how to find your game artist

BlitzMax Forums/BlitzMax Programming/how to find your game artist

hub	(Posted 2007) [#1]

I know that'is the wrong forum, but i'm thinking that this post will be more reading here !

my project is now enougth advanced to work on the graphics. I can produce programmer graphics but not amazing gfx !!!

It's a freeware, i'm an hobbist programmer. So it's difficult to have an huge money budget for the gfx man !

for my 2d vertical space shooter, I need this to start with this
- a tileset (the game can display on three layer. You can use five 512x512 png file for tileset into an level)
- some animated enemies ships.
- an fantastic animated multi part bigboss
- i prefer 2d pixel art.

The game is in debug phase :
- i have an editor to produce an level without any code line ! (tile position, enemies trajectories, level parameters and more...).
- i've already an optimized game version. it works well. I continue to kill the bugs.

See my site on my sig for more info and screenshoots.

So...
1) where and how to find an hobbist graphist ?
2) what's reasonable budget to produce the mentionned gfx ?
3) please veteran blitz programmers, post here your experience here on the way to find your artist !

Many thanks for your help.

tonyg

(Posted 2007) [#2]

Check the Gamedev.net help wanted forums. Use the Inet Development Team forums.
I've never seen somebody post a price for a set of graphics. I have seen replies from artists which ask for sizes, number of tiles, number of frames of animation, number of 'redos' if you change your spec slightly, style of graphics, copyright etc etc. You could do a search at GameDev to see what other questions are normally asked.

Matty

(Posted 2007) [#3]

conceptart.org is where I got some of mine.

MGE	(Posted 2007) [#4]

"It's a freeware" Really? From what I've seen of your game, I'm sure there's some users who would pay for it. Granted maybe not 19.95, but surely a good shooter would be worth $9.95? I say package it up and market it. Also, why not get an artist on board and give them 50% of the income? You might attract a better artist that way?

hub	(Posted 2007) [#5]

mge, if prefer not sell this first project, i'm an hobbist programmer, not a pro. i don't want lauch me into a market spiral. No time to support really a commercial software. For me this project is only an dream, fun to develop, and hope in the future fun to play. I can produce the code, i've the music, now i need some nice graphics to continue my dream ! i just want finish and enjoy it !

H&K	(Posted 2007) [#6]

I dont think youll find it that hard. AS TonyG and Matty said there are places to find artist.
But the most important thing here is that you have a (Is it proffesional for an indie game?), web page, with a demo.

From what I can see, the thing artists hate more than anything are programmers who are really programing for their next game. An artist, by nesesaty has to colaberate; and it doesnt matter how good the art is, if the programmer doesnt finish, or starts a new project. (Because its all objects, and its no hasstle), this make artists ... peeved.

So do as Tony said, state as near as possible exactly what you want, and post on those boards, with a link to you web.
And dont take the first to reply, Ask for dementrations. You afterall have provided a demo.

Amon	(Posted 2007) [#7]

Check out http://www.pixeljoint.com

Lots of Professional pixel artists there. I would say some of the best in the industry post there.

There are some who will work on the cheap, or who will want a deposit. Others charge industry prices whether it be per hour or whole job priced.

hub	(Posted 2007) [#8]

i'm starting write a text about what i want. That's true that i've somes ideas on this, but not the potential to produce it. In fact it's difficult for me to make the code and the gfx...

ford escort

(Posted 2007) [#9]

i'm not what we can call a professional pixel artist but played a bit with my old sprite editor this afternoon.

if you're interested you can mail me (in french or not) we'll talk about you're needs to see if i can help you with you're project (may depend on what you need, the time i have ... )

hub	(Posted 2007) [#10]

Many thanks ford escort for your gfx. It's not exactly what i want as gfx style.

i begin write a text to explain to an artist my project : English is not soo easy to me. First attemps, sure, there are mistakes and gramatical errors ! Please copy the text inside notepad to read it.

My project is an vertical space shooter, with modern gfx and sounds. . The game target is 

the young players.

Some keyword :
cartoon, fun, colorfull, pixelart but antialiased, photoshop layers, mysterious, funny. 

cybernetic, mecanic, organic,insects.

Me :
i'm an hobbist programmer. i'm 33 yers old. I'm french. I code this game as a dream. I hope 

it will be fun to play. The game is a freeware. I'm not interesting to earn money with it.

