Peter Fries, a former environment artist for Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, writes on the ArenaNet blog to discuss the process that environment artists go through to create the rich and detailed end product that we gamers get to experience.
Environment artists go through the additive process of starting with just the basic geography of a map, and then gradually building it. Basic outlines and ideas are added to the landscape and over time are built up to reflect the character of the area, intertwine with surrounding regions and enhance the player’s experience. Depth and detail are built into the environment as artists sort through textures and sift through libraries of props to add to the terrain.
The demands on an environment artist are extensive as it is their job to give life to the ambitious and detailed, yet beautifully executed, concept art. The story of the lore must be felt as players traverse the landscape; providing that sense of place and belonging is also the job of an environment artist. Creating the right feel for the environment is an iterative task and many times revisions must be made to get it just right.
(comment)
