams and goals regarding becoming a video game artist after watching this video. Thank you for the info Trent, you're the best!
Great insights, thanks for posting! Agree with the recommendation of Feng Zhu's design school, his youtube-videos are jam-packed with info for budding concept artists :) I've also heard somewhere that a few years at a studio are more or less mandatory before you start your own concept art studio, to learn the pipeline process etc, or else it might take a looong time to get traction...
Ever since I was a kid I always had a gift for art, I always liked to sketch and create things, then I grew up and I stopped drawing and I got into college and Im 21 now almost done with a coding degree, I really wanna try out being a concept artist because art has always been a part of my life
One of the problems I have now studying concept art is that in my country (Spain) the world of video games is not given so much relevance (in terms of production) I hope that will change in the near future. But hey, the truth is that the questions and answers have been very useful. Thank you so much. stay safe and may the flames guide thee.
As someone who has dome the corporate IT grind for the last 20 years or so....i always wondered what my life would have been like of i would have actually gone with what i enjoy, but i am finally at a point where i can work on my art again after work
I believe keeping employees from different branches from interacting might be beacuse of fear of them building up their own teams. They are concerned that the people actually doing the work get together and realize they can do their own thing independantly.
Thank you for this video, Trent. Your honesty and depth of explanation is a pleasure to watch. Also, you are surely the best kind of boss, one who has been in the trenches and cares about his workers. That's rare.
Thanks so much Trent, I'm trying to improve my overall visual communication skills, and I really have been appreciating your channel, both for business and for art! Thanks!
This is just a general comment. My experience in the video game industry is very very limited, but I'd throw in to look up and find art critiques on you tube that are based on a design challenge or theme that happen every month or so. Even if in a different style, it really helps both within the styles one works and expanding your tool box of skills and knowledge. Also true with paint over videos, but always take some of it with a grain of salt in that how they solve a problem or compositional nuance is not the /only/ way to solve a challenge usually. It does help train your eye though. At least for illustrative purposes there are some really solid resources out there.
Is this part of why the indie game market has exploded in the recent years? Many people wanting to make their own ideas? with small and fun teams? Since it's the new popular thing I could understand that it's normal that not everyone is fun even in indie studios ! I'm starting to think the best way to have fun and make your own thing is to not try to make money out of it, do something else.. it feels like you have to sell your soul to have money, or have no money and have fun instead, you can't have both unless you are super good
more tools available + AAA studios make mediocre game play ( high quality, but still mediocre ) just heck out AC franchise. It is almost the same thing every single 2-3 years. There is no experimentation, so people lean toward more interesting games and projects, so there is a market for it
you can start up your own project and put it out there as a short demo to see what players think. no money involved, but you're not giving out too much for free. just and idea.
I wonder how different the role as a concept artist is in game studios versus being a concept artist in animation studios, such as Pixar and Disney. Great video, very informative to hear your experience
Thank you, Trent. I've watch a couple of your videos regarding being a concept artist. I'll check out some of those gumroad stuff you've noted. I'm a bit of a late shower, I wanted to do concept art back in 1995 but never really got the direction during school. I currently work as a sr graphic designer (23 yrs) but would like to get into concept art, which I think is pretty much in the middle from what I'm hearing from your videos. From user interface, icons, textures, skins and colors, basic initial character designs ... I think I can cover and help the team. What I find that would be challenging are those loading screen type of art and polished ones. I have a hard time looking at the monitor after 9-11 hour days creating print artwork/layouts ... but I'm slowly making it work.
honestly if i was talking to my art schools self. learn art fine but also learn a scripting language or visual scripting as well. dont just rely on even art. get some technical skills to go along with it. much more freedom there and much more valuable too.
I don't think I could ever work for a company that wouldn't allow me to do my own artwork or side projects. But I'm mostly watching videos like this for myself, and my independent work.
This is a great video. I would say it sums up everything I have ever heard from you in one video. I am happy that there is an admirable person like you
Another great video Trent! I just want to say that this vid really opened up my eyes to some fears and doubts I had when I first dreamt of being a character concept artist. I believed Triple A studios are the Meta to work for even though Indie studios own the visuals and style of the gaming world most of the time. So, maybe I will just start popping my art out there for the world to see, and hopefully as I improve somebody sees my art and feels inspired to create something amazing. Thanks for the friendly advice and we appreciate the videos you make more than you'll know man, cheers!
Hey Trent! Thanks so much for this video, as always your content is excellent. Your insights are super informative for artists trying to "make it." I've been studying super hard and started college last year to get more hands-on instruction for art, as I feel I've kinda floundered trying to learn on my own. Again thanks for the video as it helps more than you know.
