Modern video games are true works of art. Featuring a variety of styles and concepts, these games are not merely aesthetically pleasing; they actively leverage artistic techniques and advanced software to create distinct moods or vibes. These, in turn, contribute greatly to everything from narrative elements to gameplay mechanics.
Simply put, a game that lacks compelling art will not go far. Today’s players have high expectations — and they want their gaming experiences to be not only exciting and dramatic but also visually pleasing. A lackluster aesthetic could cause them to quickly tire of gaming experiences that they would otherwise find enjoyable.
Thus, these high expectations are matched by high requirements: It takes considerable talent and effort to produce the level of artistry that today’s gamers demand. Unfortunately, not all developers have the time, the budget or even the vision it takes to release artwork or animations worthy of the modern console or computer.
The good news? Those who commit to producing high-level game art have the potential to get gamers deeply invested in new titles, creating a powerful experience that can feel downright transformative. What’s more, these development processes can be deeply meaningful to game designers, concept artists or animators, who view games as the ultimate opportunity to express themselves. These artistic individuals love nothing more than to tell memorable stories through visual elements. There is nothing quite like seeing game art come to life — and below, we unveil some of the secrets to art and animation in video game development.
Conceptualization and Sketching
Every game’s design begins with a concept. This might seem simple at first glance, but it’s often one of the most complicated aspects of designing a game. After all, the concept must be closely aligned with the target audience and also feel true to the narrative. Plus, it must be unique enough to make gamers take notice.
As experts at Adobe explain, early processes focus on “designing and creating the intended look, style and visual ‘feel’ of a game before it enters full development.” This feeds into everything from characters to settings to weapons or other objects, and a compelling concept promises to connect all these essentials before artists delve further into the development cycle.
Ideation and Concept Art
Every work of art originates with a kernel of an idea: a basic concept that will be iterated upon countless times before the finished product is revealed to the world. Concept art sets the stage for all art and animation processes to come, but it’s certainly not set in stone. Artistic creations can look radically different in each phase of the design and iteration process, as artists refine not only the look of the characters and the worlds they inhabit but also get a better feel for the flavor and personality of the objects they design.
Character and Environment Design
Cohesive gaming experiences rely on compelling characters who feel naturally integrated into the worlds they inhabit. Character artists collaborate closely with teams responsible for designing scenery and environments, ensuring that these elements work together to create memorable and immersive aesthetics.
A great example of this synergy can be seen in the game Cuphead, which features 1930s-inspired watercolor backdrops that perfectly complement its quirky character designs. The unique visual style is the result of a well-defined concept and meticulous execution, contributing to the game’s nostalgic yet fresh appeal.
From 2D Sketches to 3D Models
Initial 2D sketches can reveal a lot about the look and vision that artists seek. The next big feat? Transforming these designs into living, breathing characters and environments. This obstacle awaits both artists and members of the development team. Artists, in particular, must create distinct characters and worlds while keeping in mind that certain elements may not translate well to a 3D style.
Modeling and Texturing
Prior to modeling, the 2D concept must be completed, with many views and shots available for the modeler to examine. From there, the focus shifts to the 3D model, with sketches and other images used for reference. These days, 3D modeling for games nearly always involves dedicated game art software such as Blender or Maya.
Texturing is crucial to delivering an immersive feel. As Rocket Brush Studio puts it, this process is capable of “transforming cold, rigid vertices and polygons into warm, inviting and relatable characters or environments.” Textures give characters personality while also elevating the gaming environment. As a result, players feel empowered “not just to see but also to feel the game world.”
Also important is digital sculpting, which mimics clay sculpting to produce a more organic feel. This takes an “artistic, freeform approach,” with a clear focus on “subtractive detailing and refinement.” Many digital sculpting tools are available, including ZBrush, Blender and Mudbox. Contributing to expressive models, sculpting enhances animation in video games by producing exceptional visual fidelity and a strong topology (one that is not prone to stretching).
Rigging and Animation
Forming a character skeleton to facilitate movement, rigging prepares existing 3D characters for animation. This is a key component of skeletal animation, in which characters are represented as “hierarchical, interconnected parts” known as the skeleton, plus surface representations known as skins or mesh.
