What I learned this Academic Year (1005 words)

Referring to September 2015 - May 2016

This year has been one of my biggest leaps in skill level and knowledge, We have undertaken many different assignments that forced us to try different skills and learn new things. I remember for my alternative techniques  module when I was tasked to create a 3D model of a chess piece that we were actually going to print needless to say I was pretty exited about the process, we learned how important units and measurements was in that assignment otherwise we could accidentally print a huge chess piece.

I also learned a ton this year about 3DS Max all the short cut keys for quickly creating 3D models, loop cutting, extruding bevelling, the list goes on, I was able to create a few 3D models this year and it was great fun too actually hold something in my hand that I created.

But by fa the most fun module for me this year was Games Simulation, I was able to actually create a game level, and I did it by created all the assets, learning how to use the node coding modules supplied with unreal and watching enemy AI react to a player presence and understanding the work that allows it to happen is amazing to understand.

Both Tony and Murry have aught me loads for many of the subjects but I particularly enjoy when Tony teaches at the board and we draw along to his ideas, I have learned how to create a vast amount f things in Photoshop and even some tips and techniques he uses(and doesn't use).

I learned about lighting and shading and how to understand where lighting is coming from and how it effects different materials and textures, which is a very important skill to have when aspiring to become a concept artist.

I have been given the names of many different artists that I aspire to be like and the inspiration that they give me really helps my drive, I love seeing the work of talented artists, even my classmates are all impressive in their own way.

I learned a large amount of hotkeys for 3DS Max and Photoshop that greatly increase my speed when I am creating, I can get a drawing or a detailed model done in about a day, still a long time but I'm still learning!

This course has also increased my timekeeping and organisational skills, my room has never been as clean as it has been this last year, I learned that mess just confuses everything and hurts your time, not only has the course has an academic effect on me but also I find myself rather clean and tidy recently.

I learned at the start of this year how to create a proper model sheet for a character that is going to be passed up to a animator or a modeller, I learned that the character has to have facial expressions, a view from the front the side and the left, and also some poses for the character are also to great effect to the animators and modellers know what kind of personality the character has.

Environment design was more fun for me then hard, I very much enjoyed using my new-found skills using opacity and masks to help create loads of new effects.

My artbook was a very great assignment I learned alot about what is attractive to certain audiences, creating logos and a house style is typically something that you would see in graphics design, but it is greatly welcome or me as I found great interest and loads of fun creating my own logo for myself.

I was also able to create nice looking new business cards for myself and hopefully at final show people will take some off me, I would love to get some work over summer.

I also learned how to create a CV and even a creative CV I had heard about how to do these elsewhere but this course allowed me to further increase my knowledge and form a new nice CV,

I learned how to texture my 3D models using different maps and a thing called a texture atlas which is basically all the textures for a certain model on a single document that can be wrapped and applied to the model.

Murrey taught me how to create AI in Unreal engine to that they react to sight and sound, we were also able in that lesson to get the AI to patrol and move around, this was an amazing lesson and I only wish we could have done more that involved AI and unreal engine.

I also learned tons about modular design and the process in creating it, a very healthy non destructive way to create models/ designs/ illustrations allowing all the little parts to link together in the grand scheme of things is amazing because it is little effort for a big pay-off, I could create a whole game with the assets I created for Games Simulation and the Pixel Part of digital skills.

Collaborating in a team for the Alternative Techniques assignments was a very fun experience, working with the others to end up with matching chess pieces was very fun and it allowed us to gain more skills to allow the team to work in a diplomatic way, no fights happened and everyone (at least I hope) was happy with the end result

We used Facebook messenger to form a group so we could talk about our efforts and if we had any ideas for each other.

But to finalize and evaluate this ear, I would say that this as been a very effective year at university I have learned so much about the industry and expanded my own personal artistic skill so much that It is hard to be disappointed with the results.

So I will take my degree(Hopefully if these final assignments are ok) with my head held high waiting to learn more next year when I begin my honours degree,

Work Based Learning

This Module has been the most valuable to me personally, it has allowed me to gain a Art Station account, New contact details with Atomhawk and nice reading list from their team, and my very own Artbook!