Oh well, i ll agree with Arnold on that one here, the more you know about something you want the more it keeps you from doing it, so i ll skip that one 😉
To answer your question trent, yes I want to be an artist that breaks things down into a more explainable form, although illustration is nice too don't get me wrong.
Thank you so much for sharing. I teach some of the Game Design courses (although my major is animation) at my school and I do have problem teaching students who have no drawing experience.^^; I hope you can make tips and tricks video for beginner artist who are interested to join the Concept Art department. Thanks! =3
Great video TvT ty for the advice , I was wondering for a long times if it is good for me to work as concept artist in small companies when I graduate, this video has open my eyes alot
Hey, junior artist who just had a terrible experience in a small indie studio here, I was wondering something: how can I as a begginer with zero leverage protect myself from rich CEOs who can get away with breach of contract, threats, straight up emotional abuse and just over all treating you like shit? You also mentioned Glassdoor, I very much intend to write what my experince was with these people but can they then come at me? They are 100% gonna know the review comes from me. Thank you for your videos, they are always very interesting and honest :)
If you have no leverage, it does not benefit you to trash talk. Try to see every situation from their perspective too. I don't know your situation, but since you're new to the industry, I advise you to consider that you don't know how the industry works yet. Some people get pissed at their boss simply because they're expected to stay on task and create useful assets, but the beginner artist doesn't want to do that. Well, too bad. When you're an employee, your boss is your customer. The customer is always right. So if you don't like your customer, find different customers, but don't bad mouth the ones you have worked with in the past. It ALWAYS bites you in the ass. At least you got some work history for your resume.
@@TrentKaniuga thank you for replying. I undoubtedly know very little about how the industry works, but staying on tasks and creating assets is all I ever wanted to do so that's never going to be the issue. Senior artist, lead artist and the AD all agree with me here (and were also treated really badly and some suddenly lost their jobs like me) which is why I at the very least wanted to write something on Glassdoor, do you think that would still be seen just as bad mouthing and turn against me? Again, thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me, I really appreciate it
@@TrentKaniuga Well that's sad to hear. I just wanted to finish watching your last stream tomorrow. But at least, thank you for telling me when you are doing live streams so I don't miss it next time.
What do you think about someone that Is serioulsy Passionated in Concept art, has quite ok skills in illustrating but it's stuck with 3D modeling for automotive??? (I mean I'm a styler for automotive car and I do 3D model everyday) do you think that 3D modeling for products can be useful in game industry??? maybe using blender and zbrush???
To be honest I got good insights with this video. But there is something I still wondering. If companies just hire people that know how to do everything how junior artists are supposed to mature their skills and grow? Concept artists and Senior concept artists have learn from someone. This mentality that the industry don't hire people who are trying to get into it and learn while they are doing their first steps I think this is kinda immature.
What do you think, is it worth to become a concept artist or 2d illustrator in my 42? I have some drawing skills and artistic background, but it needs to be boosted and polished more. Or am I wasting my time at this age?
One question, When ever I get a project in college there is always someone who don't work at all in the group and we have to sail their ship to the shore, This happens in professional field as well? How you deal with such people?
bruh the people , who do this in professional fields are , actually only pro at faking it , they build up their career on someone else's success , " ride the wave , and the wave dies out "
It happens constantly. Sometimes it’s your boss. :) it happens in society too. Look at all of the people calling for redistribution of wealth. They don’t work, but they demand that someone else (taxpayers) pay their rent, health care, and even pay for their food.
I understand this might not be in your line of sight for what you do but do you know what the path to being like in world building for games is or even a job that is world building is that just what an writer is or is someone in level design in charge of world building or would that be the head dude like owner and creative director? If it means being an indie designer for your own game do you think you could share what the pipeline of making an indie game is? Sorry for so many questions love videos always excited when i see something come out
Just buy a game studio, or start a new one. It's going to take a good amount of money. Either that, or start as a entry level game designer at a small newly formed studio, and work your way up, hoping that they don't replace you as they grow and have access to established big time talent.
Even though the "chewed bubblegum" aspect of working for a large studio exists, would anyone say for an aspiring CA artist, that it is good or necessary to work for a large studio? I would imagine it to be a case of "pressure turns coal into diamonds" kind of situation. I am working on an indie-game that goes through spurts of progress, then lulls as team members revolve through the doors. I'm one of the few consistent members, and it tbh it feels hard to get the project off the ground. It is in the catch-22 phase of "The studio can't hire labor without money, but without proof of concept (being it so early in development) we can't get money." It's been a great opportunity but after this project I would like to work in a more established environment. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
dude i loved this video so much! I just listen to this shit on repeat and laught till i choke whenever you make fun about excessive meetings and overtime 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
just remember kids: three people made Among Us. yeah, it's their third game, but they got there on their own accord. so grab a programmer/network wizard and go nuts!
