Copyright©2012byChrisSolarski

Allrightsreserved.

PublishedintheUnitedStatesbyWatsonGuptillPublications,animprintoftheCrownPublishingGroup,adivisionofRandomHouse,Inc.,NewYork.

www.crownpublishing.comwww.watsonguptill.com

WATSONGUPTILLisaregisteredtrademarkandtheWGandHorsedesignsaretrademarksofRandomHouse,Inc.

ArtworkbyChrisSolarski,exceptasotherwisenotedthroughoutandbelow:

ImagesfromGearsofWar®col.1,3.1,4.1,5.1,7.1,and7.2©Copyright2006EpicGames,Inc.usedwithpermissionfromEpicGames,Inc.Unreal,UnrealEngine,GearsofWarandEpicGamesaretrademarksorregisteredtrademarksofEpicGames,Inc.,intheUnitedStatesofAmericaandelsewhere.Allrightsreserved.

Flowerartworks5.2©2008SonyComputerEntertainmentAmericaLLC.FlowerisaregisteredtrademarkofSonyComputerEntertainmentLLC.Developedbythatgamecompany.

Journeyartworks2.1,5.3,5.4,5.5,5.6,5.7,7.2,7.3,7.4,and8.1©2011SonyComputerEntertainmentAmericaLLC.JourneyisaregisteredtrademarkofSonyComputerEntertainmentLLC.Developedbythatgamecompany.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData

Solarski,Chris.Drawingbasicsandvideogameart:classictocutting-edgearttechniquesforwinningvideogamedesign/ByChrisSolarski.1.Computergames—Design.2.Videogames—Design.3.Art—Technique.I.Title.QA76.76.C672S652012794.8’1536—dc232011046341

eISBN:978-0-82309848-4

CoverdesignbyKarlaBaker

Coverart:Front(clockwise,lefttoright):Self-Portrait,FrowningbyRembrandtvanRijn;anatomicalstudiesofthelegbyPeterPaulRubens;NewSuperMarioBros.;Assassin’sCreed.Back(clockwise,lefttoright):GearsofWar;LittleBigPlanet;Journey.Spine:Mario.

HALF-TITLEPAGEJourney

TITLEPAGEDetailofTheBirthofVenusbySandroBotticelli,SkeletonwithMusclesbyBernhardSiegfredAlbinus,PrinceofPersia

v3.1

RAGE

I dedicate this book to Didi Meier, who courageouslyenduredmyabsencewhileIwaswriting.“Thank you for your love and support, Didi—most of thetime.;)”

I would like to sincerely thank the following people for theirsupport in making this book possible: my family and friends;Victoria Craven, Editorial Director atWatson-Guptill, who hadthevisiontoseeabookwhenshereadmyGamasutraarticle;myeditor,MarthaMoran,whosepatientguidanceanddiligencewas instrumental in bringing everything together; Ben Fisher,fordedicatingprecioustimetoreviewingtheanatomysectionsof this book and for his invaluable insights; Tristan Donovan,Alex Learmont, Dr. Bob Sumner, Andi Brandenberger, AlexPonsCarden-Jones,MichaelLew,andPascalMuellerfortheirfeedbackandassistance;mymost influential teachers,whosewealthofknowledgeismuchapartofthisbook:BrendanKelly,MichaelMentler, andZofiaGlazer; atGbanga:MatthiasSala,cofounderandCEO,andWernerSala,cofounderandCFO,fortheir limitless generosity and kindness and for givingme timeaway from my duties at Gbanga when I most needed it;ChristineMattheyandSylvainGardelfortheirongoingsupportthrough www.GameCulture.ch and the Swiss Arts Council;ChristianNutt,featureseditoratGamasutra,whopublishedtheonline article that was the original inspiration for this book;SpringGombe for kindly hosting discussions at Up theRock:SalonderKünsteand thosewhoattended togive theircrucialinput,includingEugeniyaKareva,MarcBodmer,SergePinkus,andUlrichGötz;JaninaWoodsandKasparManzforbeingoncalltosharetheirextensiveknowledgeofvideogames.This book could not have happened if it wasn’t for the

following people who kindly helped source the outstandingartworkfeaturedthroughout(andequallytheimagesthatdidn’t

makeitin)despitetheirhecticschedules:CraigAdamsandJoriBaldwin at Superbrothers; Emily Britt at 2K Games; JonnieBryantatBlizzardEntertainment;MyrnaAndersonatAtari,Inc.;SamWoodwardand the teamat IrrationalGames;RuthKelly,EmmaTietjens,andMichaelEvansatSCEE;BrianDunnandClaudineRican atSCEA; JenovaChen at thatgamecompany;ArntJensenatPlaydead;CathyCampos,EmrahElmasli,MikeMcCarthy,andTakSaitoatLionheadStudios;SimonFlesseratSimogo; Moby Francke at Valve Corporation; Janna Smith atNamco Bandai Games; Mark Healey, Alice Liang, and LuciBlack atMediaMolecule; Chris Boba at Corel andAlexanderHopstein at Adobe for giving me support with their fantasticgraphicssoftware.

(photocreditcol.1)

GearsofWar2

CoverTitlePageCopyrightDedicationAcknowledgments

FOREWORDbyTristanDonovanPREFACEINTRODUCTION

LEVEL01/FUNDAMENTALSMaterialsBasicPencilTechniquesBasicPerspectiveBasicVolumesBasicLightingandValues

VisualMeasuringToolsDrawingProcess

LEVEL02/ADVANCEDDRAWINGCONCEPTSAdvancedPerspectiveandVolumesAdvancedLightingandValuesAtmosphericPerspectiveLandscapeDrawing

LEVEL03/THEHUMANFIGUREGravityandMovementProportionsSkeletalLandmarks

LEVEL04/ANATOMYSixStagesforRenderingAnatomyTheFootTheLegThePelvisTheSpineandRibcageTheShoulderGirdleTheArmTheHandTheHeadandNeckFacialExpressions

LEVEL05/ELEMENTSOFDESIGNFrameCameraAngleScaleGroupingLightingLineShapes

SubvertingConventions

LEVEL06/CHARACTERDESIGNGoodStudioPracticeBrainstormingandCharacterConceptVisualMetaphorsMind-Map,Research,andMoodBoardThumbnailDevelopmentFinalCharacterDrawingandModelSheet

LEVEL07/ENVIRONMENTDESIGNCharacter/EnvironmentShapesBuildingConstructionCharacter-CentricEnvironmentDesignTop-DownEnvironmentDesignGameplayMap

LEVEL08/COLORANDDIGITALTOOLSColorAddingColorwithDigitalTools

PROFESSIONALPORTFOLIOANDGETTINGWORKBIBLIOGRAPHYINDEXAbouttheAuthor

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (Artwork courtesy of BlizzardEntertainment)

FOREWORD

Weoftentreatgamesasif theyexist inabubble.Playersandnonplayers alike talk as if they are separate, somehowdislocated,fromtherestofsocietyandculture.Yetgamesarevery much shaped by the wider world and visual vocabularyhonedovercenturiesbyartistspastandpresent.Buttoooftengamedevelopersdon’tknoworfailtodrawon

thistreasurechestofartisticknow-how.Sincetheearliestdaysof video games they have repeatedly defaulted to theconservative visual tropes of Tolkienesque fantasy, BladeRunner sci-fi, and Japanese manga and anime without anyvision for how to reinvigorate them. At other times they arelured by the Siren call of realism, mistaking an extra millionpolygons’ worth of detail for an artistic leap forwardwhen it’sjust another layer of information for player brains to filterthrough.

Game art doesn’t have to be this unimaginative, as ChrisSolarski expertly demonstrates within this book. He explainsclearlyandaccessiblyhowart’s richpastoffersgamemakersanarsenalofvisual techniques thatcanheighten, reinvent,orshape the player experience in emotional as well as visualterms.WelearnhowRAGEfollowsinMichelangelo’sfootsteps,how Team Fortress 2 echoes Tintoretto, and how an artist’sunderstanding of shapes can explain the importance ofroundnessinMario’sappeal.This isn’t an academic art history polemic, though. It’s an

immenselypracticalbookthatseekstoequipgamedeveloperswithtoolstheycanuse intheirdailywork. Itexplains, fromanoften-neglected visual viewpoint, why some of gaming’smosticonic characters and environments are so memorable andenduring.Even for a non-game-developer such as myself, Solarski’s

book isan indispensableguideto thevisual lexiconofartandinteractiveentertainmentthatshinesaclear,bright,illuminatinglightonwhy thevisualsof somegames “work”andothersdonot.Tristan Donovan, author of Replay: The History of Video

Gameswww.tristandonovan.com

ICAMETOTHEVIDEOGAMEINDUSTRYwithafoundationindigitalart. After graduating with a degree in computer animation I waslucky enough to secure work at Sony Computer Entertainment’sLondonStudioasa3Denvironmentandcharacterartist.

ItwasatanartworkshoporganizedbyConceptArt.org(aforumthat promotes, develops, and showcases concept art forillustration, film,andgameproduction),when Isawartists likeAndrewJonesdemonstratetheamazingabilitytocreatelifelikecharacters straight from their imaginations, that I began toquestionmylackoftraditionalarttraining.Isawthatitwastheirmastery of classical art principles that placed them in theenviable position of being first to visualize characters andenvironmentsinthedevelopmentprocess,forwhichartistslikeme would produce 3D models and textures based on theirdesigns. I had a lot of catching up to do if I wanted to beinvolvedinthehighestlevelsofgamedesign.I took part-time painting lessons from the award-winning

painterBrendanKellywhile continuing towork in video gamedevelopment. Brendan taught me about the discipline anddedicationtoclassicalarttrainingthat isrequiredtobecomeasuccessfulartistinanyfield.Armed with a solid foundation in classical painting, I

abandonedvideogamedevelopmentaltogetherandspent thenext two years on an intense programof self-guided study inPoland, where I attended daily life-drawing sessions at theWarsawAcademyofFineArtandtheatelierofprofessorZofiaGlazer, simultaneously sharing my experiences and learningfromtheonline figurativedrawingcommunityat theSocietyof

Figurative Arts (www.tsofa.com), created by the artist andteacherMichaelMentler.During these twoyears Idevelopedadeepappreciation for

thevalueofaclassicalarteducationandthetechniquesoftheOldMasters. I realized that themajorityof videogameartists(meincluded)significantlyundervaluetheseskills.In 2008 Iwasback in gamedevelopment as art director at

Gbanga (developer of the pioneering location-based gamingplatformformobilephones)andcontinuedtoworkonfigurativedrawingandpainting.Switzerland’sArtsCouncil,ProHelvetia,invitedmetogivea

talk about the connection between classical art and videogames at the first Game Culture conference. It was whilepreparingforthislecturethatIreallysawtheconnectionsthatIhad previously taken for granted between the two disciplines.Videogamesareanaturalprogressionofclassicalart,andthesame visual grammar and artistic techniques and principlesunderpin both disciplines. I realized that applying classical arttechniques to video game art would enable artists to createmore meaningful visual and emotional experiences for thevideogameplayer.This book is the culminationof theuniqueexperiencesand

insights I accumulated over the past ten years that haveenriched my video game art and enhanced my career. Noteveryone is inaposition to takeacoupleofyearsaway fromworktostudyatanartinstitute.I’vedesignedthelessonsinthisbook tobeyourownpersonalartschool,andmyhope is thatthis knowledge and experience will take your art to new andhigherlevels.

CHRISSOLARSKI

INTRODUCTION:

VIDEO GAMES ARE NOT A REVOLUTION in art history, but anevolution. Whether you are drawing on paper, canvas, or acomputer screen, the medium on which you draw is always aninanimate, flat surface that challenges you to make somethingwithoutdepthfeellikeawindowontoaliving,breathingworld.

Thetechnologypoweringtoday’sgamesinfluencesthewayweexperiencevisualart inanewway—with thegentlepushofaplayer’s thumbwe can now interact with these visual worlds.But take away that interaction andwhat remains is the staticvisualartwork itself.And thesuccessof thatartwork reliesonthesamevisualgrammar(lines,shapes,volumes,value,color)and classical art techniques that have evolved over twothousandyears.The focusof thisbook ishow farwecanpush theworldof

game art in purely visual terms without relying on thetechnologyofinteraction,thatis,onsound,specialeffects,andanimation.Bygoingbacktosquareoneandstudyingthebasicelements and significance of visual grammar and technique,youwilldiscoverhowvisualgrammarcanbeartisticallyshapedto create a range of emotional experiences using classicaltheory of depth, composition, gravity, movement, and artisticanatomy.(That’swhydistinguishedvideogameslikeBioShock,Journey, ICO,andPortal2are featuredalongside theworkofOldMasters such asMichelangelo, Tintoretto, andRubens inall the drawing exercises throughout the book.) Later in thebook these essential skills are applied to game art creation,

providing you with reliable processes for creativity andimagination, character development, environment design, andcolor. I’ll also show you how to put together a professionalportfoliotohelpyousecureworkingamedevelopment.

Viewed from an angle, the similarities between drawing, painting, andgameimagerybecomemoreapparent,astheillusionoflifeanddepthineachartworkiscreatedonatwo-dimensional,staticsurface.Withoutthebenefitsofdigitalanimationand interaction, thechallengeofcreatingawindowintoamake-believeworldisthesameforvideogameartistsasit

wasfortheOldMasters.

Study of the Laocoön Group (1601) by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)The Laocoön Group sculpture was created sometime around 25 BC,more than sixteen hundred years before Rubens made this study.Rubens and other master artists like Michelangelo and Tintorettocontinued to make studies of ancient Greco-Roman sculpturesthroughouttheircareers.Thereareasignificantnumberoftechniquestomasterinthis

book. Although each is fairly simple, the drawing processbecomes significantly more difficult when managing severaltechniques simultaneously while rendering complex subjects,

suchashumanfigures.Disciplinethroughrepeatedpracticeisrequired to maintain a clear and structured process whendrawing.Ideally, you should practice drawing every day. One of the

bestwaystopracticeistocopyartworksofartistsyouadmire.Copying art allows you to absorb the artist’s ideas andexperience his or her process and then apply it to your ownwork.TheOldMastersthemselvesusedthistechnique,refiningandperfectingtheirskillsbyendlesslycopyingartworkslikethestatues of theGreeks andRomans. The lessons in this bookare based on this copying concept, and each of the classicaland game artworks is a drawing lesson. (The textaccompanying the art explains the visual grammar andtechniquesinthework.)Keepasketchbookandpencilathandas youwork through this book,makingaquick studyof eachartworkasyouread through thechapters.Thestraightforwardquality of the drawingmediumwill allow you to easily identifyskills that need improving andwill help you develop a higherlevelofdexterityandunderstandingofartisticprincipleswhencreatingartworkforvideogames.Classicalartistsmadetheirstudiesandpreparatorydrawings

deliberatelysmall,asasmalldrawingiseasiertomanageandquicker tocomplete.Theart in thisbook ispurposelysized tomakeiteasytocopyinyoursketchbookwithouthavingtoscaleitdowntofitthepage.Whetheryou’reastudentlookingforacareerinvideogame

developmentoranindustryveteran,thisbookwillgiveyouthetoolstobecreativeondemandandtodesignvideogameswithabroaderrangeofemotionalexperiencesthataffectplayersinnewandmeaningfulways.Let’sgettowork!

GroupofFiguresbyLucaCambiaso(1527–1585)ThepreparatorysketchesofLucaCambiasoareexplicitexamplesoftheconceptual process that classical artists practiced to simplify complexforms. They distilled objects to basic geometric volumes, which gavethem theability to create convincing figures from their imaginations, asyoucanseeinthisCambiasosketch.Thisprocessofvisualizingcomplexforms as basic volumes allowed the Old Masters to freely designcompositions andwork out complex problems of depth, light, anatomy,proportions,and the illusionofmovement.Untildetailswereadded, the

themeandidentitiesoftheirfigurescouldgoinanynumberofdirections.

Typical3Dcharacterbasemesh,byAndiBrandenbergerTheclassicalpreparatorystageismirroredingamedevelopment,whereevery3Dmodel startsoff asanondescriptbasemesh. The forms andproportions of the basemesh are shaped to the general design of thefinal characterbeforesubsequent stagesof refinementareundertaken.Unlike traditional mediums, the computer automates many of thetechnicalchallengesofcalculatingperspectiveandlight.

VenusandAdonis(1565–69)byLucaCambiaso

Luca Cambiaso would have likely created his preparatory compositionsketches from imaginationbut reliedonmodels forstudyingdetailsandfor the final stages of painting. Any details he introduced would thenoverlay the composition and conceptual volumes established in theearlierpreparatorystages.

Howdowegoaboutcreatingcomplexemotions forourcharactersandgame designs? And what exactly is visual grammar? The answer issurprisingly simple: lines, shapes, volumes, value, and color. Eachelement is deceptively simple but it’s how we manipulate, stretch,combine,contrast,subvert,andanimatetheseelementsthatcreatesaninfinite number of expressive possibilities. You’ll develop anunderstanding for thesignificanceofeachelement through thepracticeofdrawing.

ThePrinceandElikainUbisoft’sPrinceofPersia(2008)Afterthebroaderformsofthebasemeshareestablished,artistscangoabout adding details such as facial features, textures, and animationbased on previsualization and research relating to the game’s overalltheme.

Thesurprisingthingwe’lldiscoverthroughout thisbook is that it’s thepreparatory base mesh stage, not the details, which is primarilyresponsible for the viewer-player’s emotional experience. Details aremerelythefine-tuningofabroaderconcept.

TeamFortress2(ArtworkcourtesyofValueCorporation)

THE FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES we’ll cover in this level—learning to use drawing media and tools; basic concepts likeperspective,volume,light,shadow;andthebasicdrawingprocess—provide the foundation for all subsequent lessons in this book.Thefundamentaltechniques—alongwithLevels2and3—representthebasemeshstage.Practicethemuntilyouhavesomeproficiencybefore moving on to subsequent chapters where increasinglycomplexsubjectswillbesimplifiedusingthetechniqueslearnedinthislevel.

Thebesttoolsforpracticingclassicalarttechniquesarepencilon paper because these straightforward media allow you toreally focus on the fundamentals of the drawing process:position,direction,andpressure.You’llneedjustafewsuppliesforallthedrawingexercisesin

the book—pencils, erasers, a ruler, and paper. (For researchand development, which we’ll cover in Level 6, you will alsoneedacomputerwithInternetaccessandascanner.)

Puttyeraser (top),3Bpencil,pencil sharpener,plasticeraser (left),andruler. I recommend grade 3B graphite pencils because they are soft

enough thata “black”value is relativelyeasy toachievebutnotsosoftthatyouhavetosharpenthemeveryfewminutes.

Sketchbookstudiesby (clockwise fromtop)AlbrechtDürer (1471–1528),RembrandtvanRijn(1606–1669),JohnSingerSargent(1856–1925),EugèneDelacroix(1798–1863)Mostartistsfindinspirationandideaswhenthey’reawayfromtheirstudioordrawingspace,soit’susefultohaveaportablesketchbookonhandatall times as a visual diary for daily experiences and ideas. The aboveexamples fromMasterartists’sketchbooks illustrate thesemyriaduses,ranging fromDürer’s proportion studies to Sargent’s gesture drawings.Themoments justbeforegoing tosleepandwhenwakingupareoftenthemostcreative,sobereadytocapturethosethoughtsonpaperbeforeyou forget them. Sketchbook paper should be acid-free, for archivalpurposes,andaround80lb(170gm).

Even ifyou’reanexperiencedartist it’sworthworking throughthesefundamentals,whichwillimproveprocessesthatyoumayotherwisetakeforgranted—likehowyouholdadrawingpencil.Mostofus instinctivelyassumethesamegripfordrawingthatwe usewhenwriting; fingers and thumb near the tipwith theheel of the hand resting on the paper for stability. But, unlikewriting letters, drawing requires sensitivity and freedom ofmovement, which necessitates a different style of grip andmotion. Your eraser is your pencil’s companion, and using itwithskillentailsalotofpracticeandexperimentation.Herearesomebasicpencil,eraser,andshadingexercisesthatwillhelpyoudevelopandperfectyourskills.

Herearethetwomostcommonwaystoholdadrawingpencil.Withgrip(A)thepencilisheldfromabovewiththeforefingerpressingdownonthepencilshaft.Thisgrip isgreatforgeneraldrawingpurposesasitallowsfreemovement topull or swipe thepencil inalmostanydirection.Varythe line quality between sharp and soft by changing the angle of yourwristinrelationtothedirectionofmovement.Grip(B)isusefulforlightanddelicatelineslikeperspectiveguidelines.

Thegripfor(B)isfurtheruptheshaft,sothere’slesspressureplacedonthetip.Bothgripspreventtheheelofyourhandfromrestingonthepaper(as

whenwriting),makingyoudrawfromtheshoulderandenablingawiderpivotsoyoucancreatelonger,flowinglines.Whichgripyouuseandhowhighor lowyouhold thepencilwillvary

constantlyaccordingtothequalityoflineyoudesire.

Try thevariousgripswitha seriesofmark-makingexercisesasshownhere.Drawwiththepenciltipforthinlines(A)andusethesideofthetipforwiderlines(B);ortryswitchingbetweenthetwoalongthelengthofaline(C).Alsohaveagoatdrawing longstraight linesacross theentirepapersurface(D).Takeatleastoneopportunitytoseehowhardyoucanpressbeforethepencil’stipbreaksoff.It’simportanttokeepthepencilsharpatalltimes.Aneattricktoavoid

constantsharpeningistorotatethepencilalongitslengthasyoudraw.

Foreshortening is the optical illusion linked to perspective that makesdistant objects look smaller in relation to closer objects. It is a usefulvisualtooltocreatetheillusionofdepth,butifyouworktoolargeordrawon a surface not angled properly, your perspective may be distorted,causing you to unnecessarily exaggerate features to compensate forforeshortening.Toavoidthisproblem,alwaysdrawonasurfacetiltedata perpendicular (90-degree) angle to your line of view and keep yourdrawingssmall;6×8(14.8×21cm)issufficientforafull-figurestudy.

A fundamental exercisewith anyartisticmedium is creatingablack-to-white value scale as shown here. Youmay find it helps to change thepencil grip toachieve the full rangeof values:nearer the tip fordarkervalues,delicatelyshiftingthegripfurtherupforlightermarks.It’svitallyimportantthatyouachieveastrongblackatthedarkestend

ofthescaleasstrongdarkswillbeessentialtoachievingrealisticvaluecontrastsinyourdrawings.Ifyou’refindingitdifficulttogetthenecessarycontrast,youmightneedtotryadifferentbrandof3Bpencilorswitchtoasofter,grade4pencil.Moreoftenthannotit’sjustacaseofhavingtheconfidencetopushdownmorefirmlyonthepapersurface.

Agreat exercise toperfect yourpencil technique is topracticedrawingovals and squares, filling them in with an even value of shading. Thisexercise helps develop hand-eye coordination and control, which isessentialtogettingyourideasdownclearlyandquickly.Liftthepenciloffthepageattheendofeachpencilstroke,sothatyouhavemorecontrolovertheshapeanddirectionofeachline,givingyourshadingastronger,descriptivequality.Shadingwithazigzaggingmotionandscratchy lineswillmakeyourdrawingsundefinedandaccuracydifficulttoachieve.Thecontour line that formseachovalshouldoverlappreciselyat the

pointwhereitstarts.Ifyoufindthatthestartandendofeachlinearenotlinkingup,thenyou’relikelydrawingfromthewristandrestingtheheelofyourhandonthepaper,thusrestrictingyourfreedomofmovement.Youmayalsoneed tomakeswifter circularactions to create tighter circles.Trytokeepyourshadingwithintheboundsoftheoutercontourlines.

You’ll need both putty and plastic erasers because each has a uniquepurpose.Theplasticeraser is themost familiar tous,usedprimarily toremove largeamountsof shading to take thepaperback to itsoriginalwhite.Theputtyeraser(shownhere)ismorelikeadrawingtoolandisused

incombinationwiththepencil.Thinkoftheputtyeraserasyourwhiteandthe pencil as your black. It can be kneaded into different shapes toachieve different line qualities, and comes in handywhen you need todelicatelylightenareasofshadingorsoftenedges,eitherbydabbing(A)

or rubbing (B) the soft eraser gently across your drawing. Experimentwith different eraser shapes and techniques until you are as proficientwiththeeraserasyouarewithyourpencil.

TheSevenBasicPencilMarksorStrokes

Sevenbasicmarksorstrokesformthefundamentalsofdrawingand visual communication. You’ll learn that a single line, asingle stroke, can communicate any of them. These are theABCs of drawing: learn them well, as you’ll be using themrepeatedlyfortherestofyourartisticlife!

01LIGHT It’s possible to communicatewhether an object is in light orshadow, even before doing any shading, by changing the value of

contourlines.Varythepressureyouplaceonthepencilwhendescribing

forms tocreate lightanddarkcontour lines tosuggest thatasurface is

receivingmoreorlesslightthansurroundingforms.

02 DIRECTION The angle of a line relative to the frame cancommunicate the orientation of an object in space or the direction of

movement.Horizontalandverticallinessuggestastateofstaticbalance.

Diagonal lines create the illusion of suspended energy, as in a falling

objectfrozeninspace.

03DEPTH Lines that converge give the illusion of depth. Additionally,linesthatlighteninvalueastheyrecedegivetheillusionofatmospheric

perspective,whichisdiscussedinmoredetailonthispage.

04SCALEDrawinglinesofvariouslengthsandthicknesscommunicatesa relativescale.Thedistributionof lines, that is,howcloseor farapart

theyarefromoneanother,canalsocommunicatedepth.

05OVERLAP To create a strong sense of depth, it’s important to beaware of spatial relationships between forms. Drawing overlapping

foreground and background forms (even deliberately adding overlap

when none is visible on your subject) enhances the feeling of depth

becausethenearestformappearstoobscuretheformsituatedbehindit.

This technique is known as the “T” rule because of the T-like

intersectionswheretwocontourlinesmeet.

06FORM Varying the angle and curvature of hatch-lines describes anobject’ssurfaceshapeandorientation.

07MOVEMENT A system of opposing curves creates the illusion ofmovement, because it provides viewerswith a visual path alongwhich

their eye will travel. The mechanics of this illusion are described in

sequence (2), which starts with an upright, static line that appears totopple forward before flowing into a series of opposing curves. This

sequenceof lines can represent anentire figure inmotion.Additionally

thesystemofopposingcurvescanbe incorporated intoadrawingofa

static figureorobject togive itasenseofenergyand life,aswe’ll see

throughoutLevel4:Anatomy.

Perspective isourprimary tool forcreatingan illusionof threedimensions on a two-dimensional paper surface. This visualdevicemustbewellunderstoodasitnotonlyappliestodrawingbuildingsandlandscapesbutalsotofigures.Thefivestepsonthispagecoverthebasicsofcreatingboxformsin1-,2-,and3-pointperspective.Feelfreetousearulerforpreciselines.

NOTE ON TERMS:Volume describes the three-dimensionalspacethatanobjectoccupiesandformreferstoitsexternalshape. Therefore, a sphere can be described as both aspherical volume and a spherical form depending on thecontext.

1-,2-,AND3-POINTPERSPECTIVEThenumbers1,2,and3refertothenumberofvanishingpointsintheperspectivedrawing.Selectingwhichperspectivetousedependsontheanglefromwhichyouwanttodrawaparticularobject:1-pointperspectiveiftheobjectistobeviewedface-on;2-pointperspective if theobjectwill beviewed fromanangle,thatis,fromtheside;3-pointperspectiveforlookingupordownataverylargeobject.Becauseit’sraretohaveascenewhereobjectsareperfectly

aligned to thepictureplane,1-pointperspectivemostlyservesas a starting exercise. The predominance of vertical andhorizontal lineswith1-pointperspectivealsomakes thescene

appearstatic.The diagonal lines that go with 2-point perspective more

accuratelyrepresenthowwetendtoviewobjectsinreality.Thepredominance of diagonal lines gives the scene a dynamiceffect,whichservesmostgeneralpurposes.3-point perspective should only be used if you want to

communicateasenseofgreatscale,becauseeachadditionalvanishing point increases the complexity of the drawing.Drawing is difficult enough as it is, so keep things simplewheneverpossible.

TheFiveBasicStepsof1-,2-,and3-PointPerspective

01FRAMEGetintothehabitofdrawingaframebeforestartingeachdrawing.Theframe’ssizeandshapeisasimportantasallsubsequentstepsbecauseeverymarkyouputdownwillrelatetotheseinitialfourlines.

02 HORIZON LINE (HL) The horizon line represents theviewer’s eye level. The position of theHL changeswithin thepicture frame depending on the vantage point of the viewersand whether they’re looking down, along, or up toward anobject.

03VANISHINGPOINT(VP1,VP2,VP3)Avanishingpoint(VP)isapointonthehorizontowhichparallellinesconverge.Linesthat are parallel to the HL are an exception to this rule. Astraight set of railway tracks appears to converge at aVPontheHL,while the sleepers holding the tracks together remainparallel to it. The angle and position of the HL and VPsconstitutethefoundationofyourimaginedscene.Everyobjectyoucreatemustreferencetheseelementsifitistoconvincinglyexistwithinthesamespace.Artistsoftenlabeltheseelements“HL”and“VP,”andreinforcetheHLwithapermanentmarkertoensure they remain visible as subsequent pencil lines areadded.

