<html>

<head>
<title>loonygames presents: Painting on Polygons - 2D Art and videogames</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style type="text/css">
a { text-decoration: none; }
a:hover { color:000000;  text-decoration: underline; }


</style>
</head>

<body bgcolor="#FFF4D0" link="#3333FF" vlink="#000000" alink="#000000">
<center>
</center>
<table width="100%" border="0" bgcolor="#3596B3" height="58">
  <tr> 
    <td height="69" width="29%" align="left" valign="top"> 
      <div align="left"> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#FFFFFF"><b><i><img src="../../images/logo_new.jpg" width="182" height="63" border="0" usemap="#logoa"> 
        </i></b></font></div>
    </td>
    <td height="69" width="29%" align="center" valign="top"> <center>
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2373963192914918";
/* 468x60 */
google_ad_slot = "3417104156";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script>
</center>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
<table width="100%" border="0" bgcolor="#3596B3" height="29">
  <tr> 
    <td height="20" width="25%" align="center" valign="middle" bgcolor="#86531A"> 
      <a href="../../../about.1"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#FFFFFF"><b><font size="2">about</font></b></font></a></td>
    <td height="20" width="25%" align="center" valign="middle" bgcolor="#86531A"> 
      <a href="../../../feedback.1"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#FFFFFF" size="2"><b>feedback</b></font></a></td>
    <td height="20" width="25%" align="center" valign="middle" bgcolor="#86531A"> 
      <a href="../../../archives/index.html"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#FFFFFF" size="2"><b>archives</b></font></a></td>
    <td height="20" width="25%" align="center" valign="middle" bgcolor="#86531A"> 
      <b><a href="../../../submissions/index.html"><font color="#FFFFFF" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">submissions</font></a></b></td>
  </tr>
</table>
<div align="center"> <br>
</div>
<table width="100%" border="0">
  <tr> 
    <td width="72%"> 
      <h5><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">//<a href="../../../index.html"><font color="#7C420E">loonygames</font></a>://<a href="../index.html"><font color="#7C420E">issue 
        2.2</font></a>://<a href="index.html"><font color="#7C420E">painting on polygons</font></a>://<a href="index.php"><font color="#7C420E">1</font></a>, 
        2</font></b></h5>
    </td>
    <td align="right" valign="middle" width="28%"> 
      <div align="right"> 
        <h5><a href="../../cgi/printme.pl?url=%252F2.2%252Fpop%252F"><img src="../../images/icons/print01.gif" width="27" height="27" align="baseline" border="0" alt="switch to printer-friendly version"></a></h5>
      </div>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
<br>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
  <tr> 
    <td align="center" valign="top" width="25%"> 
      <table border="0" width="99%" bgcolor="#D7B582" align="center" bordercolor="#E0E0E0">
        <tr> 
          <td align="LEFT" valign="TOP" width="100%"> <font color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> 
             </font> <p><webdog><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" color="#0022A8"><b><font color="#693A0C">What's 
           new today:</font></b></font> 
          
<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a href="../../../index.html" target=""><b><font color="#00025E">New!!!</font></b></a><br></b>
  The archives have been cleaned up, dead links fixed, and the printable versions restored! Also, don't miss the new comments on the main page!</font></p>

 
<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a href="../../2.15/feat/index.html" target=""><b><font color="#00025E">Livin' 
  With The Sims</font></b></a><br></b>
  theAntiELVIS explores the wild and wacky world that is Will Wright's <b>The Sims</b>, 
  asking the inevitable quesiton, &quot;is <b>The Sims</b> the first step toward a virtual 
  life where everyone is Swedish?&quot;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a href="../../2.15/pixel/index.html" target=""><b><font color="#00025E">Pixel 
  Obscura </font></b></a></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><br>
  Josh Vasquez on <b>Omikron: The Nomad Soul</b>.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a href="../../rl/index.html" target=""><b><font color="#00025E">Real 
  Life </font></b></a></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><br>
  Check out our newest comic strip, <b>Real Life</b>! Updated daily!</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a href="../../uf.1" target=""><b><font color="#00025E">User 
  Friendly</font></b></a></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><br>
  Updated daily!</font></p>
<p></webdog> </p>
 
            <p></p>
            <p> </p>
            <p></p>
             
            </td>
        </tr>
      </table>
      <br>
      <table width="100%" border="0" bgcolor="#D7B582">
        <tr bgcolor="#D7B582"> 
          <td> 
            <div align="center"> 
              <p align="left"><font size="-1"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" color="#0022A8"><b><font color="#00025E">Random 
                Feature:</font></b></font> </font> </p>
              <p>
<p align="CENTER"><img src="../../images/sexist_thumb.jpg" width="102" height="128" align="MIDDLE"></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><a href="../../1.3/feat2/index.html">Is Duke Sexist?</a>: An exclusive look at this question that has dogged <B>Duke Nukem's</b> entire career (from our third issue).</font></p>