@@TrentKaniuga too many people want to be artists :) maybe you can make a vid on the importance of other jobs in the gaming industry, that bring the game (art) alive: programmers, network engineers, marketers etc. thank you for the great content btw!
@@YOUCANTDOTHATONTELEVISION usually the people who like to work in the background aren't artists/artistically minded. theirs is a different kind of wizardry :D
@@torrentthom4734 he does have a video about other types of art - but if you're more inclined towards it, chances are you just think differently to engineers. Engineering is more logical and heavy on technical knowledge, and of course requires little to no visual problem solving. I've been interested in and have tried so many art disciplines but never once has coding interested me.
Trent can you spell out that Artist you Reference A lot.? Yoshi-Shinn-Cio.? Didn’t know the spelling and wanted to look up his Work. Thanks You for all you do Again. Have learned so much from your Channel. (Still wanting that Beginner Guide to Procreate #2 Video.) just saying haha.. 👊😎
Honestly no, every artist interview I have seen they always talk about how the work they did outside of the job for themselves is more fulfilling and I agree more often than not this is the case. But if its artwork you are planning on doing anyway might as well get payed for it.
I love working in games. But mostly only with small teams (under 20 artists). On bigger projects, they don't have a problem throwing away a lot of your work.
@@TrentKaniuga That sounds like fun. The idea of making art for money is such a faraway luxury for me right now that I wouldn't even have a problem with my work being thrown away because I just don't have other options right now.
Idk, if this i rude to ask, but I'm seriously curious as to how much you make? I mean, you have managed to accomplish so many big things. So you certainly must be among the most succesful concept artists out there! c:
You can earn as much money as you can imagine. If you work hard, negotiate contracts well, and learn to invest. I make as much money as I need. Keep your cost of living low, and you will have more money than you need.
@@TrentKaniuga Aye, that's so true! I'm already living dirt cheap work 10 - 12 hour a day, 7 days a week. Glad I'm on the right track =) The investment and contract part is something I gotta work on tho :d
@@Thesamurai1999 salary depends very much on where the studio is located, what type of company it is (outsourcing, indie, AAA company etc) and country. In my experience the entry level salary for a concept artist ranged from close to minimum wage in Canada in indie studios, to pretty decent wage in AAA studios. If you work smart and kinda hard, it can be very lucrative.
I guess my question for you Trent would be have you ever felt a sense of pointlessness to creating art, and how did you get past it? Like every time I sit down to draw, I'm like, "Why am I doing this? What's the point? What am I going to do with this?" These questions have haunted me my whole life and I cannot for the life of me answer them. I'm like, 'Should I post my sketches on social media?' or 'Should I learn ZBrush or Blender? Why?' The few pieces of art I have posted online have been almost universally ignored and drowned out by the over-saturation of others more skilled, so there's pretty much no reason for me to post. My art site of choice is not ArtStation but Pixiv, where there are thousands upon thousands of highly skilled artists that completely destroy any warrant I might have for creating art myself. How have you dealt with any feelings of being hopelessly lost and without direction regarding what you should "do" with your art?
In my case, I get paid every time I draw. So I don’t feel that it’s pointless so long as I would like to be paid. But I have been bored before, and that’s when I decided to learn to program and design and animate.
![Kodak Black - Versatile 4 [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VcP_1Ua__vY/mqdefault.jpg)
For all future concept artists, please do pick up some knowledge on 3D, zbrush if possible. It will help you in your concept artist journey.
because most companies don't want to pay for 2 artists
nice advice
Know why? Who would want to pay high prices for trained 2d artists who can draw from imagination and nail perspective and lighting when 3d gives you all that for free and all you need is a monkey to press the buttons.
@@BC-sh7en well not every artist has the same imagination also depends what they are looking for some people prefer 2d in the video game industry they prefer 3d
@@Mintzoid that's a misconception, nobody can draw anything from nothing. Drawing from imagination is just drawing from memory, which requires tremendous amount of grinding to get good at. Anybody can achieve that level, it's not some bullshit "talent" or "good imagination", but few are willing to put in that time and effort. People only care about easy and fun.
"Some studio's dont like you working on your own personal projects outside the office, they own everything you do-"
I will *_NEVER_* respect a studio that pulls off garbage like that. Being hard and demanding on your employees is one thing, but owning every single thing they do throughout their life? *_NUH-UH BOI._*
I think he was trying to say that they want you to stay in the mind set of their projects. I've found it difficult to mentally switch from project to project. It's more simple to keep focused on one and push thru it.
Concept Artist here sorry to tell you this is VERY common in contracts with companies, as a freelancer you can avoid it however.
Though it's not as strict as what you are likely thinking, they wont stop small scale projects but if you were to start working on another IP or the like at the time they "could" claim it as theres.
