5:12 #1 start making indie games on your own 6:30 #2 join an existing indie game/mod/hack project 7:09 #3 creatr assets and sell them on asset stores 9:56 #4 apply to mobile game studios 11:23 #5 apply to art houses in the game industry
one of the things you didn't mention about creating rigged assets is to have someone or several people beta test it, yeah it works for YOU but you built it and know it. a beta tester doesn't and he will play with it, try to break it, after it passes muster then it is ready for market. same could be true for other assets, have an independent person run it through it course, test it from every angle . this will help prevent you from getting a reputation you do not want
Did you know that all of your tips about the art aspect about games and building a career CAN BE applied to music composition!! It really helped me multiple times! Thank you!
As I understand you, 1: Work hard. 2: Work harder. 3: Keep working. 4: Stay diligent and work on. 5: It will be hard. Thanks for the help and advice. I have some work to do.
I took a rigging & skinning class for Maya. That's a specialty all unto itself. I was tracking with my instructors until I had to input the values (0-10) and painting weights and making it function..., and then my mind broke.
Also aiming to get in the game industry. Earlier this year I got a fun unexpected opportunity and I've been working with a great small team on a digitally hand-painted 2D RPG where I assist painting pre-designed environment assets and pre-drawn animation frames. I also got to design some of my own here and there! Based on what you said I seem to be heading in the right direction. Really hoping it counts well!
Can you do a tutorial about your own art style (as in this video) and what your thought process is? Like a really in-depth design and rendering video, not just tips and tricks like gradients. How do you think about colour and light bouncing off edges and 3d forms and simplification and imagining things in the scene and what influences are you drawing upon as you stylize those things, as some examples.
6:00 This bit is very true. I had a few years of nothing in my life, was a co-founder in an actual play TTRPG. Yes no one made any money but being able to say I founded and lead a team of 10-15 (depending how you wanted to count it) people for a couple of years has impressed every potential employer since, at least enough that they overlook the years long gap in paid work (for mental health reasons). We got up to 25 regular views on one of the nights before covid hit and we could no longer meet in person for the game.
I was wondering. Some professional artists recommend using your own photo references like taking a picture of yourself striking a pose. How would you go about this if you were trying to draw a dragon character, or a pokemon character like pikachu or any character that doesn't have a human anatomy. Thank you Trent :)
I recently work on a dragon piece and I got references from various reptiles and snakes, ancient Chinese dragon illustrations. Everything can be better with taking a reference. If you can imagine it you can sketch it out and then 3D model it to see it from different angles so you can make it fit with your illustration. You just have to take references for good realistic pieces.
Even Pikachu is called the electric mouse, that's because his body and proportions are based on the idea of a mouse. Doing some quick studies of mice in different poses could help your brain think around how to pose pikachu and what his anatomy would look like from different angles. Obviously his limbs are different, but there you'd have all the reference of him drawn in different poses for the last 30 years.
Thank you for the advice. I think it's important for aspiring artists who want to work for games to always be creating art however they can. This will not only help get your name out there, but you'll be making connections along the way and also improving your artistic abilities. Keep a positive and constructive mindset and put in the effort to do better.
Hey Trent! Thank you again for sharing your wisdom. I hope more people rise up as courageous mentors like you. Problem solving on behalf of others and working in a team are some of the most valuable skills.
I’d like to hear the philosophical and ethical discussion about the dichotomy of “part of the team”. Especially within a industry we all now know to be one that doesn’t shy away from being let’s say frugal with employees time or worth.
Have you ever seen Game of Thrones? Every industry I've worked in Is like that. Be a team player, but always keep a backup plan in mind in case your co workers sell you out, or your boss leaves and you get stuck working under someone that wants to ruin you. If you dont like politics, or playing the game, Stick to indies, or go solo, and build a business around your art on your own. This may sound cold, but this is a business with a lot of money. People do anything to get that money. Ive met some genuine people, and maintain REAL friendships with many of my former co workers. But they are rare and treasured friends. Perhaps all of that corporate betrayal is really just a biproduct of success in general. So you accept it. You get what you needed from it, and then you spend a few years licking your wounds and rebuilding your courage to face it again from a place of confidence and strength. Because that's life. It's hard to find something real. But when you do, it's that much sweeter. And then you can create something real for other people, so long as you continue to self evaluate and take time to heal.
