Prissy Little Chloe

Creating Action Scenes Concept Art Tutorial  After wrapping up my first fanart series on NieR:Automata ( catch it right here ), I would like to start a new walk-through series right here, on how I create action scenes for entertainment art. So, let's jump into it! Step 1: Reference and Thumbnails To start building a reference board, I use a free app called PureRef; it allows you to take any reference images that you like, and lay them out in an organized collage.  One thing to keep in mind when creating thumbnails, is it’s best to get as  many  ideas as you can down on paper. Don't be intimidated by that! There are no wrong ideas and it doesn't matter if it looks rudimentary at this stage.  When creating thumbnail sketches, think of what you want to see as the main focus of the scene; so, in this case, I want to have the main character 2B slashing a large machine – something inspired by an in-game screenshot. Now, with a rough sketch of b...

The literal meaning of Inspiration is ‘breathed upon' Every moment, the brain is by nature forming new associations, continually attaching an everyday x to an unexpected y . All great artists and thinkers are workers; tenacious not only in inventing, but also in ordering, sifting, rejecting, and transforming ideas. Just because something cannot be immediately solved — or simplified to base laws of real-world physics — does not inherently mean it isn’t tangible. When we go beyond the very edge of our knowledge, is where we find art. The Latin verb  cogito  means 'to think' and St. Augustine had observed that the Latin  intelligo  in fact means ‘to select among.’ To have an idea is to generate new combinations and thought patterns, wholly dependent on the ability to see relationships between different elements at work. Finding Your Inspiration  While an idea is being produced, you can become inspired if you temporarily ce...

To me, games are the one of the most creatively expressive art media out there. The industry offers are variety of roles in which artists across multiple disciplines can contribute to this ever changing-medium with an audience of nearly two billion gamers worldwide. The gamer demographic is a passionate community; many of whom are not simply passive consumers of media entertainment products, but devoted fans whose lives may have been affected by their experience of a game - as with any powerful artform. I aim to play a role in delivering such an experience, while being a part of a team that’s committed to realizing that vision through this medium. I would like to instill and communicate that meaning through creating immersive 3D environments, that complement the game-play and narrative put forth in a game. I tend to gravitate toward AAA development studios like Ubisoft. While the projects are not as likely to take the innovative risks of many indie games, it’s if I were to...

Michelangelo  di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni and  Leonardo da Vinci  brought forth an unparalleled shift in the development of Western art. They are two artists who irrefutably produced two Renaissance wonders: Michelangelo's David and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Centuries later, they remain as the two most renowned artistic creations in the world.  Seeming to be as though reflected opposites of one another – the woman who sits smiling and the man who stands grimacing. Said to be no coincidence, as they were created around the same time (between 1501-1506), in the same city of Florence, by artists who were each other's direct rivals. Michelangelo Famous work:  David   Over time, it became the artist's habit to leave behind on his work marks of the chisel; straining actions that were fossilized in the chipped, unpolished surface of the marble; while his other works boast smooth, lifelike limbs or anguished faces envisioned from pillars...

The Four Stages of the Creative Process Preparation — the creative problem is investigated in all directions and in the process, related intellectual elements are referenced — out of which new ideas for a possible solution can be formulated. In this stage, the ideas are arranged to form the best course of action to reach a point of resolution; which is also done by seeking patterns in solutions that may have worked in past experiences. That point of divining plausible solutions is called Incubation .  2. Incubation — In this case, the subconscious mind is the incubator; and there are two primary forms of this voluntary abstention from more conscious work: the first of which is putting one’s conscious mental work into effect on another problem; the second is to put oneself into a relaxation state, at a distance from all conscious mental work. The former form of Incubation economizes time, and is therefore often preferred in the problem solving process.  It i...

Player Choices Bear Consequence There are multiple ways a scene can play out depending on the player’s past choices and those specifically made in that scene. storytelling, branching structure, dramatic tension, the hero’s journey (heroic quest) Players can get answers through dialogue choices and explore observations (and objectives) through a character’s thoughts. There is direct player control — with no specific run action. Most of the time, players won’t run indoors. Running is automatic during gameplay, to fit the emotional direction of the scene. Win or Lose There is no way to “lose” the game per se; only unfavorable events unfold, (i.e. characters die) or the player’s search is impeded (evidence is lost, players never meet important characters or situations to gather evidence.) There are many scenes where the main characters can die in different ways at several points in the game; the game continues, but circumstances are heavily affected. For exa...

Cinematography Heavy Rain uses a character-based interaction model. The camera model is context-sensitive, but the angle is switchable by the player. The character is shown from the camera angle most appropriate for his or her current location in the world. Characters also look and move their head around, which adds more variety to their natural walk cycle. This lets the designer play the role of a cinematographer; and while this is often not a good model for fast-paced action games -- as it’s often disorienting to the player who needs to see obstacles and make educated inferences based on information presented -- this works well in Heavy Rain because of button mechanics involved in the action sequences. Different camera techniques are also used during scenes. For example in The Mall scene where Ethan is searching for his lost son Jason the camera changes from a calm, steady view to a shakier handheld one. The camera is also brought up to Ethan’s shoulder to allow the pl...

An Interactive Psychological Thriller  Heavy Rain is an award-winning Greatest Hits title for the Playstation 3 delivered by Quantic Dream, a studio based in Paris, France (known for Indigo Prophecy , Beyond Two Souls and the upcoming release Detroit: Become Human .) Heavy Rain is an interactive drama action-adventure game, delivering a cinematic experience where player choice dramatically alters the events that unfold in the narrative. Premise How Far Are You Willing to Go to Save Someone You Love? Each character no matter the role, has deep perspective on the situation and is connected to the investigation in some way -- either from the victim’s side, an informative side or directly connected to the case of the Origami Killer. The players take on the role of four characters; the family man Ethan Mars, the insomniac journalist Madison Paige, the FBI agent Norman Jayden and the private investigator Scott Shelby. Origami Killer - Modus Operandi The motiv...

An Interactive Psychological Thriller  Heavy Rain is an award-winning Greatest Hits title for the Playstation 3 delivered by Quantic Dream, a studio based in Paris, France (known for Indigo Prophecy , Beyond Two Souls and the upcoming release Detroit: Become Human .) Heavy Rain is an interactive drama action-adventure game, delivering a cinematic experience where player choice dramatically alters the events that unfold in the narrative. Premise How Far Are You Willing to Go to Save Someone You Love? Each character no matter the role, has deep perspective on the situation and is connected to the investigation in some way -- either from the victim’s side, an informative side or directly connected to the case of the Origami Killer. The players take on the role of four characters; the family man Ethan Mars, the insomniac journalist Madison Paige, the FBI agent Norman Jayden and the private investigator Scott Shelby. Origami Killer - Modus Operandi The motiv...

Sketched on Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch Textured With Wacom Intuos Pro When I decided to upgrade my pen tablet I had my doubts. Would I notice a difference, worth $350? I skimmed over the specifications. Double the pen pressure?! My digital paintings can have even more detail and I'd never have to restock on paints again! I've had my Wacom Bamboo tablet for nearly five years now. It still works... This was an investment, unlike casually upgrading my phone every year. I do a lot of research. This seemed competitive in giving a user an edge on Deviant Art. Enter Intuos Pro. Just looking at the pictures, I found my silver bamboo with that nice white LED strip to be better-looking than the Intuos Pro. Not that looks matter much anyway, when it comes to securing a job in concept art. After all I'm moving from an entry-level tablet to the staple Deviant Art standard. So I...