Ultimately if you want to do a big solo project or indie project save up and take sabbatical to do it, or freelance on the side
@@MaceHead117 thank you for the input on this. Even though I am not a working artist in the industry, it makes sense that they would not want your priorities divided between projects.
It also makes sense that someone who is not full time in house would have more freedom once they finish their short term.
I had assumed that part of the issue would be that if an artist came up with an ip during their time under contract that it's possible it would be derivative of the contracted work.
Anyway, thanks again for the insight.
Imagine drawing your own stuff on your own time, but hiding it under the desk- in your mattress or your safety deposit box! And dodging the studio goons when they come around to see your work, like the James Bond of art!
Years later you get sued by the studio anyway when they find out you drew the art while on their payroll.
@@YOUCANTDOTHATONTELEVISION - no he actually meant it word for word. for as long you are an employee of that company, THEY OWN YOU. whatever you create in and outside the company THEY OWN IT even when it has nothing to do with the IP the company is currently working on.
Aww man, I thought it said "Want to be a CON ARTIST?" Still this was exactly what I was looking for.
TIMESTAMPS
1:15 1. Typical Day
9:53 2. Current Projects
12:34 3. Pros/Cons
15:45 4. Early Roles
17:09 5. Biggest Turn-off
19:26 6. Work-Life Balance
20:55 7. Inspirations
23:22 8. Resources & People
25:23 Ending
(also Trent if you see this, you can copy and paste these timestamps in your descriptions so they show up on the video's progress bar)
i want to know all the "boring" details about contracts... i want to know when should i feel confident about my level of skill, how much do my art worth, how much YOUR art is worth, i want to drain every drop of knowledge and experience you and many other pro artists have... dont hold back on the details :3
pay him more for those details ;)
I put all of the more in-depth videos in my box set of tutorials. If I post it on youtube the algorithm kills it, because youtube doesn't promote videos that actually help people.
@@TrentKaniuga mate, all this time i watched all your vids, i even got a few challenges in your discord group, thanks for teaching me a lot of things i needed even if it wasnt directly
Honestly, daily morning meetings so that everyone is on page sounds like heaven to me. It may seem tedious or repetitive, but that kind of organization helps my brain so so so much.
I started learning art at 30 after burning out in software dev. Screw game studio bull pens, Imma draw treasure chests and barrels for Trent some day 🤷♂️
good mix of skills to have
Good luck my boy
@@ripples1072 I agree.
Right on man
Hey man i am 22, currently starting an art major and i am afraid about the financial security and not making it. I Was thinking on switching to software develepment but i have a feeling i might not like it and i am just considering it by fear and for the salary. What would you recommend me?
this guy is describing EXACTlY what i want.
That you should move to a third world country and make indie games?
@@PutineluAlin you didnt like his video?
@@anonmessage9658 my reply is a joke about what he said in the video.
@@PutineluAlin I thought your joke was funny lol
@@yeahgirl11 thank you, had a bit of a cheeky sarcasm tied to dreadful truth in the mix.
If no ones made the concept art book, I'm surprised Trent hasn't. Being that he already publishes his comics and art books.
Me receiving the notification while I was reading a concept art book- like wow dude you’re hitting the deep questions now huh
What concept art book?
OMG SHUICHI PFP SJSJKS
@@mehreen5338 HI NAGITO PFP EIFKRHFBGO
@@te9591 the big bad world of concept art- one of the classics
while i was a teacher i actually told my students to go bug some pros out there.
One of the main reasons we do that (i think) is probably because students will go contact some of their favorite artists, those they hold in high regard.
So yeah, as teachers, we ARE doing the job, but students sometimes won't listen, cause who are we to tell them about their future career, we are just teachers here right? what does a REAL artist has to say, you know, the guys from Blizzard, Riot or any other company that a teenagers has heard of... or maybe artists they know from youtube ;-)
I thought about working as a concept artist in the past, but being a corporate slave doesn't interest me, even if the final products are really great
The most human thing I heard here, is that even professionals can admit that they "burnt out" of a certain piece or project and are still allowed to keep their job. That was one of my greatest fears, "can a professional have the luxury of burning out without losing everything?" While growing up there was never any indication that professionals have human needs too, that they had to have exceptional super human work ethic. And lately I've been seeing all sorts of artist, big time artists, admitting their burnout or mental health breaks and it's honestly so relieving. Personally I don't really ever burn out, my muse will skip a project but eventually come back for it, but the fear of such a thing happening in a big gig really warped my perception that working for any company would never be a reality since there used to be no examples of weakness, only success until this point in the internet and social media.
Good management is hard to find anywhere to be honest. And the issue of choosing between a career and a family is present in many industries. That sucks, but it is hard to avoid.