<i><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-2"> 
                </font> </i></p>
            </div>
          </td>
        </tr>
      </table>
      <br>
      <table width="99%" border="0" bgcolor="#D7B582">
        <tr> 
          <td> 
            <div align="center"> 
              <form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/custom" name="">
                <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><font color="#339900">Search 
                the Archives!</font></b></font> 
               
                 <INPUT TYPE=text name=q size=12 maxlength=255 value="">
 <INPUT type=submit name=sa VALUE="Google Search">
 <INPUT type=hidden name=cof 
VALUE="LW:216;L:http:/home/loonygames/loony.timedoctor.org/content/images/logo1.jpg;LH:55;AH:center;S:http://www.loonygames.com;AWFID:13a298c7abe84fd0;">
<input type=hidden name=domains value="loonygames.com"> 
<input type=hidden name=sitesearch value="loonygames.com">               
</div>
              </form>

              <p align="left"><i> </i></p>
            </div>
          </td>
        </tr>
      </table>
    </td>
    <td width="75%" align="center" valign="top"> 
      <table width="90%" border="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
        <tr> 
          <td width="50%" valign="top"> 
            <div align="center"> 
              <table width="98%" border="0">
                <tr> 
                  <td width="55%"> 
                    <div align="left"> 
                      <p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#0000FF"><i><font color="#904C10" size="2">Painting 
                        on Polygons:</font><font color="#904C10" size="4"><br>
                        Conceptual Art Pt. 1</font></i></font></b><br>
                      
                      <div align="right"> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">By 
                        Rick &quot;<a href="mailto:flat@iserv.net">Flatness</a>&quot; 
                        Grossenbacher</font></div>
                    </div>
                  </td>
                  <td width="45%" align="right" valign="top"> 
                    <h5 align="right"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#00025E">Vol. 
                      2, Issue 2&nbsp; <br>
                      November 18, 1999&nbsp; </font></b></h5>
                  </td>
                </tr>
              </table>
              <h5 align="right">&nbsp; </h5>
              <p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http:/home/loonygames/loony.timedoctor.org/content/cgi/image.pl?image=/content/2.2/pop/images/concept02.jpg&amp;w=529&amp;h=394&amp;back=/content/2.2/pop/index2.php&amp;name=Painting%20on%20Polygons"><img src="images/concept02_sml.jpg" width="141" height="105" border="1" alt="click to enlarge!"></a></font></p>
              <p align="center"></p>
              <p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">An earth 
                golem! Again, a fairly straightforward pencil drawing. (<a href="http:/home/loonygames/loony.timedoctor.org/content/cgi/image.pl?image=/content/2.2/pop/images/concept02.jpg&amp;w=529&amp;h=394&amp;back=/content/2.2/pop/index2.php&amp;name=Painting%20on%20Polygons">Click 
                to enlarge</a>)</font></p>
              <p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http:/home/loonygames/loony.timedoctor.org/content/cgi/image.pl?image=/content/2.2/pop/images/concept03.jpg&amp;w=250&amp;h=422&amp;back=/content/2.2/pop/index2.php&amp;name=Painting%20on%20Polygons"><img src="images/concept03_sml.jpg" width="100" height="168" border="1" alt="click to enlarge!"></a></font></p>
              <p align="left"></p>
              <p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A demon! 
                A bit more complex of a drawing, but still just a black and white 
                pencil drawing. (<a href="http:/home/loonygames/loony.timedoctor.org/content/cgi/image.pl?image=/content/2.2/pop/images/concept03.jpg&amp;w=250&amp;h=422&amp;back=/content/2.2/pop/index2.php&amp;name=Painting%20on%20Polygons">Click 
                to enlarge</a>). </font></p>
              <p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http:/home/loonygames/loony.timedoctor.org/content/cgi/image.pl?image=/content/2.2/pop/images/concept04.jpg&amp;w=468&amp;h=309&amp;back=/content/2.2/pop/index2.php&amp;name=Painting%20on%20Polygons"><img src="images/concept04_sml.jpg" width="148" height="97" border="1" alt="click to enlarge!"></a> 
                </font></p>
              <p align="center"></p>
              <p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A warrior! 
                This is basically a black and white line drawing. There isn&#146;t 
                a lot of texturing and shading going on in the drawing. (<a href="http:/home/loonygames/loony.timedoctor.org/content/cgi/image.pl?image=/content/2.2/pop/images/concept04.jpg&amp;w=468&amp;h=309&amp;back=/content/2.2/pop/index2.php&amp;name=Painting%20on%20Polygons">Click 
                to enlarge</a>). </font></p>
              <p align="left"></p><loonystart>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In part 
                2 of this article which will come out about two weeks from now, 
                we&#146;ll come back to these drawings and I&#146;ll explain some 
                things about each of them individually. But first, let me break 
                down concept art into a series of categories so you can understand 
                how it is applied in the design of a game.</font></p>
              <p align="left"></p>
              <p align="left"><font size="4"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Concept 
                art is used...</font></b></font></p>
              <p align="left"></p>
              <p align="left"><i><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">1. 
                To help create the mood, feel, and style that the game will have.</font></i></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It is 
                important for the game to have a sense of its own unique style 
                -- or at least a style that is appropriate for the game. By having 
                an artist come up with a series of images at the early stages 
                of the game-making process, it can be a good framework for the 
                game designer(s) to conceive how the game with be presented to 
                the player. This type of concept art can be, and usually is, a 
                cast of characters, objects (such as weapons or items to be collected 
                by the main character or characters), and scenes (such as landscapes 
                or architecture).</font></p>
              <p align="left"></p>
              <p align="left"></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><i>2. 
                To capture a sequence of events that will or might occur at some 
                point in the game.</i></font></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Putting 
                this more simply; a storyboard. Many games these days have full 
                motion video or a complex plot that requires drawn out storyboards 
                for the game designer(s) to visualize certain sequences as a whole. 
                Storyboards generally are fairly quickly drawn or sketched out 
                by an artist simply due to the volume of artwork that is needed 

