Graphic design research 10: August 2010

Post 3:PENNY:Concept Art

A concept artist is someone who, with direction from the lead designers, creates characters, moods and worlds for computer games, animation, comic books and movies. Concept art, otherwise known as concept design or visual development is used as a blueprint by other artists to create 3D computer models and finished products. Traditionally, concept artists work with pens, pencils and paper. These days, artists are expected to have some knowledge of programs such as photoshop.

A concept artist must be able to work:

collaboratively
from a strict brief
to a time limit
in many different styles
with movement and accurate relevant physics involved (physics can be game specific)
creating storyboards
in both complex and simple styles
in a style which is easy to convert to 3D

A brief can be extremely lose

"Give me a tank. I want the tank to have a personality. Maybe give the tank a face or something."

or incredibly specific, with pages of information about the entire job, the company, the feel of the project and the look of every detail.

The image below is taken from the game StarCraft and is a typical example of a functional set, with buttons in the form of set components, which navigate to other screens or sets in the game. The red arrows indicate the functional buttons. When moused over they are highlighted. When clicked on, they 'zoom' in to 'look' at the relevant 'screen', a method of navigating to another page. A concept designer would be given a brief to create this scene including the design of the buttons and their 'close up' versions.

The design work would also include the characters and their movement, backgrounds, explosions, lighting and the more commonplace objects and buttons.
So basically , a concept artist is someone who has our job and the ability to draw really, really well.

For a great animation reel watch http://www.blur.com/movies/animation_reel.html
This company creates animation for movies and animated movies for computer games.

http://www.animationarena.com/concept-art.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_artist
http://www.wasker.com/
http://www.adambrockbank.com/
http://www.conceptart.org/?section=jobs
http://turtleart.net/artists.php
http://www.tegehel.org/
http://www.aaronstgoddard.com/design.php?s=3&id=45&x=p&p=10
http://www.eklettica.com/
http://www.gamecareerguide.com/features/413/game_art_and_animation_an_introduction.php
http://www.blur.com/#
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/jobs/video.html

A WINNING REBRAND

Melbourne company Make Believe was the principal communications agency dealing in strategy, branding, messaging, and online work for Adam Bandts winning campaign for the Greens in Melbourne. Together they did indeed, "Make History Melbourne" as Adam Bandt became the first Green to win a lower house seat in a general election. Make Believe also worked on the Australia wide Greens campaign.

Their principal aim was to show the Greens as a modern, progressive and accessible alternative to the increasingly homogenous political choices.

They began the task with research to identify the current audience perceptions of the Greens; especially among 'Green leaners' – those who would broadly be in support of the Greens, but may not be voting Green for any number of reasons.
They found that the primary barrier for this audience wasn't that they disagreed with the Greens policies or values – it was the misperception (conveniently reinforced by the other parties) that Greens voters "aren't people like me".
Make Believe assumed everyone knew about the Greens origins in protest and environmental politics, and strived to show people that they've become much, much more.
Their work for the Greens included Rebranding the party for the campaign with a new logo, making it feel more accessible.

Old Logo

New Logo

They also reeworked the website, greens.org.au, to tell the story of the Greens in a more compelling way, and invite people in to be part of it.

They developed all marketing and campaign collateral and Engaged in research and developed core messaging, providing advice and training on online/offline organising strategy to best build and engage the grassroots movement of Greens volunteers –esp. in Victoria and the Melbourne campaign.

They created more than 100 deliverables including national print and magazine advertising, an extensive outdoor billboard & poster campaign, social media, and television advertising etc

iphone cover.

According the "The Age" the effectiveness of the campaign had the Labour party worried.

"The Greens' branding of Mr Bandt seems to have already spooked Labor strategists. ''The advertisements Adam Bandt is distributing could be ads for condominiums and holiday packages. It is unbelievably wanky and showing all the signs of being successful,'' said one source."
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/wanted-highprofile-tanner-replacement-20100626-zb1l.html

Make Believe was founded last year by Lilian McCombs, Nick Moraitis and Jarra McGrath, who previously helped found campaigning organisation GetUp.
The agency’s clients are charities, non-profit organisations, and other social enterprises.

http://www.makebelieve.me/

DECALS

Decal....the word is short for decalcomania, from the decal craze of the late 1800s. The type of decals used in the past had to be dipped in water, applied to the surface and the backing slid off.

The modern decal is actually a transfer, just a sticker made from vinyl with an adhesive backing.

These stickers have been the vehicle for designs for decades, from hot rods, surfboards, to government cars and warning signs.

Rhema Graphics is a company that is situated at Currumbin, on the Gold Coast, and they supply surfboard manufacturers all over the world, with surfboard decals and tissues, car stickers, and dry transfer decals that are pressure sensitive for all watercraft.

Vinyl decals have made a notable impact upon graphics, that can be applied to walls, in a variety of styles.

These include abstract designs and whimsical figurative images, such as hares, in loud shirts, birds outside cages, typography, and even table lamps.

They have a wide choice of of images suitable for childrens rooms, such as animals, faeries, and even Mario Bros. Also available are wall decals in the form of fabric wall stickers made of adhesive textile, that can be removed, scrunched into balls, washed and re-applied to walls.

Decals come in different surfaces, such chalk board and white boards, thus adding a new dimension to their possible uses!

A company from the U.K., Hu2 design, have come up with yet a different take on their graphic images. These include a timeline of inventions, 20 cocktail recipes, a mouse hole with some laundry hanging out to dry, a range of back stories to the power point and light switch. In the lavatory, we can be greeted by someone in the cistern, and many reminders to wash our hands!