Perfect timing, was thinking about this today
Same!
Same
same
When you talk about the disposability of concept artists I now feel very lucky to not feel that pressure and don't feel the need to compete within my team, even if I'm working at one of the big studio but like you said, it's different between studios.
however, I think it's really important to remind yourself that to stay at the top of your game if you're aiming at the big AAA studio.
short answer, yes
About conceptart art books. There is a book called "The Skillful Huntsman" by Design Studio Press. In that book three students work on a bunch of concepts for fictional IP based on a fairy tale. They comment and explain their thoughts and process and Scott Robertson comments from teacher/pro standpoint.
Yes. But it's still just an art book. There are many of those. But there are no books that outline a specific workflow that game developers could even use to utilize functional concept art. It would not sell, because it is not glamorous.
I’m currently considering a career change and going for concept artist position, that was one of the most informative videos I’ve watched with a lot of food for thought. Thanks man, subscribed.
Great long form content. Any aspiring artist young or old should be taking notes and internalizing this advice. Not only is it invaluable, but one of the only sources where you are getting straight unfiltered truth about what you can expect under many situations in the industry.
Honestly...not anymore. Fell out of love with it and I finally have some savings that I don't want to spend in some major city that *might* secure work. But it's cool seeing other people's art online.
When I was in art school I didn't really have a clear idea of what I wanted to do so I would just say Concept Art because that's what I would see a lot of my favorite artists do (or at least what I thought they did). I realized I'm a lot more interested in the illustration aspect rather than perhaps the conceptual design (which I still enjoy too, but not as much as depicting story or cool images). This video helped put into perspective what else I could aim for than just a studio concept art role.
There might be another reason you're getting the same questions over and over again. When I was employed to help figure out the syllabus for a concept art course, in order to get government funding we needed to comply to the national syllabus requirements. Part of this involved getting consultation from industry professionals. Getting students to send an email to someone in the industry was just the fastest way to check that box so we could get back to teaching them the stuff they actually needed to know. That was just in my country, I don't know how it is elsewhere and I'm sure there are multiple reasons, but I wouldn't expect to stop receiving those emails any time soon.
There is absolutley nothing i want more in this world
Thank you Trent!
I have actually become more motivated to follow my dreams and goals regarding becoming a video game artist after watching this video. Thank you for the info Trent, you're the best!
You know what? No. I've come to identify that I'm way more of an illustrator at heart than a concept artsit. And that's ok.
i had a similar thing as well.
Really appreciate you putting these together, today I think more about illustration and trying to sell my own art
thanks for the info, I aint tryna be a concpet artist, but the info is always useful
Great insights, thanks for posting! Agree with the recommendation of Feng Zhu's design school, his youtube-videos are jam-packed with info for budding concept artists :) I've also heard somewhere that a few years at a studio are more or less mandatory before you start your own concept art studio, to learn the pipeline process etc, or else it might take a looong time to get traction...
Ever since I was a kid I always had a gift for art, I always liked to sketch and create things, then I grew up and I stopped drawing and I got into college and Im 21 now almost done with a coding degree, I really wanna try out being a concept artist because art has always been a part of my life
These kind of vids are gold, thanx Trent
There will always be a market for 2D. But AAA game studios will mostly hire zbrush artists for concept.
One of the problems I have now studying concept art is that in my country (Spain) the world of video games is not given so much relevance (in terms of production) I hope that will change in the near future. But hey, the truth is that the questions and answers have been very useful. Thank you so much.
stay safe and may the flames guide thee.
You can start a game studio then. Mercury steam is in Spain, and they've made some exceptional games.
Luckily more studios are going remote. Also freelancing is always an option.
Great video trent
As someone who has dome the corporate IT grind for the last 20 years or so....i always wondered what my life would have been like of i would have actually gone with what i enjoy, but i am finally at a point where i can work on my art again after work
"I've never seen a book that's like 'How to Make Concept Art for Games' " sounds an awful lot like you should write that book if you haven't lol
Always thankful for your many years of insight in the industry Trent 👍👍
I believe keeping employees from different branches from interacting might be beacuse of fear of them building up their own teams.
They are concerned that the people actually doing the work get together and realize they can do their own thing independantly.
Thank you for this video, Trent. Your honesty and depth of explanation is a pleasure to watch. Also, you are surely the best kind of boss, one who has been in the trenches and cares about his workers. That's rare.
It would be so cool to see a Video together with the Artists you are working with, if that is even possible :)
Very insightful! Thanks trent
Thanks so much Trent, I'm trying to improve my overall visual communication skills, and I really have been appreciating your channel, both for business and for art! Thanks!