I was tasked to find a competition online and take part, this allowed me to choose my own brief, I chose to work on an environment piece  for Art station entitled Journey, At first I had the idea of creating a shop environment  filled with tools of the trade for an adventurer but the idea proved difficult.

So I changed my idea to see If I could make a contrasting utopia environment with a dystopian foreground, so the journey idea would be to make the foreground journey to get to the background.

I looked at many references and eventually sat down and just painted to see what would happen with the references in mind.

SWOT

Strengths
Amazing reading list from Atomhawk themselves, I also created a great art book that displays my work in a professional way, I was also able to create a piece of artwork that looks very different to what my work normally looks like, at least in subject matter, this helped me expand my artistic range.

Weaknesses
It took me a while to actually create the artwork as I kept bouncing around ideas, the original shop front idea would have been cool but I was having difficulty with the perspective, I feel like I could have used the 3D MAX trick but I was 100% convinced by the idea and I'd rather just do a painting.

Opportunities
The contact with Atomhawk is great hopefully I will be able to continue conversing with them and hopefully land an internship I would love to work amongst pros and learn more about the industry that way.

Threats
I rushed the painting really and feel like I could have done more with it, I must not do this any more in the future. the time sheet was helpful and it allowed me to create a steady workflow that allowed me to finish on time, but the painting I feel didn't come out as well as I had hoped.

Inspiration: Artbook Collection/ CG Scenes

I have a artbook collection that has inspired me over the years of my learning process, and as they have all helped me in some way, the main book I would like to talk about is a book entitled CG Scenes




This book  a a straight up developer notebook with interviews that talk about the artwork by the artists themselves and it is my favourite book I own.



Many of the tips and techniques have came from this book and the artists within, they're workflow I have adopted and am slowing getting better because of their input,

Most of my inspiration comes directly from my artbook collection, I have a quick scan through the artbook with the subject matter I want to create and take references and ideas and make them my own.

Book full title: "CG scenes from sketch to finish"

Here is a video like of a gentleman flicking through the pages of the same book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7yifzv9ID0

Inspiration: Blizzard Entertainment

Blizzard Entertainment are a large company known primarily for their amazing work over the ears in games such as World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Diablo, Starcraft and Heroes of the Storm, recently a new contender has entered the art battle between these games and its name is Overwatch

What really inspires me about Blizzard Entertainmaent is their huge scope and range, Artwork and style for example from hearthstone is very funny, stylised and childlike, but Diablo 3s style is very gritty and dark and scary, It has inspired me to attempt different art styles myself(Another reason why I love Will Terrell so much)




I own a official Blizzard Entertainment artbook which is amazing many of the artwork in that book has influenced me over my whole time learning how to become a concept artist the style use of colours is incredible.

Inspiration: Banksy

I absolutely love Banksy, not necessary because of his amazing art, but because of the thought behind it, every single Banksy piece littered around street corners all over the world has some meaning behind it, normally known for his anti oppression paintings he is also known to d sculptures and even decorated the inside of a old van to look like a waterfall paradise.

He inspires me to think about what I am drawing and see if I can really put across an idea or feeling, as a designer this is my main goal and must strive to make this happen.

His influence on me has effected the way I see art, finding deeper meaning in the artwork he produces makes me very exited for his next located piece.

Inspiration: Will Terrell

Will Terrell is an amazing caricature artist with his own YouTube channel, his videos consist of very insightful comments about working as a freelance artist and he talks about the struggles he has faced

He compliments his ideas and processes with anecdotes, (I saw this little old lady at the coffee shop and she was adorable) then he goes on to draw her in a stylised cartoonist way, the way he does this just makes him seem like a very down-earth person. which is very relatable ad helpful to aspiring artists such as myself

He talks a lot about how you are always learning in the art industry and you are never fully happy with your work, but you always get better, so when you are feeling bad about your art, you shouldn't feel discouraged but happy that this piece is better then the last.

Inspiration: Bob Ross

While he is an very popular artist known for his calming personality and afro, no one can deny his talent and skill when it comes to traditional painting.

When the stress of deadlines is drilling into my head I like to watch some Bob Ross, it calms me down and I learn a lot as he speaks


He also helps me calm down and not take myself so seriously, I need to just calm down and just paint and do what I love most rather then worry about the result at the end, just keep painting those "happy little clouds"