Forest Of Dean

I also visited a place called Forest Of Dean, near Gloucester. The Forest Of Dean holds many wonderful sculptures, created by many different people, scattered around the forest. I realized that this may well help me out with research on the environment in my game. I looked at sculptures like gigantic chairs and other strange and cool objects, that were scattered around the forest. Below are some images that i took of art that might inspire me to do what i will be doing where as surroundings in my game are concerned.

Style

The weekend involved looking into styles of what to include in the game i am to design. I am aiming to create a different style to my game, how everything looks i mean. The outlines for my characters in game could be sketchy or they could be smooth for example, and one of the things i always research when it comes to this is Graffiti. Around the text there are some images displayed of graffiti, pictures i took in Norwich of what i saw and liked. Theres something about graffiti that influences me in the majority of the work that i design, whether it be the styles, colours, or images used. No graffiti is the same, it can all be different in so many ways, some of which i prefer to others. The images shown, all of which hold street art that i do prefer. Maybe its a look that one can only create with a can of spray paint and no other technique to create the image.





I own several books on street art, one of which was done by ‘Banksy’, a well-known as well as being infamous Graffiti artist, who influences me a lot. He has ‘graffed’ over London and around the world, and all of his work has a meaning, there isn’t one piece that doesn’t discuss something about Politics, Poverty, and so on, which the images that he uses. My mother’s cousin works with Banksy, and now has the experince and the talent to sell his own work for thousands a piece.

Today i bought the Unreal Tournament package from GAME, which includes the game itself, a hard cover Unreal Tournament 3 Art Book, and a bonus disc containing The History of Unreal Tournament, Behind the Scenes of Unreal Tournament 3, and a 20+ hour Unreal Engine Toolkit of video tutorials. I'll be honest, the main reason i bought it was to learn all about 'Engine's' as i really have no idea what goes on in them. So i hope to learn the ins and outs of the Unreal Tournament Engine to help me understand (and i like Art books). Looks like i have a 20 hour lesson ahead of me, best get to it..........

Ok......................So The Game??

Somewhere out there in the vast nothingness of space.......Somewhere far away in space and time.....enough of the Pendulum lyrics. The game is about an army, a tribe, that you take control of, on many lands, a land a level. Oh that bass is good.......Anyway the aim of the game is to take over and conquer lands with your army of crazy little things, 'M'goos' (as seen below). You are against three other armies, who all have the same aim as you. Build up an army, build up a base, have a rest, and go and destroy everything you see that looks the slightest bit threatening. Each army is a different species, one of them 'The Boom Box Bandits' are full time hardcore ravers, who when not in a fight, rave......obviously. They are all born with a sound system in their bodies somewhere, which has a mind of its own and plays out high volume Drum & Bass, Trance, and Happy Hardcore. Another army are crazed worshiping zombie-like cannibals, and so on and so forth.
Oh yeah.....There are sixteen worlds, therefore sixteen levels, and therefore i decided to call the game 'Sixteen Suns'. Each world is different and nothing really alike the one we know so well today, some worlds may contain leaves the size of buildings in our world, another world might be like a big bottle of Jack Daniel's or something (but i doubt I'm gonna go ahead with that one). I've thought it all through as random as i can, and its worked quite well for me, weapons that talk to you when using them, everything that has a mind of its own, trees and rocks that run around before you hack them up for maybe wood?

I've just filled out a learning agreement, a calendar, and a page for my game treatment explaining all this again, so now is the time to rest and rock civilization......In with the drums and here we go.........

Designing the Characters

I find getting an idea easy, an idea is neither good nor bad where characters are concerned, so whatever ideas pop into my head are what i will sketch down. Then i will decide whether they have a future ahead of them all, or whether i am to scrap, for example, their look, style and so on.

Below are some examples of a few rough sketches i have worked on and decided to keep for longer, that may well turn out to be final ideas.

Comic Strip

There's a possibility that i may well create a comic strip for part of my game, a story to show and give more information on my game idea. And for this comic thought i have practiced a few styles that might fit perfectly on Photoshop. As you will see here, i have taken some of my already created images of some characters and played around with them using the Filter option in the program and distorting them. I think that a simple black & white option of colour in these pictures is ideal, and different.

Here be another image i souped up today of an in-game character of mine with his two pets......

More things I've been up to.....

But just as important as side stuff, i've also been concentrating hard on my Game Idea. Focusing on research for it and sketching out images of what my head holds for the game i am to design. Here you will see some images that i have drawn so far.

I have been looking at games such as Abe's Oddysee/Exodduss, Stranger, Pikmin, and many more as they are all influences for what i have created as of yet. I've been focusing on Characters and Environment for my idea, and putting them into Photoshop for a bit of further practice on making them look spectacular. This will also help me get more used to the program itself, as im not 100% with it yet. 

Things I've Been Up To....

As well as researching into my game idea for my set assignment, i have also been looking into relatives work and careers, including my mother's cousin 'Ben Flynn', better known as Ben Eine. He is quite famous for his Graffiti around the United Kingdom, Stockholm, and Paris. He works with one of the most famous street artists 'Banksy' and is now selling his work for thousands to admirers.

I have also studied on my uncle, who (with a few friends) owns the company Smoke&Mirrors. Smoke&Mirrors concentrates on providing world class visual effects and post-production services to an international clientele in advertising, broadcast, film and music video.

And last but not least i have looked into my friend's brother's game company called Game Frontier, which provides international support services for the Computer Gaming Industry. Working with Game Companies, Brands, Manufacturers, etc, that are interested in taking advantage of the Gaming and Entertainment Industry. 

On your marks. Get set. Go

Hello to all,

Im Joe, this is my first blog and im slowly getting used to it. I am currently studying Games Art and Design, and in the near future i will be updating and throwing my artwork onto this site, showing whatever skills i have and progression i shall hopefully be making. Work i will be putting on here will include progress of concept art, 2D and 3D development, my thoughts and practice, research and reference for my game idea......and more.

I shall keep the site posted with what steps i will be taking next as soon as i take them.