All about

Art

Art defines the visual identity of a game, crafting everything from characters to environments, creating the aesthetic that shapes the player's experience and supports the game's narrative.

Artists need strong visual creativity, an understanding of design principles, and proficiency in tools like 3D modelling or illustration software. Art is vital from early concept development to the final game, establishing the look and feel of the entire experience. If you're passionate about creating stunning visuals, this role shapes the game's world.

This hub page features art job role descriptions, links to our learning content, and access to our online community, where you can continue your journey and connect with thousands of artists at various stages of their careers.

Check out this course:

Discover Advanced 3D Texturing and Sculpting Techniques with Del Walker

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January

Art

6-24 January

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What will my title be?

Art Roles

Art
Art Director
An Art Director defines and oversees the visual style of a game, ensuring that every element— from characters to environments—works together to create a cohesive and engaging experience.
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Art
Character Artist
A Character Artist creates the heroes, villains, and other characters that players will interact within a game. They make sure that each character looks distinctive, visually appealing, and fits the game’s style.
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Concept Artist
A Concept Artist is responsible for designing the initial look and feel of a game’s characters, environments, and other visual elements. Their sketches and illustrations help establish the artistic direction that will guide the rest of the development team.
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Creative Director
A Creative Director shapes the overall vision for a game, guiding its artistic, narrative, and design elements to create a cohesive and compelling experience for players.
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Environment Artist
An Environment Artist creates immersive worlds where players explore and interact, bringing landscapes, buildings, and other environmental elements to life.
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Lighting Artist
How does the colour of the mountains change as dawn approaches? How is torchlight reflected in the dragon’s eye? What’s the player’s visibility as the fog rolls in?
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Storyboard Artist
A Storyboard Artist is the key to plotting and embedding energy and emotions into a games’ narrative.
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Storyboard Assistant
A Storyboard Assistant helps create visual representations of game scenes and sequences, working closely with narrative designers, directors, and artists to bring the story to life.
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Technical Artist
A Technical Artist works as a link between the art and programming teams, ensuring that the game’s visual assets are optimised and function well within the game engine.
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UI Designer
A UI Designer (User Interface Designer) creates the visual interfaces that players interact with, such as menus, HUDs (heads-up displays), and buttons, ensuring that they are clear, intuitive, and visually appealing.
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VFX Artist
A VFX (Visual Effects) Artist creates dynamic and visually engaging effects in games, such as explosions, magic spells, weather effects, and other particle-based visual phenomena.
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Learning

Build your skills

Ben Matthews

Environment Artist

“The skills you need for this role are 3D modelling, texturing, a good artistic eye, art fundamentals (composition, colour theory, etc), teamwork, communication, a good work ethic and a general interest in video games.”

Learn about Art roles from Ben