🎙️ What mindset shift helps artists move from focusing only on execution to thinking more holistically about the game and player experience?

💬 I think a lot of artists (irrespective of whether its iGaming or any other entertainment medium) forget that they need to adapt a developer mindset first and an artistic mindset second. What I mean by this is, we are ultimately responsible for a product that needs to satisfy the player experience and ensure they remain entertained (this is a priority for us).  

To do that, we don’t negate artistic decisions in favour of gameplay or narrative ones. We bind them, mould them and treat them all as one entity. At Play’n GO, communication between departments is a priority and even in a remote working situation, artists must ensure that they communicate regularly with game designers and other stakeholders to ensure the artistic vision complements all every aspect of our titles. 

This is how we ultimately create and maintain a flagship series. The main character isn’t the only focus, it’s the overall feel and knowing that each team member has worked to establish a piece of the brand that is recognisable by our players worldwide, as seen in the success of many of our sequels for example.      

🎙️ What makes game art hold up through real production pressures like revisions, timelines, and multiple stakeholders?  

💬 So, we work on a tiered approach when it comes to art. It doesn’t make sense to fully flesh out the visuals for a character at the beginning of the project. Treat the art like layers of a cake. 

The initial stage is narrative. The Art Director works with the Game Designer, Producer and other stakeholders to ensure that we conceptualise the idea before any art even begins. The Concept Artists are also involved here as we don’t want people to feel like cogs in a machine, everybody can contribute at this stage which allows us to build an inclusive atmosphere within the teams. 

The narrative foundation also ties into the gameplay features, which binds the two together and harmonises the experience. Once this is solidified and everybody is happy with the direction, we then move onto the sketching stage. 

The sketching (or concepting stage) is a rapid and iterative process. This allows us revise assets quickly, with regular meetings between all stakeholders to go through the concept art and see if our visions all align. The key here is ensuring that the team focus on how all the art works when its combined rather than focusing too much on the details of each sketch. This is crucial! Otherwise, you may end up spending too much time on a detail that players may not notice. 

The concepting stage is where all the key decisions are made. Once we get to the next tier, we focus on refining the approved concepts. Changes are very rarely made here, as we have established the general look on the previous stage. This is where we ‘beautify’ the art, adding lighting and really polish the concept to a releasable state.  

🎙️ Technical skills can be learned, but good judgment takes time. How can artists actively train their eye and decision-making ability?

💬 To put it simply, play the games. We must think about the visuals in a different way compared to other forms of entertainment, such as videogames. For example, telling a visual narrative. We find that players enjoy a fast paced, entertaining game. This means that anything that slows the pace down simply detracts from the experience. The only way to truly gauge this is to get into the mindset of a player. 

Once the artist truly understands the nature of our games, they are empowered to make smarter decisions when it comes to creating and integrating art. For example, the backgrounds of a game should never supersede the reel and symbols for players attention. Only complement them. A bright, busy background can be distracting, which you only know when you play the games. And this extends to other areas of the interface. 

An artist who understands the players focal points of a game have a huge advantage over one who doesn’t, even if the technical skillsets differ. This is what separates a good artist from a great artist. 

🎙️ Why is consistency often more valuable than occasional standout artwork in a professional game studio?  

💬 Ultimately, it comes down to reputation. Players are loyal to companies who maintain a player first approach to their products. We curate and think about our player base in all aspects of our development process. Not only if it about ‘finding the fun’ but ensuring that we create brands our players can relate to and trust. 

Especially true in the artwork. We don’t want to take a well-known character and completely revise them, even if the new revision looks, from a standout point of view, much better. That’s not the goal. The goal is to maintain the identity of a character (or series) whilst ensuring our quality bar is kept high. A game series is the sum of its parts, and if one of those parts doesn’t synergise with the rest of the brand then we must re-evaluate and amend this to ensure that our players remain satisfied.  

🎙️ What is one mistake you see talented artists make that quietly limits their growth in the industry?  

💬 I would say ensuring your folio has work which is relevant to iGaming. Quite often, we get artist portfolios whose work doesn’t reflect the products we create. 

If an artist is passionate about entering this industry, they should research the company they wish to work for. This includes the types of games they make, the visual bar set by that company and build a fundamental understanding of slots. This gives a talented artist a huge advantage as they can successfully craft a portfolio which stands out from the crowd. 

