I started this project earlier this year and I haven't yet completed the whole package, It is a rough road to go through but what I gathered was that you will learn faster if you have a project-based practice rather than just random things. Why you ask? Well to answer that we have to understand first what does a project-based practice offer:
One Unique Theme:
This is no news to anyone that has been working as a concept artist for some time now, but any new comers try to dwell into the world of concept art by doing a variety of things, and you don't focus as much, I did the same mistake, this is why when you have one unique theme you can really understand and practice your fundamentals in order to advance faster and better.
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| Carrier Class - STALKER Faction - Orthographic & Render View |
Styling, Reference and Design:
What we see most of the time is concepts that they don't usually belong together and show no particular area of expertise and knowledge. What I'm trying to achieve in this project is to work on something that has a one-of-a-kind style that magnifies my artistic style and shows potential to improve. My goal here is not to create something that is perfect, that is not the point for concept art, concept art is what the word describes, which roughly translates to putting down ideas. To do that you have to first have the right references, that being images, other concepts, movies or even real life. Through my concept, I want to explore the difference between two very different groups of people that both live under the same "roof", making money through the same thing, yet the main difference is their end goal. Who do you think is the bad guy? STALKERS or SCIENTISTS and why?
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| Artisan Class - SCIENTISTS Faction - Render View |
Well, to be honest, there are no bad guys. It's meant to be like that even when you look at them because it's a matter of perspective. They both doing something to survive and they both need something to do it.
The Story:
Isn't that what we all trying to tell? A story? Well here too, I'm looking for that, but so it happens that this time around I did it before I started working on the project before anything else, that is why I based it upon the universe the Struggatsky brothers already established in the same-name book: Roadside Picnic (STALKER). It's an excellent read and makes you think about stuff, which is what a book should be if you ask me. I'm a Sci-Fi lover all the way, but this goes into a different area it explores the possibilities the event of a Visit from aliens would possibly have on the earth and the visited areas.
So to top it all off, I think you should know what you are diving into before starting to sketch around. All am saying lay out a nice decent backstory for your characters/landscape and tell it through imagery and concept art storytelling!
Till' next time!
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Check out the whole project on my website: http://www.mtsirides.com
Check out the whole project on my website: http://www.mtsirides.com