This is just a general comment. My experience in the video game industry is very very limited, but I'd throw in to look up and find art critiques on you tube that are based on a design challenge or theme that happen every month or so. Even if in a different style, it really helps both within the styles one works and expanding your tool box of skills and knowledge. Also true with paint over videos, but always take some of it with a grain of salt in that how they solve a problem or compositional nuance is not the /only/ way to solve a challenge usually. It does help train your eye though. At least for illustrative purposes there are some really solid resources out there.
God this is so fucking good. You always help me to center myself, man. Thanks Trent!
Is this part of why the indie game market has exploded in the recent years? Many people wanting to make their own ideas? with small and fun teams? Since it's the new popular thing I could understand that it's normal that not everyone is fun even in indie studios ! I'm starting to think the best way to have fun and make your own thing is to not try to make money out of it, do something else.. it feels like you have to sell your soul to have money, or have no money and have fun instead, you can't have both unless you are super good
more tools available + AAA studios make mediocre game play ( high quality, but still mediocre ) just heck out AC franchise. It is almost the same thing every single 2-3 years. There is no experimentation, so people lean toward more interesting games and projects, so there is a market for it
you can start up your own project and put it out there as a short demo to see what players think. no money involved, but you're not giving out too much for free. just and idea.
I wonder how different the role as a concept artist is in game studios versus being a concept artist in animation studios, such as Pixar and Disney. Great video, very informative to hear your experience
Excellent, now you can link this video whenever you get these questions in your emails 😄
Thank you, Trent. I've watch a couple of your videos regarding being a concept artist. I'll check out some of those gumroad stuff you've noted. I'm a bit of a late shower, I wanted to do concept art back in 1995 but never really got the direction during school. I currently work as a sr graphic designer (23 yrs) but would like to get into concept art, which I think is pretty much in the middle from what I'm hearing from your videos. From user interface, icons, textures, skins and colors, basic initial character designs ... I think I can cover and help the team. What I find that would be challenging are those loading screen type of art and polished ones. I have a hard time looking at the monitor after 9-11 hour days creating print artwork/layouts ... but I'm slowly making it work.
I'm all for learning efficient art styles, gotta have it to make it in the solo dev realm.
Thanks Trent!
Trent's just too good for us, thank you
honestly if i was talking to my art schools self. learn art fine but also learn a scripting language or visual scripting as well. dont just rely on even art. get some technical skills to go along with it. much more freedom there and much more valuable too.
Well, my teacher had me interview a pro in the industry as the final and I guess a lot of people also had this then.
I don't think I could ever work for a company that wouldn't allow me to do my own artwork or side projects. But I'm mostly watching videos like this for myself, and my independent work.
This has changed. Most companies dropped their non compete clause.
Thanks a lot Trent!
This is a great video. I would say it sums up everything I have ever heard from you in one video. I am happy that there is an admirable person like you
Trent, you're a legend. And I don't throw that title around lightly
Another great video Trent! I just want to say that this vid really opened up my eyes to some fears and doubts I had when I first dreamt of being a character concept artist. I believed Triple A studios are the Meta to work for even though Indie studios own the visuals and style of the gaming world most of the time. So, maybe I will just start popping my art out there for the world to see, and hopefully as I improve somebody sees my art and feels inspired to create something amazing. Thanks for the friendly advice and we appreciate the videos you make more than you'll know man, cheers!
I can imagine the amound of eyerolling and sighs involved in these triple A studios
Amazing insight Tent. Thank you so much for your valuable knowledge and experience. Always appreciated.
Hey Trent! Thanks so much for this video, as always your content is excellent. Your insights are super informative for artists trying to "make it." I've been studying super hard and started college last year to get more hands-on instruction for art, as I feel I've kinda floundered trying to learn on my own. Again thanks for the video as it helps more than you know.
I really appreciated this insight
Oh well, i ll agree with Arnold on that one here, the more you know about something you want the more it keeps you from doing it, so i ll skip that one 😉
Love this video, thanks for your insight!
Awesome video Trent! I have a question for you...can you talk more about your failures as an artist and how you overcame all of them?
Easy. I never fail:)
@@TrentKaniuga inspiring!
Trent youre an inspiration man! Always inspired by your videos and tutorials
Oh, dear! I don't want to. I don't want to at all. But as a solo developer, I have to be able to do EVERYTHING. ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.
@@artofdaviii yep) kind of
какой проект?
@@user-by4ru5pr1g не рекламирующийся. Всё на канале.
@@EkaterinaSTADNIKOVA окей :)
thank you for this information, very enlightening
To answer your question trent, yes I want to be an artist that breaks things down into a more explainable form, although illustration is nice too don't get me wrong.
