Introduction
I am going to be taken on the role of an environment artist so in order to fully understand what one I will research what one does, what skills they have and how they fit in the games design process.
The role of environmental artist:
An environmental artist creates assets, textures, lighting, performance and the environment. Depending on the size of the company the environmental artist may have to research and plan out their level. After they have planned out and researched their environment they have to create a block out of the environment and get it approved.
In a larger company, an environmental artist will have fewer responsibilities and may only have to create assets and the environment. This is because they will have people more specialized to do more of the art side and the environmental artist will follow a plan given to them. Whereas, in a smaller company an environmental artist would have much more responsibility and will have to research and plan out their environments. Depending on the environmental artist this can be a good or bad thing.
This is an example of block out art that an environmental artist may create for a level. This would then have to be approved and if it does then they would replace the block out art for actual assets. This also allows them to test to see if the level would good to play and they would be able to easily change things in the environment.
Here is an example of some high poly count asset that would be used in a game. In larger games, these are the types of high poly art that an environment artist would create. The environmental artist also has to be in charge of the poly count and making sure everything renders properly. If a scene attempts render with a high poly count the animations will lag and players may also see that the game freezes occasionally. They also have to consider the limitations of the engine and storage so they can figure out the best resolution.
Here is an example of some research that an environmental artist may do for their environment. As you can see theirs a basic part of the level and some asset designs. This is a key stage of the process as the environment artist will get the theme of the game and then have to research and plan out their environment. This allows the environment artist to change things and make sure that the environment works with the rest of the game. Its also key to plan with the rest of the team so that the game doesn’t have mismatched environments.
Skills required for an environmental artist
An environment artist must be proficient with 3D modelling software like 3ds Max, Maya, or Z brush, and the use of Photoshop. They will also need to be good at drawing as they may have to create drawn designs of their environment. They will also need to work well as a part of a team and be able to keep up to set deadlines. Most places require at least two years of experience in the games industry. Depending on the size of the company some of these skills may be more important than others. For example, a larger company may require you to be more of a team player. Whereas, a smaller company you may not need to work as a part of a larger team but have more responsibilities.
Games design process
The first stage of the process for a game environment artist is to research the different environments of the theme given to them. They would then present their research to the lead game designer. If they like it the environment artist would then have to create a bock out version of their environment. They would then test their environment and see if it would work well. This also allows them to make any changes without having to move loads of things around. They would then make the assets they need for the environment and then they would create the environment using the assets they made.
Games Design 