# Embarressing question



## Kerns (Apr 1, 2010)

I am doing what I can and lining up to get into 'game art & design'(it's broader then I thought  *blinks* yea) BS degree for many reasons.   though I am  a bit stuck  on learning to draw from my imagination.   I tend to .. get stuck and go blank.

I can imagine things I want to draw and create, though  I have tend to lose it most of the time, in place of words and themes surrounding it and meanings of it after it comes to me and I tend to lose what I wanted to draw.

Is there any tips in helping to be more creative in what is drawn, rather then  what I can focus on that is in my view in the real world.. of sorts.

I think I'm going to be in a hard patch to come, though I do believe it will be worth it.

---
Luckily my stronger suit is in alterations of materials other then creation of them out right.


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## Kelm (Apr 1, 2010)

If you have to ask for help in creativity, then maybe Game designing is not for you.


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## Kerns (Apr 1, 2010)

It's not the creativity, it's expressing without the headache that comes from failure to express it.  I can imagine plenty of thing, just hard to know how to start expressing it onto any format.

--
Edit.

besides there is more to game art & design then the graphical creation part of it.  (though that's what most think of about it)  My strengths are more of the support side of it.  Though ya have to be able to do every part, to at least some degree.  So what if I won't end up on the concept development(art-all places), It's not what I was after.  I want to work with tangable ideas and mold things that are already created, my stronger set of skills.  

I'd rather not miss out on something I really enjoy because I'm weak at creative design (Best used for Concept Design on projects).  Besides, maybe I can get good enough to not feel like a fool every time I wanna make something and let stories flow easier then they do.


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## Browder (Apr 1, 2010)

Just do it. If you do it often enough and with enough rigor you'll become better.


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## Mari (Apr 1, 2010)

If you cannot accurately depict your creativity, then you need to work on your basics.

That means drawing everything around you -the 'real world'. 



One cannot draw fantasy worlds if one cannot drawn their own world first.


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## Kerns (Apr 1, 2010)

Erf,  Not exactly what I was hoping to hear, though honestly good advice and I was more worried it was some mystical trade secret that I wasn't let in on >.>   *coughs* me and my theories ... some are WAY off... 

Thanks All Except Kelm,   *pffft*


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## Ilayas (Apr 1, 2010)

Mari said:


> If you cannot accurately depict your creativity, then you need to work on your basics.
> 
> That means drawing everything around you -the 'real world'.
> 
> ...



Pretty much this.  The rules of forum, composition light and shadow don't magically disappear in a fantasy or science fiction environment.


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## Aden (Apr 1, 2010)

Kerns said:


> Erf,  Not exactly what I was hoping to hear, though honestly good advice and I was more worried it was some mystical trade secret that I wasn't let in on >.>



Well, naturally, you need to be able to draw a basic form before you can draw a complex form from your imagination. Fundamentals. Learn how to express volume, shapes, perspective.
And nobody tell him about The Ritual yet :x


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## Kerns (Apr 2, 2010)

I am doing what I can, though I do prefer color alterations and texture alter/creations.   I wouldn't mind if ya went over my hand drawings that I upload.. (mostly for practice and to shut out fear) with tips on style.  


Ya I am abit ashamed that I let what skill I had from HS go to the crapper.


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## Centradragon (Apr 2, 2010)

Just a small word of cautionâ€”you'll be paying off your school loans for a degree in "game design" for years, with no guarantee of a job.  I'd really, really avoid that... especially since you don't need a game design degree to actually... get into the industry.  Last I heard, about half the people working in it don't.  |D

Maybe I'm biased, but I find graphic design a really good major to get into to learn to be creative.  I've learned a ton of things that I couldn't have learned on my own.  c:

Try look up bios of people in the industry who hold the specific jobs you want, and see what sort of education and skills they have?  

You don't really have much art in your gallery to critique, honestly... style is something that comes naturally after practicing (many thousand times on paper) after you draw something over and over in a particular way.    It'll come on its own, for sure.


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## Taralack (Apr 2, 2010)

This is hearsay, from having done a bit of a games design degree for two years, but most people who actually manage to break into the games design industry get in by being programmers.


