Background Art

Background art is used to set the idea of the theme or location of the game which sets the environment for the game. For example if you were in a city the background would have tall buildings, streets, cars and people walking in the background. So the background artist would be building a playground for the character.

Background artists or modellers help create video game settings not just decorating a games walls but to make the playground for the game. They begin by sketching the background suggestions for the design document then they draft it more accurately on graph paper with proportion. The scale of the playground has to be accurate or the structure size will be too big or too small for the character. Once the demand has been satisfied the artists will mould the environment using the computer as a virtual movie set create the environment shape by shape.

For an example: the artist is creating a laboratory he might use rectangles to create the walls, ceiling, doors and the floor. Then create shapes to fill in the room such as counters, stools, sinks and large machinery. Finally create images for the player to interact with such as test tubes, calculators, fire extinguishers and experimental laser guns.

Then the artists will add light shadow so that the room will cast a spotlight of brightness and shadow over environment.

There is a background artist called Michael Kirkbride who works for Bethesda Softworks says he have to draw and construct the environment to the designers team specifications for the level designs that will fit the game.

www.incredibleart.org/jobs/video.html

Image of Michael Kirkbride from http://www.uesp.net/wiki/General:Michael_Kirkbride