Thank you so much for sharing. I teach some of the Game Design courses (although my major is animation) at my school and I do have problem teaching students who have no drawing experience.^^; I hope you can make tips and tricks video for beginner artist who are interested to join the Concept Art department. Thanks! =3
thank you for this Trent, very informative video :)
Great video TvT ty for the advice , I was wondering for a long times if it is good for me to work as concept artist in small companies when I graduate, this video has open my eyes alot
Could you do a video about the comic book industry ¿ similar to this one
Wait you were the VA for Kyle?? That is so bad ass. I am a giant Final Fight fanboy.
Hey, junior artist who just had a terrible experience in a small indie studio here, I was wondering something: how can I as a begginer with zero leverage protect myself from rich CEOs who can get away with breach of contract, threats, straight up emotional abuse and just over all treating you like shit? You also mentioned Glassdoor, I very much intend to write what my experince was with these people but can they then come at me? They are 100% gonna know the review comes from me.
Thank you for your videos, they are always very interesting and honest :)
If you have no leverage, it does not benefit you to trash talk. Try to see every situation from their perspective too. I don't know your situation, but since you're new to the industry, I advise you to consider that you don't know how the industry works yet. Some people get pissed at their boss simply because they're expected to stay on task and create useful assets, but the beginner artist doesn't want to do that. Well, too bad. When you're an employee, your boss is your customer. The customer is always right. So if you don't like your customer, find different customers, but don't bad mouth the ones you have worked with in the past. It ALWAYS bites you in the ass. At least you got some work history for your resume.
@@TrentKaniuga thank you for replying. I undoubtedly know very little about how the industry works, but staying on tasks and creating assets is all I ever wanted to do so that's never going to be the issue. Senior artist, lead artist and the AD all agree with me here (and were also treated really badly and some suddenly lost their jobs like me) which is why I at the very least wanted to write something on Glassdoor, do you think that would still be seen just as bad mouthing and turn against me?
Again, thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me, I really appreciate it
this was very informative! 👍
Trent what happened to live streams? Why it's not online anymore?
We want livestreams! We love your livestreams!
I'm doing livestreams every Saturday at 5 Pacific time. But I don't leave them up because I lose subs.
@@TrentKaniuga Well that's sad to hear. I just wanted to finish watching your last stream tomorrow. But at least, thank you for telling me when you are doing live streams so I don't miss it next time.
I'm more of the idea towards digital concept artist on my own terms freelance contractor.
What do you think about someone that Is serioulsy Passionated in Concept art, has quite ok skills in illustrating but it's stuck with 3D modeling for automotive??? (I mean I'm a styler for automotive car and I do 3D model everyday) do you think that 3D modeling for products can be useful in game industry??? maybe using blender and zbrush???
To be honest I got good insights with this video. But there is something I still wondering. If companies just hire people that know how to do everything how junior artists are supposed to mature their skills and grow?
Concept artists and Senior concept artists have learn from someone. This mentality that the industry don't hire people who are trying to get into it and learn while they are doing their first steps I think this is kinda immature.
Get a job at a small unknown studio first. They desperately search for artists and cannot find them.
@@TrentKaniuga that makes sense. 😅 Thanks for your time and for your reply.
Is it weird that I actually also want to know more about the business side of this job too? Please Trent?
Very good video bro 👍🏿
My man always droppin gold lol
What do you think, is it worth to become a concept artist or 2d illustrator in my 42? I have some drawing skills and artistic background, but it needs to be boosted and polished more. Or am I wasting my time at this age?
You rock
One question,
When ever I get a project in college there is always someone who don't work at all in the group and we have to sail their ship to the shore,
This happens in professional field as well?
How you deal with such people?
It probably does but then they’ll get kicked out in no time lmao
If this happen, it makes me wonder why they even CHOSE to be in that place.
bruh the people , who do this in professional fields are , actually only pro at faking it , they build up their career on someone else's success , " ride the wave , and the wave dies out "
It happens constantly. Sometimes it’s your boss. :) it happens in society too. Look at all of the people calling for redistribution of wealth. They don’t work, but they demand that someone else (taxpayers) pay their rent, health care, and even pay for their food.
@@TrentKaniuga you obviously have no idea how political theory works
I understand this might not be in your line of sight for what you do but do you know what the path to being like in world building for games is or even a job that is world building is that just what an writer is or is someone in level design in charge of world building or would that be the head dude like owner and creative director? If it means being an indie designer for your own game do you think you could share what the pipeline of making an indie game is? Sorry for so many questions love videos always excited when i see something come out
Just buy a game studio, or start a new one. It's going to take a good amount of money. Either that, or start as a entry level game designer at a small newly formed studio, and work your way up, hoping that they don't replace you as they grow and have access to established big time talent.