@@dezzdinn Most of my friends are still working at studios and probably wont comment on such practices. But Ive had several guests on my channel. Check out the talk with Eric Canette.
well, it takes 1-2 to develop a game, been working on one with a dev team for almost a year and we aren't even done yet, we are working on a teaser trailer now tho, by the time our game comes out on steam, I probably worked on it for about a year or 2
@@LolixBelle I know the time frame...The context of my comment, is just agreeing with him that's it's a requirement you WILL constantly see. Good luck, to you and your team tho.
I was looking at the art work being done and I thought it looked finished a long time before Trent actually stopped working on it. Did it really need or benefit that much from a large portion of the stuff he did in the second half of the video? How does one tell when they should stop working on a piece?
listened to Trent and been working on a game for awhile now, no pay but I learn so much, our game still in development since most of us are doing this as a hobby and we are busy, but learn about concept art so much and what the devs need, I definitely could say that I have experience, even if the game is not out yet, listening to Trent's advice is great and 100% recommend it!
Hey Trent. What is the most viable art industry/career path for an artist starting out. I'm constantly trying to improve my art skills, but feel lost because I don't know which career path is even worth trying for. How do I go from someone making zero dollars on my art to someone making at least a part time living in a short a time as possible?
Looking for a great place to begin your concept art career? Check out some of our entry level job openings to get started! Entry level position: *Minimum 10+ years of experience in the industry*
Heh bit of an exaggeration but the point stands, most entry level want experience already 2-3 years shipped game etc… honestly the only time I have seen a video game job NOT require previous experience was for internship positions - which wouldn’t be to bad but you can’t the total number of open game internship positions on 1 hand and still have 3 fingers left over, that is how competing, how there are barley any openings for video game internship roles . So if you are approaching this industry without a degree in it, without experience, you are walking up a 90 degree incline barefoot with exposed nails and glass on the road. It is certainly possible but dear lord it will be hard.
I've been modeling assets for a fan revival of a multiplayer game that was shutdown a few years ago. I'd love to put some of those piece on my portfolio, but I wonder if that is a no-no since it would be considered fan-art.
I appreciate you sir. Have you done any videos on character or creature speed painting? I would definitely buy a speed painting workshop from your gumroad.
Does making a board game count as game development experience? I had a short game design skills training where we had to make board games and my teacher was very persistent that it was valuable experience. But I have my doubts the medium is still very different.
Its good experience! Howeever, for games you'd have to learn to work with a 3d modeler. you'd have to design for a limited camera. you'd have to design characters or environments based on their limited gameplay mechanics. You'd have to create content for other team members to build in 3d if you want game industry experience, which is about serving a team. But SHIPPING finished product is ALWAYS a good push in the right direction.
If only I could Like this more. Gonna work on an indie project to A) gain experience and B) build a better portfolio. Very on topic video for me. Thanks Trent ☺️
Where do you find the job openings at "Art Houses" and for mobile games in development. I feel like those two are the best suggestions, unless you are specifically trying to be a 3D artist. 3D is extremely all consuming, Its hard to do it all, really.
Great video as always. As someone who works a fixed part time job in a studio I was wondering if getting part time contracts (to fill the remainder of the week) in art houses is a feasible thing? or is the turn over on assignments so tight that an art house needs their artists at 100% every week?
This is different for different art houses. I work with 1 guy who works a studio job every day and continues to work for 3-4 hours for me each night 3-5 days per week. This usually means extra work for the art house though, because clients want delivery every day.
I tried, I did a interview, I got the job, and turned around got scammed asked to print out a check and deposit it in my bank to give to the vendor for remote position
Question for you. I keep seeing this function that cuts drawing time down by half. It's even in this video. It's a mirror effect as you draw on one side it copies on the other side at the same time. Like a congruence tool. What is that and is it program specific or what programs use it? I've used 3 programs Photoshop cs3, Gimp, and currently using Clip Studio Paint. As you can tell I've not used ps in a loong time. The program I have the most knowledge using is Gimp which felt like photoshop but easier interface, I just preferred it.