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## Jelly (Apr 2, 2010)

We're really stretching the meaning of BS here.
uh yep
I have no idea what you're specializing in in the field. You talk about concept art, and design, etc. If you want to do concept work, you need a BFA.
Programming (and you'll need specialization there) and sound are big sellers in the games field from what I know.
Nobody becomes a lead designer out of college, so you're going to need to have a "leg-up" career in game design. So that's definitely a strong background in programming.
Game concept artists do concept work outside of the field, and usually just have really strong art portfolios and BFAs in whatever specialization they're working in.


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## Kangamutt (Apr 2, 2010)

Image hunt.

Google anything that interests you visually. I'm studying game art & design myself, and my professors can't stress this enough. You *NEED* reference images. Imagination doesn't mean you can pull an idea out of your ass. It means you can take something and put your own spin on it. A good start would be to find two different architectural styles and create a series building using those two styles in unison.


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## SpartaDog (Apr 2, 2010)

Kerns said:


> Thanks All Except Kelm,   *pffft*



That was unnecessary.

You asked for help, Kelm tried to give it. Sorry if it wasn't what you wanted to hear, but not everything will be.


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## Kangamutt (Apr 2, 2010)

Novaluna said:


> That was unnecessary.
> 
> You asked for help, Kelm tried to give it. Sorry if it wasn't what you wanted to hear, but not everything will be.



This.

Game design is a very intensive industry. You have to be good, you have to be fast, you have to be efficient. Most studios are going to give a sort of art test, to determine a series of things; 1. If the artwork you initially presented is yours, 2. If you can take a base idea and improve upon it in a timely manner. We were given a test first semester, which was a square with a sign reading "Saloon". The test was to improve on the idea. If you couldn't improve in any way, you were told you probably should drop the class. You have to be fucking serious if you really want to go anywhere in this industry.


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## skunkspray03 (Apr 8, 2010)

Well, you seem to have quite a problem here.

Sometimes, you need to get away from the design/art/whatever, and get your thoughts organized. Try to think it out, and then write out your ideas or do baisic sketches ASAP (I would advise getting a small pocket notebook for spur-of-the-moment ideas, mainly).

But also, the main thing is, you need to do drawing studies. They can be quite arduous and frustrating, but it DEFINITELY helps. Object studies can boost your skill exponentially, if done correctly. Hopefully, you will begin to see patterns in object's shape and proportion, and be able to design some of your own. All you do, is draw random objects.

Don't go for something complex, like humans and gargoyles yet. If you are having a lot of trouble, start with the basic objects, like vases, fire hydrants, office buildings, other less challenging subject matters.

If you are having shading trouble, start with contour and gesture drawings, then work your way up to value, and then color, when you're up to it. You certainly want to check for accuracy in the drawing before moving on.

Another key point to remember is that you must be patient, take advice, and don't get frustrated. The exercises are mainly to help you SEE things, to draw what you SEE in the world around you, things that will not fade from memory (because it's right there), then you will be ready to draw from your mind's eye.

wow, what a lesson


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## subversive-imaginati (Apr 9, 2010)

You can't draw from imagination solely, you have to first learn to draw from reality then start altering it and breaking the rules.

Ergo, if you want to draw a large canine type predator, you first need to know how to actually draw canines.

If you want to draw various humans in various outfits, you first need to know how to draw a human and how to draw clothing as well as studying real life examples of what outfit era/area you're going for.

There's no simple way to do it, no magic shortcut, you need to learn reality then change it.


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## heresydarling (Apr 12, 2010)

I have a BFA in Game Art/Design so I am familiar with your frustration. TBH I don't feel like i got "good" at art until I got out of college (and I still have much to learn)

Something that helped me was to sketch, all the time. Pick a theme for each page, say "cats". Draw cats. Draw from real life cats (or photos if live specimens not available). Draw them in all poses. Scribble. Don't be perfect. Try different mediums - watercolor cat, ballpoint pen cat, marker cat, pencil cat. Grayscale cat. Neon pink cat. Sleeping cat. Cat paw. Cat ear. Cat eye. Cat in silly pose. Then start to have fun...aquatic cat. Space cat. Robotic cat. Plant cat. Fairy cat. Dragon cat. Etc.

Or do something less fun, like "House". Draw a house. Physically go outside and draw it. Draw another one. Go to a real estate website and draw big houses, trailer homes, run-down houses. Start to get a feel for what makes it seem solid" and "real". When you get confident, draw a made-up house. Your dream house. A haunted house. A fairy's house? A giant's house? An alien house? A cave decorated with skulls and blood? A house made of ice? Think of moods - happy house, sad house, angry house.

