Monday 28 May 2012

Year Two's Over Now








The transitional step from trainee to game artist has been reached, next year i will be thrown out in the deep end and will have to fend for myself. I have learnt more than the first year taught me and a lot of it was just down to practice, the Queens Building Project helped me understand what it would be like in a group and that you never know how people you work with might be. It taught me to adapt and not to invest in my work so much at early stages as it will more than likely have to change or be reworked. It helped me understand the main aspects of how games engines worked; my understanding and abilities of traditional and digital painting have excelled. I have started to apply my work in different ways and have learnt a lot of tips and tricks that will allow me to quickly execute ideas. I still have a lot to learn but this major hurdle in my career prospects has been jumped. I now have a good enough understand to achieve almost anything i want and all i have to do now is practice and improve on what i have already developed. I know that i shouldn't take this lightly and i'm going to try to double my investment into the course next year to make sure i have the best FMP that i could possibly have.

This year wasn't without it problems either, i spent around Christmas trying to complete a project that i had not managed well enough and had left far to late. Being a character project i wasn't that interested in it and i kept pushing it further and further back in till i had nothing in the last week of the holidays. It has shown me that i need to properly address my organisational skills but has also shown me what not to do and for it i am better prepared for the final year. The second year was something of a practice year where i could try different techniques and work flows without it having a massive impact on my final grade or job prospects. I had additional problems in that i broke my hard drive the week before Easter and had to complete a semesters worth of work in two weeks.This taught me to backup more often and never take for granted something that is working fine. Because it is more than likely that it will corrupt when you need it most. I also learn't not to rely on other people so heavily. I was let down but the hard drive recovery people at DMU and i never got any of my data back. Although i would have preferred to have the original work it did allow me to re-do some piece in different styles when perhaps i wouldn't have. Practice makes perfect.

This year has allowed me to learn much and to take advantage of any opportunities that are made available to me. Currently working on the Rossyln Chapel Project has allowed me to continue to practice whilst summer continues and has given me something worthwhile to mention to friends and to put on my C.V. It has acted as a final stepping stone to practice the skills i will need for future projects and employment. Overall i feel the course has benefited me and given me the push and focus to work to my fullest potential. I have a much better understanding of what is needed of me and how i can go about it thanks to the tutors and to my fellow peers. My modelling has improved beyond redoubt and my digital paintings have come further than i thought when looking back on it. With this year at an end academically i must try to focus myself and get as much done over summer to benefit myself in the long run. I aim to try and produce a summer project, or at the very least produce some test assets for my FMP or another project. I have a long way to go and a lot to prove, but i am determined to do the best i can and try to graduate with the best degree i can.