Concept Art - how to

[raggidman]

edit: Would someone pin this for the moment? ty raggidman

Concept Art?
- lots of people have been asking me what they would have to do.

Working Practices:

Research
First off, research, research, reasearch - it's really hard to draw something you know nothing about - believe me, I've tried!

You can research in-game with Artwork from Morrowind and Oblivion both being strong enough to stand proud - it was basically the hardware's and software's Graphic Quality and Rendition in Oblivion that improved - artistically all comparisons are debateable. And in terms of much Lore I (personally) feel that Morrowind's Art is superior.

You can access linked sites like the Imperial Library from the Mainpage - they have taken the Lore from the game and codified it. You may copy the words (as they are the same words from in-game books for which we have permission) but not their unique graphic presentation - as that is the result of hard work by other folks like us (though you can always ask permission).

There is the Net - surf for pics of RL stuff - a classical artist would have to go see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but you can log onto google or whatever, and bung in a search for your subject.

There is real life - go into your garden and take inspiration from Mother Nature - she is very generous and creative also she does not copywrite her works... :yes:

If you are
unsure about something totally new?
don't have all the info you would need?

make 10 different quick 30 second sketches, post them in Visual Dev if that is what they are intended for, or Lit Dev if you want them to go into a book, or both to max feedback, and we'll all then discuss which one works best, and how and why.

Then go back to the drawing board and make another 3, 4, or 5 drawings with a bit more 'feel'. Give folks and yourself some flexibility and choice, but if you have a favorite then put in a bit more time on that before you present the second batch. That is what sketch books are for.

When you have zeroed in on whatever works from the most points of view, then do a serious drawing of that - and if your personal favorite is a different version do a serious drawing of that too for the gallery, so everyone can enjoy it! :yes: now you're rocking :bananarock:

Above all be adaptable and flexible. Fine Art is about your search for your and other people's truths and their presentation in visual form, and when it comes from the heart you never know what may happen. Follow your instincts.

For the mod what you do will have to make sense in terms of the game - hence research -

Hint - if your art is absolutly superb, but innacurate in terms of Lore, it could still get into the mod as the artwork of a Tamriellian Artist who did not research, but just drew or painted from the imagination... :bananarock: For example there might be Tamriellian Artists who are naive, use too much skooma, etc... or just plain insane - hmmm, skooma and plain insane, what's the difference? hrug:

For the gallery here you can do anything you want - labelled appropriately - we love art! Yours included, maybe because we all have beautiful souls? (well, all except mine, 'cos I is 'orrible an proud of it)

Happy dreams and artisting :]