04GUIDELINESGuidelinesemanate fromeachVP ina360-

degreeradiusandare theguidesalongwhichparallel linesofan object converge to the VP. When drawing freehand, it’seasiertodrawlong,straightlinesifeachpencilstrokeismadeaway from your body, so rotate your drawing paper as youwork.Drawguidelineslightly;they’reforreferenceonly.Ifdrawntoodark,lightenthemusingaputtyeraser.Eachlineshouldbeclearandprecise;poorlydefined linesmakeaccuracydifficult.Beforedrawingeachline,practicethemotionwithouttouchingthepaper,thendrawthelineconfidentlyandinasinglestroke.

05BOX CONSTRUCTION Box forms are a vital element ofeveryartist’srepertoire,asalmosteveryphysicalobjectcanbeconceptualized as a simple box form before complexity anddetails are overlaid. A box form consists of six flat surfaces,known as planes: front, top, bottom, two sides, and a backplane.Planesarenamedaccordingtowhichdirectiontheplaneisfacinginrelationtotheviewer.Forinstance,afrontplaneofthe box form is the one that faces toward the viewer,while aside plane is oriented at an angle. In reality the back-facingplane would not be visible. However, to develop a strongconceptual understanding of three-dimensional volumes, it’simportanttoconsiderallsixsurfaceswhendrawingaboxform.With1-pointperspectiveit’seasiesttoconstructtheboxform

bystartingwithitsfrontplane,thesurfacethatalsohappenstobe closest to you in this conceptual 3D scene. Note that itsvertical lines should be perpendicular to the HL and itshorizontallinesparalleltoit.

When drawing a box with 2-and 3-point perspective, it’seasiest to start with the vertical edge closest to you in 3Dspace,drawingitupordowntowardthehorizonlinedependingonitspositionaboveorbelowthehorizon.Sideplanes.Everylineyoucreatetoconstructtheboxform

startsandfinishesatacertainpoint.Everyoneofthesepointsshouldbeconnectedwithguidelinestoallthevanishingpointsinthescene.Soforeverynew line thatyoudraw,ensure thatits start and end points have a guideline referencing everyvanishingpointinyourscene.Draw the remaining vertical lines to define the side planes

while keeping foreshortening inmind. The side planes shouldbedrawnnarrowerthanthefrontplanetogivetheillusionthatthey’returnedawayfromtheviewerandrecedingintospace.Back-facing planes. Make a habit of indicating the back-

facing planes of each object. This will help you develop astrongerunderstandingofobjectsassolid3Dformsratherthanmere two-dimensional shapes, and create objects with abelievable physical presence that give viewers the sense thattheycouldreachoutandfeeltheimaginedforms.

Thetalleranobjectis,themoreacutetheangleoftheconverginglinesinrelation to the horizon line (HL). Lines nearer ground level graduallyflatten out until they fall in line with the horizon. The same is true foranglesbelowtheHL,althoughlinesconvergeupward,notdown.Ifyou’restudyingperspectivefromlife,usethepencilmeasuringtechniqueonthispagetohelpjudgeanglesinrelationtothehorizonline.

Aclear example of a horizon line (HL) is the edgewhere sky and seameet. TheHL represents eye level, so your viewpoint (whether sitting,standingatground level,or lookingdown fromagreaterheight)affectstheHL’sverticalpositionwithintheframe.PlacingtheHLinthecenterhasaneutralemotionaleffectbecausethe

top and bottom half of the frame are equally balanced. Make thecomposition more dynamic by moving the HL up or down within theframe,oruseadiagonalHLforadisorientingfeeling.Experimentplacingthe HL at unusual angles and make sure you follow the five steps ofperspective(thispage)intheorder,oryourimaginaryworldmayskewtooneside.In1-and2-pointperspectivetheverticallinesshouldalwaysbeat90degreestotheHL,whichmeansthattheywillappeartiltediftheHLisatanangle.

As discussed in the Five Basic Steps of Perspective, almostevery physical object can be conceptualized as a simple boxformbeforecomplexityanddetailsareoverlaid.Nowthatyouhaveacommandofdrawingboxformsin1-,2-,

and3-pointperspective,it’stimetopracticeafreehanddrawingapproach,without thehelpofahorizon line, vanishingpoints,and a ruler. This practice will help you develop an instinctivefeeling forperspective thatyou’llneedfor themanyoccasionswhen there are simply toomany objects in a scene to createvanishing points for each one. All this practice may seemirrelevant to character and environment design, but you’ll seethebenefitsoncewegetintoAnatomyandstudythedrawingsoftheOldMasters.

Haveagoat copying thesebox formsordrawsimilar forms fromyourimagination to test theextentofyourknowledgeofperspective.Takeamomenttohighlightthenearestedgeandpointofeachobjectasifyoucouldreallyreachoutandtouchthem.Thesimpleperspectiveruletokeepinmindisthatparallellinesofan

objectmustconverge.Sometimesit’shelpfultoexaggerateconvergencetoenhancethefeelingofperspectiveanddepth.

Practice drawing a centerline down themiddle of each plane. Keep inmind that the closer half (A) should be larger than the farther half (B),due to foreshortening. You can find the exact midpoint of a plane bycreating a cross that links all four corners. The point at which the twodiagonallinesmeetindicatesthecenteroftheplane(C).

Alsopracticehalvingsphericalforms.Notethatforeshorteningwillmakethecircularcross-sectionsappearoval(A).Drawingfromtheshoulderusingpencilgrip(A)onthispagewillhelp

you draw contour lines that link up at the start and finish with a littleoverlap.Avoidstoppingthecurvedhalvinglineatthecircularform’sedge(B).Drawitasifitcontinuesaroundtothebackoftheform,suggestingacontinuation(C).

Oneofthebiggestchallengesforvisualartists istocreatetheillusion of depth and three-dimensional form on a two-dimensional surface. The perspective exercises on this pagegaveus tools tocreate the illusionofdepthandvolumeusingonlylines.Addinganimaginarylightsourcetothesceneallowsus to additionally model the volumes with light and shadow.Using perspective and light in unison enhances the palpablethree-dimensionality of each volume. Let’s start with somesimpleboxformsto illustratehowlightingandvalueworkwithperspective tocreate the illusionof form,beforemovingon tomore complex objects. Ultimately there’s no right or wrongapproach tovalueanddepth.Lightingdecisionsarebasedonartistic choice, with full understanding of how light caneffectivelymodelform,andtheemotionsthatyouwanttoevokeintheplayer.

THE TWO-VALUE SCALE As a first step to rendering light, you cansimplifyyourvaluestotwo,blackandwhite.Thepapersurfaceiswhiteand pencil shading is black. Once the direction of an imaginary lightsourcehasbeendecided,you’releftwithonlytwochoicesonhowtolighteach plane of a box form: either the plane is turned toward the light(white)orit’sturnedaway(black).

Notehowperspectiveand lightwork together todescribeform.Box(A)hasnosenseofformbecauseitlacksconverginglinesandvalues.Whenyou add converging lines (B) the suggestion of depth and volumebecomesapparent.Boxform(C)communicatesanevenbettersenseofformbecause the interior edge has been drawn to define the two sideplanes.Boxform(D) is lit fromtherightbyan imaginary lightsourceandthe

two visible planes have been lit accordingly. As a result you get thestrongest illusion of form because converging lines and values clearlydefinetheplanesofyourboxform.

Team Fortress 2: Dustbowl map (Artwork courtesy of ValveCorporation)Team Fortress 2 provides a first-rate example of in-game lighting thatemphasizestheillusionof3Dformanddepth.ThelightingsetupfortheDustbowlclearlydefineswhichplanesintheenvironmentfacetowardthe

light andwhich face away. Limiting your lighting to a single directionallightsourceisthebestsolutiontomodelforminthisway.

HeavyRain(ArtworkcourtesyofQuanticDream)Nowcompare thescreenshot fromTeamFortress2 (opposite)with thisimagefromHeavyRain.Noticehowthediffused lighting inHeavyRainreducestheillusionofform.Thisisparticularlynoticeableinthehousesacross the street, whose front and side planes have similar values.Heavy Rain’s lighting is well suited to evoke the shadowy andmelancholicatmosphereofthegame.

Boxformsmakeitsignificantlyeasiertoshadeobjectsdrawnfromyourimaginationbecauseindividualplanesareclearlydefined.Thesesimplevolumesandvaluesystemsmakeiteasytoconceptualize lightsourcesfromdifferentdirections,andtoshadeeachplaneaccordingly.Theboxeson the left are shadedaccording toa light source illuminating from theleft. Now shade the same set of box forms on the right as if the lightsource iscomingfromtheupperright.Keepthevaluessimple:eitheraplaneisfacingupward/towardthelightordownward/awayfromthelight.Althoughthereisnodefinitionforwhatconstitutescorrectandincorrect

shading, thehatch linesyouuseshouldcommunicate thedirectionandorientationoftheplanethatthey’redescribing.

There is somuch superfluous visual information aroundus indaily lifethatonlybecomesapparentwhenwesitdownwithapencilandpaperand,perhapsforthefirsttimeever,reallylook.This information threatens to overwhelm our ability to drawbecause there is somuch detail to take in. The exactway inwhichasubject isdeconstructedwilldiffer fromartist toartist;however,thestandardsetofvisualmeasuringtoolswe’ll learnabouthereareusedbyeveryskilledartistandwillallowustoscreen out extraneous detail and systemically deconstruct acomplexsubjecttosimpler,manageablecomponents.

GrandTheftAutoIV:NikoBellicDetails hold very little importance in drawing because it’s an object’scharacteristic shapes and proportions that make up the broadersilhouettethatwerecognizefirstandforemost.Ifyouweretolineupyourclosest friends at a distance of 100 yards, though you couldn’t discernanydetails,you’dstillbeable to identify individuals justby theiruniquesilhouettes.If you’ve played Grand Theft Auto IV, you’ll be familiar with the

character of Niko Bellic. Details, including the blue line across Niko’s

track top and his eyes, become virtually indistinguishable at a lowerresolutionorgreaterdistance.ButNikohimself remainsrecognizableatany distance because of his characteristic silhouette and the largerabstract shapes in his figure, suchashis haircut and thebeigepanelsandcollarofthetracksuittop.

NineToolsforSolvingVisualDistraction

The question is how to begin a drawing without gettingdistracted by extraneous visual information. Luckily thisproblem was long ago solved with the following nine tools,which can be applied to any subject matter, including figuresandlandscapes.Eachtoolissimpletounderstand,butusingthemaccurately

incombinationwithoneanotherrequiresdiscipline.Continuetopractice and your measuring dexterity will improve to a pointwhereyoucanmakequickassessmentsofyoursubjectwithoutdrawingguidelines.The order in which these tools are presented is only a

general guide, as they’remosteffectivewhenused in variouscombinations, depending on the subject. Let’s take a look athowthetoolscanhelpsimplifythedrawingprocesswhenfacedwith a subject as richly detailed asThe LaughingCavalier byFransHals(ca.1580–1666)onthispage.Have a go at making several studies of the same subject,

concentrating on each tool individually before trying them incombination. Your drawings are unlikely to become museumpieces, so don’t be afraid to fill them with guidelines andannotations.Youcanalwayserasethemlaterandsubsequentdetailsmayhidethemanyway.

PENCIL MEASURING Before you begin the lesson, practice themeasuring technique, which will help you more accurately measure

subjects, the alignment between them, and determine perspective. To

measureyoursubject,stretchoutyourhandtowardthesubjectwithyour

drawingpencilheldinaverticalorhorizontalposition.Yourarmmustbe

fullyextended,elbowstraight.Whilelookingdownthelengthofyourarm,

as thoughyouwereaimingdown thesiteofagun,align the topof the

pencil with the top of whatever you’remeasuring; nowmove the tip of

your thumb tomark theotherendofwhatyou’remeasuring: thespace

betweenthetipofthepencilandyourthumbisyourmeasuringunit.Be

sure to keep your arm as straight as possible and stand in the same

positionbecausesmallchangeswilldrasticallyaffectthesizeoftheunit.

Youcanlikewiseusethistechniquetohelpcheckalignmentthispage

betweenelementsandforestimatingperspectiveangles.

TheLaughingCavalier(1624)byFransHals,WallaceCollection,London

01 SQUINTING Squinting (as in half-closing your eyes until objectsappearblurred) isoneofthemostundervaluedtoolsforreducingvisual

complexity. It merges fragmented details into simpler shapes made of

light and shadow. Squinting is a discipline and takes a lot of practice

because the natural inclination is to open your eyes fully to see

everythingindetail.

02FRAME The first stepof theperspectiveexerciseon this page, theframe,forcesustothinkasbroadlyaspossibleabouttheimage.Youcan

temporarily ignore the complex subject by first focusing on the right

width-to-height ratio for your four-sided frame. The frame is critical to

composition, as it affects the placement and relationship of all

subsequentelementsofadrawing.

03MEASURING UNIT Establish a unit that can be used to measureelementsinyourdrawing.Forexample,theheadisthestandardunitof

measure in figure drawing. In landscape and other genres, you can

choose something convenient, such as the vertical height of awindow

frame.Usetheunittomeasureonlyhorizontallyandvertically;diagonals

are difficult to realign and measure with consistency. (See Pencil

Measuringonthispage.)

04 ALIGNMENT Checking the relative alignment of elements in thecomposition helps onboth a largeand small scale.You can check the

alignment of an ear in relationship to the foot or zoom in to check the

alignmentoflipsinrelationtothecornersoftheeye.

05TRIANGULATIONRefers to cross-referencing each imaginary pointofyoursubjectagainsttwoormorepoints.Starttriangulatingpointsthat

arefarapartwithintheimagetochecktheaccuracyofthebiggershapes

beforezeroinginonsmallerdetails.

06 ENVELOPE Enveloping the subject helps you visualize it in verybroad terms by focusing on the extremities of a subject over small

changes in contour and detail. You may be more familiar with this

conceptifyou’veworkedwith3Ddigitalmodeling,whereprogramsrefer

tothefeatureasaboundingbox.

07SIMPLIFIEDLINESAvoiddrawingcurvedlinesfortheinitialstagesofa drawing, because organic shapes are extremely difficult to assess

visually. Reducing curved shapes to a series of straight linesmakes it

easiertojudgewhetherashapewasdrawncorrectly.It’seasytosoften

and curve the lines to match the subject once you’re confident of the

essentialshapes.

08 NEGATIVE SHAPES This is arguably the most reliable tool forassessing the accuracy of a drawing. Negative shapes work on the

principlethatyoudrawtheemptyspacearoundyoursubjectratherthan

the subject itself. This is such an effective tool because the subject

becomesanabstractpuzzle,voidofdetail.Anegativeshapedrawingcan

often stand on its own in describing the unique silhouette of a person.

Use this tool in combination with triangulation and simplified lines to

judgetheaccuracyofyourshapes.

09POSITIVESHAPESThis isa tricky toolbecause itventures into thedangerous territory of drawing the subject itself in all its eye-catching

detail. Reduce the positive shapes of your subject to simple geometric

shapes:circles,rectangles,andtriangles.

Digitalsoftware isavery forgivingdrawingmediumbecause itallows you to fixmistakes as youmake themusing the undofunction. There is no such function when working withtraditional media, but classical drawing practice offers astructureddrawingprocessthatmakesiteasytokeeptrackofthe steps in your art, so that you can manually identify andcorrect any mistakes as you go along. The drawing processthat follows relies on knowing how to use the nine visualmeasuring tools (thispage),sobesureyou’vepracticed themall.Thoughtheexercisesareappliedheretoa landscape,thesameprocessappliestofiguredrawing.

LandscapewithaCottageandHayBarn (1640)byRembrandtvanRijn(1606–1669)

01BLOCKINThefirststageofdrawingistheblockin,whereyoulightlyoutlinethelargestmasses.Beaccuratewithplacementandproportionsof shapes and lines, taking advantage of this loose stage to makeadjustmentswiththehelpofthevisualmeasuringtools(thispage).Don’tforgettoindicatethehorizonline,keepinginmindthatallparallel

linesabove thehorizonconvergedownwardand thosebelowconvergeupward. You can also lightly suggest general values to distinguish thebrightskyfromthedarkergroundplane.

02ANCHORPOINTOnceyou’veblockedineverythingusingsimplifiedlinesit’stimetodecideonananchorpoint,whichisusuallythecenterofinterest or something that has a strong and simple shape. The anchorpointisthepointofreferenceagainstwhichtojudgetheplacementand

proportionsofallsubsequentelements,soit’simportanttokeeprefiningituntilyou’reconfidentofitsaccuracy.Andjustwhenyouthinkit’sright,checkitagain!

03SPIRALING The next element you draw should be adjacent to oroverlap theanchorpoint.Refine thisshapeuntil it’sasaccurateasyoucanpossiblymakeit,usingtheanchorpointtojudgerelativeshapesandproportions.Continueworkingsystematically,spiralingoutward fromtheanchor point and only moving to an adjacent element when you’vedouble-checkedtheexistingshapes.Spiraling is theundo functionofdrawing.This logicalorder for image

constructionmakesiteasytotracebackyourstepstoidentifytheexactplaceyoumadeamistakesoyoucancorrectit.Onceyou’vespiraledtheentire image,youcangobackover it to refinevaluesandshadingandadddetails.

LEVELUP!

Congratulations on completing Level 1 of the book. The toolscoveredsofararethefundamentalsforeverydrawingchallengeyou’ll ever encounter. Remember that complete understandingandmasteryonlycomeswithasignificantamountofpractice.Inthefollowingchapterswewillinvestigatehowthesetoolscanbe

applied to increasingly complex formsanddrawings.We’ll alsoinvestigate in greater depth the significance of visual grammarand how you can integrate concepts of line, shape, volume,value, and color into your video games to design engagingemotionalexperiences.

RAGE

IN LEVEL 1 WE COVERED THE FUNDAMENTALS of drawingthroughexercises thatgaveusconfidence inpencilstrokes, light,and perspective. We also learned about the correct process ofobservation and drawing,which requires focus and self-disciplinebut also makes drawing accurate and easier. In Level 2 we willexploremoreadvancedconceptsforvolumesandlightingthatwillwrap up all the tools and techniques you’ll need to tackle anysubject. This sectionprimarily focuseson landscapedrawing,butyou’llseethatallobjects,includinghumanfigures,canbereducedtoacommonsetofbasicshapesandvolumes.Whileyoucanlearnthe techniques of landscape drawing through these exercises, Irecommend that you take your sketchbook and pencils outdoorsandhaveagoatdrawingtherealthingaswell.

Having a command of drawing spheres in perspective isessential in both landscape and figure drawing because youalmost never see perfect circular forms in nature. Circularshapesareusuallydistortedtolooklikeovalsduetotheeffectofforeshortening.Theexerciseonthispageisanextensionoftheprocessweusedtofindthemidpointofabox’splane(thispage)andwillallowyoutodrawcircleswithaconvincingsenseofdepth.

FREEHANDVOLUMESInthissection,youwillamasstheskillstodraw

a rangeofbasicvolumes, including thebox form,sphere,andcylinder.Continue to practice drawing these volumes freehand from variousanglesuntiltheprocessbecomesinstinctive.

FourStepsforDrawingCircularFormsinPerspective

01Theprocessofcreatingcircularshapesinperspectiveisverysimilartotheprocessofcreatingboxforms.Startingwithaframe,horizon line,

andvanishingpoint,createabaseforwhatcouldotherwisebeabox.

02Firstdividethisboxintoquartersusingtwodiagonallinestoconnectthefourcorners.Wherethelinescrossisthecenterpoint.Second,draw

twolinestocutthisboxverticallyandhorizontallyacrossthecenterpoint.

Lastly, draw four lines to connect the vertical and horizontal points

togethertocreateatotalof16sections.

03 Estimate the midpoint along the diagonal lines in the outermostsections.Thesearetheeightpointsthatdefineyourcircleinperspective.

04Bydrawingacurved lineconnectingeachpointyouendupwithanoval—yourcircleinperspective.Trythisexerciseafewmoretimeswith

horizonlinesplacedatdifferentangles.

Clockwisefromtop:BigDaddy(BioShock),Sackboy/Sackgirl(LittleBigPlanet);characterfromJourney (BioShockartworkcourtesyofIrrationalGames)Some of the video game industry’s most iconic and memorablecharactersaremodificationsofthevolumesyou’vebeenpracticing.Makepencil studies of each character above, using only the box, sphere,cylinder,andpyramidvolumesinvariouscombinations.Youmaywishtosearch for alternative views of these characters to get a betterunderstandingoftheirvolumetricconcept.Onceyouknowacharacter’svolumetricconcept,you’llbeabletoredrawit fromanyanglewitheaseusing the perspective techniques that we explored in Level 1. (photo

credit2.1)

WelookedatthewaylightingdescribesforminBasicLightingandValues.Whenwedrawfromlifetherearemorevarietiesofvolumesandlightingconditionstoconsider,whichrequiremoreadvancedconcepts.

Thetwocylindersintheaboveleftillustrationdemonstratethedifferencebetweenshadowonaformandcastshadow.Theshadowontheuprightcylinder (A) shows its form as the surface slowly turns away from theimaginary light source, nicelymodeling its shape. This same formalsocasts a shadow (B) by preventing some of the light from reaching thehorizontalcylinderinthebackground.Thisiscalledacastshadow.Cast shadows help to communicate spatial relationships between

objects, as demonstrated by situation (C). Without the cast shadowconnecting the two cylinders we cannot determine the relativeproportionsoftheseobjectsorwhethertheysitonthesameplane.CastshadowswerenotdiscussedinLevel1becausetheyoftenhave

the effect of visually confusing the modeling of forms or flattening thesensation of formaltogether.Oneof our primary goals is to create theillusionofdepth,socastshadowsshould thereforebeused judiciously.Noticehowthecastshadowoftheforegroundcylinder(D)haseliminatedtheformshadowofthemiddlecylinderand,hence,theillusionofdepth.TheOldMasterswereverycarefulinusingcastshadowforthisreason,oftensubduingorremovingthemaltogethertomaintainastrongsenseofdepth.

THEFIVE-VALUESCALE From right to left: (0) white of the paper orlight, (1) highlight, (2) middle values, (3) core shadow, and (4) castshadow.Whileatwo-valuescalewassufficientformodelingsimpleboxforms,

youmustexpand thescale to rendermorecomplex, rounded formsaswell as cast shadows.Artists traditionallyuseascale composedof tenvalues, the lightest valuebeing thewhiteof thedrawing surface, but afive-valuescale is, in fact, sufficient forall yourneedsand reduces thenumber of elements to consider while drawing. A five-value scalemayseemlimiting,butitisreallyonlyaconceptualsimplification.Moresubtlevariations of values will appear naturally once you begin drawing andblendingvaluestogetherinsubsequentexercises.

FIVE-VALUE SCALE This illustration demonstrates how a five-valuescaleisusedtomodelasphericalform.Theshadowsareorderedina1-2-3-2-4valuesysteminwhichvalues1to3representformshadowand4,thecastshadow.The darkest value on the form, known as the core shadow or

terminatorislocatedat90degreesfromthelightsource,wherelightandshadowplanesmeet.The reason themiddleandnot the furthest pointfrom the light is darkest is because the away-facing planes receivebouncedlightfromtheenvironment,suchasatablesurface.Characteristic of the cast shadow (4) is that it’s always one value

darker than the core shadow (3). Cast shadow edges are generallyharderthanthoseoftheformshadow.Thecastshadowbecomeslighteranditsedgessofterasitfallsaway

fromtheshadow-castingobject.Thishappensbecausethefurtherawaya cast shadow is from the shadow-casting object, the more light itreceivesfromthesurroundingenvironmentandambientlightsources.

BOUNCED LIGHT The danger of disregarding bounced light is thatformsappearflatterwithoutit,asintheaboveexample.Accordingtothelightingsituation in thisscene, the leftsideof thesphere ismissing thebounced light that is vital to creating the illusion of a form turning inspace.Bounced light isadetailoften lost inphoto references,as thevalues

are usually too subtle for cameras to capture. So be careful whenstudying photographs, making sure to suggest bounced light in yourdrawingevenifnoneisvisibleinyourphotoreference.

HATCHLINESEverypencilstrokeshouldbeasdescriptiveaspossiblewhen shading forms per the five-value system. Straight lines bestdescribe the angle and orientation of flat planes, as in a box form.Roundedhatchlinesbetterdescriberoundedforms.Thesenseofformisdestroyedifyouusestraight linestodescribeaspherical formandviceversa.Keep perspective in mind when deciding on which way to curve or

angleyourhatch lines.For instance, ifyou’re lookingupatacylindricalobject,thehatchlinesshouldcurvedownwardtoreinforcetheillusionofperspective.We can also see the difference between soft andhard edges in the

transition between light and shadow. The speed of transition reflects

whether the form is spherical, in which case the transition is soft andgradual. If the transition is sudden, the edge is describedwith a sharptransition(oftenreferredtoasaplanebreak)betweenlightandshadow.

CONTOUR LIGHTING The five-value system can even be suggestedwithcontoursalonebyvaryingtheweightofthelinesthemselves.Ifthesurfaceyou’redescribingisinlight,thecontourlineshouldbelight;ifthesurface is in shadow, the line should be thick and heavy. Resist thetemptationtofullyencloseobjectswithasolid,darkline—asiscommonwithcomic-bookdrawings—asthiseffectivelyflattenstheform.

LittleBigPlanet2Cast shadows can also be used to suggest objects outside the visibleframe.It’snotalwaysclearwhatobjectsarecastingtheshadowsinLittleBigPlanet2,whichcreatestheillusionthatpartsoftheenvironmentexistbeyond the confines of the screen, encroaching into our reality andincreasingoursenseofimmersioninthegame.

Studysheetwithchildren’sheadsbyAlbrechtDürerTheOldMastersusedtheconceptofbasicvolumesandlightwhenevertheywantedtocommunicateform.ThesphericalvolumethatDürerhadinmindwhendrawingtheheadofthischildcouldhardlybemoreexplicit.

DoaquickstudyofDürer’sdrawing:Startwithacircle(A),andrefineittosuggest the contour of the head. The next step is to draw the coreshadow(B).Youcanseehoweffectivethecoreshadowisincreatingtheillusionoflightandindescribingthesurfaceofthesphericalformturningin space. You can finish the study by laying down a general layer ofshadingtomapouttheremainingformshadow(C)beforeaddingdetails(D).NoticehowDürer reduceddetails in thehighlights togivea stronger

senseoflight.Thiseffectisknownas lightbloom incomputergraphics.In drawings it’s a tool to compensate for the limitations of traditionalmediaintranslatingtherangeofvalueswitnessedinreality.

ManandaWomanonaHummock (ca. 1688)byAntonieWaterloo(1609–1690)Basic volumes modeled with core shadows and bounced light are sogoodatcreatingtheillusionofdepthandformthatclassicalartistsusedthem repeatedly as conceptual foundations for their subjects, even forobjectsthatarenotperceivedassolidforms,likethetreesinWaterloo’setching.Thoughtreeformsarelargelycomposedofemptyspacedefinedby an external layer of leaves, Waterloo conceptualized the combinedmassof the treesasone largespherical formandmodeled itwith lightaccordingly.Theetchingisfilledwithintricatedetailsthatmakethisconceptdifficult

todecipheruntil yousquintat it to reduce lightandshadowmasses tosimplershapesthatrevealthelightingconceptoftheartist.

Sketching on location is the first real test of how well you’vegraspedthevariousconceptscoveredsofarinthebook.Thereareliterallymillionsofelementstodistractyou,nottheleastofwhichare the constantly shifting light andweather conditions.Outdoordrawingistheyardstickagainstwhichtomeasureyourprogress.Ifyouremainfocusedondrawingthebigger,simplerforms under such changeable conditions, then you’re doingwell. Given the short development time for most games,firsthand research is not always possible. By mastering theclassicalconceptsofartlandscapes,you’llhavearepertoireofreal-lifeskillstoapplytoimaginaryvideogamelandscapes.

RAGEOne valuable experience of drawing outdoors is the sense of distanceanddepthyoudevelop.Atmosphericperspectiveisagreattooltocreatethisillusionofdepth,andonemuchusedbyclassicalartists.Theeffectiscaused by water vapor in the air, which creates a diminishing level ofcontrastandblurringofformswithdistance.The environments of RAGE perfectly demonstrate the concept of

atmosphericperspective.Compare the furthest ridgeswith those in the

foreground and notice how shadows become lighter with distance untilthe landscape and sky begin merging together. The backgroundelementsadditionallyhavesofteredgesand fewerdetails than those inthe foreground. You’ll also find this effect applied to classic figurativedrawings, such asMichelangelo’sStudy for the Battle of Cascina (thispage),inwhichbackgroundformsaremorelightlyshadedthanthoseintheforeground.

NewSuperMarioBros.New Super Mario Bros. has an abstracted version of atmosphericperspective,whichworkswellforthestyleofthegame.AsenseofdepthiscreatedbyT-intersectionsbetweenoverlappingobjects,andbyplacingthedarkestvaluesandsharpestlinesintheforeground,suchasMario’shairandredoveralls.

You’venowgarneredenoughtoolstotackleamorechallenginglandscapestudy.LandscapebyRussianartistAlexeiSavrasovoffersanopportunitytopracticedrawingwiththeputtyeraserincombinationwiththepencil.

LandscapebyAlexeiSavrasov(1830–1897)

Throughout thisdrawingexercisekeep inmindthetoolsyou’ve learnedtocreatetheillusionofdepth.Sofaryou’veworkedonoverlappingformsand T-intersections to describe the depth relationship between objectsand have seen the effect that atmospheric perspective has on distantobjects,diminishingthelevelsofcontrastandsofteningforms.Inlandscapedrawingit’susefultoorganizethesceneintoforeground,

middleground,andbackgroundelements.Theforegroundwillfeaturethestrongestcontrasts,thesharpestedges,andthemostdetails.Elementsinthebackgroundwillbelighter,softer,andrelativelyvoidofdetail.Withthis in mind, the general order of drawing a landscape is frombackgroundtoforeground.

