How To Become A Video Game 2D Artist

2D artist – who is he and what does he do?

A 2D artist is a specialist who, using computer graphics, creates art, draws characters, objects, weapons, surroundings and other images. This is a creative profession that requires an art education, knowledge of software for creating illustrations and possession of special tools like a graphics tablet.

2D artists can work in advertising agencies, freelance to draw cartoons, comics, illustrations for books, collaborate with game development companies and studios to develop mobile applications.

Profession 2D artist: what knowledge and skills are needed

The work of a 2D artist is tied to knowledge of the academic foundations of drawing, painting and composition, the ability to work with light and shadow and choose colors correctly.

The artist from A to Z knows the anatomy of people and animals, knows how to depict them in motion and in different poses. A 2D artist can draw by hand and on a tablet, analyze other people’s work, develop visual perception and train creative thinking.

2D Artist must be able to draw in one or more of the following graphics programs: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, CorelDRAW.

Are you an employer and you need a 2D artist? You can easily hire a 2d artist who will do his job professionally and with high quality.

How to become a 2D artist and get into gamedev

In order to become a game artist, it is important to be able to and love to draw and also play a lot of games. Love – because drawing will become not just a part of your work, but will take all your working time (correspondence with colleagues, calls and ticking in the task manager do not count). And you need to play games not for fun, as an ordinary player, but above all as an artist: study every little thing drawn, analyze techniques and draw conclusions. Practicing drawing and continually learning new things is the best way to grow, not rust.

Portfolio of a 2D artist

Are you proud of your self-designed and drawn characters? – Show them, tell their story and legend about why they look the way they do. If your passion is concept art or locations, use a concrete example to showcase the path you’ve gone through creating the best of them – from reference and sketches to finished work.

A portfolio is the face of a 2D artist, so a selection of works, compiled hastily and without any logic, can impress only if some unique abilities and skills are traced in it. If you are not yet a reputable artist with a well-known name and hundreds of offers from top companies, make sure that your portfolio is of high quality.

Another tip – look at other people’s portfolios, do not hesitate to ask for feedback about your drawings on the forums where the pros communicate. As a rule, people who are passionate about creativity are happy to evaluate the work of others and directly say what can be improved.

Game Designer: Career Prospects

At the initial stage, having taken the junior position, it is important to establish yourself as a promising and enthusiastic employee. If you have the strength and opportunity, ask for additional tasks, participate in discussions, offer ideas and references.

In addition to the standard promotions to middle or senior, it is quite possible to become a department leader by demonstrating your organizational skills. Also, large companies practice internal translations – for example, from the location department to character or level artists. So, when you get bored in your usual position, you can discuss with the manager internal training and transfer to another department.

Pros and cons of working as a 2D Artist in game development

As with any profession, there are pros and cons.

Benefits:

  • the opportunity to do what you love and get paid for it;
  • creative team and communication with like-minded people;
  • career prospects and the demand for the profession;
  • salary, conditions and social benefits, which are unlikely for those who draw pictures and illustrations for books;
  • the opportunity to try yourself in different directions (locations, characters, illustrations, UI).

Flaws:

  • the need to adhere to the style of the project, forgetting about your own;
  • long sedentary work, constant strain on the eyes and hands, back problems;
  • a lot of edits and the stress of tough deadlines;
  • high threshold for entering the profession.

Creative realization and job satisfaction are definitely worth the investment and the need to put up with the downsides. The work of a 2D artist is not for everyone. To really achieve something here, you need to live by this and constantly learn something new. On Kevurugames you will find only professional 2D artists and developers.