Not sure about Photoshop or other programs, but in Krita there is a button on the toolbar looking a bit like a pyramid, it allows mirroring. Krita is more for digital painting than Gimp is, but it's free as well, so you might want to try it out. But googling for "mirroring Photoshop" or CSP should give you some results too.
hey super useful video! One question: how hard is it in your opinion to get some remote work to start with? I live in a country where the game and film industries suck and there are no concept art job listings
Ive talked about it many times before. You actually have an advantage! Its just as likely to get work from anywhere these days. I personally hire people from all over the world. I find them on artstation or through recommendations. Or they apply through my website. If the quality of work that you do is good, then you will find work more easily than american artists.
@@TrentKaniuga wow even more than American artists? Is there a specific video (or set of videos) in which you talk about this topic? I will surely watch more of your videos anyway since they all look very interesting, but it would be cool to start from this 😁
basically do more people if you think ur working hard enough then thats not hard enough because the other guy whos applying has done twice as much work as you have done! work as if youre always in second place aiming for first
Ship 3-4 best selling video games and have too many job offers for you to do yourself. Then you can start to hire artists who are qualified to help you (which is the hardest part of the job).
this guy colouring and shading the art in real time but fastened up without any skip and I still don't get how he did it. I don't even pay attention to the video, I keep replaying and paying attention to how he colour for like an hour and I still dont get it. I really wanna get better at color shading /.\
You totally can. Just get 8+ years of experience in other, smaller games and build a relevant portfolio first. I have seen multiple cases of people wanting to work for Riot or Ubisoft and they succeeded in it this way. It depends only on how hard you want it.
5:12 #1 start making indie games on your own
6:30 #2 join an existing indie game/mod/hack project
7:09 #3 creatr assets and sell them on asset stores
9:56 #4 apply to mobile game studios
11:23 #5 apply to art houses in the game industry
I just got my first job in a studio as an environment concept artist! After 3 years! ☺
I wanna here more can you show me your portfolio
@@animeknowledge5048 There's my artstation in my videos
*of experience
@@ELTABULLO of trying
Saw your portfolio mate you deserve it
one of the things you didn't mention about creating rigged assets is to have someone or several people beta test it, yeah it works for YOU but you built it and know it. a beta tester doesn't and he will play with it, try to break it, after it passes muster then it is ready for market. same could be true for other assets, have an independent person run it through it course, test it from every angle . this will help prevent you from getting a reputation you do not want
Sometimes I wonder if Trent reads minds because I was looking for this right now
+1
So true man. This really is one thing I was looking for half a freaking year 😂😂😂.
@@parisulki729 you are on RUclips man not reddit
I get that with Trent so often too!! Im like ...”Dude.....can you really read my mind this is crazy coincidental”
Bro it's not cool outing his superpower like that lol
Did you know that all of your tips about the art aspect about games and building a career CAN BE applied to music composition!! It really helped me multiple times! Thank you!
As I understand you,
1: Work hard.
2: Work harder.
3: Keep working.
4: Stay diligent and work on.
5: It will be hard.
Thanks for the help and advice. I have some work to do.
Absolutely love that Owl painting! Very creative and well executed!
I took a rigging & skinning class for Maya. That's a specialty all unto itself. I was tracking with my instructors until I had to input the values (0-10) and painting weights and making it function..., and then my mind broke.
Thx for the info 🙌
Oh man I'm really vibing with the detailed enviro on your vids.
Love the idea of an owl hideout, good stuff!
Also aiming to get in the game industry. Earlier this year I got a fun unexpected opportunity and I've been working with a great small team on a digitally hand-painted 2D RPG where I assist painting pre-designed environment assets and pre-drawn animation frames. I also got to design some of my own here and there! Based on what you said I seem to be heading in the right direction. Really hoping it counts well!
Where do you find opportunities like that?
That is one beautiful illustration
Can you do a tutorial about your own art style (as in this video) and what your thought process is? Like a really in-depth design and rendering video, not just tips and tricks like gradients. How do you think about colour and light bouncing off edges and 3d forms and simplification and imagining things in the scene and what influences are you drawing upon as you stylize those things, as some examples.
That’s all in my hearthstone workshop. Www.gumroad.com/trentk
Just bought some of your courses Trent, really appreciate sharing some business secrets so I hope buying your courses pays it forwards to you
Great tips Trent! I’m definitely going to look into art houses and mobile games!
Go for it!