The game :


I've an in-game introduction. Score table. Settings. Game timing code. Menus. I've drawing 

four characters (with photoshop and illustrator). The operator, the commander, a girl and a 

boy. The girl and the boy are the pilots ! I've buy a Christopher Hart book to produce them 

'how to draw retro-style characters' ! I use Blitmax langage (by Mark Sibly) to produce the 

code. When i've a problem, the blitz communauty help me ! The project started early 2006. 

I'm the only man who works on it ! I've a dedicated site for the game. Game and site are 

translated into english and french. 

The game music is already produced by some artists. Have the right to use some tracks and 

the others are created especially for the game. The actual gfx are all mine. Is use 

photophop and illustrator to produce them (i've read some tutorials). Often i'm drawing a 

form with illustrator and next apply a layer style with photoshop (to avoid  flat gfx !!!). 

For my gfx, i'm trying to consider that the light is at the top left screen corner. I'm not 

an artist, so i think thaht my gfx are no so bad, but without artistic imagination ! I need 

your help !

The game editor :

It's easy to change all the gfx inside a level without modify the code. Finally the game is 

'skinable'. All the in-level gfx are into the 'map' folder. For example for the world 

'classic'. Inside this folder the modele.ini file describe all the animated and static 

images used for the objects (cannons, chained balls, prisoners bases, ...) and player hud. 

You can also  choose the enemy gfx with the game editor. With the game editor you can 

create a level without a line of code : set Parameters, enemies trajectories, position the 

tiles (on three layers : back, middle and front). You can also create multi-part enemies 

(bigboss), in this case you can describe for each part a movement (with a pseudo langage). 

You can describe for each ennemi three type of shoots (laser, ball which move to player 

direction, guided missiles). Enemies are animated from animstrip images. You can choose 

with the editor the animation frame numbers, the frame width and depth and also an animatio 

preview. From the editor you can also use five 512x512 tileset inside a level. From french, 

i've translated the editor into english (first attempts these days).

I'm searching :

an hobbist artist. Hope you are cheap to produce the gfx as i not earn money on this 

program ! i've a low budget, so i can't pay as an professional artist ! But i'm ready to 

study with you what i can pay you for your work (via paypal). I prefer a modern 2d pixel 

art artist,than a 3d artist. I've no short delay time to produce the gfx. I just want some 

examples of your progress. Generally, i'pay at the beginning of the work, the rest at the 

end when i have the media. i just want the possibility to use the gfx inside my game, but 

the media cant be used into another custommer project if it reduce the price ! Please not 

to old school pixelised gfx ! I'm not interested if you produce only graphics that i can do 

! Really need an artist. I appreciate photoshop artwork.

For the first world i need :

1) a tileset :
2) objects design (cannons, prisoners base, ...)
3) 15 animated enemies 
4) middle boss : serpent.
5) an final muti-part boss enemy


1) 

my game use 32x32pixels tiles. In a level you can use five 512x512 pixels tilesets. The 

game can display three layers. Back, middle, Front. Player ship is displayed on the middle 

layer. So if you design a bridge i can put the tile on the front layer, and tthe player 

ship is displayed below. You can also display animated 32x32 tiles (always on the three 

layers)

I want mix alien mecanic technology (machines) on asteroids. Perhaps some organics gfx. 

Strange and mysterious. Some humour also. Bridges (front layer). I want colorfull gfx. No 

dark ! i don't want a realistic word : just fun to discover.

2) 
At this time, their gfx is very basic. Perhaps it should be a good idea to re-design them 

to fit with the new tileset and enemies design. Some can be integrate as an tileset 

extension. In my mind, this is the turnings and rectilign objects.


3) 
They are animated from the game editor. I don't know how many frame you musts to proper 

animated an enemy ! i can load them with the game editor with any number of frame, or frame 

size. There are flying enemys. aLso Hope insectoid, mecanic, organic. Mix of this three 

thing. Minimum size should be 64x64 pixels. They can fire rockets, balls or laser (i can 

change the shoot image inside the editor for each enemy).

4) cybernetic snake. In fact three enemies. A head. A body part. And the queue. I've 

already mine, but it's crap. The player should begin by destroy the queue, the bodies parts 

and the head at the end.