Beginyourquickstudybydrawingtheframe,matchingtheproportionsofthe original as accurately as you can. For the initial block in stage(describedinDrawingProcess)focusonoutliningthebiggestshapesfirstbyindicatingthehorizonlineandthetopedgeofthebackgroundtreestodefinethedominantbreakbetweenlightandshadow.

Continue concentrating on the biggest shapes by blocking in the lowerhalfofthedrawingwithanevenlayerofshading.Savrasovwouldhavelikely smudged the lineswith his finger or a paper blender to create amoreeven layerofvalue.Thedistant treesare “drawn”using theputtyeraserkneadedintoablade-likeshape.

Havingestablished thesofterbackgroundelements, youcan tackle theobjects in themiddle and foreground.Savrasov deliberately placed thetrees on either side of the central avenue to align along imaginaryguidelinesthatappeartoconvergetowardavanishingpoint.Thishastheusefuleffectofenforcingtheillusionofdepth.Therepeatingformsofthetrees as they appear to get smaller with distance also communicatedepth.Yourfirstpassoverthemiddleandforegroundshouldbefairlylight,so

youcaneasilymakecorrectionsandcutoutthehighlightsbeforeaddingthedarkestvalues.Quicklymass in thebranchesof the treesandplants,payingclosest

attentiontothetextureoftheircontours,tosuggesttheinternalforms.

Forthefinalpass,goinandaddthedarkestvalues,notingthatSavrasovpurposely concentrated the strongest contrasts and details on andaroundtheforegroundtreeontheright,whichhechoseashiscenterofinterest.Makesomerefinementstothegroundplane,addinghorizontallinesto

distinguish it from theupright trees in thebackground.Lastly, let loose,mimickingthegreatvarietyofpencillinesSavrasovusedtodescribethedifferenttextures.

LIMBO(ConceptimagecourtesyofPlaydead)The award-winning visuals from LIMBO are the brainchild of gamedirectorArnt Jensen.Although inmanywaysmorestylized thanAlexeiSavrasov’sdrawing,both imageshavea lot incommon in termsof thevisual tools used to create the illusion of depth: overlap, diminishingcontrasts,andsofteningofformswithdistanceandrepetitionofshapes.Texture suggested in contours can convey enough information for

viewers to imagine themissing visual information of the internal forms.Jensen has skillfully taken advantage of this phenomenon by givingobjects ambiguous shapes that invite players to use their ownimagination to complete the missing information. Each player will finddifferentmeaning in theshapesbasedon theirpersonalexperiences. IfJensen had gone the other way and made every detail explicit, therewouldbelessroomtoengagetheplayer’simaginationandemotions.

LEVELUP!

You’ve only completed Levels 1 and 2 and already have an

advanced understanding of how to create images with abelievable senseofdepthandvolume.Thesedrawing tools aresufficientforalmosteverysubjectyou’lldraw.Nowlet’sseehowtoadvanceyourexistingknowledgeandaddasenseofhumanlife,movement,andweighttoyourlines,shapes,andvolumes.

DetailwithoverlayofSkeletonwithMusclesbyBernhardSiegfriedAlbinus

IFYOU’VEEVERHADTHEEXPERIENCEofrotatinga3Dcharactermodel in a digital modeling program, you’ll be familiar with theweightless sensation. The character model remains rigid as it’srotatedonanyaxiswiththeeffortlessclickanddragofthemouse.Tobring thecharacter to life the illusionofweight andmovementmustbecreatedbytheartistwithaskillfuluseoflinesandshapes.The following section covers the fundamental concepts of

anatomy and the forces involved in human movement. Theseconceptswillhelpyouinstantlybringasenseoflifeandenergytoyour characters, but I recommend that you also draw from lifewheneverpossible.Drawing fromlife is thebeststudymethodforunderstanding the figure because it allows you to recordexperiencesfirsthandandthattranslatestomorebelievablefigures

intherealmofvirtualspace.

Muchofwhatmakeseachofusdistinguishableasindividualsiscommunicated in thewaywe carry our physicalweight.Whatartists must keep in mind when studying the figure is theunseenforceofgravity,whichourbodiesconstantlyoppose.Inthis section you’ll explore the anatomical mechanisms thatprevent us from collapsing against this downward force, thehuman skeletal andmuscular structures thatwork together tocreateatensionthatholdsusupright.

Team Fortress 2: Anatomy of a Heavy Weapons Guy (ArtworkcourtesyofValveCorporation)Youcanthinkofthehumanskeletonasbeinglikethestructuralframeofa building. Every architectural structure starts with a solid, supportiveskeletonoverwhichthewallsandroofarebuilt.Without thissupportiveframe the buildingwould collapse. The supportive frame of the humanfigureistheskeleton,whichwouldlikewisecollapseintoapileofbonesif

itweren’tforthemusclesandtendonskeepingitupright.

Humanscanstanduprightbecauseourbodieshavedevelopedaseriesofmusclescollectivelyknownasantigravitymuscles.They function likemetal springs, maintaining tension between body parts. Starting at theheel,thesemusclesworktheirwayupthebody,alternatingfromthefronttothebackinasystemofopposingcurvestocreateforcesthatkeepusfromcollapsingagainstthepullofgravity.Each curved contour is complemented on the opposite side of the

figure by a straight line. In reality the human figure doesn’t featurestraight lines, but artists use straight (or relatively straight) lines tosuggest the supportive skeletal structure that holds the figure together,like the nearly straight bones of the upper and lower leg. Muscles, incontrast, tend to be rounder so opposing curves are generally used totrace the flowofmuscles throughout thebodyandcreatean illusionofmovement and life. This play of curved against straight lines isfundamentaltocreatingbelievablefigures.

The antigravity muscles of the lower leg feature a muscle group thatconnects the heel with points above the back of the knee. A similararrangementofmusclesisalsopresentfortheupperleg,wheremusclesconnectthepelvisandapointjustbelowthekneecap.Theattachmentpointsofthemusclegroupsacrossthekneekeepour

legslockedintheuprightpositionwhenstandingandsupportourweightwhenwalking.Ifthesemusclegroupsdidn’toverlaptheknee,theentirelegwouldtoppleforwardundertheforceofgravity.Theconceptofopposingcurvesisespeciallyimportantformovement,

aswithoutthealternatingplacementofantigravitymuscles,theactionofwalkingwouldnotbepossible.

Moving up the leg, take note of the increasingmass andweight beingtransferreddownthroughthelegstothefeet.Thelargest,andthereforetheheaviest,massofthebodyistheribcage.Itspositionatthefrontofthebodycreatesanimbalance,shiftingthebody’sweighttowardthetoesso that the body has a natural urge to fall forward. Luckily antigravitymusclesallowustochoosewhenthishappens.Intheactionofwalking,the antigravitymuscles of the legs exploit the downward pull of gravityandourbody’simbalancetocreateforwardmotion.To restore an element of balance, the form of the ribcage is tilted

backward,whichthepelvismustcounterbalancewithitsforwardtilt.

Opposing curves and the asymmetry of the body are likewise visiblewhenobservingafigurewalkingfromthefront.Witheachstepthepelvistilts depending on which leg is supporting the body’s weight. Thesupporting leg isknownas thestance leg,while the leg that’sswingingforward is called the swing leg. The muscles used in one leg opposethoseintheotherasshownbytheaccentedlinesinthisillustration.The shoulders must simultaneously counterbalance the pelvis’s

movementbytiltingintheoppositedirection,asittiltsfromsidetoside,tokeepthefigurefromfallingoversideways.TheOldMasterscalledthiscounterbalancingmechanism“contrapposto.”Onesideoftheupperbodycompresses as the other side expands. The expanded side is wheremostoftheenergyisconcentrated,asthemusclesflextostoptheswinglegfromswingingouttoofar.

TeamFortress2:HeavyDrawing figures vertically straight is a common mistake. The humanfigurehasaninnaterhythmofopposingcurvesrunningfromheadtotoe.Theseopposingcurvescanbedrawntocommunicateenergyandweightwithstrongerforcesbeingcommunicatedbylineswithastrongercurve.The addition of a heavy object in the Heavy’s hand increases the

asymmetrical tensionworkingagainst thedownwardpullofgravity,andsoopposingcurvesbecomemorepronounced.Straight lines create a visual contrast and they also communicate a

sense of solidity and support. For instance, notice theHeavy’s straightleftarm,whichsupportstheweapon’sweight.

The distribution of energy throughout the body varies from person toperson.Acclaimedconceptartist IainMcCaig refers tostockcharactersfrom physical theater to categorize various character types based onwhichpartofthebodytheyleadwith(fromleft):thinkerswiththeirheads;heroes with their chests; lazy types with the pelvis; cowards with theirknees.

Youshouldalwaysconsiderthecommunicationofenergywithlinewhendesigningcharacters.Much like thedownward forcessuggestedby thebowing out of the sides of Greek Doric columns, you can make acharacter look heavier by manipulating the curvature of lines andincreasingthecharacter’scontactwiththeground.Alternatively,straightlinescommunicateeffortlessenergyandstrength.

You can play even more with proportions and weight for differenteffects. For instance, a person with a small point of contact with thegroundappearslighter,eveniftheyhavearoundedsilhouette.Ifyoureplace theroundedsilhouettewithstraight lines(far right)you

arrive at a contemporary idea of feminine beauty that communicates afeeling of weightlessness. Artist Albert Lozano used this concept tocreate the young Ellie for Pixar’s Up, describing her shape as an“exclamationpoint,sortoflightonherfeetandliftingupintotheair.”Weightdoesn’tactuallyexistindigitalspace,soyoumustemploysuch

visualtrickstocreateanillusionofitspresence.

Portal2:GLaDOS(left)andWheatley(right)The effect of using lines to communicate energy is applied in aninterestingwayinthedesignofGLaDOSandWheatleyfromPortal2.The overextended position of GLaDOS’s head and body is the

culminationofaseriesofopposingcurvesthatbeginwithline(A),visiblefrom this viewas a straight line, to give a convincing feeling of energyandsupport.YoucanseejusthowimportantsuchcablesareincreatingtensionandgivingGLaDOSapowerfulsenseofmenacewhenWheatleytakes over her body.During this changeover, tension is releasedwhen

the cables are removed, leavingWheatley hanging with a significantlylighterandlessthreateningappearance.

Pigsy(Enslaved:OdysseytotheWest);Steve(Minecraft)

Lili(Tekken);Lalaffel,Elezen,andRoegadyn(FinalFantasyXIV)Study theabove lineupofcharactersbyreducing theirdesigns toblacksilhouettes. Notice how the various sensations of weight arecommunicatedthroughthedifferentcontourlinesandhowthecharactersconnectwiththeground.TheMinecraft miner communicates no sense of weight whatsoever

due to thestraightcontour linesofhisdesign.Thisdesign fits thestyleandcharmofMinecraft,but incaseswhereastrongersenseof lifeandmovement iswanted it’s important toconsider incorporatingcurves intothesilhouette.

Studying proportions is the practice of applying a measuringsystem to the human form. The figure is such a complexsubject thatartists throughouthistoryhad todeveloppersonalmeasuringsystemsbasedonamixof systematicobservationandpersonaltaste.The standard unit for measuring the human body is the

human head. The average adult person is 7.5 heads tall,although some artists prefer to use ameasure of 8 heads inheight. Whatever standard unit an artist prefers, that unit isconsistently applied to determine the proportions of the figurebeingdrawn,whetherfromlifeorimagination.

FigureproportionsfromArtisticAnatomybyDr.PaulRicherDr. PaulRicher’s illustrations, from his bookArtisticAnatomy (Watson-Guptill),arewidelyconsideredtobeamongthemostaccurateandclearreferencesforartisticanatomy.It’saworthwhileexercisetomakestudiesofhissuggestedsystemofproportions,startingwithalightlydrawngrid7.5unitsinheightand2unitswide(A).Tolocatetheverticalplacementofkeyanatomicallandmarks,Richerhascounted4unitsdownfromthetopand4unitsupfromthebase(B).Once your grid is set up, you can start by indicating anatomical

informationwithsimple linesandpoints thatwillhelpyoumemorizetherelative position of various anatomical features. Where an anatomical

featurefallsbetweenaheadunit,dividetheunitintohalvesorthirds(asshown)ratherthansmallerincrementsthatwouldbehardertomemorize.Add increasingly complexanatomical informationas your knowledgeofthehumanfiguredevelops.Note how Richer’s system references the underlying skeleton as

opposed to fleshy points of the body. The reason for this is that theskeleton ismore reliable as ameasuring tool because of its solid andrelativelystandard form.Soft fleshy landmarkshavea tendency toshiftbetweenposesandvarymoredrasticallybetweenindividuals.Working from the head downward, note that the figure’s midpoint is

located at the top of the femur (thigh bone), where the upper legconnectswith thepelvis.Takeamoment tonote thathandsarebiggerthanyoumight think;when the fingersarestretchedoutwide thehandwillcovertheface.Withthearmsdownbyaperson’sside,thefingertips,if stretchedout, reachall thewaydown to themiddleof theupper leg.Record such observations by annotating your study with notes andsimplelineandpointindications(C).

SuggestedidealhumanproportionsbyAndrewLoomisTrytheexerciseonthispagewithalternativeproportionsystemsusedbyother artists. In illustrator Andrew Loomis’s system of proportions notethat the head is used as a consistent unit ofmeasurement throughouthuman development, going from a proportion of 4 heads in height ininfancy,upto8headsinheightinmaturity,asopposedtoRicher’s7.5.

Here are five video game characters and their approximate height inheadunits, from left:Kirby (1head),Mario (3heads),Link (5.5heads),RebeccaChambers(7.5heads),MarkusFenix(9heads).Figure proportions are open to artistic exaggeration.A character can

bedesignedwithchildlikeproportions (1 to7headunits), regardlessofthecharacter’sage,togiveitaninnocentappealorwithadultproportions(7.5 to 8 head units) for a mature feel. You can go even further anddesign characterswith a heroic 9 heads in height, likeGears ofWar’sMarkusFenix,whichistheproportiontheancientGreeksusedtodepicttheir gods. Notice how Mario appears physically younger than LinkdespiteMario’solderageinsinuatedbyhismaturefacialfeatures.(photocredit3.1)

Studying the human skeleton is an important aspect of figuredrawingbecausethevolumesandshapeoftheskeletondefinemuchofthebody’soutwardappearance.Skeletal landmarksare thepointson thesurfaceof theskin

where theunderlyingbone isnearest thesurface.Theyserveas reliable indicators for the exact position of the skeletonbecausethey’revisibleonallbodytypes,fromfattothin.Usingfleshyformstomapoutyourdrawingisnotadvisablebecausethesofttexturemeansthatit’ssusceptibletochange.

Skeleton with Muscles (1749) with overlay by Bernhard SiegfriedAlbinus(1697–1770)Theskeletonisahardandsolidstructurethatdoesn’tdeform.Itisthanksto alternating soft forms located in between the bony masses thatmovement is possible. These soft formsare highlighted in red and aresituatedacrossjointsaswellasintheneckandabdomen.

HeadofanApostleLookingDownward(1508)byAlbrechtDürerEmphasizingthecontrastbetweenhardboneandsoft flesh iscritical inorder to convey that a character has a believable skeletal structureholding them together. If theunderlyingskeleton isnotsuggested, thenthefigurewillappeartoosoftandblob-like.Albrecht Dürer understood the figure like few other artists in history

becauseofhisdevotionto itsstudy,which isevident in thewayhehasdrawnthefleshofthefacetoappearstretchedoverthehardformsofthe

skull.

StudyofDiogenes for theSchoolofAthens (ca.1510)byRaphael(1483–1520)Raphael’s reclining figure, which is supporting its weight on one arm,illustrates this contrast of soft and hardmasses. Notice how the torsoappears tohangbetweenshoulderandpelvismuch likedraperystrungbetweentwopoles.Whatmakesthisgesturepossibleisacombinationofflexibleelementsofthebodyheldtogetherbytherigidskeletalstructure.

LEVELUP!

Thischapterdemonstratedhowcharacterscanbegivenasenseofmovementandweightbyconceptualizingthemonaseriesofcurved lines and shapes. You also took a look at humanproportions and had a previewof artistic anatomy and theway

the figure is constructed of soft and hard forms to makemovementpossible.Inthefollowinglevelyouwilltakethesimpleconceptsthatyou’velearnedinLevels1to3andapply themtodrawingsoftheOldMasters.

BattleoftheNakedMenbyAntoniodelPollaiuolo(ca.1429–1498)

WE’LL LOOKEVENMORECLOSELY at skeletal landmarks in thisanatomychapter,which is themost complex chapter in the entirebookasitcombinesalltheelementsstudiedsofar.Thismaysoundlikeadauntingchallenge,butyou’llshortlyseethattheOldMastershadsomesimplesolutionsfordrawingthecomplexhumanfigure.In medical science, anatomy is a very technical and detailed

understanding of the human figure. Artists aremore interested inthebody’sbroadervolumesand functions.Byconceptualizing thehumanfigureintermsofbasicvolumesyou’llhavegreaterfreedomindrawingitfromanyangleandincommunicatingitssolidityandweight.Everyartisthastheirownconceptofanatomicalformsbasedon

observation, study, and personal preference. The Old Masterstreatedthehumanfigureasmalleableandplastic,shapingittosuittheiridealtasteorartisticrequirements.

Thelessonsinthischapterarestructuredtodrawyourattentionto thevolumeandrhythmconceptsemployedby theOldMasters,which they used to create a powerful sense of solidity andmovement.

Thefigurehasbeenbrokendownintonineelements:feet,legs,pelvis, spine and ribcage, shoulder girdle, arms, hands, headand neck, and facial expressions/emotions. Each of theseelements is executed in six stages: massing, bones, skeletallandmarks, opposing curves, master quick studies, andanatomyingames.

01MASSING is theprocessof conceptualizinganelementofanatomyusingasimplevolumeor combinationof volumes tocreate a coherent whole. Massing should always follow thesame order: establish the largest forms beforemoving to thedetails. The massing processes here are only suggestions.You’ll develop your own concepts and shortcuts, as eachdrawing you do will present you with new challenges andinsights.

02BONES constitute the fundamental structure of the figureanddictatemuchofitsoutwardappearance.It’smoreimportantthat you develop an overall concept for general forms, ratherthan try tomemorize the 200-plus bones of the skeleton. Forinstance, it’smore important to understand the ribcage as anegg-likevolumethanitistorememberthenumberofribsithas.

03SKELETALLANDMARKSareourspatialguidestomapoutafigurebecausetheyrevealtheorientationanddirectionoftheskeleton. It’s important that you emphasize these landmarksbecausetheyconvincinglycommunicatethatyourfigureshaveaninternalskeletalframeholdingthemtogether.

04 OPPOSING CURVES are used to create an illusion ofmovementbyofferingviewersavisualpathtofollowthroughanimage.Anelementofinterpretationisnecessarywhenstudyingopposing curves because they don’t reference literal lines onthefigure.Whichlinesonthefiguretoemphasizeisthechoiceofeachartist:thecontourofaformormuscle,ashadowedge,or an imaginary line that references the general shape of abodypart.Conceptsforopposingcurvesforthefeetandhandshavebeencombinedwiththelargerformsofthelegsandarms.There is no section on opposing curves for the pelvis andshoulder girdle because of their compact form, which makesthemmoreusefulastransitionalpointsforabroadersystemofcurves.Theopposingcurvesofthelegarecoveredalongwiththefoot,andthoseforthehandarecoveredwiththearm.

05 MASTER QUICK STUDIES bring all our accumulatedcopying knowledge from Levels 1, 2, and 3 together. Thepracticeofcopyingallowsustostudytheprocessesofdifferentartistsandgainanintimateinsightintohowtheyconceptualizedthehumanfigure.

06ANATOMY INGAMESwill demonstratehowclassic figuredrawing concepts can be applied to video game characters.These lessons will help you combine concepts from bothdisciplines to design convincing characters, whether they’rebased on a realistic human form or something animal orimagined.

I’veavoidedusingtoomanytechnicalterms,whichareoftennot only confusing but easily forgotten. Information aboutindividual muscles was simplified in favor of broaderconcepts, because such information is often too finely

detailed to beof practical help in drawing for videogames,where the action is fast-paced and the characters arenormally clothed. For comprehensive information regardinganatomy,refertoArtisticAnatomybyDr.PaulRicher.

Let’sbeginourdetailedanalysisof the figurewith the feet,asthis iswhere all the force andweight of a person is directed.We’ll study the elastic properties of the feet and anatomicalfeatures thatwill help you better re-create the illusion of theirweight-bearingenergy.

The volumetric concepts that follow are only suggestions. Forexample,thespheresusedfortheheadandribcagecouldalsobeconceptualizedasboxesorcylinders.Whichvolumesyoudecidetousecanvarywitheachcharacterdependingon theemotionsthatyouwanttocommunicatethroughitsdesign.

MASSINGOFTHEFOOT

Whenever you draw, consider the big forms before details, as detailsincreasethecomplexityoftheelementsyouhavetoconsider.Indrawingthefootthefirstthingtonoteisthattheformhasanarchedshape,mostprominentlyvisibleinthefrontandsideview.Theinsideplane,wherethetwofeetcometogether,isrelativelyflat.Thearchconnectstwobox-likeformsatthefrontandbackofthefoot.

Thebasesof thesebox forms relate to thepadsof the foot thatmakecontact with the ground. The shape of the front pad, in particular, issusceptibletochangebecauseoftheflexiblebonestructurebeneaththesurfaceoftheskin.Avoiddrawingouteachtoeindividually,andinsteadconceptualizethe

toes as one curvedmass attached to the larger form of the foot. Theexception is thebig toe,whichhas themostmaneuverabilityandso isoftensplitfromthelargermassofthetoeswhileadheringtotheoverallstructure.

BONESOFTHEFOOT

SixStudiesof theLeftFootandOneof theShoulderbyLeonardodaVinci(1452–1519)

The visible portionof the toes is only a third of their full length, as thearticulatedbonesstarthalfwayalongthefootatthemetatarsals(A).Theconnections between the remaining two groups of bones at (B andC)canbetracedbythebulkythicknessofthejoints.The foot has several useful skeletal landmarks that you can use as

navigationpoints,suchastheheel(D),thenavicularbone(E),thecuboidbone(F),andthehookatthebaseofthefifthmetatarsalbone(G).The bones of metatarsal section (A) are held together with elastic

ligaments that allow them to spread outward, together with the toes,whenweightisplacedonthefoot.Notethatthepointatwhichthelegconnectstothefoot(H)islocated

further forward than the heel (D). This is because the muscles andtendonscontrollingmovementofthefootrequireleverage.Therefore,(H)actsasthepivotandtendonsattachedtoeithersideofthispointcontrolthepullingaction.

AnatomicalstudiesofthelegbyPeterPaulRubens

For the rapidprocessofblocking ina figure,particularly in thecaseofactionposesorpeopleinmovement,artistsoftenindicatethefootusinga triangleshapebecause itmatches thegeneral formof the foot in theside view. Rubens’s side-view drawing also illustrates the leveringmechanismoftheanklejoint.TheAchillestendon(I)ofthecalfmusclesrunsdown thebackof the leg tocup theheel (D) likeaslingshot.Theaccompanyingsketchillustratesthemechanisminaction.Tolifttheheelthemusclesof the leg (I)pullagainst thepivot (H).To lift the toes, themusclesaroundthefrontleg(J)pullagainstthepivot(H).

SKELETALLANDMARKSOFTHEFOOT

Study of a man’s right foot and its skeleton by Albrecht Dürer,BritishMuseumNoticehowthe internalskeletondictatesmuchof theexternalshapeofthefoot.Ifyouwanttodrawrealisticfeet(oranyotherpartofthehumanbody),you’llhavetoinvesttimeinstudyingtheskeleton.

DetailwithoverlayofStudyofaman’srightfootanditsskeletonbyAlbrechtDürer,BritishMuseumDürerdedicatedalotoftimetostudyinganatomy,soheunderstoodthebasisofsurfaceformsandcouldconfidentlyindicateimportantunderlyingskeletal landmarks when drawing the foot: the heel (A), the navicularbone (B), the cuboid bone (C), and the hook at the base of the fifthmetatarsal bone (D). Suggesting skeletal landmarks is an importantelement of figure drawing because they indicate the solid internalstructureholdingthebodytogether.Toalign the toescorrectly,Dürerdrewacurved lineacross thebulky

jointsbetweenthemetatarsalsandtoes.Hehasalignedthebigtoeatadifferent angle to the remaining toes, demonstrating its increasedmaneuverability.The fatty pads at the base of the foot are useful tools for

communicatingpressureandweight.Thefattypadthat isvisibleontheside of the foot at (D) squashes outward when downward pressure isappliedandisusuallymorepronouncedonfigureswithmorefat.

OPPOSINGCURVESOFTHEFOOTANDLEG

StudiesforaStatuebyTintoretto(1518–1594)Artists like Tintoretto who had expert knowledge of anatomy weremastersatcombining flowingsystemsofopposingcurves tocreate theillusionofmovement.TheopposingcurvesinTintoretto’ssketchswitchbetweenreferencing

contours,shadowedges,andinternalforms(suchasskeletallandmarksand muscle). Each gesture line represents a choice by the artist inresponsetotheenergyandmovementthatheperceivedinthemomentofdrawing.

YoucandeduceTintoretto’sconceptofopposingcurvesby thewayhehas accented certain lines to give a stronger sense of rhythm andmovement.The redarrows showhowTintoretto’s lines flowacross thecurvedshadowof theabdomen, thenondownthe legtobeardownonthefootwheretheweightofthefigureisconcentrated.Theselinescreatetheillusionofmovementbyofferingapathfortheviewer’seyetofollowthroughtheimage.

THEFOOTINGAMES

Jak&Daxter:JakTheearliestdesignofJak’sfeetwasinspiredbyGreco-Romansandals,whichseparate thebig toe from the restwith fabric.Becauseweknowthat digital space has no gravity and no weight, such details have theeffect ofmaking Jak lookmore groundedas his imagined bodyweightpushes down and out through his feet and toes, much like the waybristlesofapaintbrushspreadoutwhenpressedagainstacanvas.

Enslaved:OdysseytotheWest:MonkeyThearticulationofthebigtoeonMonkeyfromEnslaved:OdysseytotheWest adds a great deal of plasticity and life to the feet. Without thatarticulation,they’dlooklikeinanimateblocks.

MASTERQUICKSTUDYOFTHEFOOT

FeetofanApostlebyAlbrechtDürerDürer made many preparatory studies for his engravings that featuremeticulousdetailscapableoftellingastoryinthemselves.

Whendoing your study ofDürer’s feet, ignore thewrinkles and bumpsthroughouttheearlystagesandmassinthelargestshapesfirst.Initiallyuse straight lines to outline each shape, which will help you withmeasuringandtriangulation(thispage).A good place to start is with the pads of the feet, making sure the

proportions and placement of your shapes are correct because allsubsequentelementswillbeconstructedon topof thisbase.Evenwiththesesimpleindicationsthefeetarealreadyrecognizable.Thenextstepistorefineyourinitialcontoursandaddmoredetail for

themassof the toes.Begin your shadingwith the strong core shadowthatseparatesthedominantplanesofthefigure’sleftfoot,delineatingtheplanes facing toward the light and those facing away. This willautomatically give a strong sense of light and form. Continue addingdescriptivehatchlinesfortheshading,makingsurethatcurvedformsarecorrectlydescribedwithcurving lines.Alsonoteanyoverlappingforms,correctlydescribingwhichformisintheforegroundandwhichsitsbehindusingT-intersections.

Fromthispointon,addasmuchdetailasyouwish.It’sasimpletasknowthatthelargestshapeshavebeenestablished.

The legs are a pleasure to draw because they feature aprominentseriesofopposingcurvescreatedbyacombinationofboneshapesandmuscularforms.

MASSINGOFTHELEG

The basic volumes of the leg can be conceptualized as two stackedcylinders (A). When drawing the leg, your first lines establish itsproportions,notingthetopoftheupperleg,thekneejoint,andtheankle,and represent the bones of the upper and lower leg connecting to thepelvisandfootateitherend(B).Youcanthenconnectthesepointswithaspiral thatwrapsaround the imaginedcylindersbehind thekneeandpassesondown to the insideof theankle (C) inasystemofopposingcurves.Thesectionofthespiralconnectingthepelvisandthekneedefinesa

strongplanebreakbetweenthefrontor forward-facingplaneof the leg,andtheinsideplaneofleg.Thesectionofthespiralconnectingthekneewiththeankledefinestheoutsidecontourofthelowerleg.Thenext step is to suggest the calfmuscleand kneecap (D), noting

that thebaseof the calf isangled,asare thebonesof theankle joint.Draw a larger circle around the kneecap to locate themuscles on the

frontplaneoftheupperleg,whichcreateanoverhangingarchabovethekneecap.Youcanalsorunacurvedlinedownwardfromthebaseofthekneecaptosuggestthestrongplanebreakoftheshin.The remaining contoursof the leg can thenbeaddedand theentire

lengthofthelegdescribedwithmodifiedovalcross-sections(E)thattakeintoaccountthedominantplanesalreadydescribed.

