This book explains the fundamentals of being a talented games Environment Artist by outlining the key considerations that most Environment Artists tend to forget. Focusing on the use of Substance Designer to create rich, colourful and realistic environments, the book shows how to improve storytelling and how to think outside the box. Following a step-by-step process to create realistic, state-of-the-art materials that help bring game narratives and worlds to life, this book provides a new perspective on Environment Art by covering the latest, most creative industry techniques using Substance Designer. This book should appeal to new and aspiring games Environment Artists, as well as those looking to increase their knowledge of Substance Designer. The final stages of this book give a sneak peek into creating foliage in the game industry. Henry Kelly is the Lead Artist at REWIND, a VR and AR studio with the vision of a better future for VR and AR.

This book explains the fundamentals of being a talented games Environment Artist by outlining the key considerations that most Environment Artists tend to forget. Focusing on the use of Substance Designer to create rich, colourful and realistic environments, the book shows how to improve storytelling and how to think outside the box. Following a step-by-step process to create realistic, state-of-the-art materials that help bring game narratives and worlds to life, this book provides a new perspective on Environment Art by covering the latest, most creative industry techniques using Substance Designer. This book should appeal to new and aspiring games Environment Artists, as well as those looking to increase their knowledge of Substance Designer. The final stages of this book give a sneak peek into creating foliage in the game industry. Henry Kelly is the Lead Artist at REWIND, a VR and AR studio with the vision of a better future for VR and AR.

From a steamy jungle to a modern city, or even a sci-fi space station, 3D Game Environments is the ultimate resource to help you create AAA quality art for a variety of game worlds. Primarily using Photoshop and 3ds Max, students will learn to create realistic textures from photo source and a variety of techniques to portray dynamic and believable game worlds. With detailed tutorials on creating 3D models, applying 2D art to 3D models, and clear concise advice on issues of efficiency and optimization for a 3D game engine, Luke Ahearn gives you everything students need to make their own realistic game environments. Key Features The entire game world development process; from planning to 3D modeling, UV layout, and creating textures. Exercises and projects to practice with; each section includes projects to guide you through creating different world genres. The updated companion website—www.lukeahearn.com/textures/ now includes video tutorials in addition to updated sample textures, shaders, materials, actions, brushes, program demos, plug-ins and all art from the book—all the tools you need in one place.

A potent new book examines the overlap between our ecological crisis and video games Video games may be fun and immersive diversions from daily life, but can they go beyond the realm of entertainment to do something serious—like help us save the planet? As one of the signature issues of the twenty-first century, ecological deterioration is seemingly everywhere, but it is rarely considered via the realm of interactive digital play. In Playing Nature, Alenda Y. Chang offers groundbreaking methods for exploring this vital overlap. Arguing that games need to be understood as part of a cultural response to the growing ecological crisis, Playing Nature seeds conversations around key environmental science concepts and terms. Chang suggests several ways to rethink existing game taxonomies and theories of agency while revealing surprising fundamental similarities between game play and scientific work. Gracefully reconciling new media theory with environmental criticism, Playing Nature examines an exciting range of games and related art forms, including historical and contemporary analog and digital games, alternate- and augmented-reality games, museum exhibitions, film, and science fiction. Chang puts her surprising ideas into conversation with leading media studies and environmental humanities scholars like Alexander Galloway, Donna Haraway, and Ursula Heise, ultimately exploring manifold ecological futures—not all of them dystopian.

The game industry continues to grow and evolve as the years pass. Despite this growth, the competition in obtaining a career in video games remains as arduous as ever. Becoming a Video Game Artist helps guide readers from their first steps of making a portfolio, to acing the job interview and beyond. John Pearl explores the different art related jobs and their responsibilities. Questions are posed to industry professionals throughout each chapter to help with the reader’s growth and understanding. Becoming a Video Game Artist is the ultimate roadmap in navigating a career in video games by teaching how to make your portfolio shine, what expect once hired, and how to make the best decisions to help flourish your talents and cultivate an exciting career.

Become a Player in the Business of Video Game Art Every year video games generate billions of dollars and some of the most dynamic and engaging artwork today. It’s an ever-growing field that holds great professional opportunity, but you need the right skills and savvy if you want to stake your claim. In How to Become a Video Game Artist, veteran video game designer Sam R. Kennedy provides the inside track on everything you need to forge a career in the world of video game art. Starting with the basics of game creation and a look at the artistic skills necessary to get started, Kennedy spotlights specific, key roles for creators—from concept artists to character animators to marketing artists and beyond. Each chapter features screenshots from popular video games like Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon and World of Warcraft; interviews with video game art professionals who’ve worked for top gaming companies like BioWare, Blizzard, and Ubisoft; step-by-step examples of actual game art; and detailed breakdowns of the training and portfolio samples you’ll need to make these jobs your own. For anyone who wants to go from gamer to game designer, this book contains all the secrets you’ll need to rise to the top of one of the most exciting industries of our time.

This is a comprehensive book that gives aspiring artists an honest, informative, and concise look at what it takes to become a concept artist in the video game industry. Author Eliott Lilly uses his own student work as a teaching tool along with personal experiences to help you on your journey. From finding the right school and getting the most out of your education, to preparing your portfolio and landing your first job, the advice and strategies Eliott offers are organized for easy reference and review. The book also features an extensive list of resources that students will find useful, as well as interviews with renowned concept artists David Levy, Sparth, Stephan Martiniere, Ben Mauro, and Farzad Varahramyan, all offering their own invaluable advice.