Bachelor Game Art, Animation & 2D/3D Creation

In groups of three, creating an isometric scene concept depicting a mini alchemist's laboratory in 3D, with a final rendered image.

Software used: Maya, Marmoset, Substance Painter.

Skills acquired:

• Basic creation of a 2D concept
• Learning and practising the 3D modeller profession
• Basic texturing, pre-calculated rendering, optimisation, real-time rendering…

Defining a marketing strategy (in a Covid context: web, digital, stunt marketing, streaming, influencer strategy, …) with the sole aim of driving to the e-store for the release, and therefore the sale, of the latest AAA instalment from a famous video game studio (release planned for late 2021).

Skills acquired:

• Structuring a campaign around specific objectives
• Engaging a game's existing community in a marketing strategy
• Extending a marketing campaign to a franchise's non-gamer audience

Practical application of art history and the sociology of culture to video games, and developing an artistic culture ranging from art brut to contemporary art, via many unconventional movements.

Skills acquired:

• Developing artistic and historical analysis skills
• Reinvesting culture in the personal creation of a coherent, innovative world
• Creating and illustrating a unique, coherent world (inspiration for Matte Painting in particular)

Academic practice of drawing the human body by learning the fundamental principles of morpho-anatomy in order to create characters, realistic in style or not but always believable, based on in-depth knowledge of human anatomy.

Skills acquired:

• Producing, creating and conceptualising characters that are anatomically correct, or at least believable
• Fully understanding the mechanics of human bones and muscles, making it possible to produce more accurate animations

Imagining and producing a sculpt of an alien (bust type) using ZBrush. Creating a 2D concept art followed by a detailed 3D sculpt, with painting and lights.

Skills acquired:

• Creating and optimising a sculpt in ZBrush
• Managing materials, lights and painting
• Producing a PBR render

Studying an iconic video game alongside a painting related to it. Learning literary genres or artistic movements related to the theme covered.

Building a trend book and press review in order to develop Key Art combined with concept art and character design.

Skills acquired:

• Creating a trend book
• Studying an image
• Recognising and using a variety of artistic references

Applying concepts from literary and artistic property law when using third-party resources to make a mobile game. Analysing an employment contract from a copyright perspective.

Skills acquired:

• Identifying elements subject to copyright
• Identifying the legal rules applicable to using a third party's work
• Drafting a copyright assignment and a request for permission to use third-party works

First contact with the principles of animation, introduction to 2D animation. Thinking about and understanding animation, maintaining a volume/drawing over several frames.

Software used: Photoshop, Toon Boom Harmony.

Skills acquired:

• Knowledge of the principles of animation
• Awareness of the importance of drawing in volume in order to animate
• Introduction to animation software

Through the study of observational drawing, understanding the visual world around us. Discovering and adding your own personality to create your own style and go beyond technique, all in order to convey ideas from the simplest to the most complex.

Skills acquired:

• Developing a keen eye, an ability to understand the shapes around you and to integrate, distort and reinterpret them
• Developing particular self-confidence in understanding reality, enabling you to communicate ideas through drawing

Learning to integrate assets into games, particularly 3D games with a TPS or top-down view. Integrating 3D digital models, 3D animations and textures into the Unity game engine, using Maya as an example for the 3D creation side.

Skills acquired:

• Knowing the basics of visual scripting in Unity to test animations directly in the engine
• Setting up an efficient workflow between Maya and Unity
• Integrating textured models and external animations, and creating an animation controller for 3D production
• Creating a system to switch character models and skins

Individual project: creating a 3D slideshow featuring a character imagined by the student.

3D modelling and high-definition renders.

Skills acquired:

• Learning a workflow specific to 3D character design involving several software packages (baking and grooming software, fur, cloth, hair)
• Knowledge of the steps needed to achieve a high-end 3D render

Studying an iconic video game alongside a painting related to it. Learning literary genres or artistic movements related to the theme covered.

Building a trend book and press review in order to develop Key Art combined with concept art and character design.

Skills acquired:

• Studying an image
• Recognising and using a variety of artistic references
• Using references and techniques from the various arts and practices covered in class in your creations

Through the study of observational drawing, understanding the visual world around us. Discovering and adding your own personality to create your own style and go beyond technique, all in order to convey ideas from the simplest to the most complex.

Skills acquired:

• Developing a keen eye, an ability to understand the shapes around you and to integrate, distort and reinterpret them
• Developing particular self-confidence in understanding reality, enabling you to communicate ideas through drawing

Creating a complete art direction for a video game. Creating harmonious art direction across all of a game's items: sets, characters and props.

Skills acquired:

• Visualising an idea
• Making even a fantasy setting believable
• Knowing how to present your project

Translating creative direction and game design elements into artistic thinking. Anticipating art production issues during the concept art phase and showcasing a game's game design through game art and look art.

Skills acquired:

• Analysing a blockout and producing a concept art / paint-over of it while anticipating production issues
• Linking art to game design
• Awareness of interactive UX experience design issues (readability, comprehension, visual ergonomics, learning

As part of the video game creation programme, introduction to virtual world-building tools with Unreal. Learning the production workflow specific to real time. Creating 3D models (kit + props) and integrating them into Unreal Engine 4, then setting up real-time lighting.

Skills acquired:

• Importing and optimising graphic assets and integrating them into Unreal Engine 4
• Designing a level design and architecture suited to a theme
• Creating real-time daylight lighting

Integrating a humanoid character into a game: its model, textures and animations. Learning Unity's animation system, Mecanim, and all the specifics of humanoid models, as well as exporting from Maya directly to Unity.

Skills acquired:

• Importing models, textures and animations from 3D creation software
• Integrating textured models and external animations, and creating an animation controller
• Creating simple animations directly in Unity

Imagining and producing a real-time-oriented 3D model following the video game workflow. Creating the concept of a powerful relic kept safe by its stand and base.

Software used: Maya, Marmoset, Substance Painter.

Skills acquired:

• High-poly to low-poly production with Maya and clean, usable UV unwrapping
• Baking maps and real-time turntable rendering with Marmoset
• Creating textures with Substance Painter

Individual creative development work around an original Shaman character. 3D modelling followed by a low-res render.

Software used: 3ds Max, Maya, ZBrush, Marvelous Designer, Marmoset, etc.

Skills acquired:

• 3D modelling with industry-standard tools
• Character blocking
• Rendering a high-definition prop