AllegoryofAbundanceorAutumnbySandroBotticelli(1445–1510),BritishMuseumThe basic volumes suggested for each element of the body can be

changed to suit the personal preference of the artist and the emotionsbeingcommunicated.BotticelliwasknownforhisgracefulfemalefiguresinpaintingslikeTheBirthofVenus.Hispreferredvolumeconceptswerethesoftercylinderandsphere.In the drawing above we can see how the upper arm, forearm, and

legs have been shaded according to a cylindricalmass concept. Solidboxformswouldhavegiventhefiguresaheavierappearance.

BONESOFTHELEG

BonesofthelowerlimbbyDr.PaulRicher(1849–1933)Acommonmistake forbeginners is todraw the legsprotrudingstraightdownfromthepelvis.Inreality,theboneoftheupperleginsertsintoitssocketatanangleofaround45degrees.Ifthelegswereattachedtothe

baseof thepelvis it’dbeextremelyawkwardtowalk,asour legswouldrub against each other and we’d be restricted in raising our kneesforwardorouttotheside.Notetheslightcurvatureoftheboneoftheupperleginthesideview,

whichechoesthecurvingcontourofthethigh.

Theanklejointiscomposedofthetopmostpartofthefoot(thetalus)andthebonesofthelowerleg,thefibula(A)andtibia(B).Thebumpsthatwecommonly associatewith theankle are theendsof the fibula and tibiaprotrudingoutoneithersideof the leg.Note that the roundedbumpofthetibiasitshigherupthanthebumpofthefibulaontheoppositeside.Thetibia(B)appearstobefairlystraightbuttheknife-likeedgethatis

visible as a skeletal landmark on the surface of the shin is actuallycurved.From a side view, the protruding kneecap creates an upward-facing

planeacrossitstopwhilethefrontplanepointsslightlydownward.Inthefrontview,noticehowtheoutsideplaneofthekneejointisflat,

which is mirrored in the surface contours. The inside contour is moreroundedbecauseofmuscleformsthatwraparoundtheknee.Themidpointofthefigureisatthetopofthegreattrochanter,whichis

theoutermost part of the femurand is shaped likeabulb.Thisbulb isvisibleasadimpleonthesideplaneofthefigure.

SKELETALLANDMARKSOFTHELEG

TheFourWitchesbyAlbrechtDürerDürer has beautifully rendered the flesh of these females with awonderful sense of their soft and supple forms while ensuring thatimportantskeletallandmarks,particularlyinthelegs,arealsoindicatedtocommunicateasenseofsolidity.

Thetopmostskeletallandmarkofthelegisthegreattrochanter,whichisthe bulb shape at the top of the femur. The bony protrusion creates adimple (A) on the surface of the skin because ofmuscles that radiatearoundit.Farther down you’ll find the skeletal prominence of the kneecap (B),

which sits above the knee joint. The bump located just below thekneecapisthecombinedmassoftheheadofthetibiaandafattypad(C)thatprotectstheknee.Abarelyperceptiblebump(D)belowtheknee’smid-linerepresentsthe

head of the fibula, visible on the side plane of the knee. This skeletallandmarkbecomesmorepronouncedwhenthekneeisbent.Theoutsideankle (E)marks the lower end of the fibula, connecting the two pointsmuchlikeasplint.Fromhereondowntowardtheankleyoucanseethecurvededgeof thetibia—thelargerof thetwobonesof the lower leg—highlightedinblue.Dürer has expertly suggested the head of the tibia (F), feeling its

archedformacrossthetopofthefoot.Theverticalplaneoftheleghasbeenmodeled inshadow,and theupward-facingplaneof the foot is inlight.

MASTERQUICKSTUDYOFTHELEG

Studies of two legs and a right armbyMichelangelo (1475–1564),BritishMuseumMichelangelohadknowledgeof thehumanformlikefewotherartists inhistory,whichhegainedfromperforminghisowndissections.Luckilyyouwon’t need to perform any dissections to draw figures with the samesense of solidity as Michelangelo’s figures because it is largely hisexpressiveuseoflighttomodelformsthatgiveshisfigurestheillusionof

strength.

DespitethecomplexityofMichelangelo’sstudy,youcanusethemassingconcept(thispage) to temporarily ignoredetailsandblock in the legontheleftinnotimeatall.Thecoreshadowistheboundarybetweenthelight-andshadow-facing

planes.Squintingatthesubjecthelpsreducethecomplexityoflightandshadow masses so that you can see the core shadow more clearly,drawingitstangledpathasitdescribestheformsoftheleg.Withonlythecoreshadowindicated,you’vealreadycreatedasenseoflight.What remains is to refine the contours, ensuring that lines overlap

correctly,dependingonwhichformisintheforeground.The final layer of shading should be descriptive of the form: curved

linesforroundedformsandstraightlinesforflatplanes.Michelangelo’s leg study offers the opportunity to study the different

shapesof the calfmusclewhen it’s restingor flexed.Thehumanbodyisn’tanentirelyefficientmachine.With themassesof thebodystackedup one on top of the other, the feet and ankle joints do an inordinateamountofworktokeepthefigureupright.Theflexedcalfonthelefthasamoredefinedshapethantherelaxedcalfmuscleontheright.

Trythemassingprocessontheotherlegfeaturedinthestudy,notinghow themass of the leg inserts into the downward-facing plane of thepelvis.

LEGSINGAMES

TeamFortress2:Pyro(ArtworkcourtesyofValveCorporation)ThePyrocharacterfromTeamFortress2illustratesthestrongopposingcurvesof the legthatarecreatedbytheflowof theantigravitymuscles

that you studied in Gravity and Movement (this page). Also note theforwardtiltofthepelvisindicatedbythecharacter’sbeltlineandtheplanechange that occurs at the knee, which has been incorporated in anexaggerated manner. Consider featuring such exaggerations in yourdesigns, because the resolution at which players may eventually viewyourcharactersmaymeanthatnuanceswillbetoosubtletonotice.

Thepelvisisthebody’ssecondlargestform—theribcageisthelargest—andshouldthereforebeindicatedatthebeginningofadrawing, along with the ribcage and head, before details areadded. The pelvis features prominent skeletal landmarks thatwraparound thebody ina360-degreesweepand thatgiveastrong visual indication for the orientation anddirection of thepelvis.

MASSINGOFTHEPELVIS

Thepelviscanbeconceptualizedasataperedboxform(A).Thebonesoftheupperleginsert inthemiddleofthesideplanesofthisbox.Notethat the volume of the pelvis is angled forward at around 45 degrees.Refine thebox formwith thecontourof the iliaccrest, thecurved ridgethatdefinesthetopofthepelvis,andthedownwardsweepofthepubison the frontplane (B).Theupward-facingplaneon the rearsideof thebox form features a triangle along its center line that represents thesacrum(C),whichmarksthebaseofthespine.Withoutthissimplemassconcept,itwouldbeextremelydifficulttore-

create the form from imagination. But because you’ve been practicingdrawingboxesfreehandyoucanturntheformaroundanywayyouwish.

BONESOFTHEPELVIS

Pelvic bone illustrations fromArtisticAnatomy byDr. Paul Richer(1849–1933)When you look at these anatomical illustrations byDr.PaulRicher, it’seasytoseewhythepelvisisgenerallyconceptualizedasataperedbox

form.The frontview illustrateshow thesidesof thepelvis taper inwardbetweenthecurvedridgethatdefinesthetopofthepelvisanditsbase.The anterior superior iliac crests are the two prominent skeletallandmarks that you can feel if you trace your fingers across your hips,roughlyabovethefrontpocketsofyourtrousers.Thesocketintowhichtheupperlegfitsisvisibleinitscentralposition

inthesideview.Itfacesouttothesidesofthefigure,notdown.

The thin ridges along the top of the pelvis are prominent skeletallandmarksthatwillhelpyoupositionthepelvis.Youcanseeinthesideviewhowtheydefinetheforwardtiltofthepelvis,turningatanangleof90degreestoformthebackplaneofthepelvis.

Thesacrumtriangle isthecurvedtailshapeat thebaseof thespine.The threehighlightedpointsarevisibleas landmarkson thesurfaceofthe body and likewise give us a strong indication of the pelvis’sorientationinspace.

SKELETALLANDMARKSOFTHEPELVIS

BattleoftheNakedMen(1465–1475)byAntoniodelPollaiuoloTheiliaccrestwrapsaroundthesideplanesofthepelvisfromtheback,marking the topof the formwheremanymuscles from the ribcageandlegconverge.Theselandmarksareeasytoseeintheannotateddetailoftheartwork(thispage).

Detail and overlay of Battle of the Naked Men by Antonio delPollaiuoloTheanteriorsuperioriliacspine(A)isaskeletallandmarklocatedonthefront plane of the pelvis at the end of the iliac crest. You can feel theanterior superior iliac spine on either side of your hips as hard pointsbelow the surface of the skin. The skeletal landmark of the pubis (B)sweepsdownandacross the frontplaneof thepelvisbetween the twopointsoftheanteriorsuperioriliacspine(A).Thesartoriusmuscle(C)isattached to thebony ridgeof theanterior superior iliac spine (A), fromwhereitcontinuesdownacrossthefrontplaneofthelegtoattachontheinsideofthelegbelowtheknee.The great thing about these skeletal landmarks is that they are not

covered by muscle or significant layers of fat, and so are identifiablepointsofnavigationonallbodytypes.Followingtheiliaccrestaroundthewastetothebackofthefigurewe

findthesacraltriangle,whichisalsoknownasthe“devil’stail.” Ithasacurvedshapewhenviewedfromtheside.Youcantriangulateitspositionusing itsbaseand the top twopoints,which indicate theattachmentofthe strong muscles of the back. The sacrum is an important skeletallandmarkbecauseitclearlyindicatestheorientationofthepelvis.The bulging form of the external oblique muscle (D) attaches along

muchof the lengthof the iliac crestand is responsible for theupward-

facingplaneat thewaist in opposition to thedownward-facingplaceoftheribcage.

THEPELVISINGAMES

Enslaved:OdysseytotheWest:TripThe relatively hard-edged iliac crest and the downward sweep of thepubiscanbeseen incontrast to thesoftermuscular formaroundTrip’sabdomen.

The female pelvis is comparatively larger and wider than the malepelvis. The female body also tends to storemore fatacross the pelvisaroundthegluteusandsidesoftheupperleg,whichsoftenstheformofthe pelvis and accounts for Trip’s rounded silhouette. The male bodystores more fat above the pelvis, around the external oblique andabdomen,thusexposingmoreofitsangularform.

Vanquish:SamGideonwearingtheAugmentedReactionSuitFunctioncreates form.Humananatomyhasevolved to itscurrentstateduetofunctionalrequirements,suchasthesystemofopposingcurvesof

the antigravity muscles. Considering function will likewise dictate theformsyoudesignforyourowncharactersorcreatures.This is true of Sam Gideon’s Augmented Reaction Suit (ARS). The

forward tiltof thepelvis isvisiblehere in relation to thebackward tiltofthe shoulder girdle, showing the balancing relationship between thepelvisandribcagethatweexploredinGravityandMovement(thispage).

MASTERQUICKSTUDYOFTHEPELVIS

SeatedMaleNudebyEgonSchiele(1890–1918)Althoughthisisaverystylizedinterpretationofthefigure,EgonSchiele’sclassical training and strong anatomical knowledge are evident in the

solidity of the skeletal forms. Schiele has almost entirely ignored themusclesoftheabdomentoemphasizethehard-edgedpelvis.Theartisticeffectcreatesastrongsenseofvulnerabilityanddiscomfort.Ourcenterof interest here is the pelvis, the box shape ofwhich has been clearlydefinedbytheprominentupward-facingplanesoftheiliaccrestthatwraparoundthefigure’swaist.

Whendrawingthehumanfigure,thestartingpointisalwaysthebiggestforms.Because thehead isobscuredby the figure’sarm,startwith thebiggest form in the body: the ribcage. Indicate the ribcage’s spatialorientationwithaxislines.Theverticallinetravelsdownthelengthoftheabdomen tomeet thepelvis.Asyoudraw this line,closelyobserve therelativeheightoftheribcageinrelationtotheabdomentoestablishgoodproportions.Followalongbydrawingthepelvis,head,andlegs,usingsimplelines.

Youreyeshouldbeontheextremities,makingsurethealignmentoftheribcageandpelvis iscorrect.Youcanaddtheguidelinestothedrawingforaccuracy.Schielehasexplicitly conceptualized several other formsof thebody

assimpleshapes,whichmake the figureeasier todraw.These includethecircular shapesof thechestand lowerabdomen, the latterdefining

the downward sweeping curve of the pubis. The remaining forms areeasy to fill inonce thedominantvolumesareestablished.YoucanaddsimplelayersofshadingtomatchSchiele’sstronglysilhouettedfigure.

Theribcage is the largestmassof thebodyand therefore themost important. Artistic anatomy is more concerned with thevolumethatbestdescribestheoverallformoftheribcagethanit iswithanatomicalaccuracyandtheexactnumberofribsonthe ribcage.Whendrawing the ribcageyouhave toalso thinkabout thespine,whichsupports theweightof the ribcageandconnectsittothepelvisandhead.

MASSINGOFTHESPINEANDRIBCAGE

Thebasicshapeoftheribcageisegg-like.Ithelpstodrawacentralaxisontothisbasicegg-formtoindicateitsorientation(A).Youcanalsoaddanovaltothetopofthisvolumetopositionthebaseoftheneck.RefinethevolumeoftheribcagebydrawingthesoftinvertedV-shape

(B)thatdescribesthebaseoftheribsandthatcontinuesaroundtheformtothespineattheback.Asyoumakefurtherrefinements,notethatthevolumeoftheribcageis

flatterinbackandrounderinfront,whereitaccommodatesthelungs(C).Thetwolinestravelingdownwardandoutwardfromthebaseoftheneck

definethefrontplaneoftheribcage.ThecylindricalcolumnofthespineattachestotheribcagealonganS-

curve,endingwithatailatitsbasetoformthesacrumtriangle(D).

BONESOFTHESPINEANDRIBCAGE

Skeleton of the trunk from Artistic Anatomy by Dr. Paul Richer(1849–1933)Proportionally the ribcage is twoheadshigh, twoheadswide, andoneheaddeep.Thesternum,locatedbetweentheribsonthefrontplane,isoneheadinheight.

Therelativeanglebetweentheapexatthebackandfrontoftheribcageisindicatedbyline(A).Thedominantplanebreakisindicatedalong(B).Noticetheoverallorientationoftheribcage,whichistippedbackwardinoppositiontotheforwardtiltofthepelvis.Thesternum(C) isausefulskeletal landmarkthatdefinesthecentral

line of the ribcage. Another useful skeletal landmark is the inverted V-shapedopeningatthefrontoftheribcage.

Vertebral column fromArtisticAnatomy byDr. PaulRicher (1849–1933)You can see here how the spine becomes steadily wider from top tobottom,whereithasmoreweightfromtheupperbodytosupport.Artiststendtoexaggeratethiswideningatthebasetocommunicateastrongersenseofweight.Noticehowtheshapeofthespinedipsinandundertheribcageandheadat sections (B)and (D),which are the two dominantformsitsupports.Thespineattachestothesacrumtriangleatitsbase.

Thespinehasdifferent levelsofflexibility.Itsseventhcervicalvertebrae(A)isanimportantskeletallandmarkthatmarkstheborderbetweentheflexibleneck(B)andthepartofthespinethatattachestotheribcage(C),whichhastheleastamountofflexibility.Youcanfeelthedifferenceinflexibilitybetween(B)and(C)byplacing

yourhandonthebackofthelowerneckandrotatingyourheadandthenon the middle part of your spine at the ribcage. A similar increase inflexibilityoccursbetweentheribcageandpelvis(D).The tail-shaped sacral triangle (E) inserts into the pelvis. Its curvature

and three skeletal landmarks make it a useful place to indicate theorientationofthepelvis.

SKELETALLANDMARKSOFTHESPINEANDRIBCAGE

St.AlbertbyJosédeRibera(1591–1652)

InthisdepictionofSt.Albert,JosédeRiberadrewtheribcagefromatop-down view. He simplified the task of drawing the difficult view of theribcageby conceptualizing it asa spherical form. It’s suggestedby thecurved contour of theback,which is continuedbehind thearmandupanddownthesideofthefigure.Toorientthissphericalformandgiveitadirection,Riberaindicatedthe

verticalandhorizontalaxisofthesternum(A)thatrunsdownthemiddleof the ribcage.Healsomadesure to include theskeletal landmarksat(B),whichmarkadirectionchangebetweenthefrontandsideplanesoftheribcage.Thesolidityoftheribcagemeansthatthetriangleconnectingpoints(A)and(B)isfixed,nomatterwhatactionthefigureisperforming.Onthefigure’sside,thedownward-facingplanesofthelowerribcage

meettheupward-facingplaneoftheexternalobliquemuscleatpoint(C).

StudyofaMaleFigureSeenfromBehindbyPeterPaulRubensRubens teachesus thatmaintaining the solidity of the ribcage ismuchmoreimportantthandrawingitsdetails,whichshouldalwayssupportthebiggerforms.He created the illusion of a solid ribcage by drawing a nearly

continuous line around its spherical form. The soft transition of lightacrossthebackreinforcesitscurvedshape.Heusedthespineandtheskeletal landmarkof thesacral triangle togive the ribcageandpelvisadirection.

OPPOSINGCURVESOFTHESPINEAND

RIBCAGE

Enslaved:OdysseytotheWest:MonkeyTaking time toestablisha flowofopposingcurves through the forms isessential tocreatea realisticsenseof lifeandmovement.Although thebasicvolumeoftheribcageisfairlysimple,themyriadsofmusclesthat

overlay and attach to it make the task of drawing it somewhat of atechnicalchallenge.TheillusionofenergyinMonkey’sposehasalottodowiththeparallel

curves of the spine and the latissimus dorsi (purple) and deltoid (blue)muscles.Thelatissimusdorsiisaparticularlyusefulsurfacefeaturethatcanlinkelementsofthefiguretogetherbecauseofitslargesizeandthewayitwrapsaroundthelengthofthebackuptothearm.Youshouldtakethetimetostudythesemusclesindetailonceyou’re

confidentdrawingthemassoftheribcagefromeveryangle.

MASTERQUICKSTUDYOFTHESPINEANDRIBCAGE

StudyoftheFemaleNudebyAlphonseMucha(1860–1939)ThisstudybyAlphonseMuchaisagreatexampleofhowmuchyoucansaywithjustafewsimplelines.MasterJapanesepainterandprintmakerKatsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) summarized the artistic pursuit ofsimplicity beautifully: “At seventy-three, I learned a little about the realstructure of animals, plants, birds, fishes, and insects. Consequentlywhen I am eighty I’ll have made more progress. At ninety I’ll havepenetrated the mystery of things. At a hundred I shall have reachedsomethingmarvelous,butwhenIamahundredandteneverythingIdo,thesmallestdot,willbealive.”Mucha missed Hokusai’s life goal by twenty-one years, but

nonethelessachievedalevelofsubtletythatfewartistscanmatch.

Inyourstudyof thecentral figure inMucha’scomposition, firstblock inthehead, thenuse it tomeasureoutandmark the relativeproportionsand placement of the ribcage and pelvis, using the neck and spine asattachmentpoints.Indicatethecentralaxislinesofeachformtoestablishtheirrelativeorientationtooneanother.Muchausedverysubtlemarkstocommunicateskeletalandmuscular

landmarks: thesternomastoidmuscle,which runsacross theneck frombelowtheeartotheclavicle,wassuggestedwithtwolines;theshortlineat the armpit represents the pectoralis muscle and travels vertically toattachtothefigure’supraisedarms.Workingdownthefigure,addthecentrallineoftheabdominalmuscle

andbaseof theribcage followedby thecontoursof thepelvisbetweentheskeletallandmarksoftheanteriorsuperioriliacspine.Oncetheselargeskeletal formsareestablishedyoucanconsiderthe

softerfleshyformsthatoverlaythem.Mostrelevanttothisstudyarethefigure’sbreastsandexternalobliquemuscles,whicharedrawnwithlinesthatoverlapourinitialvolumes.Theinitialshapesthatyouputdowntoindicatethehead,ribcage,and

pelvis can be lightened or removed entirely with the eraser at anymoment,butit’simportantthatthecontourlinesthatyouputintheirplaceechotheirshapes.

THESPINEANDRIBCAGEINGAMES

Assassin’sCreedII:KristenBellIn thecharactermodelofKristenBell fromAssassin’sCreedII youcansee the inverted V-shape at the base of the ribcage and the centralgrooveseparatingtheabdominalmuscles.Twootherskeletallandmarksare visible: the iliac crest of the pelvis suggested by the folds andstitchingofKristen’stopandtheskeletallandmarkoftheclavicles,whichyou’llinvestigateonthispage.

Enslaved:OdysseytotheWest:EnemyRobotThe function of the inverted V at the base of the ribcage allows us tobringourchestdowntowardourtoes.WithoutthisV-shapedopeningyouwould be restricted in this action because the skeletal forms of theribcagewouldpinchtheabdomen.Because this robot fromEnslaved:Odyssey to theWest ismeant to

moveinahuman-likemanner ithastheV-shapedopeningaswellasaflexiblemidriffthatreferencestheflexibleabdomenandlowersectionofthespine.Notice the similarity of the robot’s pelvis to the human pelvis in its

taperedbox-shape,andtheopposingcurvesthroughouttheformsofthelegs. It’s easy to see from this example how knowledge of humananatomycanbeusedtocreateconvincingcharactersfromimagination.

The shoulder girdle is the convoluted skeletal link connectingthebonesof theupperarmtothetorso. It iscomposedof theshoulderblades,acromionprocess(theflatskeletalformthatislocated directly above the arm), and clavicles. The shoulderbladesare anextensionof theupper armand follow thearmaroundwhereveritgoes.Theshouldersareveryexpressiveofemotions because of the free movement the shoulder girdleaffords—pulled back to express confidence, dropped forwardforprotectionandtoexpressvulnerability.

MASSINGOFTHESHOULDERGIRDLE

In the front view a straight horizontal line establishes the plane breakbetween the frontplaneof thechestand the topplaneof theshouldergirdle.This line canbecontinuedaround to thebackand theshoulderbladestocompletetheupward-facingplaneoftheupperbody(A).Thistop plane should be tilted backward to echo the backward tilt of theribcage,inoppositiontotheforwardtiltofthepelvis.Theshoulderbladeshavea thin,curved formwhenviewed fromthesideas they fitsnugglyovertheroundedribcage.Theirbasicshapeisatriangle(B).Adownward-pointingtriangleatthepitoftheneckindicatestheinside

edgeoftheclaviclesandthetopofthesternum(C),whichisdrawnwitha vertical line. The T-shape that these lines create communicates theorientation and direction of the ribcage. The shoulder girdle’s primaryfunction is to allow for free movement of the upper arm, to which theclavicles and shoulder blades are fastened. The pivot point for theshoulderislocatedattheinsideedgeoftheclavicles.Theclaviclesmoveinrelationtothearms,sotheT-shapemayturnintoaYifbotharmsareraised.

BONESOFTHESHOULDERGIRDLE

SkelatalstudiesbyBernhardSiegfriedAlbinusKnowledge of the skeleton is extremely important because it dictatesmuchoftheoutwardformsofthebody.Knowingthelocationofskeletallandmarks lets us communicate direction and structural solidity of thefigure.

Theconstructionoftheshouldergirdleallowstheshoulderbladestofloatabovetheribcage,givingourarmsawiderangeofmaneuverability.Thepivot point of the shoulder girdle is located at the inside edge of theclavicles(C)and(D),wheretheyattachtothesternum(B).Theacromionprocess(E)isorientedatarightangletotheclavicles(A) initspositionabovetheboneoftheupperarm.

Ourshoulderbladeshaveaspine(lineFtoG),whichisausefulskeletallandmarkbecauseit’sagoodindicationofwhattheshouldersaredoingbeneath the surface of the skin as they follow the movements of theupperarmtowhichtheyareconnected.Thebaseoftheshoulderbladesisparticularlyvisiblewhenthearmis

pulledback,causing theshoulderblade to literally liftoff thesurfaceofthe ribcage. Indicating the points (F), (G), and (H) allows you totriangulatethepositionoftheshoulderblades.(H) is where the teres major muscle attaches, linking the shoulder

blade and the bone of the upper arm. This is just one of severalconnectingmusclesbetween the two forms.Topull our armsback,we

must push our shoulder blades inward. To pull our arm forward theshoulderblademustfollow,movingawayfromthespine.Theshoulderbladesarelargerthanmostpeoplethink:approximately

half the height of the ribcage. In the front view they can be seenextending out beyond the mass of the ribcage, seen as a triangularshapebelowpoints(A)and(E),toconnectwiththeupperarm.

SKELETALLANDMARKSOFTHESHOULDERGIRDLE

TheBaptismofChristbyLucaCambiaso

The shoulder girdle has many useful landmarks that will help youcommunicatetheactionofthearmandorientationoftheribcage.Withasimplestraight linebetweenpoints (A)and (B)LucaCambiasodefinedtheclaviclesandestablished theupwardplaneof theshoulders.At (C)hedrewaVandasmall vertical line to indicate the insideedgeof theclavicles and sternum, giving direction to the ribcage to which theseforms are attached. The line that goes behind the head is the contourcreatedbythetrapeziusmuscle.The figure on the left has his arm pulled forward, which

correspondinglycausestheshoulderbladetoslideover theformof theribcage, away from the spine in pursuit of the arm. Cambiaso hastriangulated its position with a contour line and the shadow edge thatcontinuesintothearm.

THESHOULDERGIRDLEINGAMES

Crysis2:Nanosuit2Thespineoftheshoulderblades(A),theacromionprocess(B),clavicles(C),andthesternum(D),haveallbeenclearlyincorporatedhereintotheNanosuit 2. Note how the plane created between these points is tiltedbackwardinthesideview,echoingthebackwardtiltoftheribcage.

The skeletal landmarks are instrumental in giving the suit its visualstrength.Withoutthemthecharacterwouldlookunstableandlackasolidstructuretokeepitupright.In the frontviewthesilhouetteof the trapeziusmuscle travelsbehind

the neck in an arc between points (B). The majority of aggressivecharacters have an overly developed trapezius because this musclestabilizes the neck when the head is punched and adds a sense ofbelligerencetotheirappearance.

MASTERQUICKSTUDYOFTHESHOULDERGIRDLE

FightingMenbyRaphaelExamplesoftheshouldergirdleinactionareinabundanceinthisstudyby Raphael. Make a quick study of the prostrate figure in Raphael’scomposition,whose right arm is pulled forward and up in self-defense.Raphaelwouldhavebeenperfectlycapableofcreatingthisdrawingfromimagination, aswould all theMasters featured here.You too can drawsuchconvincingfiguresfromimaginationifyoutakethetimetolearntheproportionsystemsandmassingconceptsinthisbook.

The most prominent skeletal landmarks of the prostrate figure are thesternum(A),clavicles(B),andacromionprocess(C).After establishing theheadand ribcage, note that the contour lineof

the acromion process and spine of the figure’s right shoulder bladeintersectwithhisfacejustbelowthenose.Raphaelhasusedtheconceptofatmosphericperspective(seethispage)tofadethecontourlinebeforeit disappears behind the head to emphasize that the form sits furtherbackinspaceinrelationtotheface.The figure’s right clavicle is at a steeper angle than his left,

emphasizingtheangleofhisrightshoulder’sdefensiveposition.

The process of drawing arms is similar to that used for legs.Both the legs and arms have interesting spiraling rhythmslinking their forms. This spiraling placement of forms isessentialtocreatemovement.

MASSINGOFTHEARM

Thequickestwaytomassthearmistoconceptualizeitastwocylinders(A).Beginwithsimplegesturallinestoindicatethedirectionofthelowerandupperarmusingvariouscurvesandcross-sectionsdependingontheactionofthearm.Amoreadvancedmassconceptforthearmistoreduceitsvolumesto

a series of interconnecting box and spherical forms intersecting oneanotheratroughly90degrees(B).Forthefinalstage,refinethesebasicvolumes, noting the way they attach to one another (C). The top boxrepresents the deltoid muscle. The base of this form tapers to insertbetween the muscles below. A similar tapering and insertion happensacrossthepitoftheelbowbetweentheboxformdirectlyabovetheelbowjointandthesphericalformbelow.

BONESOFTHEARM

ArmstudybyLeonardodaVinci(1452–1519)In Gravity and Movement you saw how the opposing placement ofantigravitymusclesupanddownthebodyisfundamentaltotheactionofwalking.Thissystemofopposingcurvespenetratesdowntothebones,since this iswhere themusclesattach.Youcansee this in thedrawingabove in the way Leonardo drew the spiraling shape of the humerus,whichistheboneoftheupperarm;see(A)inthenextillustration.

Hereyoucanseetheactionofthetwobonesoftheforearm.Whenthepalmofyourhandisturnedsothatitfacesuporforward,theradius(B)andulna(C)sitparalleltoeachother.Whenthewrististwistedsothatthepalmfacesdownorbackward,the

twobonestwistovereachothertocreateanX-shape(D).Thisactionisvisibleonthesurfaceof theskinbecauseofseveralskeletal landmarksthatwe’llstudyinthefollowingdrawings.

