Game artists are in demand

A game artist creates art for games that are played on computers, mobile phones or gaming consoles. S/he is responsible for all aspects of game development where visual art is required. With new technologies — mobile phones, social media sites — offering gaming facilities, game artists are in great demand

The lowdown

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A game artist creates art for games that are played on computers, mobile phones or gaming consoles. S/he is responsible for all aspects of game development where visual art is required. With new technologies — mobile phones, social media sites — offering gaming facilities, game artists are in great demand

Clockwork

9am: Meeting with art director or team head to understand the day’s project work

11.30am: Designing and developing the idea by creating 3D characters using software like Zbrush, Maya, 3D mac

1.30pm: Lunch

2.30pm: Discuss project with teammates

4pm: Resume project work

6pm: Leave for home

The payoff

Salaries are fairly low for starters, at about Rs10,000 a month, because the Indian gaming industry hasn’t matured as yet. With time and experience, however, you can expect considerable hikes. After three or four years, you can become a senior game artist and get paid around Rs40,000 to Rs50,000 a month. After spending seven to eight years in this line, you can graduate to the level of art director or senior art director at which positions salaries are much higher

* An artistic bent of mind is a must

* Penchant for working very hard. You might end up spending 14 hours a day in front of the computer screen

* Technologically savvy

* Ability to unlearn and relearn to keep up with fast-evolving technology

* Good team player because you have to coordinate with a number of people to create a good quality product

Getting there

You should study visual communication in fine arts at the bachelor’s or master’s level. You could also get training from any reputable technical institute that offers courses in animation and gaming. If you are aiming to become a game artist, remember that it is a seamless marriage between art and computer science, where art plays a dominant role. If you aspire to become a game programmer, then a degree in computer science with knowledge of C, C++ and Visual Basic can help

Institutes and URLs

* College of Art, Delhi

www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/lib_collegeofart/Collegeofarts/Home/Programmes

* Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC), with centres in several cities

http://www.maacindia.com

Pros and cons

* A highly lucrative field

* The industry is in its infancy but this is the right time to enter it

* Long working hours

With social gaming becoming an important part of user entertainment mix, the demand is growing really fast Rahul Razdan,president - products and operations),

ibibo.com