6:00 This bit is very true. I had a few years of nothing in my life, was a co-founder in an actual play TTRPG. Yes no one made any money but being able to say I founded and lead a team of 10-15 (depending how you wanted to count it) people for a couple of years has impressed every potential employer since, at least enough that they overlook the years long gap in paid work (for mental health reasons).
We got up to 25 regular views on one of the nights before covid hit and we could no longer meet in person for the game.
I was wondering. Some professional artists recommend using your own photo references like taking a picture of yourself striking a pose. How would you go about this if you were trying to draw a dragon character, or a pokemon character like pikachu or any character that doesn't have a human anatomy. Thank you Trent :)
I recently work on a dragon piece and I got references from various reptiles and snakes, ancient Chinese dragon illustrations. Everything can be better with taking a reference. If you can imagine it you can sketch it out and then 3D model it to see it from different angles so you can make it fit with your illustration. You just have to take references for good realistic pieces.
Look into animal anatomy. Watch videos of animals to find reference. Go to the local zoo
Even Pikachu is called the electric mouse, that's because his body and proportions are based on the idea of a mouse. Doing some quick studies of mice in different poses could help your brain think around how to pose pikachu and what his anatomy would look like from different angles. Obviously his limbs are different, but there you'd have all the reference of him drawn in different poses for the last 30 years.
This is great advice, right through
Thank you for the advice. I think it's important for aspiring artists who want to work for games to always be creating art however they can. This will not only help get your name out there, but you'll be making connections along the way and also improving your artistic abilities. Keep a positive and constructive mindset and put in the effort to do better.
Love the art in the background! Super cool :D
Hey Trent! Thank you again for sharing your wisdom. I hope more people rise up as courageous mentors like you. Problem solving on behalf of others and working in a team are some of the most valuable skills.
Why Trent is so awsome?
Thankyou for making these videos there extremely helpful
love you man,thank you soooo much for this vodeo
Thanks, this was pretty helpful. I've been getting more into 3D and didn't think of making asset packages.
This art piece is amazing
I’d like to hear the philosophical and ethical discussion about the dichotomy of “part of the team”. Especially within a industry we all now know to be one that doesn’t shy away from being let’s say frugal with employees time or worth.
Have you ever seen Game of Thrones? Every industry I've worked in Is like that. Be a team player, but always keep a backup plan in mind in case your co workers sell you out, or your boss leaves and you get stuck working under someone that wants to ruin you. If you dont like politics, or playing the game, Stick to indies, or go solo, and build a business around your art on your own. This may sound cold, but this is a business with a lot of money. People do anything to get that money. Ive met some genuine people, and maintain REAL friendships with many of my former co workers. But they are rare and treasured friends. Perhaps all of that corporate betrayal is really just a biproduct of success in general. So you accept it. You get what you needed from it, and then you spend a few years licking your wounds and rebuilding your courage to face it again from a place of confidence and strength. Because that's life. It's hard to find something real. But when you do, it's that much sweeter. And then you can create something real for other people, so long as you continue to self evaluate and take time to heal.
I don’t think it sounds cold, I agree. That’s one reason why I’m here. The internet has provided us a opportunity.
Also sorry but that was kind of a hint that it would be cool to see you interview another colleague or friend 😌
@@dezzdinn Most of my friends are still working at studios and probably wont comment on such practices. But Ive had several guests on my channel. Check out the talk with Eric Canette.
This was so helpful, all the light bulbs went off thank you!
Maaaaan that 3-5 years worth of experience is something serious lol
well, it takes 1-2 to develop a game, been working on one with a dev team for almost a year and we aren't even done yet, we are working on a teaser trailer now tho, by the time our game comes out on steam, I probably worked on it for about a year or 2
@@LolixBelle I know the time frame...The context of my comment, is just agreeing with him that's it's a requirement you WILL constantly see.
Good luck, to you and your team tho.
I was looking at the art work being done and I thought it looked finished a long time before Trent actually stopped working on it. Did it really need or benefit that much from a large portion of the stuff he did in the second half of the video? How does one tell when they should stop working on a piece?
listened to Trent and been working on a game for awhile now, no pay but I learn so much, our game still in development since most of us are doing this as a hobby and we are busy, but learn about concept art so much and what the devs need, I definitely could say that I have experience, even if the game is not out yet, listening to Trent's advice is great and 100% recommend it!