SKELETALLANDMARKSOFTHEARM

StudyofDraperybyAlphonseMucha

Theskeletallandmarksofthearmconcentratearoundtheareabetweentheelbowandwrist.Thehardskeletalformthatwethinkofastheelbowisthelargeendoftheulna(A).Theulnahasasecondlandmark,whichistheskeletalbumponthetopoutsideedgeofthewrist(B).Thelinethatlinks these two points together traces the path of the ulna below thesurfaceoftheskin.Twosmallerskeletallandmarks(C)and(D)indicatetheextremitiesof

thehumerusbone,whichholdtheendoftheulna(A)inplace.Theedgeof the ulna and the tendons of the triceps create a strong plane breakalongthelineindicateddownthebackoftheupperarm.

HumanSkeletonbyGovertBidlooThisdetailfromanengravingbyGovertBidlooisincludedherebecauseit shows theconnectionbetween theulnaandhumerusbone.Youcanclearly see the ulna and its skeletal landmark where it slots into thewrench-likeshapeofthehumerusbone.LookforthesebonesasskeletallandmarksattheelbowsofthefemalefiguresinMucha’sdrawing,belowandopposite.

MASTERQUICKSTUDYOFTHEARM

Study of Clasped Hands, for Heaven (1895–1916) by John SingerSargent,BostonPublicLibraryThis drawing of arms and clasped hands by John Singer Sargent isbeautifully simple and yet it still has a powerful sense of strength andform.Thethree-stepstudyoppositewillshowyouhowSargentachievedthis.

Illustration(A)demonstratesthefirststepofthestudy.Workingfromtopto bottom, start with a tapered box for the deltoid muscle. Below thistaperedboxformplaceanotherbox,intersectingitwiththeoneaboveatanangleofapproximately90degrees.Thelastsetofvolumesmassthelower arm, featuring cylinder and box forms, which overlap tocommunicatedepth.Because themusclegroupsareconceptualizedasseparatevolumes

it’s easier to understand why the contour of the deltoid overlaps thecontour of the triceps, as the triceps sit further back in space. Furtherdown you see additional overlap where the contour of the forearmoverlapstheoutsideedgeofthetricepstoindicatethattheupperarmisfurther back in space than the forearm. Run a line indicating the coreshadow along the dominant plane breaks of the upper arm (B), asSargent has done. This gesture alone already increases the sense oflightandform,buttheadditionofquick,diagonalshadingfortheshadowplanes completes the illusion. Finish by refining the contour lines andaddingoverlappingT-intersectionsthatcommunicateastrongersenseofdepth(C).

THEARMINGAMES

GearsofWar2:BerserkerYoucanclearlyseethetwistingactionoftheBerserker’sforearm,causedby theorientationof thedownward-facingpalm.Startingat the skeletallandmarksoftheelbow,thesesurfaceformstwistaroundthelowerarmtoward the wrist, suggesting the same underlying skeletal mechanismthatLeonardodrewinhisstudyofthebonesofthearmonthispage.TheBerserker’sdesignalsoreferencestheanatomyoftheupperarm

with the 90-degree intersection between the deltoid muscle and thecombined mass of the biceps and triceps below. The majority of themuscle fibers have been clearly defined,making them look like they’reburstingattheseams.(photocredit4.1)

PrinceofPersiaPrinceofPersiafeaturesexcellentlightingthatmodelstheplanesofthefigures, much like the lighting used by the Masters. The arm in thisscreenshotresemblesthestudybySargentonthispage.

Acoreshadowrunsdownthelengthofthearm,definingtheinsertionofthedeltoidinbetweenthetricepsandbiceps.Itthenturnstowrapacrossthe triceps before continuing down to the wrist. On its way down, itbreaks at two important landmarks: the base of the lateral head of thetriceps (A) and the skeletal landmarks of the humerus and ulna at theelbow(B).The upper arm was modeled asymmetrically with the apex of the

contour for the triceps on the back of the arm located higher than theapexofthebicepsonthefrontofthearm.Whentheupperarmisflexed,therelativepositionsarereversed.

Incomparisontotheotheranatomicalformswe’veinvestigatedso far, the hands are a collection of very small forms, theintricacy and flexibility ofwhichmake thema very expressivefeatureofthehumanbody.

MASSINGOFTHEHAND

Thequickestwaytosuggestthehandiswithapetalshape(A),thetipofwhich is located off center to indicate the position of the long middlefinger. Cut this petal shape in half with a curved line to indicate theplacementof theknuckles.The formof the thumboverlaps thebaseofthepalmatroughlya45-degreeangle.Toaddvolume, turn thebulkof thehand intoaseriesofarchedbox

formsthattapertowardthefingers(B).Keepinmindthatthehandsaremuchsimplertodrawifyoutreatthe

fingers as one mass, rather than drawing each finger individually. Wetookthesameapproachincombiningthetoestoenhancethefeelingofacoherent,solidmass.Commonexceptionsaretheindexandlittlefingers,whichare themostmaneuverableof the fingersandhelpcommunicatetheexpressiveactionsof thehand (C).Notice that fingernailshavenotbeen considered, as they are a detail that is secondary to the overallmassconception.

The thumb can also be conceptualized using box forms, but its base(whereitattachestothepalm)iscloserinshapetoanelongatedsphere.Another prominent form is located on the opposite side of the palmacross from the thumb. When tensed, this mass of muscle and fat,togetherwiththethumb,allowsyoutocupyourhand.

BONESOFTHEHAND

The segments of the fingers, known as the metacarpals (A) andphalanges(B), (C),and (D), are responsible for the skeletal landmarksonthesurfaceofthehand.Youcanseehowthebulkyjointsofthebonescreatetheconcertina-likeshapeofthefingers.Noticehowthealignmentofthejointsdescribesthecurvedformofthehand.Michelangelo’sstudyalso features thestyloidprocessof theulna (E)

and the smaller skeletal landmark of the radius (F), which are usefullandmarksfordescribingtheorientationofthewrist.Weoftenthinkofclassicalartworksas“realistic,”butinfacttheywere

very stylized and unique to each artist. It’s interesting to note thatMichelangelo used a simplermass concept for the upper arm than didSargent (see this page). Sargent’s core shadow snakes its way downacross the deltoid and biceps; Michelangelo’s drops down almostuninterrupted. Also compare this mass concept for the arm to theBotticelli artwork on this page. These are great examples of just howopenrepresentinganatomyistoartisticexpression.

Study of a left arm and the bones of a left arm by Michelangelo,BritishMuseum

SKELETALLANDMARKSOFTHEHAND

Rightandlefthand:outsideviewinprofilebyAlbrechtDürer,SaxonStateLibrary,Dresden

Thejointsofthefingersserveusperfectlyinsimplifyingthemassofthehand if we link them together to create a larger shape, as opposed todrawingeachfingerindividually.HereDürerlinkedtheskeletallandmarksof the knuckles with a curved line starting just below the joint of thethumb(A)andendingat (B).The tipof the thumb is roughlyaligned tothefirstjointofthelittlefingeraftertheknuckle.Another landmark thatyou lookedatalready is thestyloidprocessat

theendof theulna(C).On theoppositesideof thewrist is thesmallerskeletallandmarkattheoutsideedgeoftheradiusbone(D).

OPPOSINGCURVESOFTHEARMANDHAND

StudyfortheBattleofCascinabyMichelangelo

Artists sometimes use the spherical form at the base of the thumb inopposition to the curved contour of the fingers to create a flow ofopposingcurves,asMichelangelohasdonehere.Makeaquickstudytofindtheopposingcurvesflowingthroughoutthe

figure,wrappingaround thehead,over theshoulders,anddown to thelegs.Notetheopposingcurvesbetweenthetricepsandbiceps.

MASTERQUICKSTUDYOFTHEHAND

SketchforAchillesandChiron (MFARotunda),1917–1921byJohnSingerSargent,MuseumofFineArts,BostonPreparatory drawings are fascinating to study because they reveal thethoughtprocessoftheartist.Inthisstudy,Sargentdrewtwoversionsofthesamehand.Theupperdrawingislessdevelopedandrevealshowheconceptualizedtheclenchedhandasamodifiedboxformwithatopandfrontplane.

Ifyou followSargent’s leadandbeginwithablock incombiningall thefingers into one mass, you’ll see how useful this approach is insimplifyingtheotherwisecomplexelementsofthehand.Since you’re not considering individual fingers but the segments

between the knuckles as a whole, measuring is made easier using

triangulationandpositiveshapes.Lighting such a simplemass is straightforward since the planes that

facetowardandawayfromthelightareclearlydefined.Onceyouhavethegeneralmassofthefingersblockedinandshadedappropriately,thefingersshouldfallnicelyintoplace.Beginnersoftenforgettodrawasideplaneforthefingers,whichmakesthefingerslooktwo-dimensional.

THEHANDINGAMES

TeamFortress2:Medic(ArtworkcourtesyofValveCorporation)TeamFortress2featuressomeofthebestlightinginthebusinesswhenit comes to modeling form. Individual planes that face in the samegeneraldirection,suchas the fingers,areshadedwith thesamevalue,which subdues individual contours and groups them into one unifiedplane.Theproportionsof thehands, like the feet,canbeenlarged toadda

greatersenseofweight,asherewiththeMedic.

Fable3,©MicrosoftGameStudios,2010In theseconceptsketchesforFable3youcansee justhowexpressivethehandsareincommunicatingmuchofthepersonalityofthecharacterto which they belong. From left to right, the characters’ handscommunicate determination, strength, authority, stubbornness, andsnobbishrefinement.

Theheadisthethirdlargestformofthebody,aftertheribcageandpelvis.Itsoverallshapeshouldbeyourprimaryconcerninestablishing the solid skeletal form of the skull that itrepresents. The facial features are of secondary interest andallow you to fine-tune the emotions that have already beenestablished in the broader concepts of the pose and largervolumesofyourcharacters.

MASSINGTHEHEADANDNECK

Thebestapproximationofthehead’sformisaspherethatrepresentsthebackofthehead.Furtherrefinethismassconceptbyslicingoffthesidesof the sphere to define the side planes of the head. Draw a crosshairacrossthefrontplaneofthefacetoindicatethedirectionthattheheadisfacing. The vertical line indicates the central axis of the face, and thehorizontallineindicatesthebrow.Decidingwhetherthebrowlinecurvesup or down is very important, as this communicates whether you’relooking at the head fromabove or below. This combinedmass can beplacedatopthecylindricalvolumeoftheneck.

Fromhereyoucandivide theverticalaxisof the frontplane into thirds,indicatingthehairline(ortopoftheforehead),brow,andundersideofthenoseandchin.Notethatthescalpextendsbeyondthetopofthehairline.A common perspectivemistake is to forget that all parallel lines of anobjectshouldconvergetoanimaginaryvanishingpoint,sobesuretheseindicationsconvergeinabelievableway.

The downward plane of the eye sockets is chiseled out of the mass,muchasasculptorwoulddoworkingwithstone.Drawacurvedlinefromthequartermarkonthesideoftheheadanddowntothechintosuggesttheformsofthecheekbones.Noticehowtheroundformoftheteethandjawissuggestedsimplyby

connecting the cheekbones with a curved line. A curved line likewisedefinestheforehead,linkingthetemplesoneithersideofthefrontplane.This volume is the first thing to consider when drawing the head

because all facial features overlay this dominant mass. Practice theabove process repeatedly, drawing the head in every possibleorientation,andyou’llsoonfindyourselfdrawingheadsfromimagination.Complete this massing stage by attaching the ears, which can be

conceptualizedastaperedboxformsattachedbehindtheverticalcenterlineoftheheadonthesideplanes.

MASSINGTHEEYES,MOUTH,ANDNOSE

You should always be conscious of the spherical form of the eyeballwhendrawingtheeyelids.Eyelidshaveathicknesstothemthatcausesthe upper eyelid to cast a shadowonto the sphere of the eyeball as itwrapsaroundtheform.Beginnersoftenhavetheideathatthewhitesoftheeyesareindeedwhiteandautomaticallyignoreanyvisibleshadowscastbytheeyelids.It’sbettertothinkoftheeyeballasacolorlesssphereand shade it just like the spherical form that we studied in AdvancedLightingandValuesonthispage.

Keep inmind that the lipsoverlay the cylindricalmassof the teeth.AsAndrewLoomiswroteinDrawingtheHeadandHands,“Toimpressuponyourselfwhattheroundnessofthisareaislike,takeabiteoutofapieceofbreadandstudyit.Youwillprobablyneverdrawlipsflatlyagain.”Note that theoutsidecornersof themoutharedrawnsoftly to reflect

the curved forms on either side of the lips. The bottom lip can bedescribedasanupward,light-facingplane.Ratherthandrawanuglyandunrealisticcontourlinearoundthebottomlip,suggesttheshadowbelowit.Thelowerlipmagicallyappearswithoutbeingexplicitlydefined.

Theboxformofthenoseshouldbeplacedalongthecentralverticalaxisoftheface.Thetopplaneofthenosechangesfromhardskeletalformsto softer masses at the base. These changes can be described byvaryingtheweightofthelinethatdescribesthecontour.A featureof thenose that is greatlyoverlooked is that of thenasalis

muscle(highlightedinred),whichsitsjustabovetheoutwardformsofthenostrils. This muscle is emphasized when a person is snarling. Thenasalismuscleandtheintersectionsbetweenformsbreaktheotherwisestraightcontourofthenose.Keytomakingthenoseappearasifitisprotrudingisthecoreshadow

thattravelsaroundtheedgesatthebaseofthenose,creatingtheeffectofreflectedlightforthedownward-facingplane.

BONESOFTHEHEADANDNECK

EngravingofthehumanskullbyWilliamMiller(1818–1871)Thehardnessorsoftnessof the line (A) thatdefines the frontandsideplanes of the head varies along its length depending on whether it isdescribingboneorsofterfleshyforms.The most abrupt transitions between light and shadow are always

wheretheboneisnearestthesurfaceatskeletallandmarks.Ontheskullthese are found along the edge of the nose (D), the temples (E), thecheekbone(F), themastoid process behind the ear canal (G), and thetemporalline(H).

Thenasalbridge,orglabella (C), is looselydefinedby the topof thenasalboneandtheinsidecornersoftheeyebrowsonthesurfaceoftheskin.Youcanseeinthesideviewthatthisplaneisdownward-facingandthereforeofteninshadow.Theangleofthecheekbone(B),whichwrapsaroundtheeyesockets,

varieswildlybetweenpeopleandethnicities.Thecylindricalvolumeof theteethandoverlayingmusclesdefinethe

shape of the muzzle (indicated as a blue oval). It’s difficult to fullyappreciate the exact volumes of the head based on these two-dimensionaletchings,whichiswhyit’simportanttofindyourselfamodelofaskulltostudyfirsthand(averypopularsourceofanatomymodelsforartistsiswww.anatomytools.com).

SKELETALLANDMARKSOFTHEHEADANDNECK

ProportionStudiesbyLeonardodaVinciEvery classical artist had their own system of proportions, which gavethem the ability to create figures from imagination. The sketchbooks ofthe Old Masters are filled with studies like the one above, whereLeonardo noted the general alignment of various landmarks to makememorizingthemeasier.

Asyoulearnedinthemassingexercisesonthispage,theface,orfrontplaneofthehead,canbedividedverticallyintothirdsusingthehairline,brow,nose,andchinaslandmarks.YoucanalsoseeherethatLeonardodrewalinefromtheinsidecorneroftheeye(A)totheoutermostedgeofthenoseasawaytoremembertherelativealignmentbetweenthesetwofeatures. Another vertical line links the left edge of the iris with theoutsidecornersof themouth (B).Theearsalignwith thebrow line (C)andthetipofthenose(D).On the side of the head, Leonardo aligned the ear behind the

centerlineofthehead(E).The sternomastoid muscle (F) emerges from behind the ear, wraps

around thecylinderof theneck,andattaches to the insideedgeof theclavicles.Thesternomastoidmusclescanbethoughtofasrubberbandsthatconnect thehead to the torsoso thatwecanmoveourhead fromsidetosideandtiltitforward.

OPPOSINGCURVESOFTHEHEADANDNECK

StudyofaBustofVitelliusbyTintoretto(1518–1594)Oneof thegreatexercisestobuildconfidence indrawingtheheadandits rhythms is tomakecopiesof ancientGreekandRomansculptures.Tintorettodidmanysuchdrawingsof theRomanEmperorVitellius (AD15–69) because he had a copy of a classical sculpture depicting theemperor’sheadinhisstudio.Becausethegeneralmassoftheheadissuchacompactform,you’d

think that there is little roomforcreatinga flowofopposingcurves.ButyoucanseeherehowTintorettoexpertlyselectedandemphasizedlinesthatwouldhelpguideaviewer’seyearoundtheform.

MASTERQUICKSTUDYOFTHEMALEHEAD

Study of a Bust of Vitellius by Tintoretto (1518–1594), BritishMuseumPractice your massing concept for the head by studying this seconddrawingofEmperorVitelliusbyTintoretto.

Six-StageGestureProcessforTintoretto’sHead

01Thestartofeverydrawingisthemostimportantbecauseitis thefoundationforsuccessivesteps.Thefirstoval indicatingthegeneral shapeof theheadshouldbeobservedaccuratelyand drawn with precision. Does the head have a tall, narrowovalshape?Or is itmoreangularandsquare?Stepbackandconsider the head’s overall shape to avoid distraction fromdetails.You’llbesurprisedat thevarietyofheadshapesonceyoulookmoreclosely.

02Tintoretto’sheadistiltedtotherightandhasaslightlyboxyshape,sodrawyourfirstshapewiththesetwoobservationsinmind. Then divide the headwith a center axis cut into thirds,noting that the top third, representing the forehead, is smalleronoursubjectthaneitherofthetwothirdsbelow.Locatethepositionoftheears,whichshouldsitbetweenthe

browandthebaseofthenose.Becausewe’re lookingslightlyupatthefigure,theearsappearlowerdown.Don’trefrainfromdrawingguidelines.TheOldMastersused themtoalign facialfeatures,asyoucanseeinmanyoftheirdrawings.

03Thegoalofthisstageistoestablishthelargestplanesofthehead.Tintorettofixedthelightsourcefromtheupperleftofthedrawing,placingthefigure’sleftanddownward-facingplanesinshadow.Acommonbeginner’smistake is tocreatespottypatchesof

shadow isolated within the dominant light-facing planes.Stronglydefinethelight-facingfrontplaneofthefacefromthesidesoftheheadbyshadingthesideslightlywithaneventonetoreinforceyourvolumetricconcept.Makeahabitofmodelingthemassoftheheadinthiswayinallyourdrawingstocreateastrong sense of three dimensions, even if such form-defininglightisnotclearlyvisibleonthemodel.

04Ournextstepistoblockinthesecondlargestsetofshadowplanes,whichincludesthearchesoftheeyes,thebaseofthe

nose, the upper lip, and the underside of the lower lip.Worklightlyandmakeadjustmentstoyourdrawingasyouprogress.Block in the eye socket by using shadow shapes and usefullandmarks,suchas the insideandoutsidecornersof theeye.Ratherthandrawingcurvedlinestoblockintheshapes,breakdowncontoursintoaseriesofstraightlines,whichareeasiertotriangulate.Core shadows are especially useful in defining the various

shapes that make up the head. Varying the pressure of thepencil to create darker or lighter lines is a great shortcut insuggesting hard and soft plane breaks, which are the pointswheretheformturnsawayfromthelight.Every lineputdown ismirroredonbothsidesof thecentral

axis.Useyourmeasuringtools tocheckthat theplacementofeachline isasaccurateaspossible.Themostuseful tool thattrumps all others is squinting because it helps simplify thesubtler modulations of shadow and light into bigger, unifiedshapes.

05Once the facial featuresareblocked in,beginrefiningyourdrawingbyselectingananchorpoint—thecenterof interest—likeaneye.Here,gowiththelefteye.Develop the eye socket, making sure that every line you

placetoindicatetheeyelidsdescribesthesphericalformoftheeyeball.Work the shadow mass of the left eye until you feel it’s

correct, as itwill be your anchor point againstwhichall othershapesandvolumesof theheadwill be judged.Whenyou’resatisfiedwiththeaccuracyofyouranchorpoint,tentativelyworkonanadjacentareaontheface,suchasthenoseorglabella,usingthespiralingprocess(thispage).Theglabella, thedownward-facingplanebetween theeyes,

isextremely important ingettinga likenessof thefigure.Drawthis shape incorrectly—toowideor too thin, for instance—andtheperson’sfacetakesonacompletelydifferentcharacter.

06 Notice how important the core shadow is to giving thefeelingthatthebrowandnoseprotrude.Ifyoumerelysuggestthecoreshadowwithadarker lineorshadowmass, then theremaining shadow area automatically begins to look like itreceivesreflectedlight,makingthefacialfeaturespopforward.The hair should be conceptualized in the sameway as the

eyeballs:asacolorlessvolume.Itdoesn’tmatter,forinstance,if your model’s hair is black. The hair is an extension of themassof thehead, so should thereforebe shaded todescribethehead’smajorvolumes.Finish by adding some accents of two or three sharp, dark

linesconcentratedaroundwhicheverareayouwantviewerstofocus on in a portrait. In Western figurative art the center ofinterestwas traditionally the lefteyebecause thoseofuswhoreadfromlefttorightwillusually“read”itasthedominanteye.Avoid giving equal importance to both eyes to give viewers a

single eye to focus on, as people naturally do duringconversation.

MASTERQUICKSTUDYOFTHEFEMALEHEAD

StudyofaWoman’sHeadbyLeonardodaVinciHave a go at copying this beautifully subtle drawing by Leonardo daVinci. Use the same process you did for the male head, although it’sworthnoting theway inwhichLeonardohas rendered the femaleheadwithsofterandmoreroundedfeaturesincontrasttoTintoretto’srelatively

angularmalehead.

The head in Leonardo’s drawing ismore spherical than the boxymalehead by Tintoretto. Leonardo described the head’s volumewith a coreshadowthatrunsalmostverticallyacrossthecheek(A)andthereflectedlightontheundersideofthechin(B).Theearwasshadedtoconformtothehead’soverallshape,withonly

the light-facing top plane indicated. This has an added effect ofmaintainingfocusonthefacialfeatures,whicharethecenterofinterest.Rounder features are a general characteristic of female heads. The

chin, for instance, tendstobemorecurved in females,although it’sstillimportanttodefinethefrontandsideplanesoftheheadwithachangeindirection at (C). The female figure also tends to have a longer neck,

which is a feature that can be exaggerated for a swanlike effect.Leonardodidnotdraw thesternomastoidmusclesoneithersideof theneck,whichgivesitamoredelicateappearance.Intheeyes,Leonardooffsettheplacementofthepupilwithintheiristoindicateperspective.Whatmakes this drawing so delicate is that the value contrasts are

subdued.Themodelwouldlikelyhavehadatleastafewwrinklesonherface,especiallythelinesthatrundownoneithersideofthenostrilstothecorners of the mouth. Emphasizing wrinkles often makes figures lookmuch older than they are, so ignore labial folds and eye crinklesaltogetherwhendrawingchildren.

THEHEADANDNECKINGAMES

Uncharted2:ElenaFisher(ArtworkcourtesyofSCE)AlthoughtheshapeofElena’sheadisrounded,thefrontandsideplanesaredefinedwithlightandshadowtogivethefaceastrongsenseofthreedimensions.Youcansee theplanebreakbetweenfrontandsideplaneby following the shadow line that runsalong theedgeof the forehead,alongthecheek,anddowntowardthechin.Thislineismirroredoneithersideoftheface.

The frontplaneof the facestartsat thehairline (A),downeachsideofforehead, running around the eye sockets, over the cheekbones, anddown to the chin.Thesternomastoidmusclesoneither sideofElena’sneckareindicatedbythelinesstartingattheinsideedgeoftheclavicles(B)towhichtheyconnect.Eventhoughyoucan’tseetheribcageinthisclose-upview,theorientationoftheheadinrelationtothetorsoismadeclearduetothealignmentoftheheadandchininrelationtotheclavicles(B).

TeamFortress2:ConceptartforMedicIn contrast to Elena’s head, the Medic from Team Fortress 2 is muchmoreangular,particularlyatthechin.Theexcellent“classical”lightingofthegamewasevidentlyconsideredintheconceptartstageanddefinesthe frontandsideplanesof theheadmuch like thestudybyTintoretto(thispage).

The human face has the highest concentration ofmuscles ofany animal, which allows us to articulate a wide and subtlerange of emotions. But a character’s ability to express thewhole range of basic emotions relies on a minimum of fourspecific areas of the face: the forehead, the eyebrows, theeyes,andmouth.

SelfPortrait,FrowningbyRembrandtvanRijn(1606–1669)Rembrandtwasamaster increatingsubtlefacialexpressionsthankstohis many self-portraits. Note that several important lines are key tocommunicating the emotion of anger in this expression: vertical frownfolds (A), a flat brow (B), the downward slope of the upper eyelid,wrinklingandwideningofthenose,andflat,pursedlips(C).Rembrandt would have created this study by observing himself in a

mirror.Modern-dayartistsandanimatorsalwayshaveamirroronhandandcontinuallyuseitforreference.

LittleBigPlanet:Sackboy/SackgirlSackboy/SackgirlinLittleBigPlanetdoesn’tevenhaveanoseoreyelidsbut isstillcapableofexpressingawiderangeofemotionsbecausethecharacterhasvariablefrownandbrowlines.Differentmouthshapesalsoexpressemotion,asdoestheshapeofeacheye.

MakesomesketchesofSackboy,usingasfewlinesaspossibletocreatethevariousemotions.(SeeGoldfinger’s facialexpressions).Learning totweakfacialexpressionstoexpressemotionswillenhanceyourabilitytodrawcharactersfromimagination.NotethatSackboyhasaproportionallybig head and face, making his expressions more visible. Considerexaggeratinganatomicalfeaturestoemphasizeimportantaspectsofyourcharacterevenifyou’redesigningrealistichumans.

Facial expressions from Human Anatomy for Artists by EliotGoldfingerOn this page, you practiced four facial features that express emotion:brow and frown lines, themouth, and eyes.Goldfinger adds twomorefacial features: thecreaseof thenasolabial folds(alsoknownas“laughlines”)andthehorizontalwrinklesoftheforehead.TheelementsusedtocontrolexpressionsarefairlysimpleifyouthinkofthemasabstractlinesandshapesasinGoldfinger’sillustration.

LEVELUP!

Humananatomyistheheaviesttopicinthebook,soyoushouldbeproudofyourself forcompletingall theexercises inLevel4.

Younowhave specialized knowledge that even some in the artworlddon’thave,andmostofthetoolsyou’lleverneedtocreatefigures with a convincing presence and sense of weight andmovementjustliketheOldMasters.Thenextlevelexploresselectelementsofdesign,givingyoua

comprehensive set of tools to design your characters,environments,andinteractiveexperienceswithspecificemotionsthatyouwantplayerstofeel.

DetailofChildren’sGamesbyPeterBruegeltheElder(1525–1569)

WESAWINGRAVITYANDMOVEMENThowmanipulatingtheshapeof a line can create a sense of weight and movement. Classicalartistsalsoused lineasa foundation forarrangingelements inanimage,whichisknownascomposition.These abstract approaches to design use the basic elements of

visual grammar and have powerful implications for the way wedesign video games, from logos and user interfaces toenvironments,characters,andanimations.Although there are only five elements of visual grammar to

consider—lines, shapes, volumes, value, and color—there are aninfinitenumberofwaysthatwecanmanipulatethemusingclassicaldesign concepts to create complex emotions and playerexperiences,aswe’llseewhenwetakeacloserlookatthevariouswaysinwhichthey’vebeenappliedtovideogames.

Afirststepintranslatingclassicalartprinciplestovideogamesistoconsiderthein-gamecameraandwhetherit’ssettoframetheactionusingaclose-up,medium,orlongshot.Therearemanypracticalconsiderationswhendecidingona

camera shot. For example, the player must be able to seeenough of the playing area tomake decisions on how to actwithin the game, so gameplay often dictates the choice ofcamera shot. But the final decision on how to frame in-gameobjectsisnotjustatechnicalone;theframe’sartisticintentwillaffecttheemotionalexperienceoftheplayeraswell.Theidealis to have the gameplay and artistic intent inform the camerashot unanimously, changing dynamically to fit changingsituationsin-game.

Theviewer’sperceivedproximitytocharactersinanimageeithercreatesan intimate feeling, as in a portrait (left) or still-life painting, or amoredetached,distantrelationship,asinatypicallandscapepainting(right).Video games have a significant advantage over traditional media

because the proximity device that influences the emotional connectionbetweenplayerandcharacters canbeadjusteddynamicallydependingonthesituation.Aclose-upshotcreatesanintimateconnectionwiththe

playable character, but as the camera shifts away, the landscapebecomes more prominent and the player-character connection moredetached.

HeavyRain(ArtworkcourtesyofQuanticDream)AgamelikeHeavyRainusestheclose-upshotagreatdealsoplayersexperienceanintimateconnectionwithsubjectson-screen.Theclose-upshot isa translationof the composition conventionsof classical portraitand still-life painting, where the subject takes up much of the visibleframe.

Journey(mediumshot)(photocredit5.3)

Journey(longshot)Journey generally employs a medium shot, which establishes arelationship between player, characters, and environment that fitssomewherebetweenclose-upandlongshotsforamorebalancedeffect.Butthegame’scameraconstantlyshiftstheframe,zoomingouttotakeinmoreof the landscapeorzooming in to frame thecharacterdependingonthesituation.(photocredit5.4)

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (Artwork courtesy of BlizzardEntertainment)The in-gamecamera inStarCraft II:Wingsof Liberty frames theactionwithalongshot.Thelongshotisperfectlysuitedtothegenreofreal-timestrategygamesasitgivesplayersacommandingviewoftheaction.Thedistanceandnumberofon-screenobjectsdepicted in thisbattlescenemake it difficult for players to feel an intimate connectionwith any oneelement. Instead theplayer’sattention isspreadacrossmanyelementsthataregenerallygroupedbyfunctionforsimplicity.