Even though the "chewed bubblegum" aspect of working for a large studio exists, would anyone say for an aspiring CA artist, that it is good or necessary to work for a large studio? I would imagine it to be a case of "pressure turns coal into diamonds" kind of situation. I am working on an indie-game that goes through spurts of progress, then lulls as team members revolve through the doors. I'm one of the few consistent members, and it tbh it feels hard to get the project off the ground. It is in the catch-22 phase of "The studio can't hire labor without money, but without proof of concept (being it so early in development) we can't get money." It's been a great opportunity but after this project I would like to work in a more established environment. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
My prof just told us to contact diff artists to see what the job is like lol
If I had the skills for it, sure, would love to be a corporate slave as a concept artist
dude i loved this video so much! I just listen to this shit on repeat and laught till i choke whenever you make fun about excessive meetings and overtime 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
I'm actually interested in the boring business aspects of freelancing and such, as this is where the cheddar is made ;)
I agree. Its absolutely crucial.
The music for the last few minutes omg xD so edgy, feels like I am playing DOOM. Love it.
just remember kids: three people made Among Us. yeah, it's their third game, but they got there on their own accord. so grab a programmer/network wizard and go nuts!
In my experience they tend to be hard to come by. In particular, someone who can handle the network side of things.
Yeah. I've been looking for 10 years.
@@TrentKaniuga too many people want to be artists :) maybe you can make a vid on the importance of other jobs in the gaming industry, that bring the game (art) alive: programmers, network engineers, marketers etc. thank you for the great content btw!
@@YOUCANTDOTHATONTELEVISION usually the people who like to work in the background aren't artists/artistically minded. theirs is a different kind of wizardry :D
@@torrentthom4734 he does have a video about other types of art - but if you're more inclined towards it, chances are you just think differently to engineers. Engineering is more logical and heavy on technical knowledge, and of course requires little to no visual problem solving. I've been interested in and have tried so many art disciplines but never once has coding interested me.
Trent can you spell out that Artist you Reference A lot.? Yoshi-Shinn-Cio.?
Didn’t know the spelling and wanted to look up his Work. Thanks You for all you do Again. Have learned so much from your Channel.
(Still wanting that Beginner Guide to Procreate #2 Video.) just saying haha..
👊😎
Check the captions
Honestly no, every artist interview I have seen they always talk about how the work they did outside of the job for themselves is more fulfilling and I agree more often than not this is the case. But if its artwork you are planning on doing anyway might as well get payed for it.
I love working in games. But mostly only with small teams (under 20 artists). On bigger projects, they don't have a problem throwing away a lot of your work.
@@TrentKaniuga That sounds like fun. The idea of making art for money is such a faraway luxury for me right now that I wouldn't even have a problem with my work being thrown away because I just don't have other options right now.
Can you tell us what you do as a concept artist? I havent watched the video, my favorite art teacher told me to ask the pros ;)
I can't draw even a body it would look like the one. But watching the vid about concept artists.
Idk, if this i rude to ask, but I'm seriously curious as to how much you make? I mean, you have managed to accomplish so many big things. So you certainly must be among the most succesful concept artists out there! c:
this is not rude , this is educational
You can earn as much money as you can imagine. If you work hard, negotiate contracts well, and learn to invest. I make as much money as I need. Keep your cost of living low, and you will have more money than you need.
@@TrentKaniuga Aye, that's so true! I'm already living dirt cheap work 10 - 12 hour a day, 7 days a week. Glad I'm on the right track =)
The investment and contract part is something I gotta work on tho :d
@@Thesamurai1999 salary depends very much on where the studio is located, what type of company it is (outsourcing, indie, AAA company etc) and country. In my experience the entry level salary for a concept artist ranged from close to minimum wage in Canada in indie studios, to pretty decent wage in AAA studios. If you work smart and kinda hard, it can be very lucrative.
@@6132-k1n Thanks for the information! :)
I guess my question for you Trent would be have you ever felt a sense of pointlessness to creating art, and how did you get past it? Like every time I sit down to draw, I'm like, "Why am I doing this? What's the point? What am I going to do with this?" These questions have haunted me my whole life and I cannot for the life of me answer them.
I'm like, 'Should I post my sketches on social media?' or 'Should I learn ZBrush or Blender? Why?' The few pieces of art I have posted online have been almost universally ignored and drowned out by the over-saturation of others more skilled, so there's pretty much no reason for me to post. My art site of choice is not ArtStation but Pixiv, where there are thousands upon thousands of highly skilled artists that completely destroy any warrant I might have for creating art myself.
How have you dealt with any feelings of being hopelessly lost and without direction regarding what you should "do" with your art?
In my case, I get paid every time I draw. So I don’t feel that it’s pointless so long as I would like to be paid. But I have been bored before, and that’s when I decided to learn to program and design and animate.