Art schools sometimes feature a department called ‘communication arts’. As a student, I found that descriptor a bit vague. What are they communicating? Why is that art? To my mind, the ‘real’ art disciplines were visual words like animation, sculpture, and painting. But in the years since graduation, I’ve gained an entirely new appreciation for art that communicates clearly.
Concept art is, first and foremost, communication. While the game is in production, concept artists form a link between departments: converting the designers’ words into drawings & blueprints for the art team. After the game is complete, your designs communicate directly to the player. A red light might indicate ‘alert’, and a rickety rope bridge might signal danger. In many ways, learning to design means learning to communicate.
For today’s homework you’re challenged to be concise. To craft a single phrase. Easy, right? In the video I’ll argue that a single, elegant, sentence requires much more work than a few meandering paragraphs. But I believe in you. Good luck!
