Reflections and Inspirations

Long have i been sitting at the same seat staring into a window of hope, waiting to become someone i know i can be...

For months now i have been trolling through the web to find the best of the best in terms of artists i would like to aspire to be better than. I have watched many a tutorial and seen many ways in which art can go to the next level. I find that i am in a trance waiting to become better but only to find that it just doesn't happen like that. I have to sit down and fight the barrier i have created in order to make art happen for me. The problem however, is that once i have seen something good too many times i cannot see improvement in my own work. I rate my work very low and am scared of producing more. I wonder if Picasso and Renoir ever had a similar thought as do many artists out there i'm sure. There comes a point in which change has to be made and i think i can finally say... i want that change. I want to play the game everyone plays. The game we have been playing since we were young. The game that decides who is better than the other.

I know it can sound pathetic or low, but to be honest...the reason i became good at art was purely due to the fact that i wanted to be better than my friends. Back in middle school i found i had some skill in art. It wasn't much but was something people noticed early on. As i entered year 7, i found that the friends i had around me also had a similar skill and from then on we always tried to better one another at art. Slowly and not realizing we actually became fairly good artists and enjoyed what we did. It all stopped during A levels when i moved sixth form and rarely saw my old friends. We ended up joining everyone else in deciding to change to pursue a career in a standard job.

This was where art was going to become a hobby that old people have to pass time. The kind of people you see at hobby craft or on a rolf harris documentry. It was until i regained my inspiration after re-thinking how i wanted to live life. I see life as a roller coaster of experiences, a chance to do the things you want to do and not what you have to do. Obviously, at times you do have to do the things you have to do, but this comes with the reward of being able to do the things you want to do.

Before my A levels i would never have thought of working within the games industry, i always thought i had to get a job doing something i didn't like. something that fit the norm. Coming from an Asian background, there are usually only a few routes to take, become a doctor, dentist, lawyer, pharmacist, work in IT or just get simple shop or desk job. Relatives and family friends still to this day cannot understand what is involved within the entertainment industry. It is now that i look back and see what i am aiming to get. I DO NOT WANT A JOB, something i do to pay the bills. I want a profession, something i can wake up to everyday and enjoy it, something that leaves me wondering what project to do next and not how much i earned for what i did.

I want to leave you with some of the inspiring artists i have found in both 2d and 3d that make me want to become better...

Timur Mutsaev is a concept artist. His work with weapons and characters is something to look at especially when it comes to presentational techniques.
http://www.timurmutsaev.com/

Alessando Baldaserroni is both a 2d and 3d artist and has worked on a few major titles such as xmen, mass effect 2, dante's inferno halo wars and a few more.
http://www.eklettica.com/Illustrations.html

Maciej Kuciara is a 2d artist working with digital paint and matte painting. his environments are a personal favorite of mine.
http://www.maciejkuciara.com/

Rafael Grassetti is a 3d artist who works for games, films, sculpts and toys. His digital and traditional sculpts are outstanding.
http://grassetti.wordpress.com/

Keep Posted for more artist links

The Run Down!!!

So....to begin, as of late i have been working on a group project for uni. It is a time on the course when all the previous learning is properly tested and the first time artists work together. The project in mind is to re-design a current university building into a survival horror based on resident evil.

My role within the group has been "The Unreal Guy". The job...basically making the shell of the level and importing all the assets, textures and lighting. In layman's terms, putting everything together. Being the first time we get to use unreal, i was eager to get my hands on it, to learn all that i can. It has been a struggle every now and then but has always left me with joy of success in the end. Since the start of the project i have been filled with ideas (most of which are crazy) in how to make the most of the engine and task in hand. I have enjoyed the constant drive i get to ensure that the project runs smooth and looks good. Unreal has allowed me to consider the direction i could go in, in terms of jobs within the industry. Setting up levels has been something i have enjoyed a lot and found to be right up my street.

i am now looking forward to my third year and the ideas for my FMP. I have so many thoughts i hope not to get too carried away by.