The last six weeks have been a very new learning experience for me. I applied to this masters course with the intention of improving my skills as a 2D artist, to get back into concept art and character design, and to learn more about the process of game development. I feel now, despite a shaky start, that I am well on my way to doing what I intended to do.
Maintaining a reflective journal has been incredibly useful over this time, as it has pushed me to think more about my aspirations and what I can do to help myself achieve them. Writing out explanations of the lecture subjects and doing my own research also helped me better understand what each lecture was about, and how each subject could benefit/change my work. The lectures on development synergies have also shown me ways of improving team work and collaboration, as has my experience of the two game jams. Working in a team where everyone has a different role (designer, artist, programmer, etc.) was new for me, and a bit of an eye-opener to what my role as a 2D artist may be in a future place of work. This also lead to using the Kanban and Scrum methodologies, which also aided in my understanding of agile cycles and their benefits.
Attending classes outside of my module, such as year 2 life drawing sessions and year 1 concept art classes, has been a great opportunity for me and shown me new techniques for character concepts and designs. I plan to go forward taking more of these classes to continue improvement, and intend to potentially look out for other classes in environment art, and 3D software such as ZBrush. The classes in which I've been making a Sea of Thieves themed asset have been a good introduction to ZBrush, as well as a good refresh for Maya.
SMART Goals - I aim to use these SMART goals over the duration of my course to ensure my improvement and self-directed study:
Over the reading week I continued working on my journal entries, my Sea of Thieves themed asset, and some personal projects. I made sure to spend most of my time using the university facilities, as it encourages me to concentrate more on my work. The grounds of the university are also nice to walk around to take breaks, which I made sure to do to prevent burn-out. Breaks when working are important and beneficial and can help to "retain information, understand the bigger picture, cultivate your creativity, and embrace healthier habits" (Chignell, 2019). Previously, I have forced myself to battle through work, but I'm learning that small, frequent breaks help me work faster, and produce better work.
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| Fig. 1: Spence, 2022. Happy Halloween |
References:
Images:
Figure 1. SPENCE, Nel. 2022. Happy Halloween. Private Collection: Nel Spence
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