ICOThe interactive element of video games causes players to emotionallyidentifywiththeirplayablecharacterasifitgenuinelyrepresentedthem.So in addition to directing the proximity of the camera to on-screenobjects,anequallyimportantdesignconsiderationistheproximityoftheplayablecharactertoothercharactersinthegame.ThegamemechanicsofICOrepeatedlybringcharacterstogetherthen

separate themtocreateemotionsofclosenessand intimacycontrastedwith loneliness and detachment, which makes the moments when IcoandYordaareconnectedallthemorepowerful.

Webrieflyexaminedthesignificanceofhorizonlineplacementin Basic Perspective, but now we’ll take a closer look at thisdesigntoolandhowthehorizonline’spositioninrelationtothecameraisusedingamestoaffecttheplayer’sfeelings.

Assassin’sCreedIIAssassin’sCreed II allowsplayers toscalebuildings to reach thecity’srooftops, which places the horizon line high up in the frame, givingplayersacommandingandempoweringviewoftheirsurroundings.

Avoid placing the horizon line in the exactmiddle of the framebecausetheequalbalancebetweenthetopandbottomhalfoftheframecreatesaveryneutralandstaticcomposition (unless thatistheeffectthatyou’reafter).

Assassin’sCreedIIThe same character placed at ground level creates a more naturalperspective with the horizon closer to the middle of the screen. Thecontrastbetweenahighandmiddlehorizonlineinthisgamemakestheplayerfeelmoreexposedandvulnerableatgroundlevel.

ShadowoftheColossusShadowoftheColossusfromTeamIcoeffectivelyusesalow-angleshottocreateasenseofvulnerabilityinthefaceofmassivescale.Placingthecameranear theground,behindtheplayablecharacterWander,meanstheplayerisoftenlookingupatthecolossithathemustscale.

Uncharted3Tiltthehorizonlinediagonallyandyougetadynamiceffect.Uncharted3usesatiltedperspectivethroughoutthegametocreatean

added sense of tension and disorientation for the player, particularlywhen the playable character ofNathanDrake is druggedor during theSinkorSwimlevelfeaturedhere.

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Artwork courtesy ofSuperbrothersInc.)Superbrothers:Sword&SworceryEPemploysacentrallyplacedhorizonline,whichcreatesaneutraleffect.Movingthehorizonlinefurtherupordown would create a more dynamic composition that would be lessappropriatefortherelativelytranquilatmosphereofthegame.Playersfeelalotofempathytowardtheirplayablecharacter,asifthey

wereexperiencingthesituationsthemselves.Eventhoughtheplacementofthehorizonlineisneutral,apowerfultensioniscreatedinthisscene

by the position of the playable character relative to the Trigon enemy(whichreferencesthecameraangleinShadowoftheColossus.

BumpyRoad(ArtworkcourtesyofSimogo)Theemotionaleffectoflow-angle,eye-level,orhigh-angleshots,relatingtothepositionofthehorizonlineintheverticalaxis,canalsobeappliedto the placement of objects along the horizontal axis—when decidingwhether to place characters to the left, middle, or right of the frame.BumpyRoadfromSimogoillustratesthedynamicpossibilitiesofcreatingtension with this effect. A balanced feeling is created when the car is

positionedcentrally.Placing thecar further leftor rightwithin the framecreatesmoredynamicenergy.

Closelyrelatedtohorizonlineplacementandperspectiveisthescaleof characters in relation toother charactersand to theirenvironment. The relative size of the character canmake theplayerfeeleithervulnerableorempowered.

Alice:MadnessReturnsAmericanMcGee’sAlice:MadnessReturns takes full advantage of thevideogamemedium’sability todynamicallychangeelementson the flyby scaling Alice’s character throughout the game to create differentemotionalexperiences.WhenAliceissmallshecanexploremoreoftheenvironment,butshealsobecomesmorevulnerable.WhenAlicegrowstoalargersizetheplayerfeelsmorepowerful.

Three is themagic number in design. If you havemore thanthree on-screen elements (or grouped elements) at any onetime, it becomes increasingly difficult for players to orientthemselves amid the visual noise. One way to maintainsimplicity and keep the number of on-screen elements to aminimumisthroughgrouping.

PikminIntheseriesofPikmingames,theplayercancontrolupto100on-screencharactersatanyonetime.That’sanincredibleamountofinformationtotakein.Thereasontheplayerdoesn’tgetoverwhelmedbyallthevisualnoise is that the characters are grouped into largermasses, sorted byfunctionandcolor.Thegroupinghelpsplayersorient themselveswithintheaction,astheyonlyhavetoconsiderafewlargemassesratherthan100individualelements.

Empire:TotalWarEmpire:TotalWar featureshundredsof soldiers fighting inbattle, all ofwhom the playermust control.Arranging the soldiers into large groupsreducesthevisualnoise.Note the rectangular group arrangement before battle (left) and the

dagger-likeshapethatemergesincidentallyduringthisparticularcharge(right).Asagamedesigneryouhaveaninfinitenumberofpossibilitiestouse

this concept and dynamically adjust the shape of groups to createdifferentemotionaleffects (whichwe’llexplore inmoredetail inShapesonthispage).

Children’sGamesbyPeterBruegeltheElderAnothermethod to reducenoise is toalignelementsalongcompositionlines,asPeterBruegeldidinChildren’sGames.Eventhoughthereisatremendousamountof informationinthispainting,it’snotoverwhelmingbecausethereisorderevenwherethereappearstobenone.Bruegel exactingly placed figures along composition lines to dictate

howviewersexperiencetheimagebyofferingthemvisualpathstoreadthescene.

Thevaluekey is theproportionof lights todarks inan image.The majority of artwork is designed around a fairly equaldistribution of values, similar to the natural balance of valuesthatweseeinrealityduringthedaytime.Shiftingthevaluessothateither the lightsordarksbecomedominant isaneffectiveway to create a special atmosphere within the gamingenvironment.

JourneyJourney employs ahigh-key in this desert scene to create a light andpositive feeling for players traversing the environment. Themajority ofobjects in the landscapeareat the lighterendof thevaluescale,whileselect objects, such as the figures and important landmarks, aremadeprominentwithdarkervalues.(photocredit5.5)

AnimalCrossing:CityFolkAnimalCrossing:CityFolkvirtuallydoesawaywithshadowsaltogether.Soft-lighting and shadowless environments are common in children’sgames because it creates a safe and surreal feeling. The flip side ofremoving shadows is that objects appear flatter and the spatialrelationshipbetweenelementsbecomesdifficulttojudge(seeAdvancedLightingandValues,formoredetail).

AlanWakeThenighttimescenesinAlanWake feature low-key lighting,withvaluesmainly located at the darker end of the value scale. Points of lighthighlightkeyareasofinterest,whileotherareasareshroudedinominousshadow.The threateningemotionscreatedby this lightingareamplifiedbythecontrasttothemid-keylighting(fordayscenes)whichprovidesafairlyequaldistributionoflightanddarkvalues.

We’ve practiced many of the fundamentals of drawing:techniquesforholdingapencil,howtocreatevariousqualitiesof line, and howeach line quality—thick or thin, light or dark,curved or straight or zigzag—communicates quite specificemotional responses to the artwork. But because of itsinteractivity, the viewer/player of a video game is activelyinvolvedinshapingtheartwork,inaffectingthescreenvisuals.Inthissectionyou’llseehowtodesignelementsofagamesothat players experience the same physical actions andsensationsthatartistsexperienceindesigningwithline.

DianaandHerCompanionsbyJohannesVermeer(1632–1675)Basing compositions on a system of lines allowed classical artists tocontrol the viewer’s overall experience of an image by offering visualpathwaysalongwhichaviewer’seyewould travel.Classicalartists likeVermeer sought to make their compositional lines invisible to theuntrained eye so that their subtlety could have a greater subconsciousemotional effect. Vermeer exactingly designed each figure’s pose,aligning limbs and drapery along the frame of his compositional lines.This painting communicates a tranquil emotion largely because it’sconstructedonacompositionofgentle,curvedlines.

MassacreoftheInnocents(c.1610)byPeterPaulRubensIn stark contrast to Vermeer’s Diana (opposite), the dominantcompositional lines inMassacreof theInnocentsbyPeterPaulRubensare twoopposing triangles.Rubensaligned the figures to a network ofstraight,angular lines thatcommunicate theaggressive,explosiveforceofthefiguresclashingtogether.What made a composition like this possible was Rubens’s ability to

createfiguresfromimagination.Hecouldcomposethefiguresinanywayhe wished. Notice that the composition’s lower left triangle exclusivelyfeaturesfemalefigureswhoarebeingtrampledbythemalefiguresintheupperrighttriangle.Makeasimplestudyofthispainting.Seeifyoucanfindotherlinesthatformitscompositionalframework.

DetailfromMassacreoftheInnocentsbyPeterPaulRubens

DetailfromDianaandHerCompanionsbyJohannesVermeerTakeasecond lookat theVermeerandRubenspaintingsand imaginesubstituting the linesofone for theother.You’ll find that it’snotdetailsthat communicate each painting’s particular emotion, but the largercompositional framework. If you were to switch the composition linesfromonepaintingtotheother,itwouldcompletelyunderminetheartists’intended messages. The overarching design relies very little on detailelementsliketheswordinRubens’spaintingandtheplantinVermeer’s,whichhaveverysimilarabstractshapes.

How can you translate the concepts of classical composition to videogames to design powerful emotional experiences? By conceptualizingclassical composition in a new way. Don’t think of compositional linespurelyasvisualpathwaysonastaticmedium;conceptualizethemasaninteractivevirtualmapwhosepathwayscanbeactivelyexperiencedbyplayers.

GrandTheftAutoIVConsidertheanticipationandactionplayersexperiencedrivingthroughaslow-sweepingcurveversushittingthebreaksaroundanangularcornerin Grand Theft Auto IV. The curved street creates a gentle drivingexperience for the player while the angular corner creates a moreaggressive emotional experience through the corresponding physicalactionsthattheymustperform.Invisualand interactive terms, thecurved lineof the road is like the

composition of Vermeer’sDiana andHerCompanions (this page). The

angular pathway that the player takes in navigating corners is like theaggressive composition of Rubens’s Massacre of the Innocents (thispage).Simplybyconceptualizingthepathwayswithinanenvironmentascurvedorstraightlinesyoucandesigntheplayers’emotionalexperienceastheytravelthroughtheinteractivespaces.

MarioKartWii

Reading about video games is like reading a description of asong. It’s impossible toappreciateasongwithouthearing it foryourselfbecausereadingandlisteningappealtodifferentsenses.Just as you visit museums to study classical artworks, tounderstandthefullsignificanceofvideogameartanddesignyoumust play a wide variety of games and reap the benefits offirsthandexperience.

Tron:EvolutionThe tracks inMarioKartWii (opposite)predominantly featuresweepingcurvesandvehicleshaveasofterhandling.Incontrast,theLightCyclesinTron:Evolution (above) change direction in an angularmanner, andplayershavetosteerusingmoreabruptphysicalactions.Video games that use motion controllers allow players to physically

experience sensations of moving along lines in a virtual three-dimensionalspace,as if theywere takingpart in theactofcreating thecompositions they see. As with classical art, in video games it’s thecomposition,notthedetails,thathasthestrongesteffectontheplayers’emotions.Apply your accumulated knowledge about concepts like gravity and

movementtodesigntheemotionalexperiencesoftheplayersonamacrolevel and the pathways that you make possible for them to navigatethroughyourgameenvironment.Inanotherdesignapproach,youcouldremove predefined pathways altogether (as in Journey’s desertlandscape), leaving players free to “draw” their own path through theenvironment.

GearsofWar2(above)andHalo3:ODST(right)Theconceptofdesigninganoverarchingemotionalexperiencebasedoneither curved or angular composition lines is present in first-and third-personshooterfranchiseslikeHaloandGearsofWar.Comparethegracefuljumparcs,fluidmovements,andpathwaystaken

by Master Chief in Halo against the grounded and angular theme ofGearsofWarand itsrelativelyangular formsandcharacteranimations.Although thegameplayconditionsareverysimilar in termsofcharacteractionsandabilities,GearsofWar feelsmorebrutal due to its angularoverarchingconcept.(photocredit5.1)

Superbrothers:Swords&SworceryEPSuperbrothers:Swords&SworceryEPisanexampleofline-basedleveldesignthatsitsbetweencurvedandangularconcepts.ThelevelrestrictstheScythian’smovementtonavigatinghorizontalandverticalpathways.The game pathways affect players in the same way as traditional

composition in that players are presented with an environmentbackground that is constructed with an abstract series of lines. Whatvideo games add to the traditional theory of composition is that thegame’s background image is an interactive environment throughwhichplayerscanmove;theplayablecharacterdynamicallytracestheabstractlines of the composition. The visual and interactive components of theexperiencecombinetocreateatypeofemotionalengagementthatisnotpossiblewithtraditionalmedia.Thepredominanceof straighthorizontal andvertical lines createdby

the1-pointperspective in thesescreens fromSuperbrothers:Swords&Sworcery EP creates a still and tranquil backdrop for the game. IfSuperbrothers’artdirector,CraigAdams,haduseddiagonallines(which

evokedynamicandenergeticemotions) the resultingplayerexperiencewouldbeatoddswiththeoverallconceptofthegame.

(photocredit5.6)

Journey(opposite)andVanquish(above)You can also direct the players’ emotional experience by applying lineconcepts tocharacteranimations.Thecharacters inJourney (opposite)moveandjumpgracefullyacrossthedesertlandscape,whichtheplayertracesacross thescreenwith thepushof abutton.Thegentle, curvedmovementsinJourney,emphasizedbythecharacter’sflowingscarf,arein stark contrast to the violent zigzag movements of Sam Gideon inVanquish (above).Thedifferentmovementstylesofeachcharactercanbe likened to two distinctmusicalmelodies: one is gentle and flowing,andtheotherabruptandjagged.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty: Protoss units attacking from thebottom; Terran units defending on the top (Artworks courtesy ofBlizzardEntertainment)StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty illustrates just how important distinctanimations are in such a fast action video game, which presents asignificantamountofvisualinformationforplayerstoassimilate.Somuchhappens on-screen in a typical game of StarCraft II that it’d be nearimpossible for players to comprehend and manage events withoutdistinguishing animations and shapes for the various character speciesandunittypes.

StarCraftII:WingsofLiberty:Probe

StarCraftII:WingsofLiberty:Immortal

InStarCraft II the nonaggressive Probes that gather resources travelacross the screen in gentle, back-and-forth, straight lines. In contrast,Immortal attack units travel with fast, aggressive movements alongangularlines.Inthemiddleoftheactiontheresimplyisn’ttimetotakein

allof thegame’srichvisualdetail,so it’s largely thedistinguishing linesimplied by the animations that allow players to subliminally recognizeaggressive and nonaggressive units. Unique shapes for each speciesreinforcethesevisualdistinctions.

Linedominatedthetheoryofcompositionforthemajorityofarthistory, until some 150 years ago when artists beganexperimentingwithphotography.Anevolutionhappenedaroundthistime,muchliketheevolutionthatvideogamesaredriving.Artists such as Edgar Degas started thinking not in terms oflines, but in terms ofshapes. The reason for this is that theywereexploringthewayinwhichthephotographiccamera,andoureyes,recordsrealityaslightandshadowshapes.Thiswasa revolutionary approach to painting at the time. In Degas’sartwork, below, and thepaintingsbyVermeer andRubensonthispageandthispage,we’llfindacommonthemeofroundedversusangularelements.

WaitingbyEdgarDegas,J.PaulGettyMuseumDegas was a grudgingmember of the Impressionist movement, whichmarkedthecrossroadsbetweenclassicalandmodernart.DegaswasagreatadmirerofthemasterJean-Auguste-DominiqueIngreswhoadvisedtheyoungerDegasto“drawlines,youngman,andstillmorelines,bothfromlifeandfrommemory,andyouwillbecomeagoodartist.”Degasdidindeeddrawmanylines—untilthearrivalofphotography,whichchangedthewayDegasconceptualizedhisimagesfromlinestoshapes.Althoughwe can’t fully see the face of either figure in this pastel by

Degas,anemotionaltensioniscreatedbythecontrastofacircleandatriangleshape.Degasfurtherheightenedtheeffectwithavaluecontrastofblackandwhite.

Volkswagen Beetle (left), Range Rover (middle), LamborghiniGallardo(right)Abstractcommunicationwithshapesissurprisinglyuniversal,appearingin visual design in every artistic discipline. From left to right: theVolkswagen Beetle is designed around the circular concept tocommunicate that it’s fun and friendly; the square shape of theRangeRover communicates confidence, stability, and safety; while theLamborghini’striangularshapecommunicatesaggressivespeed.

TheLordoftheRings(filmtrilogy):HobbitsandSauronYoucanseehowprimaryshapescommunicateemotions in thesestillsfromTheLordoftheRings.Atoneendoftheemotionalspectrumarethegood-natured Hobbits (left). A circular concept echoes through everylevel of detail, from the curl of their hair, rounded shirt buttons andshoulders,totheroundedbuildingsofHobbitonandeventhelandscapeitself.OntheothersideoftheemotionalspectrumistheevilSauron(above)

whosemenacing triangular shape runs throughout thedesign, from thesharpfingertipsofhisglovetothevolcanoonthelandscape.YoucantelltheentireLordoftheRingsstoryinshapes,withthegood,

circularHobbitstravelingfromasafe,circularlandscapetoadangeroustriangularenvironmentandbackagain.Appropriate colorsand texturesreinforcetheemotionalconceptofeachcharacter.

UNIQUESHAPES=UNIQUEEMOTIONSDesigningwithshapewasonceconsideredaradicaldeparturefrom classical theory. But the two elements are very closelybound: circles relate to curved lines; the square relates tostraightverticalandhorizontal lines;andthetrianglerelatestodiagonal and angular lines. Surprisingly, the ability for basicshapesandlinestocommunicateemotionsisrootedinreality,aswe’llnowsee.

Wheredo theseconceptsofsoft rounded formsversusangularshapesoriginate?Allaroundusinnature!Thingsthatwedeemsafetendtohaverounded forms,whilewe’renaturallycautious in thecompanyofsharp,pointy triangles.Our instinctive reactions to theseobjectsarebasedonthetactilesenseoftouch.Invisualartthisphysicalsensationismissing,though viewers react to these shapes based on their real-lifeexperiences.

Youcanorderthethreebasicshapesintoascaleofemotions.Fromleftto right: positivity and youthful energy (circles); strength and stability(squares);aggressiveand threatening(triangles).Traditionally thecircleand curved lines have also been used to communicate femininity andsquareorangularlines,masculinity.

Note how the well-known “good” characters on the left are designedaroundcircularconcepts,whiletheenemycharactersintherightcolumnarebasedonadominanttriangularconcept.Thesilhouettesunderscorethe importance of designing characters around larger shape conceptsandnotdetails.

MarioEvendetailsshouldechothecharacter’soveralldesignconceptandtheemotionyouwantplayers to feeloncethesilhouetteofacharacterhasbeenestablished.PracticallyeveryelementofMariohasbeendesignedaround a friendly circular concept, including his mustache (twooverlappingcirclesandaseriesofsmallerroundshapes).Historsotooismodeledonasphere,thethree-dimensionalrepresentationofthecircle.

Wario(left),Goomba(above)IfMariowasdesignedarounda triangular concept insteadofacircularone, he’d no longer beMario, he’d beWario (left)! By littlemore thansharpening a few lines the artists at Nintendo transformed a friendlycharacter into a villain. Although theGoomba characters (above right),Mario’senemies,aredesignedaroundanaggressivetriangularconcept,their edges have been rounded to fit the overall friendly theme of theMario universe. These three characters are an example of styleconsistency.

Flower

Soft, rounded shapes are the obvious choice for designing anenvironmentofnatural,organicbeauty.Butyouneedanelementagainstwhichtomeasurethisbeauty inorder forplayerstofullyappreciatethepositive feelings of the environment.Flower contrasts somberweather,hard-edged rock, and manmade structures against colorful fields,sunlight,androllinghillstoemphasizethelatter’snaturalbeauty.

FriezeofDancersbyEdgarDegasRepetition of shapes and echoing ofmovement can create a sense ofharmony. Take a look at these beautiful ballerina renderings by EdgarDegas in which the artist drew the same figure from different angles,changing elements only slightly to create a feeling of harmoniousmovement.(photocredit5.2)

JourneyA sense of harmony similar to that in Degas’s Frieze of Dancers isevident in thisscreenshot fromJourney,since theplayablecharacter isnearlyidenticalforeveryplayer.Adelicateharmonyiscreatedwhenthisuniformdesigniscoupledwiththecharacter’sgracefulmovement.(photocredit5.7)

We can think of the primary shapes—circle, square, andtriangle—asconventionsthatcommunicatecommonnotionsofgood and evil, passivity and aggression, dynamic and staticenergy. These conventions are useful tools in game design,where it’s often necessary that players understand thesignificanceoftheirgamingenvironmentasquicklyaspossible.There are many instances, however, where players are

affordedmoretimetobecomefamiliarwithgameplayelementsor when designers wish to surprise players with theunexpected. Ifplayersexpectcircular forms tobe friendlyandsharpshapestobethreatening,thendesigningagamewherethe opposite is true can create a sense of mystery, surprise,and depth. The video games featured below are among themostdistinguishedofalltimebecausetheywentagainstdesignclichéstooffernewandunconventionalemotionalexperiences.

SamusAran fromMetroidPrime (left); Jade fromBeyondGood&Evil(right)SamusAranandJadearecelebratedfortheirdeparturefromthemale-dominatedroleofhero.Withsomanyoversexualizedfemalevideogamecharacters,femalecharactersthatsubvertthisconventionarerefreshingand memorable. Interestingly, Samus’s gender wasn’t revealed till theend of the originalMetroid game, which created a surprising twist forplayerswhoassumedthey’dbeenplayingamalecharacter.Innovationisnotonlywideopenregardinggenderstereotypes,butethnicityandsocialminoritiestoo.

TheLastGuardian(aboveandbelow)ThemainprotagonistsinTheLastGuardianareayoungboy(seebottomleft in the above illustration) and a strange mongrel creature. Thefriendship between the two characters is made visually ambiguousbecauseof thecreature’s impressivesizeandaggressive-lookingclawsand beak. But, as in reality, not everything that appears ugly oraggressiveisnecessarilyunfriendlyordangerous.

Rather than attempt to soften the threatening emotions created by theangular shapes of the mongrel creature, the designers expressly

challengeplayer conceptions of goodand bad. For example, there areinstances in the game when the creaturemust aid the boy’s progressthroughtheenvironmentbyliftinghimwithitsmouth.

TheBirthofVenusbySandroBotticelli,Uffizi,Florence

Portal2The villain in Portal 2 is a great example of subverting conventions.

Rather than sticking to the stereotypes of villainy in the form of anaggressive male character, the art team at Valve Software tookinspirationfromSandroBotticelli’sTheBirthofVenuswhendesigningthecharacterofGLaDOS.TheopposingcurvesthatrungracefullydownthelengthofVenus’sbodyhavebeentranslatedtotheinvertedmechanicalbodyofGLaDOS,turningtheRenaissanceiconoffemininebeautyonitshead, both literally and metaphorically, to create one of the mostmemorableandemotionallycomplexvideogamecharacterstodate.

BioShock:Rapture(ArtworkcourtesyofIrrationalGames)The character designs in BioShock incorporate an interesting play onconventions.TheGatherers,whoaretheinnocent-lookinggirlsinhabitingthedangerousdystopiaofRapture,areatoddswithwhatplayerswouldlikelyexpecttoencounterinsuchanenvironment.Theyounggathererscreateavisceralcontrasttotheviolencefeaturedinthegame.

LEVELUP!

The design concepts discussed in this chapter are essentialseveryartistshouldbefamiliarwith.Therearemanymoredesignconceptstolearn,andthebibliographyatthebackofthisbookisagreatplacetostart.ButhavingnowcompletedLevel5,youare

sufficiently armed to create your own characters andenvironments. Artistic theory can only take you so far; for therest you must learn to use imagination and your own uniqueartistic expression with the help of the techniques in thefollowinglevel.

WorldofWarcraft(ArtworkcourtesyofBlizzardEntertainment)

IT IS OFTEN ASSUMED THAT CREATIVITY IS SOMETHING thatyou’re born with: either you have it or you don’t. Although somepeople may be more naturally gifted than others, creativity andexercising your imagination can also be learned and developed.Thislevelwillgiveyouareliableprocessforcreativitysothatyouneedneverbelostforideaswhendesigningcharacters(thissameprocesscanbeapplied toenvironmentdesign,gamedesign,and,forthatmatter,tocreationinanyartisticdiscipline).Thestructuredprocess of defining your design goals before researching andcharacter development will also ensure that you can visuallyengineeryourdesignstoexpressspecificideasandemotions.

Some triple-A development teams consist of more than ahundreddevelopers, includingprogrammers,marketingteams,producers,andartists,eachwith theirownunique takeon thegame being developed. That’s a lot of ideas and egos tobalance! So before we begin looking at the creative process,hereareafewsuggestionsforgoodstudiopracticetoconsider:

01Developcross-sectionsofthegameratherthanfocusingonone aspect. This means developing the whole range ofcharacters and environments in unison, rather than finishingone character or environment at a time. The quicker you canblock in one entire cross-section of the game, such as aplayabledemolevel,theeasierit’llbetojudgethefullscopeofyourgameandmakecomparativedecisions.

02 Present your work daily tomembers of your team. Artistsoftenfinddailypresentationsanuncomfortablechorebecausefew want to show work they deem unfinished. But dailypresentations are good because the key concepts can berefined through quick iterations and team feedback beforeprecioustimeisspentondetailsandpolish.

03Makeyourinspirationandartworkvisible.Neverassumeatthe end of a discussion that everybody is thinking along thesamelines.Drawit!Hangyourlatestworkonthewall,sothateveryonecanvisualizetheproductthey’reworkingonassoonasit’srealized.

MediaMolecule,thestudiobehindLittleBigPlanet,goesonestepfurtheranddedicatesacornerof thestudio toartworkcreatedby its fansandquirky furniture that echoes the franchise’s handmade concept. (ImagecourtesyofMediaMolecule)

This section will provide you with tools to be creative ondemand. Make these tools an instinctive part of your designprocessandyou’lllikelyneverbelostforideas.The first question youor your teamshouldask isnotWhat

gameshouldwebuildorHowdowebuildagame?The leadquestion of any creative endeavor isWhat is the emotionalexperience we want our audience to feel? The high conceptservesthispurpose.The high concept is a simple paragraph that defines your

design goals clearly and concisely. You can think of it as thegamesummary that you’d findwritten on thebackof a videogamebox.Whodefinesthehighconceptvaries:

Agamepublishermaysubmitahighconceptoutline toadevelopmentteam

Thedevelopmentteammaycreateitsownhighconcept

A high concept may be derived from an existing story,such as a book, a film franchise, or a real-life event orexperience

Whateverthescaleandpremiseofyourproject,makeahabitofdevelopingahighconceptbeforecommencingworksothatyoucandesignwithintent.Onceahighconceptisestablishedfor theentiregame, take the time todevelopsimilar conceptsfor each character, group or race, and environment to befeaturedinthegame.

Ahighconceptisassembledfromkeywordsgeneratedduringa brainstorming session. Keywords are a small selection ofadjectivesthattogethersummarizeanentireconcept.To help structure the brainstorming session, write out the

followingchecklistofkeydesignconceptsforyouoryourteamtoconsiderandcomeupwithkeywordsforeach:

Emotion

Color

Shape

Texture

Line

Speed

Size

Opposingconcept

Let’s say that your task is to create a character for ahypothetical game about exploring a fantasy landscapepopulatedwithfantasticcreaturesandvegetation.Thetypesofquestions you should ask are: What emotion should thecharacter communicate? What colors do we associate withsuchacharacterorenvironment?Whatshapesareinvokedinour imagination when we think of fantastic creatures andvegetation? And so on, through all the concepts. Anyassociationthatcomestomindgetswrittendown,whetherit’sa

memoryfromanexoticholidayinthetropicsoraplantfromthebackyard.Keywords should be adjectives, not nouns, because

adjectives, like friendly, strange, or dangerous, describeemotions.Usingkeywordsliketheseassearchtermsforvisualresearch will return a broader and unexpected set of resultsthansearchingforspecificobjects.Includekeywordsthatareconceptually inoppositiontoyour

maintheme.AswesawinSubvertingConventionsyou’lladdagreater element of depth and interest to your design if youincludevisualcontrast.Onceyouandyour teamhaveexhausted the ideaprocess,

formulate your keywords into a concise high concept thatsummarizes the character(s) and environment(s) you want toproduce. Highlight the selected keywords, as in the followingexample,whichwe’lluseasa launchpad forgatheringvisualresearch.

CHARACTERCONCEPTFOR[Charactername]

The […] is a race of creatures whose lines, shapes, andcolorsmirror their lofty home of strange, natural beauty.Thesecreaturesaredelicate,gentle,andquiet incontrasttothedarkandaggressive[…]creaturesthatlivenearby.