As for artists already in the industry, maintain your skills and learn from your peers. There are always new art styles being developed, as well as new and faster ways of working. Focus on improving your ability first, and your speed second. Both are ultimately critical, but the latter cannot exist without the former. 

🎙️ How should creatives approach feedback so it becomes a tool for improvement rather than frustration?  

💬 The first thing would be to not take feedback personally. The main issue when it comes to feedback usually comes from an emotional perspective. People don’t like being told to change something. Instead of feeling that feedback is a top down, single path approach…learn to turn it into a conversation. Ask the stakeholder why they think an idea doesn’t work. Ask as many questions as you need to so that you better understand the stakeholders’ perspective/vision, and they also know that you are invested in your art but also capable of receiving critique, even if you don’t necessarily agree with it. 

Often, we talk about an artists’ ability and understanding but quite frequently we forget about a core skill that all artists require…. Communication (capitalised for a reason). This is critical as an artist doesn’t work in a silo, it’s a very collaborative process. Often, an artist will need to work closely with animators, game designers, producers and other stakeholders; Each providing feedback on different aspects of the artwork, such as how feasible is it to animate. 

🎙️Beyond portfolios, what qualities do studios and art leads value most in artists but don’t always say out loud?  

💬 Apart from great communication skills, collaboration skills. An artist needs to feel as though they are part of a team, especially when working remotely as everyone at Play’n GO does. Trust is one of our companies’ core pillars, and collaboration is the only way you can build trust with your peers. That trust extends to teamwork, which is critical to deliver a cohesive product which each team member is proud to release. 

Additionally, they should spend time understanding the company’s core pillars and IPs. If you don’t understand your product, how can you align your art with the vision and direction which the company pursues? 

🎙️How can artists push creative boundaries while still maintaining clarity and usability for players?  

💬 Focus on the bigger picture. A top-down approach allows the artist to really consider how they approach each project. For example, if the player is working on a sequel and visual consistency needs to be maintained then perhaps, we utilise the narrative to further explore how we can push the artistic integrity. 

For example, if one of the settings in a previous title was a very simple forest scene, then how could you navigate that narratively to be more interesting. Maybe the narrative could have the player stand in front of a giant waterfall filled with gold riches. Even if the visual identity must remain consistent to the previous game, this change in setting alone will allow the artist to explore a vast range of ideas and motivate them to think outside the box.  

🎙️  If someone wants to build a long-term career in game art, what should they focus on early, and what can wait?  

💬 Focus on art fundamentals first. No matter how deep your knowledge of slots is, art fundamentals is critical. This will vary depending on which discipline of art you wish to explore (characters, environments, symbols). Some of the key ones include: 

• Gesture and anatomy | Incredibly useful, even if you prefer to explore environment art. This will not only train you to deliver amazing character art but will also help train your hand to allow the art to flow onto the page. 

• Shape language | Learn how different shapes work together, how you can simplify complex objects into simple shapes that are easy to understand from a non-artists point of view. This will also help you block out your art quickly (as jumping straight into details without a solid foundation will result in an incoherent piece.  

• Values | Before you jump into colour, learn how values (light and dark) work. This is essential as most shapes and objects (when turned black and white) are still instantly recognisable. Take away the values of an image results in a mishmash of a colour palette. 

• Colour Theory | How do colours complement each other? What works and what doesn’t, as well to use colour to highlight aspects of an image (especially critical in iGaming). 

• Visual Library | Read books, watch movies, absorb media. All these things contribute to your visual library and general understanding of what makes things appealing (and functional). 

🎙️ What does iGamity represent in terms of supporting creatives and encouraging open,
knowledge-driven conversations in the industry?

💬 iGamity not only promotes creatives but also representatives who determine why they make the final decision on their products. It’s a knowledge share, which allows the driving forces of iGaming to see what else is out there and determine viable ways to compete. I don’t use the term ‘compete’ in a negative manner, it’s absolutely healthy. Competition and inspiration help us grow, take existing mechanics and innovate or tweak them so that the players have a much more fulfilling experience.

Ultimately, player experience is the end goal regardless of whose driving it. Hopefully future talks and discussions on iGamity will further promote healthy discussion and allow artists, art directors and companies to innovate and succeed in a sector that is still in its infancy with infinite potential to grow. 

And above all, have fun! (The most important part 😊).