This piece is reeeaally good man!!! Well done!!👌
thanks trent! this is just what i needed today :)
Hey Trent. What is the most viable art industry/career path for an artist starting out. I'm constantly trying to improve my art skills, but feel lost because I don't know which career path is even worth trying for. How do I go from someone making zero dollars on my art to someone making at least a part time living in a short a time as possible?
Looking for a great place to begin your concept art career? Check out some of our entry level job openings to get started!
Entry level position: *Minimum 10+ years of experience in the industry*
I Just saw something like that 2 days ago. But they were more realistic : minimum 5years and already work on a AAA Game 😂🙄
Heh bit of an exaggeration but the point stands, most entry level want experience already 2-3 years shipped game etc… honestly the only time I have seen a video game job NOT require previous experience was for internship positions - which wouldn’t be to bad but you can’t the total number of open game internship positions on 1 hand and still have 3 fingers left over, that is how competing, how there are barley any openings for video game internship roles .
So if you are approaching this industry without a degree in it, without experience, you are walking up a 90 degree incline barefoot with exposed nails and glass on the road. It is certainly possible but dear lord it will be hard.
I love the environment pieces that you drew! Where I can find more pictures of those houses on the left side of the screen in a begining of the video?
I collect all of my artwork into art books such as the World of Twilight Monk www.amzn.to/3iJw0bR
@@TrentKaniuga Thank you!
Beautiful artwork, you are my great inspiración. Thanks for all ✨😄
me gusto tu spanglish
@@coldpaint1537 jsksksk Thanks you? Jaja no me di ni cuenta, creo que fue mi estúpido autocorrector 😔✌️
@@lassiehernandez2547 de donde eres
@@coldpaint1537 De Chile, jeje que genial encontrar alguien que hable español en este canal :o 👍 de donde eres tu?
@@lassiehernandez2547 peru saludos 👌
Best advice ever
I've been modeling assets for a fan revival of a multiplayer game that was shutdown a few years ago. I'd love to put some of those piece on my portfolio, but I wonder if that is a no-no since it would be considered fan-art.
I appreciate you sir. Have you done any videos on character or creature speed painting? I would definitely buy a speed painting workshop from your gumroad.
I dont do speed painting. But I have a PHOTOSHOP CHEATS BOX that you can use to double your speed. gum.co/hfAu
Does making a board game count as game development experience? I had a short game design skills training where we had to make board games and my teacher was very persistent that it was valuable experience. But I have my doubts the medium is still very different.
Its good experience! Howeever, for games you'd have to learn to work with a 3d modeler. you'd have to design for a limited camera. you'd have to design characters or environments based on their limited gameplay mechanics. You'd have to create content for other team members to build in 3d if you want game industry experience, which is about serving a team. But SHIPPING finished product is ALWAYS a good push in the right direction.
I know i might ask a lot but would be amazing if you could do like a list of home studios or mobile studios to apply that you recommend >u
Looking for this too
If only I could Like this more. Gonna work on an indie project to A) gain experience and B) build a better portfolio. Very on topic video for me. Thanks Trent ☺️
Where do you find the job openings at "Art Houses" and for mobile games in development. I feel like those two are the best suggestions, unless you are specifically trying to be a 3D artist. 3D is extremely all consuming, Its hard to do it all, really.
just one question... how many layers you end up having on this artwork?
Does that matter? I use as many layers as I need.
Sad to see how he didn't actually reply to your question but looking at the video, I can see that there were at least 45 layers :)
@@TrentKaniuga i was just wondering, when i get more than 20 i try to combine them cause i feel like i got too many
Very helpfull vid :D
If any artist is looking to team up with a game programmer and designer I am always searching for someone
I'm interested
@@ELTABULLO Add me on Discord! Lets collaborate
Mikail - Ironlionm4n#3152
Can I make some additions that might help ease in people with no experience? The workshops for Garrys Mod and Team Fortress 2
What's the best way to find art houses?
linkedin
Great video as always. As someone who works a fixed part time job in a studio I was wondering if getting part time contracts (to fill the remainder of the week) in art houses is a feasible thing? or is the turn over on assignments so tight that an art house needs their artists at 100% every week?