SUPPORTINGKEYWORDS

OPPOSINGKEYWORDS

Developingupfromahighconceptandaseriesofcharacterand environment concepts provides the entire team with

commonreferencepointsagainstwhichto judgethesuitabilityof design decisions. Only once you’ve defined your goal areyou ready to begin the character development process. Butbefore we begin the first stage of development, which isresearch, we need to understand what the process oftransformingwordsfromourhighconcept into imagesactuallyinvolves.Andthisisdonethroughvisualmetaphors.

Weareallawareofmetaphorsinliterature.Metaphorslike“icystare”and“beamingsmile”areusedtoimbueobjectsoractionswith greater emotional significance. Visual artists can usemetaphorsinmuchthesameway,sometimestakinginspirationfrom the most unlikely places. All the images you find in theresearchstagecanbeturnedintovisualmetaphors.

Everydayyouencountermanyattention-grabbingvisuals,andeveryoneofthemhasthepotentialtobedevelopedintoavideogamecharacterorenvironment,whetherit’sthegravity-defyingheight,solidity,andscaleofaskyscraperoracreepy,shriveleddeadspider.When you see anything that piques your interest, make a habit of

drawing quick black-and-white thumbnail sketches of it in yoursketchbook,spendingjustenoughtimetocapturetheprimaryelementofinterest,asinthesketchestotheleft.

Reducing objects to black and white silhouettes masks their originalidentity.Onceyouhaveashapethatcapturestheabstractqualitiesoftheoriginalsourceitbecomeseasiertoimagineitassomethingelseentirely.The abstract shape of the dead spider above can be turned into a

creepy,arachnid-shapedhairstyleand theskyscraper intoasturdyandimposing character. Viewers may not recognize the underlying visualreferencesbuttheywilllikelygetasenseoftheirassociatedemotions.Though the spider and skyscraper can both be used as abstract

shapesforacharacter,theydon’tfitourcharacterconceptthatfeatureskeywordsnaturalbeauty and light,which the spider and skyscraper donotembody.Soput thesedrawingsaside foramoreappropriate futureproject.

Thorough research is one of the key factors that distinguishprofessional artwork. Your aim is to become an expert on agiven subject so you can create believable characters andenvironmentswithasenseofauthenticity.Ifyouhavethetimeto do firsthand research—sketching on location, life drawingsessions, etc.—then be sure to take full advantage of theopportunity.Once you know what emotions you want players to feel,

beginresearchingimagesthatabstractlyembodythesefeelingsintheformofvisualmetaphors.Creatingamind-mapwillhelpyou researchdiverseconceptsand images, soyoucanavoiddrawingthefirst,mostobviousthingthatcomestomind.While the character concept is based on adjectives that

describedesiredemotionsandfeelings,themind-maplooksfornouns that reflect the character concept’s emotions. Let’s gothrough the research and development process for ourcharactertogether.

Structurethemind-maplikethisillustration,placingyourhighconceptinthemiddlewithkeycategories radiatingout.Thesecategorieswill helpgetyourideasflowing.Combiningwordassociationsfromyourmind-mapcategories with keywords from your character concept can uncover anarrayofseeminglydisparatereferenceimagesthatyoucanusetocreateaninterestingcharacter.

Ifyou’redrawingseveralthumbnailsononepage,it’sagoodideato place a clean sheet of paper under the heel of your hand toavoidsmudgingyourworkasyoumoveacrossthepage.

Thecharacterkeywordsdelicateandnaturalbeautyproducedthevisualresearch resultsof flora, leaves,and trees.Whenyoumakeastudyofeach research image, draw it as a simple silhouette without details.You’relookingforadesignthatabstractlycommunicatesthekeywordsinthecharacterconcept.Bydrawingeveryphotographicimagethatinterestsyou,you’llbeginto

getafeelingforthelinesandshapesthatwilleventuallybeincorporatedintothecharacterdesign.Usuallythecharacterbeginstoevolvenaturallythroughthisrepeatedprocessofresearchingandsketching.

Researchintothecharacterkeywordsilenceyieldedimageswithsparse

and simple composition elements composed of vertical and horizontallines.Therefore, thegoal for thisparticularcharacterdesign is toavoidusing toomanydiagonalor curved linesandnoisydetails.Feel free toannotate your drawings to highlight the key design features that you’llwanttoincorporateintoyourfinalcharacterdesign.

When it comes to your characters’ clothing, think about the resourcesand textiles available in their environment. In this example, the naturereferences in the character concept led to research of African tribalgroups, although you might choose different ethnic or geographicavenuesofresearch.Oftenyoujuststumbleuponinterestingandsuitablereferenceimages

bychance.InthiscaseitwasthegarmentsoftheNdebeletribeofSouthAfrica. They have simple design patterns and silhouettes that will behelpfulindesigningasimplecharactershape,whichisthegoalhere.

Aftermakingthesesketches,saveyouroriginalsourceimagesinafolderonyourcomputersoyoucanrefertotheminfuture.(Andyou’llbeabletousethemfortheexercisesinLevel8.)

Visual metaphors for the keyword delicate were found in “dry, dyingleaves,” some of which resembled a poncho, which was then likewiseresearched. Keep in mind that the quality of these research sketchesdoesn’t have to be great, as they’re primarily to be used as your ownpersonal library of reference images. Draw only as long as it takes tovisuallynotethemainelementofinterestandignoreorsuggesttherest.

Keywords light and gentle also influenced research for the character’sfeet,startingwiththesearchterm“tiptoe.”Thisdidn’tseemlightenough,sofurtherresearchwasmadeinto“balletfeet”andtherewasevenabriefinvestigation of “grasshopper leg.” You can never predict when andwhere you’ll discover suitable visualmetaphors, so it’s worth exploringeverythingthatcomestomindforthechancethatit’ll takethedesigninanunexpectedandexcitingdirection.

Display your most inspiring research drawings, characterconcepts,and imagesaroundyourworkspace tocreateamoodboardthatcanserveasasharedreferencefortheentireteam.

Researchforthecharacter’seyesbeganwithsketchesofimagesfromagreatbookcalledDecoratedSkin:AWorldSurveyofBodyArt,byKarlGröning (Thames & Hudson). But the eyes appeared too alive andvisually noisy for the keywords in the character concept, so the searchterm “quiet face”was researched,which uncovered images of “ancientChinesesculpture”thatfeaturedmoresuitableeyes.Noticehoweventheeyesechotheleafconceptofthecharacter.

Because researching images on the Internet and thumbnailsketchingissoquick,it’seasytoexploreseveralvisualideasinthespaceofjustafewminutes.Whenyoucombinethesetoolswith your innate ability to recognize meaningful shapes inrandom objects (apophenia), you’ll arrive at a process that isfast-pacedandexcitinglyunpredictable.There’sagreatwealthoffascinatingvisualinformationtobediscovered,andyourtaskistoselecttheappropriateinspirationsandthenmarrydiversevisualconceptstogethertocreateacoherentcharacterdesign,aprocesscalledthumbnaildevelopment.

Todetermineabodyshape for yourcharacter, reviewandassessyoursketchesfromthevisualresearchproducedbyyourkeywordsandmind-map.Selectshapesthatmostcloselymatchthecharacterconcept.

A first step to developing an abstract shape into a character is todecide where to place the head, body, and legs. This process ofpersonificationneednotbecomplex.Primaryshapes—thecircle,square,andtriangle—playakeyroleincommunicatingemotions,soevenatthisearlystageit’sworthconsideringwhichshapesbestfityourhighconcept.Try to echo the overall shape from your thumbnail sketch in the bodyparts.

Combine the basic body shape with the thumbnail sketches of leavesfromthispage.Playaroundwith thebody’splacementwithin theshapeof each leaf, as illustrated here. From left to right: the leaf becomesheadgear for our character; scaling it up it turns into a full-lengthcostume;rotating,flipping,andmirroringourabstractshapecreatesevenmorepossibilities.

Steadilybegincombiningthepersonifiedabstractshapewithelementsofyour research, starting with very simple lines and shapes. By keepingyour drawing simple for as long as possible, you’ll be less reluctant tomake bold changes and more inclined to experiment with proportionsthanifyouweretostartoutwithdetaileddrawings.Here you can seehow thebase shapeof a simple leaf is combined

with various research sketches (this page) including Ndebele tribalclothing, dead leaves, faces from ancient Chinese sculpture, and aponcho.

Think of the composite sketch as a mannequin over which you canlooselytryoutdifferentvisualideas.Talk yourself through the design, challenging each decision in

referencetothecharacterconcept.Howcanyoucommunicatekeywordslike lofty and strange featured in the character concept? Here animpressive proportion of 10 heads goes some way to convey bothkeywords.What is thecharacter’sanatomyandunderlyingstructureoverwhich

itsfleshandclothingisdraped?Howwouldthecharactermove?Aimtoincorporate a system of opposing curves throughout your characterdesignsforabelievablesenseofenergyandlife.AsnotedinGravityandMovement, without opposing curvesmovement would not be possible.Return toresearchasoftenasnecessary.Gesturesfor thehandswereinvestigatedusingthesearchterm“delicatehands.”

It’s time to assess how well the character silhouette is working as anabstractshape.Traceorcopyitontoanewsheetofpaperandblockitinwithasinglevalueofshading.Dotheelementsofthecharacterremaindistinguishable when you stand back from the drawing? Does thesilhouette sufficiently communicate the keywords in the characterconcept?Angle changes that are too subtle tend to disappear entirely when

viewed at a small resolution. Therefore, it’s important to exaggerateelementsof thesilhouettefor thepurposesofvisual interestandclarity.Forinstance,whereyouhavetwooverlappingelementsitisoftenagood

ideatoexaggeratetheanglesbetweenthetwoelementssoastodefinethemasseparate(highlightedinred).

TeamFortress2(ArtworkcourtesyofValveCorporation)Theart teamatValvethatdevelopedthecastofTeamFortress2didagreat job creating characters with silhouettes that are easilydistinguishableandhaveastrongsuggestionofpersonalitywithout theneedforsupportingdetails.Noticehowanglesbetweenelementsofeachfigureareoftenacute—suchasthetransitionsfrombootstotrousercuffs—adding visual clarity, even when characters are viewed at a smallscale.

With the thumbnail stagecomplete,we’ve tackled thehardestpartofcharacterdesign—communicatingacharacter’sconceptthroughitssilhouette.Atthispoint,youmightwanttoswitchtodeveloping other characters and environment silhouettes soyouandyourteamcanbegintogetagoodvisualoverviewofthegame,andmakevisualcomparisons,whichmay influenceyourcharacter’sfinaldesign.InElements ofDesignwe saw several examples of games

thatsuccessfullyechothehighconceptateverylevelofdetail.Thecharacterbeingdevelopedinthischapterhasnowevolvedtovisuallycommunicateitsconceptkeywords,includingnature,silence, delicate, and light, through its silhouette. Details likebody parts, decorations, and textures should also echo thecharacter’s overarching concepts or enhance them throughcontrast.It’s important to keep in mind that any details you add in

subsequent stages should not disrupt the form that has beendesignedso far.Details shouldassimilate into thedesignandnotchangeitaltogether.

Lightlytraceorcopyyourroughsketchfromthispageontoacleansheetofpaper,makingsurethatyouplacethenewdrawingonthepagesothatthehead,hands,andfeet fitcomfortably.Reviewthecharacterconceptonthispageandthispageasyoucheckthatyourdesignaddressesallthekeywords—quietface;delicatehands;dominantstraight,verticallineforsilence—andmuteanytexturestolimitvisualnoise.ForthesamereasonsthattheOldMasters likeRubensandVermeer

soughttoconcealthecompositionalframeworkoftheirpaintings(seethispage and this page), refrain from making your original sources of

inspirationforyourcharacterdesigntooexplicit.Ifplayersareconsciousofthereferencesto leaves,for instance,theywill find itmoredifficult toappreciatethepureemotionalqualitiesoftheabstractshape.For the face, check that the dominant facial expression lines are all

presentsoyoucanmanipulatethecharacter’sfeaturestocommunicatedifferentmoods,gender,andage.Infinalizingyourcharacterdesign,considerhowlightordarkitshould

be in general appearance. This character references the high-keyconceptoflight,soitsvaluedesignshouldreflectthisaccordingly.

ModelsheetfromFable3,©MicrosoftGameStudios,2010Theapprovedfinaldrawingshouldbecombinedinamodelsheetthatwillbeusedasthekeyreferencedocumentbyothermembersoftheteam.Here isanexampleofamodelsheet for thegameFable3.Themodelsheetgivesyouanopportunitytoannotateyourdesignswithinformationthatmaybeusefultoothermembersoftheteam,includingreferencestofabricsandtextures.Cut-awaydrawingshavebeenincludedforelementsthatareobscuredbyoverlappingdetails.

LEVELUP!

Collectingreferenceimagesisrelativelyeasy.Combiningthemtocreate just the right charactermay take hours, days, weeks, oreven months. Whatever your schedule you’ll always wish youhadmore time to develop your design further, but it’s better topresentyourconcepts to the teamsooner rather than later.Theteammayeitherlikeyourcharacterdesign,askforarevisionofcertaindetails,orturndowntheconceptaltogetherifthedesignisfoundtobeunworkablefortechnicalorotherreasons.Luckily,you now have a fast process for researching and developingdesigns,soanysuggestionsorfeedbackcanbequicklyexploredbefore your team commits to the timely and costly process ofturningyourdrawingintoaworking3Dmodelforthegame.Repeat the four steps of character development—selecting a

concept, researching theconceptandkeywords,developing thethumbnails,andrefiningthecharacter—untiltheyareinstinctive;then you’ll always have the design tools to be creative ondemandandtobeinspiredinnewandunpredictableways.

ICO

THEPROCESSOFCREATINGENVIRONMENTSANDPROPSisverymuchthesameastheprocessforcharacterdesign.Theconceptsfor all your game’s assets (characters, animations, environments,props, gamemenus, cover art) should derive from the same highconcept andmind-map if there is to be unity between charactersandtheimaginedenvironmentstheyinhabit.Aswithcharacters,theshapes you choose for your environment design have a hugeinfluenceonwhether it feelswelcoming, threatening,orneutral. Infact, it helps to think of buildings, in particular, as living objectsrather than lifeless inanimate structures, as they have much incommon with characters when it comes to affecting the player’sfeelingswhileengagedinagame.

Whichcharacter/environmentshapecombinationisbestsuitedtoyourparticulargamedependson thehighconceptand theemotionsthatyouwantplayerstofeelwhentheytakecontrolofa playable character. The character/environment relationshipmayevenchangedynamicallyover thecourseof thegametocreate different emotions as the player progresses,much likethe journeyofFrodoandSamwiseGamgee in theLordof theRingstrilogy(thispage).

The shapes in the illustrations (left) represent characters and theenvironment.Whenyoudesignanenvironment thatechoes theshapesofitsinhabitants,youcreateasenseofharmonybetweenthecharactersand the environment. If you relocate the very same characters to anenvironment with opposing shapes, you create a sense of dissonancebetweenthem.

It’s interesting toseehow the top leftandbottom rightexamplesareboth instances of harmony, yet create very different emotional feelingsdue to theprimaryshapesused.The top leftexamplecommunicatesasenseofdynamicandpositiveenergywhilethetriangularenvironmentatbottomrightfeelsmorethreatening.Thetwoexamplesofdissonancelikewisecreatetwodistinctemotions.

Inthetoprightexample,thecircularcharacterappearsvulnerableinthetriangular environment, while in the bottom left example the triangularshapeofthecharacteristheaggressorinapassivelandscape.

SuperMarioGalaxyAnexampleofaharmoniouscharacter/environmentrelationshipisfoundinmany of theworlds from theMario franchise.Conceptually, you canthinkofMario’s taskasbeing to restoreharmonybyriddinghiscircularworldofaggressivetriangularcharacters.

JourneyThe game Journey has a triangular character within a triangularenvironment, another example of a harmonious character/environmentrelationship. But the feeling generated by the Journey environment isverydifferentfromthatofMario’sduetothedifferentunderlyingshapes.(photocredit7.2)

MorfThebrowser-basedgameMorf featuresbothharmoniousanddissonantshapecombinationstoexplore the influencethatshapesalonehaveonplayer emotions. You can play the game by visitingwww.solarskistudio.com.

Computersmake itveryeasy tocreatedigitalobjects thataremathematicallyperfect.There’saseductivequalitytosnappinga building into place using automated alignment tools. Butmuch of what distinguishes reality from digital space isimperfection.Withincreasingagehousesbegintosag,therooftilts,andnaturebeginstoreclaimtheenvironment.It’sthissaggingandsenseofweightthatisveryinterestingto

gameartists.Whenanactual person stands in front of a realbuildingtheycanreachoutandtouchittotestitssolidity.Theycanevengoinsideandwalkaroundtoexperiencetheinsandouts of its structure. With video games, players experiencedislocation of the senses since what they see cannot bephysicallyexperienced.Therefore, it’s the artist’s job to enhance the feelings of

weight and solidity in video game environments using visualcuesestablishedbytheirexperiencesandobservationsthroughfirsthand research and the concepts of gravity explored inGravityandMovement.

If you’re drawing a particularly complex landscape, a series ofbuildings, or an interior, you may want to use a 3D digitalmodeling program—such as Google’s SketchUp:http://sketchup.google.com—to help visualize difficultperspective. Quickly block in the scene in 3D using basicvolumes (paying no attention to lighting or textures) beforeprintingoutascreenshotandlightlytracingthe3Dsceneontoanew sheet of paper. Continue to refine your ideas freehand. Be

sure such shortcuts don’t become a substitute for soundknowledgeofperspective!

Fable2:Tavern,©MicrosoftGameStudios,2008For character designwe did an extensive study of anatomy, in part tounderstand the all-important skeletal structure that holds the figuretogether.Increatingenvironmentstheartistmustmakeasimilarefforttounderstand theskeletalstructureofbuildingsand the forces involved inkeepingthemupright.Historical buildings naturally lend themselves to emphasizing the

prolongedeffectsofgravityandwear.Thestructure,oranatomy,of thetavern fromFable 2 can be clearly seen,with asymmetry and saggingbetween supportive elements being the key to creating a believablesenseofweightandage.

DoriccolumnsinthetempleofHera,Paestum,GreeceGreek columns in the Doric style were not designed to be perfectlystraight. The columns are in fact bowed, creating a feeling of tensionunderweight, likethatofupraisedarmswithmusclesbulginginsupportofthetempleroof.

Whereverpossible,it’sadvisabletosuggesttheunderlyingstructureofabuildingsothatyoucanbetterconsiderhowthestructurewouldremainuprightagainsttheforcesofgravity.Don’t be afraid to deform the structure to communicate an imagined

weight, even if you’re creating an environment based on reality.Otherwiseyourbuildingsmay look likeweightless virtual boxeswithoutmass.

The connection of the base of a building with the ground is veryimportant, particularlywhen designing high-rises.Architects understandthatpeopleexperienceapsychologicaldiscomfort if thebasesof thesemassive structures don’t have features that communicate a sense ofsolidity.In classical Greek and Roman architecture this visual problem was

solvedwiththebaseorstepsofthebuildingcreatingagradualtransitionto the ground. In modern design, architects sometimes use thesurroundingenvironment tovisuallyblendthebuilding’sconnectionwiththe ground and to create the illusion that the weight of the building issomehowaffectingitssurroundings.

Mirror’sEdgeAnotherconsiderationforenvironmentdesignistogivebuildingsasenseof lifebecauseyouwant thebuildings to look inhabited.Considerwhatexternalfeaturesmightgivecluesastowhoorwhatlivesinside.Mirror’s Edge is a great example of how the internal functions of

buildings can be suggested externally. The flat skyscraper roofswheremuchof theactiontakesplaceare filledwith things likeair-conditioningunits,elevatorshafts,andcables.Thinkofbuildingsaslivingorganismsthatmustbebroughttolifeinthesamewayasacharacter.Makeapencilstudyofthisscene,notinghowtheview’shighvantage

point and the scale of the buildings requires the use of three-pointperspective(thispageandthispage).Onceyou’veblockedinthesimplebox form that represents each building, it’ll become easy to graduallybreakitdownintosmallerformsandadddetails.

There are two possible approaches to environment designcommonlyused ingames,andeach ispracticaldependingonwhetheryou’readdinganewenvironment toanexistingworldorcreatinganenvironmentfromscratch.Inthecharacter-centricapproach,youassumethatthegame

visuals have already been defined and your task is to createnew environments that fit into this imagined world. For thisapproach, begin by creating a character using the processexplored in Level 6, Character Design before working up todesigning the environment and bigger elements. This mayseemcounterintuitivebutit’sbasedontheassumptionthattheinhabitantsofanenvironmentinfluenceitsshape.

Fable 3: Concept art for Auroran female and Auroran dwellings,©MicrosoftGameStudios,2010ThischaracterandbuildingconceptartfromFable3demonstrateshowahome environment can be designed to echo the character’s concept.Once the characteristic design of the Auroran people was established,buildings were designed by combining decorative elements from their

clothing.Thebuildings’architectural formswere influencedbytherockylandscapeinwhichtheylive.

World of Warcraft: Blood Elves (Artworks courtesy of BlizzardEntertainment)Theart teamresponsible forongoingdevelopmentofWorldofWarcraft(WoW) has the task of adding new character races to the existing

franchise. This process begins with a new character design that iscompared to existing characters andenvironments to ensure that eachnewracehasadistinctmotifechoedinitsenvironmentsandprops.Oncethenewcharacterdesignhasbeendefined,propsandenvironmentsaredesignedthatechothecharacter’svisualsignature.The raceofBloodElves featuresamotif that visually references the

organic forms of spiraling branches with leaves in red, gold, andturquoisecolors.Thevisualiconographythatthesecharactersembodyisvisually summarized in the race’s shield and echoed in the props andenvironmentsthatthecharactersinhabit.

World of Warcraft: Troll Race (Artworks courtesy of BlizzardEntertainment)The forms and colors unique to the Troll race make them easilydistinguishablefromBloodElvesandotherracesintheWoWuniverse.TheTrollracefeaturesamotifreferencingelongatedtusksandtooth-

like wooden forms in purples and reds. The characters also featurerelativelymorenegativespacewithintheirsilhouettesthandotheBloodElves.This negative space correspondingly influences the formsof theenvironmentstheyinhabit.

TheLegendofZelda:TwilightPrince:Link’shouseAny abstract shape or form can be turned into a building inmuch thesameway thatyouwentaboutapplyingahead,body,and legs toyourabstractshapeinCharacterDesign(thispage).With buildings, however, you consider elements that represent a

generichouse:doorway,windows,roof,pathway,andpossibly levelsorstories.It’snotalwaysnecessarytoincludeeveryelement,asabuildingcanbesuggestedwith littlemore thanapath leadingup toadoorway.Butthedesignofadoorwayshouldnotbearbitraryasdoorwayscarryalot of symbolic value, communicating something about the character ofwhoorwhatistobefoundinside.

If you’re designing a brand-new game, then the top-downapproach is themost appropriate because it ensures that theentireexperienceofthegameisconsideredasawholebeforeindividualcomponentsaredesigned.Beginwithahighconcept,adaptingtheprocessonthispagetoconsideryourentiregame,thus defining the overarching design goals that will influenceeveryartisticdecision.As well as defining your design goals with a paragraph of

text, you can also begin your project by identifying a visualsourceof inspiration that summarizes theemotions that you’dlike players to experience. Keep in mind that it will still benecessary to communicate your visual source of inspirationtextually, so that significant elements of its design can becommunicated tomembers of the teamworking in nonartisticdisciplines.This section features twogameswhosedesignerssuccessfully translated both high concepts and visualinspirationstocreateacclaimedgamingexperiences.Whicheveremotionsyoudecidetocreateinyourgame,find

orcreateanimagethatsummarizesthoseemotions.Themoodboard serves this function, but so can a classical painting orevenapieceofmusic.Now thatyou’reatLevel7 youshouldhave no trouble deconstructing your source of inspiration sothatitcanbetranslatedtoyourvideogame.

(lefttoright):MysteryandMelancholyofaStreet(1914)byGiorgiodeChirico(1888–1978);ICO(2001)coverartandin-gamegraphics.The top-down process begins with a question: What emotions do you

wantplayerstoexperience?FumitoUeda,thedirectorandleaddesignerof the critically acclaimed game ICO, was inspired by the artwork ofGiorgiodeChiricoandpaintingslikeMysteryandMelancholyofaStreet.Intermsofvisualgrammar,youcanreadthesignificanceofelements

in deChirico’s painting in the followingway. The clearly defined edgesbetween objects and the high walls create a feeling of disconnectedspacesfrozenintime.Solitaryfiguresandobjectshiddenfromviewgivethe image a threatening melancholy, as do the deep shadows andtriangularformsdefinedbyaneerielight.Although ICO’s visuals don’t accurately mirror the aesthetics of de

Chirico’sartwork,Uedahassuccessfully translated theemotionsof thepainting by using a combination of visual abstraction and gameplaymechanics.ThelonegirlseenplayinginMysteryandMelancholyofaStreetisnow

being guided by the game’s main protagonist (also called Ico),symbolizing that the game’s interactivity empowers players to helpfigures escape de Chirico’s eerily desolate paintings. De Chirico’sominous shadows become ICO’s shadowy apparitions, threatening tosnatch the girl, Yorda, away from the player at every step. The visualtrappingsofthepaintingtranslatetotheconfinesoftheprisoncastleanditsstatic,verticalforms.These visual elements work on an abstract level to shape the

emotional experience for viewers and players, so understanding theirfunctionisparamounttocreatingpowerfulgameexperiences.

JourneyscreenshotAfter speaking to a NASA astronaut about his experiences seeing theEarth from space, Jenova Chen, thatgamecompany’s cofounder andcreative director, wanted to create this same sense of the sublime forJourneyplayers.Thesublimeexperience isoften typifiedby feelingsofinsignificanceinthefaceofmassivescaleandnature’sperceivedpower.Chengaveshapetohisideabycreatingconceptsketchesliketheone

attop,inwhichthevisualingredientsconveythesenseofthesublimehewanted to communicate in the game environment. Both the conceptsketch and the finished game feature giant, vertical falls that create asenseofaweastheplayermovesthroughtheenvironment.(photocredit7.3)

JourneyconceptartbyJenovaChen(photocredit7.4)

The gameplay map is the representation of an environmentfromthetop-downview.Itfeaturesannotatedpointsofinterest,muchlikeafictionaltreasuremap.Thegameplaymap is theclosestcomparisonwecanmake

to classical compositions. Look at the painting by Rubens onthis page where the composition features a network of two-dimensional paths for the viewer’s eye to follow. This iswhatthegameplaymapdoes for thegameplayer.Butagameplaymap also represents the potential routes the players canexperience in three-dimensionalspacewhen they takecontrolof a character. The way you shape the paths—whether withcurved, straight, or angled lines—will greatly influence theemotions players experience as they move through theenvironment.

GearsofWar:Gameplaymapandlogo

Gears of War is an excellent example of fractal design, where theoverarchingconceptof thegameisechoedatevery levelofdetail fromthelogotocharactersandmapdesign.(photocredit7.1)

GearsofWar:MapdetailwithoverlayTheGearsofWarfranchisefeatureswholemapsbasedaroundtheskullmotif that is thecenterpieceof theGearsofWar logo.Althoughplayersmaynotbeconsciousofsuchoverarchingdesignsduringgameplay,theshapeofpathwaysalongwhichtheytravelwillneverthelessemotionallyinfluence them.Becauseeveryelement inGearsofWarwas designedwith a coherent theme in mind, the game creates an exceptionallyimmersiveemotionalexperienceforplayers.Inadditiontopathways,elementstoconsiderannotatinginagameplay

mapinclude:exitandentrancepoints,districtsorzones,landmarks,andspecialitemsandevents.(photocredit7.2)

SuperMarioGalaxy2Thetop-downenvironmentdesignprocessandgameplaymapallowyouto stand back from specific details of the game, so that you cancontemplate the overarching emotions that you want to create forplayers.Themore youpull back, taking in theentireuniverse if possible, the

easierit’llbetomakeallthedetailsfitintoplace.

LEVELUP!

The four elements of visual grammar studied throughout thisbook—value, line, shape, and volume—constitute our visuallanguage.Theirsimplicityallowsus to reduceemotions to theirvisualcomponentparts,givingusthetoolstodesignwithintentandcreateheightenedemotionalexperiences.The one element of visual grammar that we haven’t yet

explorediscolor,whichwe’llturntonow.Butbeforewedo,takeamomenttocongratulateyourselfonhavingcompletedLevels1to7.Greatwork!

UNTIL NOW, WE’VE FOCUSED ON DRAWING, as this is thefoundationofall thearts.Anadditionalpartofeverygameartist’sprofessionalrepertoireistodemonstrateanunderstandingofcolorand theability tousedigital tools,suchasAdobePhotoshopandCorelPainter.Onceyouhavethewholesetofskillsyou’llbeaveryversatileartistindeed.The following Color section will give you an overview of basic

colorconcepts, includingan introduction to thecolorwheel,colortemperature, andcolor concepts forharmonyandcontrast. Theselessons will give you confidence in your color selection and theapplicationofcolortoyourcharacterandenvironmentdesigns.TheDigitalToolssectionwillshowyouaverysimpleprocessfor

addingcolortoyoursketchesusingthelayerfeaturesinPhotoshopandPainter.

COLOR

Color can communicate emotions in a very primal way.Although the symbolism of colors varies between cultures,thereareconstants tobe found incolorpractice thatwillhelpyou significantly enhance the emotional messages of yourdesigns.