Implementing Art Into the Game Engine
A strong creative vision should help talented artists make considerable progress toward producing memorable video gaming experiences — but only if the characters, environments and other assets are integrated into the game engine seamlessly. This involves not only taking drawings and sketches from the page to the screen but also optimizing those assets once they have made the leap into the game engine.
Integration Techniques
One of the crowning achievements of video game art, the previously mentioned Cuphead serves as a shining example of how art can be integrated into a game that looks fantastic and plays wonderfully, too.
With Cuphead, creators Jared and Chad Moldenhauer created more than 50,000 frames of hand-drawn animation but also made full use of industry standard software Unity. The result? A modern masterpiece.
While most games won’t feature hand-drawn art reminiscent of the 1930s rubber hose style cartoons, they still need to seamlessly integrate an artistic vision into an interactive experience that should play as well as it looks.
Optimization for Performance
Several factors come into play when optimizing games for performance. During this effort, game designers must ensure that the original vision and concept remain front and center — but that game mechanics make the experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible.
These complications play out clearly in a recent industry trend: offering the option to play games in performance mode. This involves strategic sacrifices to resolution and various particle and environmental effects — but in favor of a smoother and faster frame rate. Otherwise, players can stick with graphics mode, in which the game prioritizes a high resolution and popular graphical enhancements such as ray tracing.
Before these modes can even be implemented, however, artists and programmers must work in tandem to optimize art assets so they can run within the game engine with minimal impact on technical performance.
Testing and Refinement
Today’s games undergo rigorous testing before they are released to the gaming public. With such stringent testing comes the need to refine elements of the experience that could otherwise prove rough around the edges.
Quality assurance testers report their findings to the design and development teams, which then decide the best course of action. Simple solutions rarely exist, and instead, multiple teams must collaborate to determine which elements should be prioritized and where compromises may be available to produce an all-around enjoyable gaming experience.
Quality Assurance for Art Assets
Quality assurance goes far beyond catching gameplay bugs and performance-related issues. This process is also critical in the implementation of art assets, ensuring that colors are correct, environments are displayed properly and characters are easy to identify and recognize. Despite noble intentions, some aspects of the art design simply will not work within the game engine — but sometimes, these can be modified without making major changes to the overall theme and vision.
Iterative Design and Updates
The artistic process involves several stages of iteration as well as major updates that could dramatically alter aspects of the design. Iterations could be as minor as changing the physical height of a character or the color of their clothing, with updates involving more in-depth changes to the environment and setting.
The Final Touches and Post-Production
Following an exhaustive process, video games reach the post-production stage. This involves plenty of fine-tuning, meant to enhance the overall gaming experience while helping to alleviate any lingering issues with design or gameplay. Different games may call for different strategies, and thankfully, there are numerous ways to elevate game art long after the concept has been finalized.
Lighting and Effects
Some games employ limited lighting effects, while others lean heavily on unusual techniques that promise unforgettable aesthetics.
The artistic experts at independent video game developer Playdead reveal just how impactful lighting effects can be with hit games Limbo and Inside. Playdead’s use of lighting allows players to let their imaginations run wild. Both games are fantastic representations of visual storytelling in games, stressing the importance of lighting effects.
Final Art Review and Polish
Once art pieces are finalized, it’s time to add a few finishing touches. Character models, environmental art and even the game world itself will receive extra polish, often in ways that the player will never actively recognize. Former lead programmer at Obsidian, Frank Kowalkowski, describes the polishing process as “adding things nobody will ever notice, comment on or appreciate, but will notice, comment on and appreciate when they aren’t there.”
Embrace the Power of Game Art With RMCAD
Are you passionate about game art? If you are eager to bring your vision to life, you could have a bright future in game concept art or game character design. Opportunities abound — but first, you’ll need to seamlessly navigate the many tools and techniques that go into modern game asset creation. You’ll find a thorough introduction to game character design and game environment art as you navigate a unique program at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design: our Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art, which can be earned online or on campus. Either way, the program offers a deep dive into art direction in video games, revealing the many complex (but exciting) facets that contribute to modern game art development. Reach out today to learn more.
