Friday, December 7, 2012

Gameloft-Stuff

I feel very apprehensive about showing these things. I did them while working at Gameloft more than a year ago, and both of these games are out by now. I had lots of fun on both projects, and I learned a lot. But I sucked far more than I do now. Still suck, but maybe less.

Also, I did a seven page workshop for 2D artist magazine this month, so buy it to gain some insight into my "secrets" :). Fortunate to land the cover. http://www.2dartistmag.com/latest.html


6 comments:

DAVID WILSON said...

No shame in getting better! It would be a shame if you never got better after working a ton.

You've got an amazing ability to block in the form and give rich dimension to it. That's where I'm still growing.

Johannes Helgeson said...

Hey, thanks David :) Yeah, I feel I find self-respect not so much in the results themselves, but rather in the extent of my efforts to get better. I'm actually fairly pleased these paintings look like shit to me, the opposite would've had disastrous implications. Well, whatever keeps the complacence away is a good thing I suppose :)

I'm very much using construction-tools. I think and draw in boxes and spheres and cylinders, rather than shapes and lines etc. And when I paint, I think I'm more of a sculptor, pushing and pulling forms rather than deliberately placing strokes. I think I've begun to move towards shapes and strokes in my personal work, I find appeal in that. But I can't deny the beauty of a nice maquette either. :)

Filip Orekhov said...

Ha! I honestly only downloaded Zombiewood because the art looked like Helgesons, and sure enough it was. Massive fan, keep up the awesome work :)

Johannes Helgeson said...

Thanks for the kind words Filip! :D It was a fun project to work on, but really, my AD, Arnaud, should get most of the credit, I was just a sword, he was the wielder, so to speak :) Personally I never quite liked the Tex Avery proportions of the male characters.

Keep up the great work yourself buddy, tons of potential! :D I especially like the purple-colored freerunner!

Aviv Or said...

I fail to see the suckiness; these designs are great, and the style is just lovely. Like David, I adore your sense of form, and the color is beautiful.

Johannes Helgeson said...

ChateNoire! :D Thank you, too kind, too kind. When I look at contemporary or classical masters, it's evident I have so much to learn. I don't have the shapes of Bruce Timm, or the anatomical knowledge or sense of rythm as Claire Wendling. I don't have the awareness of color and strokes like Anders Zorn nor the control of Leyendecker. You know, it's these people I like to compare my efforts with, and by all ways of looking at it, I still suck. Complacence is the worst state of mind. I do derive some sense of happiness from people expressing liking my stuff, but I have to keep pushing.