It should be mentioned that the final grade looks extreme but the raw colors and light were already there in the scene.

Learning

Don’t Look for Inspiration

For me, it comes completely naturally, out of the blue. I regularly step away from the work to watch a movie or read a book or check twitter. I’ll allow myself to chill out and come back the project with fresh ideas. It’s important for mental health but also for replenishing creative energy.

‘Those Who Mourn’ taught me how to persist through some horrible creative days to achieve a piece of art I couldn’t have imagined making only 3 months ago. I really didn’t think I’d finish it, or at least, not to the extent that I managed to polish it.

It taught me to run while I feel in the zone and to take care when things are going more slowly.

Take What You Need

ZBrush, Marvelous and SpeedTree are exceptional tools for the things they are designed to deal with. Ultimately though, I picked up three new pieces of software and shook them until the things I needed from them fell out. I now have a richer technical skill set but I don’t ever plan to know what all the buttons do.

The Power of Fundamentals

This project represents huge strides in my understanding of art in general and how powerful the fundamentals are if you explore them. The fun of this environment came from discovering the principles halfway through and then applying them. Which shapes give off which mood? Why is highlighting the focal point important? Can I be bothered with the rule of thirds yet again?

Wearing a Designer’s Hat

It helps to think like a designer to make sure decisions synergize with the gameplay and the narrative. There might not be gameplay or a narrative with personal projects, but it helps to pretend there is because in the industry there’s a commercial product at the end.

Get Feedback and Play

I got tonnes of feedback but particularly from John Griffiths (Griffitii on Twitch). A quick paintover of your shot can change everything. Pay attention to the feedback that hurts the most. These are the wild suggestions that you weren’t even close to thinking of. Your gut reaction starts cursing at the idea of change but I’ve found that feedback like this hits the truth. Be open and vulnerable to constructive critique. Give these things a go. Some of the best decisions I made were as a result of just aimlessly messing about. Scaling stuff weird, throwing textures where they shouldn’t, jumping about the place with the UE4 man. Play and have fun. At the end of the day, we’re making games.