                in a short period of time to keep the design process moving smoothly.</font></p>
              <p align="left"></p>
              <p align="left"></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><i>3. 
                For other artists on the team to follow a consistent style throughout 
                the game design process.</i></font></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">You can&#146;t 
                very well have a team of artists guessing how everything is suppose 
                to look in the game. With a key visual or set of visuals for the 
                other artists to work from can help give the game a sense of flow. 
                Consistency of style is definitely key.</font></p>
              <p align="left"></p>
              <p align="left"></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><i>4. 
                For the 3-D artists to have a visual representation to work from.</i></font></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is 
                basically an extenuation of point number 3 from above. Many 3-D 
                Artists and Level Designers are not always skilled 2-D artists 
                themselves, but rather skilled at the craft they do; which is 
                create objects or characters in 3-D space. This is why a good 
                drawing may be necessary for them to base their 3-D models off 
                of. This type of conceptual art can also be used to toss around 
                ideas to other members. For instance, once I was working on a 
                dungeon texture set and wanted some inspiration to help me think 
                of what kinds of things I might want to put in it. So, I went 
                to the concept artist and had him draw out a sample dungeon. From 
                there, I was able to base my textures off the kick-ass sample 
                he drew, and make myself a cool texture set. </font></p>
              <p align="left"></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Those 
                four points pretty much sum up what concept art is and how it 
                is used in the game design process. In part 2 of this article 
                I&#146;ll get more into the creation aspect and explain some good 
                drawing pointers to follow.</font></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In the 
                meantime, keep drawing and also send in your questions to me so 
                I can start building out the Question and Answer section of Painting 
                On Polygons. </font></p>
              <p align="left"></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">See you 
                in a couple of weeks!</font></p>
              <p align="left">&nbsp;</p>
              <p align="right"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><i><font size="2">- 
                Rick &quot;Flatness&quot; Grossenbacher works on Gameboy Color 
                games for Vicarious Visions. </font></i></font></p>
             </loonystart> <p align="right"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </font></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="index.php"><font color="#7C420E"><b><font size="+1">&lt;&lt;Prev</font></b></font></a></font> 
              </p>
              </DIV>
            </td>
        </tr>
      </table>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
<br>
<table width="100%" border="0" bgcolor="#3596B3" height="29">
  <tr> 
    <td height="20" width="25%" align="center" valign="middle" bgcolor="#86531A"> 
      <a href="../../../about.1"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#FFFFFF" size="2"><b>about</b></font></a></td>
    <td height="20" width="25%" align="center" valign="middle" bgcolor="#86531A"> 
      <a href="../../../feedback.1"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#FFFFFF" size="2"><b>feedback</b></font></a></td>
    <td height="20" width="25%" align="center" valign="middle" bgcolor="#86531A"> 
      <a href="../../../archives/index.html"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#FFFFFF" size="2"><b>archives</b></font></a></td>
    <td height="20" width="25%" align="center" valign="middle" bgcolor="#86531A"> 
      <b><a href="../../../submissions/index.html"><font color="#FFFFFF" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">submissions</font></a></b></td>
  </tr>
</table>
<table width="100%" border="0" bgcolor="#3596B3" height="29">
  <tr> 
    <td height="20" width="35%"><a href="../../../index.html"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#FFFFFF"><b><i>loonygames</i></b></font></a></td>
    <td height="20" width="65%"> 
      <div align="right"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#FFFFFF">  </font></div>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
<p><i><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-2">Credits: Illustration 
  &copy; 1999 Dan Zalkus. Painting on Polygons is &copy; 1999 Rick Grossenbacher. 
  All other content is &copy; 1999 loonyboi productions. Unauthorized reproduction 
  is prohibited, you cartoonish villian, you.</font></i></p>
 <map name="logoa">
  <area shape="rect" coords="52,47,112,59" href="http://www.bluesnews.com">
  <area shape="rect" coords="3,3,179,46" href="../../../index.html">
</map>
</body>
</html>
