HOW TO CREATE 2D GAME ART: THE PROCESS FOR AN EFFECTIVE ART PIPELINE
Art is an integral part of games. Unfortunately, it is also an often overlooked aspect. Even when art does receive praise, it is mainly for the graphical fidelity and realism.
Because of the importance, one should perfect the game art pipeline. Developers and game art outsourcing companies must follow a tailored process to create the best quality output.
So, to help people do this, below, we list the basics at the root of all 2D game art development. With this in mind, one can create a pipeline of their own:
Brainstorm and Plan
The art style affects how people perceive the game.
A dark monochromatic art style that shows the world without color, gives players the perception of a grim world and expects the game to be moody and dark. On the other hand, colorful and vibrant game worlds and characters give a sense of fun and laid-back adventure.
One must carefully analyze these aspects when creating the game art. The art that developers initially create must suit the theme and genre of the game. It is better to plan than be caught in the middle of art production heading in the wrong artistic direction.
This adherence to a plan does not mean that 2D game artists must follow conventional methods. On the contrary, one can intentionally break the expectations if done correctly. For that, most experts advise people to have practice, though.
Pick an Art Style that Suits the Theme
There are numerous art styles one can choose from in terms of 2D game art. Look at all these different styles and select the one that feels right for your game. The list is not exhaustive but just covers some of the most widely used game art styles:
● Pixel
The pixel art style is based on pixels and was borne out of an era when gaming systems had severe hardware limitations and could render minimal details. However, the stylistic uniqueness of this 2D style has led to a resurgence in the past few years. Particularly with games such as Terraria.
● Vector
Vector game art is based on polygons. It is renowned for the overall game art quality that the style makes it possible. It is also less performance intensive than a whole host of other game art styles.
● Hand-drawn
Hand-drawn is a loose term whose definition depends on the game art outsourcing studio responsible for it. Roughly speaking, this 2D game art style has many crucial elements manually drawn by hand or imitates the type of hand drawings.
● Flat art
Flat art is a simple and effective 2D art style. Most of the time, these lack extra shading or details that add depth and give the perception of a 3D space. It instead rigorously sticks to 2D aesthetics.
● Monochromatic
This art style sticks to a single color and is centered around it. Often, the color palette is mainly based on black, like in the game Limbo.
● Cutout
This is an imitation of paper cutouts. All the elements in the game are created around this unique visual game art style.
● Geometric
The geometric art style is centered around shapes and patterns. Different shapes are combined to form individual output with a vastly different aesthetic from all other art styles.
Assemble a team
Game art creation is an endeavor that involves the combination of skills of people from multiple disciplines. These people all inhabit different roles within the art production pipeline. These roles are dedicated to individual people in a big game art outsourcing studio. However, in small companies and personal projects, these can all be handled by a single person.
● Concept Artist
According to several industry experts, concept artists are the masterminds behind the art. This group of artists creates preliminary sketches that define the game’s look. Once the concept art is finalized, the entire art team follows it to produce their outputs.
● 2D Artist
2D artists create the sprites and environments in the game. The artists use dedicated tools to make each artwork according to the quality standard and the art style.
● Animator
Animators create the sprite and environment animations in the game. The movement of characters, such as walking and running styles, the movement of different environmental elements, etc., are all created by the group of animators.
● Effects Artist
Effects artists create different 2D visual effects such as explosions, smoke, gunfire, water ripples, etc. The results portray a sense of immersion, making players feel they are inside the game’s world.
Create the art output
The output that One can roughly differentiate the 2D game art production team creates into three different categories:
● Characters
Characters include the playable and NPC characters in the game. Based on the game, it can be either human or non-human characters (such as monsters, creatures, animals, etc.)
● Props
Props include the different objects within the game. This includes weapons, vehicles, special items, potions, etc., that players can and cannot interact with.
● Environment
In this context, environment means the setting of the game. The different environments include forests, mountain ranges, underwater, etc.
Conclusion
The proper 2D game art creation method in the initial stages is to get the basics right. Once the basics are nailed, one can then focus on learning advanced things and improve one’s skills later.
If one requires high-quality art production, hiring a top game art outsourcing studio is better. A leading art studio can create the game art based on the game’s requirements. The team will have experts from all domains of game art who collaborate to bring the game the artistic support it needs.
