Paul Jones - Game Artist

Published by Sonola & Jones Ltd.

Web: www.pauldavidjones.com

Copyright Paul Jones 2022
Illustrations Paul Jones 2022

Paul Jones has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publishers.

Every effort has been made to present accurate, up-to-date, reliable, and complete information. No warranties of any kind are declared or implied and readers acknowledge that the Author is not rendering legal, financial, medical, or professional advice. Please consult a licensed professional before attempting any technique outlined in this book. Under no circumstances is the Author responsible for any losses, direct or indirect, incurred as a result of the use of information contained within this publication, including, but not limited to errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.

The Author has no control over, nor responsibility for, the third-party websites referenced in this publication. All internet addresses given in this publication were correct at the time of going to press. The Author and Publisher cannot accept any responsibility if such addresses or websites have changed since publication.

ISBN: 978-1-915008-02-2

Publisher: Sonola & Jones Ltd.
Editor: Jasmin Naim
Graphics: Paul Palmer-Edwards and Paul Jones
Chapter illustrations: Paul Jones
Book Layout: Paul Palmer-Edwards
Front cover robots: Shutterstock
Interviewees: Lee Burns, Amber Marie Edwards, Ryan Howard, Jerry OFlaherty,
Luan Vetoreti, Chris Wells and Andr Wahlgren
Proofreader and Indexer: Cheryl Lenser
Beta Readers: Louise Andrew, Arianne Garin, Rob Lujan, Chris Mielke, Ben Parr,
Mickela Sonola and Luan Vetoreti
Website: Jason Harvey and Paul Jones
Special thanks: Luke Davis, Eddie Hilditch, Jeff Morris and Gavin Rothery

Dedicated to everyone who wanted a guiding hand

Contents

Introduction

If I were in your shoes now, and I had my chance again, discovering this book would have been like finding a bar of gold! Id sit it next to my two other prized books, Space Wars: worlds and weapons and The Making of Judge Dredd (1995), and I would have read it from cover to cover (instead of just looking at the pretty pictures).

There were times in my career I would have LOVED a guiding hand to make things clear, simple, and less frustrating in this crazy job Ive dedicated my life to. I bet youre feeling the same way too and thats why youre reading this book now!

The reality youre facing today is opposite to mine, its information overload. When you try to find out how to get into the industry, how to get promoted and the real challenges youll face getting to the top, its a confusing mix of articles and blog posts; its nearly impossible to know whos making sense and what their experience is. No amount of searching could have prepared you for the business of making art for video games except by learning the hard way, until now.

I know that its a risky world out there, but why should it be so hard? Just because everyone has walked the same tightrope until now, why should you? Why not take two steps forward and no steps back? Can you have your cake and eat it? Well, why not?

The fundamental reason for writing this book is to give you the insiders view of working in the games industry, so you start your career with a head packed full of knowledge. If you cant retain it (like me) dont worry, you can pick this book up at any time and take what you need to keep you moving on up. The goal of this book is simple, youll find out everything you ever wanted to know about the game artist career path: how to prepare, who to know, where to excel, what your boss reviews you on, getting promotions, financial rewards and bonuses, keeping yourself motivated, avoiding burn-out, everything that you always wanted to know but were unsure who to ask.

Ive split the book into five levels, each packed with valuable lessons and insider interviews, delivered in a clear career path timeline, from prospective applicant, to nailing your interview and starting as a Junior Artist, building up skills and being promoted to the roles of Mid, Senior and Principal Artist, and finally into the management roles of Lead Artist and Art Director. Along the way I break each area down further and highlight strategies for success with each role.

Ill let you into a secret now. If you want techniques on improving your art, I suggest you look elsewhere, there are no pixels or polygons to be found here. This book is your opportunity to gain a head start on the competition by reading up on the expectations, hurdles, and ways to navigate game art development. No pen and digital tablet required!

Who is Paul Jones?

Im a self-taught artist with over twenty-five years of experience, and Ive had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects for some of the most successful companies, including Epic Games ( Unreal Championship 2 and Tournament 3 ), Rocksteady ( Batman: Arkham City ) and TTFusion ( LEGO City Undercover ). At the time of writing this, Im an Art Director at Cloud Imperium Games, on the worlds largest crowd-funded PC game, Star Citizen .

I currently live in Manchester, in the United Kingdom, a city with the honeybee as its logo because, in times gone by, hard work in cotton mills and canals really put this city on the world map. It is where bands like Oasis and the Stone Roses (and so many others, too many to name) struck up and took the world by storm, a place where the worlds first computer was built, a place known for celebrating its diverse mix of people and classes, religions and sexuality, all of which I knew nothing about when I first came here, but all of which I now appreciate.

Growing up in a middle-class household, I had it easy in some ways. I lived in a house on an island, to the rear were rolling patchwork hills, and the beach was a ten-minute walk away. Traffic was light and crime was low, except for cow tipping or stealing apples. The Isle of Man is a small rock nestled between the bosom of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, a place known for its Celtic roots and Druids circle, cats with no tails, black dogs who haunt castles and the worlds most dangerous motorcycle road race. My bedroom was only three metres from the road track!

Ive mentioned this already, but growing up, I had one art book I loved especially, Space Wars: worlds and weapons . Its filled with so many images that were mind-bending both in concept and artistry that, while I had no clue how to replicate it, the sci-fi genre planted a seed that would grow to influence my later life.

Finding tutorials on art and help was hard back in the 1980s. I endured a Paasche airbrush through my teenage years: the masking, the paint spluttering, the noisy compressor; that thing was hard to get good results with and the materials were expensive! By the time I hit sixth form, I had shifted towards the new and emerging subject of Design and Technology (DT). I respected our DT teacher, and he was keen to impart his wisdom and enthusiasm, to help us grow, which was the opposite of how I felt when working for our art teacher.