06
MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS ON THE
SAME PAGE
Character blueprints are created so that everyone
works from the same reference material. Poses,
facial expressions, animation tips and design details
are pointed out in character model sheets that all
production artists use to maintain a consistent look.09
KEY ART
Silver was first introduced to a larger
audience in the Angry Birds 2. The main game key art
was created in layers so that the individual characters
and effects could be moved around, making it easier
for marketing artists to create different sized posters,
banners and other deliverables.10
SILVER TAKES FLIGHT!
Finally, almost half a year from the first
sketch, Silver makes her debut in the game! It’s never
an easy task to introduce a new member to the
well-known flock. There are many opinions along the
way [and] many applications the character needs to fit
in. The first high-five moment is definitely the point05
EXPLORE MOODS
Further sketching started to reveal the
potential of the design as the whole body was used to
express her emotions. Many of our artists are strong
in drawing and utilising traditional artist tools. Pencil
is still the weapon of choice for many in the concept
creation phase. Sketches are then scanned in... [And]
final lines and colours are added in Photoshop.
Having the outlines on separate the layers from the
colour fills make it easy to adjust the Color Balance
and try out different approaches very quickly.
Sometimes it’s a nice touch to let the original drawing
shine through the piece, further emphasising that it’s
still a concept design rather than a finished artwork.07
MARKETING VISUALS
Creating the marketing visuals for Angry
Birds 2 was quite a challenge, as the key assets
would need to both feel familiar to the fans and also
showcase the production values and scale of the
game. The character assets were painted in
Photoshop using a variety of sketch brushes.08
TELLING SILVER’S TALE
Silver’s background story was covered in
comic story format. The basic layout was sketched on
paper and then scanned. The line art was drawn on a
Cintiq tablet and separate vector shapes were created
for the colour fills – all in Photoshop.STUDIO SECRETS FOR STUNNING GAME ART TECHNIQUES
Toni Kysenius shares his key tips
for successful games artists
KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS!
Recognise your strong points as a designer/artist. Are you
a Swiss army knife, or rather a surgical instrument,
created for a specific purpose?GO THE EXTRA MILE
When you have done your homework, you can trust your gut
feeling and let it drive you. Let your passion shine through. Go
the extra mile if you possibly can. It will be recognised.
NOT ALL WORK MAKES IT
Working for a game company you can’t afford to be egotistical
regarding your work. A lot of artwork will be redone or canned,
sometimes even full projects do not make it. Take in the
learning and start over!
WORK WITH YOUR MARKETING TEAM!
Marketing and brand guys are not your enemy. The game
needs to be packaged and sold in the right way to find its
audience. It’s that audience that ultimately pays your salary
and lets you work in your dream job.UTILISE YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE
Cherish your special skills, share your knowledge and learn from
your colleagues. Everything you have done before can be harnessed
to help you in your work. Your background may vary, but it’s all the
better if you know something about graphic design, typography,
traditional arts, gaming, popular culture and sports.TOP TIPS TO SUCCEED
IN THE INDUSTRY04
THE BACK-STORY IS IMPORTANT
The character back-story started to take
shape and one of the ideas involved a bird being
raised by the pigs, also assuming their expressions
and body language. The eyes were taken lower on
the same line with the beak, lending a hint of
pigginess to her look.06
MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS ON THE04
shape and one of the ideas involved a bird being
raised by the pigs, also assuming their expressions
and body language. The eyes were taken lower on
the same line with the beak, lending a hint of
pigginess to her look.
when the character design is seen internally. When the
game is released it’s exciting for the team to start
seeing feedback from fans. We get lots of fan art and
mail from different parts of the world and there were
many fans who picked up Silver immediately when we
released the first images of her via social media!