5) a big animated insect, multi-part. With the game engine you can link each part so the 

player must kill a part before it can destroy another. The bigboss follow a trajectory 

(along splines). Each part can also cumulate another movement with the main trajectory (via 

editor movement pseudo langage, for example t=60a=100r=100 the part advance by 100 pixel 

following a rectilign line, angle = 60 degree, next go backward also to 100 px). FOr 

example the boss could have some part shields. Next when the player kill them it can see 

the mecanic below. All parts be killed and finaly the head. It's just i idea. Also with the 

game engine you can choose where the enemy shoots starts for each part. So the enemy could 

have some weapon part (canon) to destroy. The laser can start from a leg...

Hope this is clear.

i'm tired. Must re-read it tomorrow. It's time for me to go to bed ! Bye !

Dabz	(Posted 2007) [#11]

In fact it's difficult for me to make the code and the gfx...

Thats probably the same for a lot of people here... Best advice I can give you is get a decent drawing package and learn.

I was crap at images, now though, after a helping hand from a few online buddies (More notably, Qube, Weetbix & JamesM), I've managed to start clagging things together pretty confidently... I've even start on the graphics for my next game.

If I can pick it up, an ape can! :)

Good luck on your project! ;)

Dabz

iprice

(Posted 2007) [#12]

@Dabz: what drawing package do you use (don't tell me you're using Photoshop...)?

Dabz	(Posted 2007) [#13]

Yep, CS2! :)

Do you recommend something else?

Price wise, that is enough for me... So if you can recommend something around the �150-�200 mark, I'll be interested.

Dabz

iprice

(Posted 2007) [#14]

No, I want to get my butt into 2D also and I'm looking for a decent program. I have used Gimp but somehow the interface is not my cup of tea...

xlsior

(Posted 2007) [#15]

If I can pick it up, an ape can! :)

That doesn't always hold true -- I'm fairly confident that the average baboon will be better at composing music to use in a game than I'll ever be, by a long shot.

I'm half-way decent making GFX, but no matter how fancy or easy-to-use music software you'll dig up, I won't be any good with it. :-?

Dabz	(Posted 2007) [#16]

No, I want to get my butt into 2D also and I'm looking for a decent program. I have used Gimp but somehow the interface is not my cup of tea...

I was the same when I first used Photoshop... The problem being that theres so much stuff in there I never had a clue where to start. But, I followed a few tuts, asked for advice and what not and it started to sink in. :)

I also bought a Wacom tablet pen, and that give art and design for me a more natural feel... And its probably one of the most useful devices I've ever bought.

I'm fairly confident that the average baboon will be better at composing music

lol, my advice for that would be to get yourself a midi keyboard and hook it up to your PC (I think they cost about �100 over here) and just play around with it. Yeah, it may be an expensive toy but you never know! ;)

Dabz

hub	(Posted 2007) [#17]

i my past day, when i was a pro webmaster and developper, i've working with true photoshop guru artists. Not a problem for me to study and use photoshop. But there always a difference between a programmer and an true artist. Artist are no limited by the tool, they have artistic knowledge and talent, they know how to use colours, forms. Photoshop is just the tool to exprim their art. i appreciate working with an artist, to communicate with it.

hub	(Posted 2007) [#18]

i've just finished a page on my site that explain my project :

http://www.zigwigwis.com/search_artist.php

i must read it again and correct some faults before post the link on artist forums.

hub	(Posted 2007) [#19]

http://www.pixeljoint.com seems a good site to find artist (for my tileset). Is somebody here have join their forum ? i've an account but i can't post. I've tried to contact the team via the contact form, but i never had a reply ! i never receive the activation mail ! and when i want re-sent it i've nothing into my mailbox (i'm sure thaht is the correct address !)

Chroma

(Posted 2007) [#20]

I think the graphics you made look just fine!

hub	(Posted 2007) [#21]

Thanks chroma, the pb is that i've no enough time to do the code and the gfx. So i've found an artist (he produce nice gfx for ship and enemies). But he don't know how to do a tileset (or tilemap). I'm sure there is an artist at pixeljoint who know how to do this stuff but i can't post on their forum to present my project !

perhaps 'Amon' is a pixeljoint member ?

nino	(Posted 2007) [#22]

I think the graphics you made look just fine!

seriously - Ive seen worse game art by "real artists".

Will	(Posted 2007) [#23]

Go after art-school students! Post on forums for local art schools and link to the demo etc, they all want resume material and they'll work for free. Also, they might be cute ;)

hub	(Posted 2007) [#24]

@will i've already do this with the french art schools ! i've some contacts but nobody seems to have the knowledge or experience to produce tileset (or tilemap) ;-(