This is different for different art houses. I work with 1 guy who works a studio job every day and continues to work for 3-4 hours for me each night 3-5 days per week. This usually means extra work for the art house though, because clients want delivery every day.
@@TrentKaniuga so it's doable but not ideal by the sounds of it. Thanks for the response that's quite useful to know!
How do I find art houses and mobile studios that are hiring?
I tried, I did a interview, I got the job, and turned around got scammed asked to print out a check and deposit it in my bank to give to the vendor for remote position
Damn. That sucks. Watch your back with these scammers man. Don't give up!
@@TrentKaniuga right
This is a bit of topic: how many layers do you usually use per drawing and what for?
As many as I need. Watch my video about layers.
@@TrentKaniuga Why do so many people care about layers so much???
no "My dudes!"? :(
can I somehow write to you outside of RUclips. I have a couple of questions about game dev, I will be grateful for the answer.
Question for you. I keep seeing this function that cuts drawing time down by half. It's even in this video. It's a mirror effect as you draw on one side it copies on the other side at the same time. Like a congruence tool. What is that and is it program specific or what programs use it? I've used 3 programs Photoshop cs3, Gimp, and currently using Clip Studio Paint. As you can tell I've not used ps in a loong time. The program I have the most knowledge using is Gimp which felt like photoshop but easier interface, I just preferred it.
You're probably looking for the mirror function?
Not sure about Photoshop or other programs, but in Krita there is a button on the toolbar looking a bit like a pyramid, it allows mirroring. Krita is more for digital painting than Gimp is, but it's free as well, so you might want to try it out. But googling for "mirroring Photoshop" or CSP should give you some results too.
Symmetry tool ruclips.net/video/t-bbXpVvEo0/видео.html
hey super useful video! One question: how hard is it in your opinion to get some remote work to start with? I live in a country where the game and film industries suck and there are no concept art job listings
Ive talked about it many times before. You actually have an advantage! Its just as likely to get work from anywhere these days. I personally hire people from all over the world. I find them on artstation or through recommendations. Or they apply through my website. If the quality of work that you do is good, then you will find work more easily than american artists.
@@TrentKaniuga wow even more than American artists? Is there a specific video (or set of videos) in which you talk about this topic? I will surely watch more of your videos anyway since they all look very interesting, but it would be cool to start from this 😁
Art in the game industry? Eck. It's like first grade.
"MY drawing is BETTER than YOUR drawing because they picked it."
also you must have a certain art style that appeals to the industry
This is kinda funny to me. I am a programmer trying to learn how to make art for my own games lol.
basically do more people if you think ur working hard enough then thats not hard enough because the other guy whos applying has done twice as much work as you have done! work as if youre always in second place aiming for first
how to get into game art w no experience: learn to make a game
how do I make my own studio to contract others, how do I do what you do? also what books on leadership would you recommend?
Ship 3-4 best selling video games and have too many job offers for you to do yourself. Then you can start to hire artists who are qualified to help you (which is the hardest part of the job).
Thank you for replying Trent, I will try my best!
I have been trying to start learning digital art for manga/comics and illustration but sadly I feel lost and started losing hope...any tips people?
I'm feeling the same way rn
I’m confused. All concept art is 2d, only thing that makes it look good is the rendering and the environment.
Gamedevmap is down, what site could I use to help me find jobs?
LinkedIn
this guy colouring and shading the art in real time but fastened up without any skip and I still don't get how he did it. I don't even pay attention to the video, I keep replaying and paying attention to how he colour for like an hour and I still dont get it. I really wanna get better at color shading /.\
Watch my other videos or buy my tutorials. I hide nothing.
I thought it was my headset but his voice only comes out loud from the right ear.
I think it’s because I use an Omni mic off to the side
❤❤❤❤
I draw rn, and sir just say boom reassemble your brain.:v lololol
What if I want to work for a mobile game like genshin impact… 😅
You totally can. Just get 8+ years of experience in other, smaller games and build a relevant portfolio first. I have seen multiple cases of people wanting to work for Riot or Ubisoft and they succeeded in it this way. It depends only on how hard you want it.
@@KaterynaM_UA 😂 it means no company willing to train
👍✨💫✌️
Thank you very much for your advices !! I love your videos men , thanks a lot !!
No degree from RUclips-versity!? do_0b DAMMIT! d>_