One of the primary functions of the colorwheel is to order colors in acircle so that primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) sit opposite theircomplementarycolors—thesecondarycolorsgreen,purple,andorange.You can also think in terms of temperature and split the colorwheel

intotwohalves,onesidefeaturingwarmcolorsandtheothercoolcolors,dominatedbyeitherthewarmorangeorthecoldblue.Athirdwaytousethecolorwheelisasavaluescale,fromthelightest

color, yellow, to the darkest, purple, with all values in between beinggradients ofmidrange values. This latter conceptwas a favorite of theImpressionists,whoavoidedusingablackpigment,preferringtodescribelightandshadowwithcolor.

Thesignificanceoftheprimarycolorsisthat,intheory,everycolorinthespectrum can bemixed using just these three hues. Secondary colorsare theresultofmixing twoprimarycolors together.Yellowandred, forinstance,createthesecondarycolororange.

Complementarycolorshaveacuriousvisualrelationshiptoeachotherinthatplacingthemsidebysideincreasestheintensityofeach.Noticehowtheorangetileagainstacomplementarybluebackgroundappearsmoreintense and brighter than the tile of the same color against a redbackground.Complementary colors canbeused to attract the viewer’seyetoimportantitems,astheycreateaneye-catchingcontrastthatcanbelikenedtoblackagainstwhite.

JourneyJourney takes advantage of color contrasts to create subtle emotionaleffects. In the opening desert section, the environment and characterfeaturewarmcolorsthatsitveryclosetoeachotheronthecolorwheel.The emotional effect of such closely related colors is one of harmony.(photocredit8.1)

JourneyTo create situationswithmore tension and unease in Journey, the redand orange colors of the character are contrasted with theircomplementarycolorsofgreenandblue in thebackground. Inaddition,thevaluekeyisshiftedfromhigh-keytolow-key.

Youmustconsidernotonlythecolorofobjectsbutalsothecoloroflight.Lighthasdifferentcolorsdependingonitswavelength.Thesunradiateswarm colors in the range of red, orange, and yellow,whichmakes thecolorof illuminatedobjectsappearwarmer. Ifacloudpasses in frontofthesun,thenthebluelightofthesky(whichisthesecondbrightestlight

sourceinalandscape)becomesthedominantlightsourceandtheverysame objects take on a cooler hue. Therefore, it’s the dominant lightsourcethatdictates the temperatureofcolorswithinascene.Whenwespeakofcolorharmony,whatwe’rereferringtoistheoveralltemperaturethatunifiesallthecolorsinanimage.

As you get deeper into color, you’ll find that there are even moresubtletiestobediscoveredintermsoftemperature.It’spossibletohaveacoolred,orawarmblue.Thetwoblues,forinstance,sitveryclosetoeachotheronthecolorwheelbuttheoneontherightispositionedclosertotheredsandoranges,makingitwarmer, justastheredontheleft iscooler,becauseit’spositionedclosertoblueonthewheel.Selectingwhich combination of colors to use depends on the overall

lighttemperatureinyourscene.

StreamintheJuraMountains(1872–73)byGustaveCourbet(1819–1877)

LandscapeintheJura(ca.1870)byGustaveCourbetGustaveCourbet’sfascinationwiththephenomenonoflighttemperatureis exemplified by these two paintings. Each has a distinct colortemperature,eventhoughtheywerebothpainted inthesameregionoftheJuraMountains.Thepaintingontheleftiscoolerthantheonebelow.What Courbet recorded are two different lighting situations, caused byatmospheric conditions and times of day or season, that have affectedthecolorswithinthelandscape.Objectsbathedindirectsunlighthaveawarmer hue (below) while a cloudy day makes the color of objectsappearcoolerandgrayer(left).

PortraitofClaraSerana(ca.1616)byPeterPaulRubens

PrayingHands(ca.1600)byPeterPaulRubensInfigurativepainting,theconceptofwarmandcoolcolorsgivesfiguresasenseoflifeandlivingwarmth.ThesetwopaintingsbyRubensillustratethe areas of the figure that are conventionally painted with reds tosuggestwarmth,indicatingthepartsofthebodywherebloodvesselsareclosesttothesurfaceoftheskin:cheeks,nose,ears,fingers,knees,andfeet. Cooler colors suggest skeletal landmarks. Note also that the“whites”oftheeyeshaveacoolcolortemperature.

Adobe’sPhotoshop and Corel’s Painter are industry standardtools for digital 2D art. They both have fantastic features thatallowyoutoexperimentwithandaddcolortoyourdrawings.Irecommendthatyouinvestinagraphicsdrawingtabletand

pen, which is the best alternative to drawing traditionally. Acomputermousedoesn’tallowforthesamelevelofdexterity.One of the main advantages of Photoshop and Painter is

theirlayerfeature.Thelayerfeatureallowsyoutoseparatethestages of an image into more manageable steps, in factmirroring thestagesofcreatingaclassicalpainting:a finisheddrawingfollowedbyablack-and-whitetonalpaintingoverwhichglazesofcolorareadded.Wewill usePhotoshop to illustrate the powerful features of

layersforaddingcolor.Ifyoufollowthisprocessyou’llhavenotroubleusing thesameprocess inPainter.Bothprogramsareavailable on Mac and PC platforms and therefore share thesameshortcuts.Here in thekeyboardshortcutsCtrl/Cmd,CtrlreferstothePCplatformandCmdtotheMac.The followingstepsassumeyouhaveabasicknowledgeof

Photoshop.PleaserefertotheHelpmenuwithintheprogramifyou’reunsureaboutsomeofthesettingsdiscussed.BothPhotoshopandPainterareexcellentprogramsfordigital

painting.Someartistsusebothprograms,takingadvantageoftheirrespectivestrengths,whileothersworkexclusivelyinoneprogram.AlthoughCorel’sPainterissomewhatlimitedintermsof photo editing capabilities, which are Photoshop’s particularstrengths, itsurpassesPhotoshopwhenitcomestomimickingtraditionalmedia.Differentmediawill give your character andenvironmentsilhouettesdifferentedgeeffectsthatmaybemore

suitableforyourstyleofgame,suchasasoftwatercolorbrushortheharder-edgedround-tippen.Aworkflowthatmakestheprogram’stools transparent isas

much essential in Painter as it is in Photoshop. Memorizingkeyboardshortcutsforthemostcommontoolswillallowyoutospend more time engaged with your artwork and less timenavigatingmenustoswitchbetweentools.Thegreat thingaboutPainterandPhotoshop is that there’s

no single correctwayof doing things.Byexperimenting you’llbesuretodevelopapersonalworkflow.

Youcanusethecharacteryoucreated,copied,andsavedinLevel6foryourdigitalcolorpracticeexercisesandlessonsinthepagesthatfollow.

ThirteenMostCommonlyUsedPhotoshopShortcuts

Cyclescreenmodes(F)Cycleimages(Ctrl/Cmd+Tab)Stepbackward/Undo(Ctrl/Cmd+Alt+tapZ)Hideselection(Ctrl/Cmd+H)BrushTool(B)Toggleforeground/backgroundcolor(X)Restoredefaultforeground/backgroundcolor(D)SamplecolorwhileBrushToolisactive(HoldAlt+LMB)Zoomin(Ctrl/Cmd+Space+LMB)Zoomout(Alt+Space+LMB)Pan(Space+clickanddragLMB)Scalebrushsize([toscaledown,]toscaleup)Changebrushopacity(0,1,2,3…7,8,9)

TenMostCommonlyUsedPainterShortcuts

EraserTool(N)Zoomin(Ctrl/Cmd+Space+LMB)Zoomout(Alt+Space+LMB)Pan(Space+clickanddragLMB)Rotatecanvas(E)Restorecanvas(HoldE+LMB)Scalebrushsize([toscaledown,]toscaleup)Changebrushopacity(0,1,2,3…7,8,9)Straightlines(HoldShift+clickanddragLMB)Togglebetweenmainandadditionalcolors(Shift+X)

Ifyouwant toexperience thesamefreedom indigitalpaintingthat you have drawing with pencil on paper, you need tofamiliarize yourself with shortcut keys. Memorizing shortcutkeysallowsyoutoconcentrateoncreatingyourartworkwithouthavingtoconstantlylookdownatthekeyboardornavigatetoamenu.Here is a list of the top thirteen most commonly used

Photoshopshortcutsthatwillmakethepaintingprocesseasier.Shortcuts in Painter are very similar. Notice that the cursorchangestoreflectthecurrentlyselectedtooloraction.LMB refers to left mouse button. If you’re working with a

graphics drawing tablet, tapping the pen on the tablet willperformthesameactionasclickingLMB.

PHOTOSHOPDIGITALPAINTINGEXERCISE

Use the drawing from Character Design (this page) for thisexercise. Scan your drawing at a high resolution of 300 DPI,open it inPhotoshop, and save it as aPhotoshop file,with aPSDextension.

YouwillcreatefivelayersintheLayerspalette.Eachlayershouldbesettoauniqueblendingmodetoperformitsdesignatedfunction.Tochangea blending mode, click the highlighted drop-down menu while therespective layer isselected.Notice that theMask layerhasbeenmadeinvisibleandthattheMaskandDrawinglayershavebeenlocked.It’sworthnamingeach layer tokeepyour fileorganizedand tomake

sure that the layersareorderedexactlyasabove.Remember to click(Ctrl/Cmd+S) at regular intervals to saveyourwork in caseyourcomputershouldunexpectedlycrash.

DRAWING LAYER It’s fairly self-explanatory that the layer namedDrawingiswhereyoupasteyourscannedcharactersketch.ChangetheblendingmodeofthelayerfromNormaltoMultiply.It’sessentialinthislayerthatyouremoveanyvisibletexturesfromthe

papersothatthebackgroundispurewhite.Youcandothisbyadjustingthe image’s contrasts using the Levels (Ctrl/Cmd + L) or Curves tool(Ctrl/Cmd+M).FinishbyclickingontheLockAllicontoensureyoudon’taccidentallypaintontothislayer.

MASK LAYER (LEFT), ACTIVE SELECTION (RIGHT) On the layernamedMaskyouuseyourdrawingasaguidetopaintablacksilhouette(left), making sure to keep the negative area detail-free. Fill in thesilhouetteusingtheBrushTool(B)withahard-edgedbrush,andfinishbymakingthelayerinvisible.TheMasklayerwillallowyoutocreateamasksoyoucanpaintwithin

thecontoursofthecharacterwithoutworryingaboutaccidentallypaintingovertheedges.ToactivatetheMask,holddown(Ctrl/Cmd)andclickonthelayer’sthumbnailintheLayerspalette.Theactivatedselectionwillbeindicatedby“marchingants”(right).Yourpaintableareaisnowrestrictedtotheregionwithinthisselection.Youcanmakethisactiveselectionlessdistractingbyhidingitwiththeshortcut(Ctrl/Cmd+H).Whenyouwanttopaintoutsidethisregion,youhavetodeactivatethe

selectionwiththeDeselectshortcut(Ctrl/Cmd+D).Consider creating masks for individual elements, such as the head,

legs,andhands,tomakeselectioneasier.

COMPOSITE To take theedgeoff thedauntingwhite canvas, you canusethegradienttool(G)tocreateamid-tonedbackgroundonthelayernamed Background. Activate the Mask selection, choose the layernamedColor,andyou’resettobeginpainting!The reason you set the layer namedDrawing to aMultiply blending

mode becomes evident as you begin painting. As illustrated in thecomposite image, the Multiply blending mode turns white areastransparent, so only the pencil lines are visible as an overlay.You canthereforeexperimentwithcoloron the layerbelowwithoutaffecting theoriginaldrawing.

COLORLAYEROnthelayernamedColor,it’sbesttouseasoft-edgedbrushsettothebiggestsizetheareayou’reworkingincanmanage,sothat you can lay down more color in less time. Smaller, harder-edgedbrushesshouldbeusedforthefinishingdetails.Paint fairly monochromatically so that you can concentrate on

establishingthe lightingtocreatethe illusionof formwithcoreshadowsandreflectedlight.The three daubs of color in the top right-hand corner represent the

threevaluesusedtopainttheskintexture.(Threevaluesaresufficienttomodelaform,asyousawinAdvancedLightingandValues[thispage]).YoucanquicklysamplecolorsfromyourimagewiththeBrushTool(B)

selectedbyhovering thecursoroveracolor thatyouwish tousewhileholdingdown(Alt)andclicking (LMB).Thecolor isautomaticallysetas

yourbrushcolorandyoucancontinuepainting.Thecolorsyouchooseshouldreferencethecolorsinyourresearchmoodboard.Youmayevenwish to sample colors directly from your reference images and applythemtoyourcharacter.

GLAZELAYERForthefinishingtouchesyoucanaddsubtlevariationsofcolorbypaintingon the layernamedGlazewithoutaffecting thevaluesthatyoulaiddowninthepreviousstage.Set your brush to a low opacity of around 10–20 percent and use a

warmredtoaddreddishtintstoareassuchasthenose,ears,andhands

togiveyourcharacterasenseoflivingwarmth.Youcanalsoaddcoolertintsofcolortocreateaninterestingtemperaturecontrast.Finishbyaddingsomeoverlapofcolorbetweenneighboringobjectsso

thattheyappeartoreflecteachother.Thiseffectiscalledcolorbleeding.

FINAL COMPOSITE The final composite consisting of a drawingoverlayingagradientbackground,acolorlayer,andcolorglazes.

LEVELUP!

Great work finishing Level 8, which completes the technicalchaptersofthisbook!Younowhaveawell-roundedsetofskillsthatgivesyoufreedomtoaddmoreandmoreemotionalrichnesstoyourdrawingsandgamedesigns.Continuepracticingall thelessonsfromLevels1through8,asmasterywillonlycomeonceyou’veappliedeach lessonseveralhundred times.Veryquicklyyou’ll beable tovisualizeandcreateanythingyour imaginationthinksup.

Traditional drawing portfolios are still highly prized in the digitalcontent industry. A portfolio demonstrating strong drawing anddesignskillsislikelytostandoutamidotherportfoliosthatfeaturedigitalartworkexclusively.Somestudiospayparticularattentiontogesture drawings (rapid drawing studies of livemodels in action,people inpublic,oranimals,created inaveryshort time—as littleas10–30secondspersketch)becausethepracticeofdrawingfromlifedemonstratesthetrueabilitiesoftheartist.Itismucheasiertoconcealanydeficienciesofskillsinahighlyrendereddrawingthatmayhavetakenseveralweekstocomplete.The following section will give you advice on how best to go

about getting a job in game development, including portfoliopreparation, self-promotion, tips for finding job vacancies andapplications,andhow tobusyyourselfartisticallywhilesearchingforwork.The tipswillgiveyouacomprehensiveguide forgettingyourfirstexcitingjobingames.

LANDINGGAMEJOBS

Ifyou’re justcomingto theendofyourstudies, the thoughtoflooking for and finding a job might seem daunting. Don’tdespair;thereisworktobefoundmakinggames!Think of finding work as your last level. Being professional

andorganizedisessential.It’seasytoslipintounproductivityifyou’re working outside of the industry or not yet employed,since there’snobody todefineascheduleonyourbehalf.Setyourselfmilestonesanddailyschedulesspecifyingthetimesatwhichyou’llstartandfinishworkeachdayandwhatyouintendto achieve. Demonstrating that you can manage your ownschedule and stay productive will ensure that you continuelearning and will make you a more attractive candidate toprospective employers.Updating job placement agencieswithnewwork onamonthly basiswill give thema reason to takenotice.You may decide to start a project with friends from your

studiesor find collaborators throughprofessional groups suchas the local chapter of the International Game DevelopersAssociation(IGDA).IGDA’swebsiteoffersausefulresourceforbreakingintotheindustry:www.igda.org/breakingin.

EssentialElementsforYourJobSearch

Before approaching a studio or job placement agency you’llneedtopreparethefollowingitems:

PORTFOLIOOF IMAGES. Don’t include every piece of workyouevercreated.Beselectiveand limityourchoicetoaroundten images that demonstrate your abilities in terms of quality,attention to detail, and versatility. These images should be inbothasimpledigitalformat,savedasJPGs(orsimilar),andinaprintedformat(whichyou’llneedforinterviews).If you’re registered with a job placement agency then you

maywish to contact your consultant to ask for their advice intailoringyourportfolio tospecific jobs. It’s in theirbest interestto give you good advice if they’re to succeed in finding youwork.Italsoshowsinitiativefromyourside,sotakeadvantageof their experience and feedback and be gracious if theysuggestimprovingaspectsofyourportfolio.

BUSINESS CARDS. You’ll need a set of business cards todistribute at industry events and meetings. Simple businesscards,whichyoucandesignandprintyourself,aresufficient.Includethesedetailsonyourcard:

Email Landlinenumber AddressWebsite Mobilenumber

EMAIL SIGNATURE. Potential employers should have no

trouble finding your contact details in every piece ofcorrespondence,somakesureyoucreateanemailsignatureinyouremailprogram.It’ssurprisinghowoftenthisvitalpieceofinformation isoverlooked.Youremailsignaturecanbeacopyoftheinformationonyourbusinesscardwithadditionallinkstorelevantsocialnetworks,suchasLinkedInandTwitter.RESUME AND COVER LETTER. Limit the length of yourresume to one page, removing any unrelated employmentinformationandwriting“moreinformationprovidedonrequest.”initsplace.Thecoverlettershouldbearelativelyinformalandshort introduction to you, your background, and ambitions,while the resume focuses on academic and professionalachievements,detailingspecificskillsandexperience.

JULIESMITH

CONCEPTART

ILLUSTRATION

PHOTOGRAPHY

WEBDESIGN

Wrong:It’sadefiniteno-notolistallyourskillsforyourjobtitle,asinthis

example.

JULIESMITH

CONCEPTARTIST

EMAIL

WEBSITE

TELEPHONENUMBER

Right: Potential employers prefer to see that you’re focused on one

career,sobeselective.

WEBSITE.Flashywebsitescan look impressive,buta simplewebsite topromoteyourworkcanbe justaseffective.Designyourwebsiteusingasimplelayoutthatmakesiteasytobrowseyourworkandfeaturesyourcontactdetailsprominently.Itisgoodpracticetocreatesitesthatdon’trequirevisitorsto

downloadplug-insand thatcanbeviewedonamobilephonebrowser.Includeinformationsuchasyourresume,makingyourwebsite a one-stop source of information for all your activity.Maintaining an online blog with daily or weekly updates alsohelpspromoteyouractivity.

As with every other aspect of your work, attention to detailequals professionalism. Double-check your spelling in everyemailyousendoutandreplytoquestionsinatimelymanner.

GameJobPlacementAgencies

Once you have everything ready, a good place to startsearching forwork is to signupwith a job placement agencythat specializes ingamedevelopment.Thebigger recruitmentagencies source jobs from all over the world, so don’t limityourself to contacting local agents. It’ll be easier to findemployment if you’re willing to relocate since gamedevelopment studios tend to congregate in select locations oftheworld.

U.K.andU.S.jobplacementagencies:

DatascopeRecruitmentLtd.,www.datascope.co.uk

WomeninGamesJobs,www.womeningamesjobs.com

AardvarkSwift,www.aswift.com

GamesRecruit,www.gamesrecruit.co.uk

ChangeJob,www.change-job.com

WiredTalent,www.wiredtalent.com

GameRecruiter,www.gamerecruiter.com

GameDevelopersandJobDirectories

Some studios avoid using job placement agencies altogether,preferringtoadvertisevacanciesthroughtheirownwebsite.Soit’sworthcheckinginwithyourfavoritedevelopersorvisitopenjobdirectoriessuchas:

Gamasutra,www.gamasutra.com/jobs

ConceptArt.org,http://jobs.conceptart.org

EDGE,http://jobs.next-gen.biz

GamesIndustry.biz,www.gamesindustry.biz/jobs

GameJobHunter,www.gamejobhunter.com

GameIndustryGrunts,www.gameindustrygrunts.com

LEVELUP!

If you have the opportunity to email your resume directly to astudio,thenthisfirstcontactshouldbeshortandconcise.Mostpeoplewouldprefertoreceiveashortemailwhereyouintroduceyourselfandprovidealinktoyourwebsite.Avoidsendingemailswith image attachments, as they don’t always make it throughInternetsecurityfirewalls.Themorestudiosyoucontact thebetterbecauseyou’ll likely

get one response for every twenty studios you contact. Somecompanies only respond to follow-up emails, so if they don’tcontact you within a week or two after your first contact orinterview,sendthemabriefandfriendlyemail.

In the meantime, consider starting your own gamedevelopment project. Game development is so cheap andaccessible with today’s technology that there’s no reason whyyoucan’t flexyourskills inaself-madeteam,particularly in thespaceofmobilegamedevelopment.Allthebest!

BOOKS

Aristides, Juliette.Classical Drawing Atelier: A ContemporaryGuidetoTraditionalStudioPractice.Watson-Guptill(2006).

Bammes, Gottfried. Die Gestalt des Menschen: Lehr-undHandbuchderKünstleranatomie.E.A.Seeman(1964).

Bresman, Jonathan. The Art of Star Wars: Episode 1, ThePhantomMenace.RandomHouse(1999).

Bridgman, George Brant. Bridgman’s Life Drawing. Dover(1971).

Carlson,JohnF.Carlson’sGuidetoLandscapeDrawing.Dover(1973).

Chekhov,Michael.TotheActor.Harper&Row(1953).

Goldfinger,Eliot.HumanAnatomyforArtists.OxfordUniversityPress(1991).

Graves, Maitland. The Art of Color and Design. McGraw-HillBookCompany,Inc.(1951).

Gröning, Karl.Decorated Skin: A World Survey of Body Art.Thames&Hudson(1997).

Hale,RobertBeverly.DrawingLessonsfromtheGreatMasters.Watson-Guptill(1989).

Hale,RobertBeverly.MasterClassinFigureDrawing.Watson-Guptill(1991).

Hauser,Tim.TheArtofUP.ChronicleBooks(2009).

Itten,Johannes.TheElementsofColor:ATreatiseontheColorSystem of Johannes Itten, Based on His Book “The Art ofColor.”VanNostrandReinholdCompany(1970).

Kandinsky,Wassily.PointandLinetoPlane.Dover(1979).

Loomis, Andrew.Drawing the Head and Hands. Viking Press(1956).

Lynch,Kevin.TheImageoftheCity.TheMITPress(1960).

Navarro, Joe.WhatEveryBody IsSaying:AnEx-FBIAgent’sGuide to Speed-reading People. William Morrow Paperbacks(2008).

Mattesi,MichaelD.Force:TheKey toCapturingLifeThroughDrawing.iUniverseStar(2004).

Quiller, Stephen.Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out ofColorTheory.Watson-Guptill(1989).

Rhyder, Anthony. The Artist’s Complete Guide to FigureDrawing: A Contemporary Perspective on the ClassicalTradition.Watson-Guptill(1999).

Richer, Dr. Paul, and Hale, Robert Beverly.Artistic Anatomy.Watson-Guptill(1971).

Ruskin, John. The Elements of Drawing. J. M. Dent & Sons(1907).

Schmid,Richard.AllaPrima:EverythingIKnowAboutPainting.StovePrairiePress(1998).

Speed, Harold. The Practice & Science of Drawing. Dover(1972).

Tolkien, John Robert Reuel. The Art of the Hobbit.HarperCollins(2011).

DVDs

Levy, David. From Speedpainting to Concept Art: AdobePhotoshop Custom Brush Techniques with David Levy.GnomonWorkshop(2006).

McCaig,Iain.VisualStoryTellingWithIainMcCaig1:AnatomyofaStory.GnomonWorkshop(2005).

Mead, Syd. The Techniques of Syd Mead 1: ThumbnailSketchingandLineDrawing.GnomonWorkshop(2004).

Robertson, Scott. The Techniques of Scott Robertson 5:CreatingUniqueEnvironments.GnomonWorkshop(2005).

Vickery, Jeremy. Practical Light and Color: Theory andApplicationwithJeremyVickery.GnomonWorkshop(2007).

Vilppu,Glenn.DrawingManualLectureSeriesSet.VilppuLLC(1994).

Watts, Jeffrey. Drawing from the Model with Jeffrey Watts.LiliedahlVideoProductions(2008).

Zhu, Feng. Concept Design 2: Sketching Environments.GnomonWorkshop(2003).

alignmentanchorpoint,1.1,4.1antigravitymuscles,3.1,4.1,4.2armatmosphericperspective

background,2.1,2.2blockingin,1.1,2.1,4.1,4.2bonesofarmoffootofhandofheadandneckoflegofpelvisofshouldergirdleofspineandribcage

bouncedlight,2.1,2.2boxforms,1.1,4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,7.1brainstormingbuildingconstructionbusinesscards

cameraanglecamerashotscenterlinescharacters,seevideogamecharactersclose-upshot,5.1,5.2color,itr.1,5.1,7.1,8.1digitaltoolsand

harmonyin,8.1,8.2temperatureof,8.1,8.2

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contourlightingcontourlines,3.1,4.1,4.2,4.3contrappostoconventions,subvertingofcopying,itr.1,4.1,4.2coreshadows,2.1,2.2,2.3,4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,4.5

depth,portrayalof,1.1,2.1,2.2,2.3,2.4,4.1digitaltools,8.1,8.2layerfeatureof,8.1,8.2shortcutsin

direction,portrayalof,1.1,1.2dissonance,7.1,7.2drawingprocess

edges,hardvs.soft,2.1,4.1,5.1emailsignatureemotionalexperience:characterdesignandcompositionand,5.1,5.2,5.3,5.4,5.5,5.6,5.7,5.8,5.9

energy,portrayalof,3.1,4.1,4.2,6.1envelopeerasers,1.1,1.2eyes

facialexpressionsfootforeground,2.1,2.2foreshorteningform,1.1,1.2,4.1box,1.1,4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,7.1spherical

frame,1.1,1.2,2.1,2.2,5.1

gameplaymapgesturedrawingsgoodstudiopracticegravity,3.1,5.1,7.1,7.2grouping

handharmony,5.1,7.1,8.1hatchlineshead,asunitofmeasurementheadandneckhighconcept,6.1,6.2,6.3,6.4,7.1,7.2,7.3horizonline,1.1,1.2,1.3,2.1,2.2,5.1humanfigurearmfacialexpressionsfootandgravityandmovementhandheadandnecklegpelvisproportionsof,3.1,4.1shouldergirdlespineandribcage,3.1,4.1,4.2seealsoskeletallandmarks

imperfection

InternationalGameDevelopersAssociation(IGDA)

jobsearch

keywords,6.1,6.2,6.3,6.4,6.5,6.6

landscapedrawingleg,3.1,3.2,4.1lifedrawinglight,lighting,1.1,4.1,4.2,4.3advancedbasicasdesignelement

lightbloomlines,itr.1,1.1,7.1incomposition,5.1,5.2contour,3.1,4.1,4.2,4.3hatchsimplified

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masterquickstudiesofarmoffootofhandofheadofleg

ofpelvisofshouldergirdleofspineandribcage

measuring:headasunitofvisualtoolsfor,1.1,1.2

mediumshot,5.1,5.2middleground,2.1,2.2mind-map,6.1,7.1modelsheetmoodboard,6.1,7.1mouthmovement,1.1,3.1,4.1,6.1muscles,antigravity,3.1,4.1,4.2

nose

opposingcurves,1.1,3.1,3.2,4.1ofarmandhand,4.1,4.2incharacterdesignoffootandleg,4.1,4.2,4.3ofheadandneckofspineandribcage

overlappingobjects,1.1,2.1,4.1,4.2Painterpathways:invideogames,5.1,5.2,5.3,7.1visual,incomposition,5.1,5.2

pelvis,3.1,4.1pencilmeasuringpencils,penciltechniques,1.1,1.2perspective,1.1,2.1,2.2,7.1Photoshopportfoliospositionpressure,indrawing,1.1,1.2,4.1primarycolors

proportions,ofhumanfigure,3.1,4.1proximity,ofcharacters,5.1,5.2

repetitionresearch,incharacterdesignresumeandcoverletterribcage,3.1,4.1,4.2

scale,1.1,1.2,5.1,7.1secondarycolorsshadows,2.1,2.2castcore,2.1,2.2,2.3,4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,4.5

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sketchbooks,itr.1,1.1sphericalformsspineandribcage,3.1,4.1,4.2spiralingsquinting,1.1,4.1,4.2stereotypesstrokesstudio,goodpracticein

styleconsistency

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values,valuescales,itr.1,1.1,4.1,5.1,5.2,7.1advancedbasic

vanishingpoints,1.1,1.2,2.1,2.2,4.1videogamecharactersarminfootinhandinheadandneckinleginpathwaysfor,5.1,5.2,5.3,7.1pelvisininrelationshiptoenvironmentshouldergirdleinspineandribcagein

videogamecharacters,designofemotionalexperienceandfinalcharacterdrawinginhighconceptfor,6.1,6.2,6.3,6.4keywordsand,6.1,6.2,6.3,6.4,6.5,6.6mind-mapformodelsheetforresearchforshapesin,6.1,6.2thumbnaildevelopmentofvisualmetaphorsand,6.1,6.2,6.3,6.4

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websites,jobsearchandweight,3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,4.1,5.1

CHRISSOLARSKI received a BA in computer animation andbegan working as a 3D character and environment artist forSonyComputerEntertainment in London.Eventually, Solarskienrolled in art classes at theWarsaw Academy of Fine Arts.During that time, he discovered the exciting connectionbetween classical art techniques and video game design. HecurrentlydevelopshisownvideogamesunderSolarskiStudio.He alsoworks as creative director of theSwiss-based social-gamingstartupGbangaandlecturesatSAE/QantmInstituteinZurich.