Pick something that youa re bad at and draw it. For me, it's hands. Draw hands. Draw baby hands, old lady hands. Princess hands, laborer hands. Cartoon hands (not omitting proper anatomy though!) and ultra-realistic hands. 

You can draw without "creativity" and hone your skills. I find that a lot of creativity comes from confidence. I realize that you probably don't want to draw pages of cats and houses and hands but it's far far better to be drawing things and getting basics/practice in (though not necessarily creating masterpieces each time) than to sit and stare at a blank sheet of paper waiting for "inspiration".

Look at sketch blogs (just google sketch blog) to see what other artists are doing if you get stuck. Sometimes (but don't make a habit of it) setting out to deliberately copy an illustration/image can get the juices flowing - of course it goes without saying that you shouldn't post it without crediting the original artist; as a matter of fact it's even better just to keep it in your personal sketchbook. 

Play with colors. Experiment. Use only two colors, green and purple! Now paint a face! Now paint the same face with different lighting! Now paint the face entirely in shades of blue!

I'm rambling here. Creativity isn't something that just happens. It's a way of looking at things. However, eventually you will get that flash of inspiration for an awesome image, and you want to be sure that you can execute it when it does happen. So draw every day no matter what, no matter how much you hate it. You will thank yourself come portfolio time and you have to just choose what to put in, rather than scramble to half-ass some images because you are short!


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## shenlong4626 (Apr 14, 2010)

heresydarling said:


> I have a BFA in Game Art/Design so I am familiar with your frustration. TBH I don't feel like i got "good" at art until I got out of college (and I still have much to learn)
> 
> Something that helped me was to sketch, all the time. Pick a theme for each page, say "cats". Draw cats. Draw from real life cats (or photos if live specimens not available). Draw them in all poses. Scribble. Don't be perfect. Try different mediums - watercolor cat, ballpoint pen cat, marker cat, pencil cat. Grayscale cat. Neon pink cat. Sleeping cat. Cat paw. Cat ear. Cat eye. Cat in silly pose. Then start to have fun...aquatic cat. Space cat. Robotic cat. Plant cat. Fairy cat. Dragon cat. Etc.
> 
> ...



^ This

I also take a sketch pad with me, like everywhere. Drawing, characterizing, even just blocking things out. All of those help me to keep in practice, both for 2d and 3d arts. Also try to remember, It's not the perfections of things, but rather the imperfections of things that make them relate-able to your viewers.

Ex: Perfect Imperfections: Parthenon. 

Take a close close look at it. See if you can find all of it's imperfections. The curved roof, the tapered pillars. How even though it has these things that it seems like it doesn't.

Ex: Too Perfect: Cell Tower Camouflage.

Have you ever seen a Cell Tower that was disguised as a tree? It looks totally fake. Even though it has all of the things that a tree should have it just doesn't look right ... It's because it has too straight of lines, no randomness very little imperfection.

The way to expand your imagination is to start with things you know and then tweak them. Learn you anatomy(it helps a lot, really it does) watch how animals and people move, notice their postures.

Exercise:  
1) Draw/Render a face, normal face. 

2) Tweak 1 set of features on the face. Imagine how the lighting will affect the new features. Are they smooth? Are they Rigid? How transparent or opaque are they? Are they Organic or Synthetic? 

3) Color and lighting. You'd be amazed what a little color changing does. It can make something very familiar look totally alien, or make something alien seem a little more familiar. Lighting. Best way to do this is to take a mirror into a dark room with a flashlight and your subject. For this exercise your face should be a good subject.  First hold the light above and ignite it. Observe in the mirror. Extinguish your light. Next move the light below your face holding it near your chest and ignite your light. Observe how the shadows lay and change the perception of the subject. Repeat as necessary for as long as you want from many many different angles and depths. If you want to go a little further and study the effects of colors you can use some filters for your light source.

4) Draw/render your new face and make another change, or give it a body that you feel fits.

5) Do this a lot, every day. Using the steps as needed. When you feel comfortable with smaller tweaks then move on to larger and more outrageous tweaks.


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## Saracide (Apr 22, 2010)

I think those who succeed most in any artistic profession, are the ones who have the self discipline to buckle down and study the basics.


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