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KT Shogun

Lessons From College: "Stop Playing Video Games"

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KT Shogun
, 03-10-13 at 06:37 PM (1797 Views)
  
Well, that was surprising.

As some of you may know, I'm currently enrolled in an art college that emphasizes skills that are in high demand in the video game industry. Our instructors are industry professionals, some simply as artists and some within the game industry proper. A couple weeks ago my life drawing class was paid a visit by one of the instructors who is currently working in a developer studio. He had heard that some of us weren't completing our homework and he had some advice for us.

"Draw constantly," he said to the surprise of no one. "You need to draw from life in order to make a lasting impression on your work."

It seemed like a pretty standard and predictable lecture about buckling down and absorbing ourselves in our school work to help us grow as artists. Then he said something weird.

"Those of you who go home and play video games every night, stop doing that. It's a waste of time."

I raised my hand. "Is it normal to work in the game industry and not play any games?" I asked.

"Yes. Your job is to produce and help flesh out concepts to make those games, not play them yourself."

I was stunned. Here was a guy within the industry, who was working on a game at the time he spoke to us, telling us not to play video games. This baffled me. It was like hearing someone working within the film industry telling his students to stop watching movies. It didn't make any sense.

I retreated to the internet to investigate this concept and began looking up concept artists and what they thought about spending their leisure time doing. To my continued surprise, a lot of them seemed to agree. The only two exceptions I could find were Feng Zhu and Riot Games' IronStylus.

Feng Zhu plays games but only for about an hour a day, tops. He finds it far more useful to load up YouTube and watch someone else play the game to get an idea for what the art might have been doing to come up with the look for the game. He puts way more emphasis on reading books, studying nature, visiting museums and travelling. He, too, values drawing from life for inspiration and to strengthen his, only he allows himself to play game on occasion.

IronStylus works from Riot Games, a company that requires its employees to play it's flagship game League of Legends. And while I find myself disagreeing with the guy on other matters he seems fully capable of working in a development studio and playing League. Hell, there are Riot employees who play at diamond level (like Roku), and that implies to me that they play quite a bit while still maintaining a successful professional career.

All in all, this little episode in my life had me walk away with one important lesson learned: study life, draw life, and limit your video game immersion to accommodate that. I've resigned myself to limit my video game experiences in order to better my (terrible, terrible) art work but I won't omit them completely. I'll find that optimal balance between serious study and leisure game time for myself. I refuse to give up games completely, if for no better than because if I want work within the industry it just makes no sense for me to not play anything.

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  1. Zer0's Avatar
    Why would you limit your video game immersion just because that idiot says so or other concept artists seem to do the same.

    however, if you think that will help you become a better artist then I guess it would never hurt to try. And this kind of idea I'm sure applies to everything in trying to blanace what you enjoy and what you have to work.

    But in this case you would think the two would almost intertwine. I guess the act of immersing in movies, video games, music means that you're not spending time in the act of producing these things.

    But I disagree, the act of immersing into these might help you get a better feel or understanding. Immersing and creating are almost conmplementary.


    I'm glad you're moving into something you like though as risky as it might be.
  2. Struggler's Avatar
    Seems to be a bit of an extreme suggestion. While video games aren't real life, I would think simply seeing the completed work of other artists in action would be a type of study in and of itself. But who even cares about that? Everyone needs hobbies, except for boring people whose lives are their jobs, for whom nothing else exists.

    The instructor also made it seem that your every action should be dedicated to improving your craft, and that any hobbies, if you're even allowed hobbies according to him, should only be ones that will also involve improving your skill. I suppose if you want to completely live for you work and have no desire ever to have any hobbies, that may be fine (though it seems a bit unhealthy to me, being so focused on just one thing all the time), but it's kind of nice to not work toward the same goal 24/7.

    I mean, limiting time playing video games when you want to focus on your work while in school, like you are, is definitely a good idea...but limiting or cutting out entirely video games just in general, because they're a "waste of time"? Seems stupid to me. Hobbies are hobbies, and don't need a goal outside of pleasure.

    How old was this instructor, anyway? It just seems like the type of thing you'd hear an older person say. *shrug*
  3. Ta-Ka's Avatar
    My advice, make a good schedule, if you put in some gaming time and time to draw it should work out.
    I don't see how not gaming can improve your art, sure you have more time to draw, doing something else once in a while refreshes your mind, plus gaming can be a good inspiration.

    You know you could even create fan arts of certain games if it helps, its a good practice and a lot of fun to do.
  4. Genesis Rhapsodos's Avatar
    Ahem, if you are busy playing the games you love, you will undoubtedly be influenced into a bias against certain types of art and the like. You should certainly create your own style of art. Also using video game art as an example to be used for in-game art is like copying something imperfect when you have the perfect example next to you.

    I think he said this purely so that people did not draw inspiration from other games for their art. It really makes sense from that POV.
  5. vessicator's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Zer0
    Why would you limit your video game immersion just because that idiot says so or other concept artists seem to do the same.

    however, if you think that will help you become a better artist then I guess it would never hurt to try. And this kind of idea I'm sure applies to everything in trying to blanace what you enjoy and what you have to work.

    But in this case you would think the two would almost intertwine. I guess the act of immersing in movies, video games, music means that you're not spending time in the act of producing these things.

    But I disagree, the act of immersing into these might help you get a better feel or understanding. Immersing and creating are almost conmplementary.


    I'm glad you're moving into something you like though as risky as it might be.


    You shouldn't have time to play games, ESPECIALLY if you're studying art full-time to work at the industry level. Unless you're talented as ****.

    Immerse yourself in an artist's particular style? NO. Learn anatomy, learn color theory, sketch a bajillion gestures at breakneck speed, perspective, eat a slim-jim, drink some monster, and suffer.

    on your downtime it is acceptable to play games. and draw fanart and sell prints and make money and network with other artists and talk to more industry professionals and brown-nose and fist your way into the community.
    Updated 03-11-13 at 01:36 PM by vessicator
  6. Ixioran's Avatar
    NOOOOO SAY IT ISN'T SO KT!

    pls?
  7. Kaoru Asuna's Avatar
    "Yes. Your job is to produce and help flesh out concepts to make those games, not play them yourself."

    I kind of see the guy's point. I mean, how are you supposed to come up with new, original ideas if you're plodding through all of these familiar concepts? But I also think it's a good thing to at least take a look at new games, and other things like movies as well. And I agree with you: Don't quit playing video games! They are insanely fun, and you don't have to quit because that butt wad tells you to.

    (Originaly posted by Zer0)
    "    however, if you think that will help you become a better artist then I guess it would never hurt to try."

    It's not a bad idea to cut down. They're bad for you♥;P