by Eliott Lilly | Aug 12, 2015 | Words of Wisdom
DAREK ZABROCKI IS A PROFESSIONAL CONCEPT ARTIST AND ILLUSTRATOR WORKING IN THE VIDEO GAMES INDUSTRY.
Portfolio: www.darekzabrocki.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darek.zabrocki91
Instagram: http://instagram.com/darekzabrocki
Darek Zabrocki’s current portfolio examples:
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE(S) OF ADVICE YOU CAN OFFER STUDENTS THAT YOU WISH THEY HAD TOLD YOU IN ART SCHOOL?
Work hard, Play hard. If you feel in your guts that art is what you love doing the most, never give up and never let anyone put you down. There are always obstacles and problems on the career path but listen to your heart and do what you love.
ASSUMING THAT THERE ARE NO SPACE-TIME PARADOX’S INVOLVED… IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME 10 YEARS (KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW), WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF TO DO DIFFERENTLY?
Haha good one! I would probably say: Darek if you make the effort to become a professional artist, then be prepared to develop hardworking habits, sleep less, but don’t forget to take breaks.
WHAT DOES “SUCCESS” MEAN TO YOU AND, WHAT ARE AT LEAST THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE IT?
Success is combination of fan’s appreciation of what you’re doing along with ability to make living out of it I guess. I am not crazy about success because I always strive to do my best and be better, it’s never enough success for me and I think that’s what keeps me going. To achieve it you need to be Stubborn, Stubborn and Stubborn once again. Nothing and no one should be able to stop you at doing what you love.
by Eliott Lilly | Jun 30, 2015 | Words of Wisdom
Jason Felix is a self taught freelance artist who has been working in the video game and entertainment industry for 25 years. Known for his digital photographic manipulations, Felix’s works have been showcased internationally and have directly inspired numerous Hollywood projects. He has been involved in visually establishing computer games franchises & films such as Magic The Gathering, Starcraft, Dead Space, Prince of Persia, Battlefield, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and many other projects.
Website: http://www.jasonfelix.com/
Checkout his books: Salvaged:The Art of Jason Felix and Mail Order Monsters
Jason Felix’s Current portfolio examples
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE(S) OF ADVICE YOU CAN OFFER STUDENTS THAT YOU WISH THEY HAD TOLD YOU IN ART SCHOOL?
Being an artist and creating is a life style. Not a choice, either you live to create or you don’t. Every professional artist that I know, this is always true.
ASSUMING THAT THERE ARE NO SPACE-TIME PARADOX’S INVOLVED… IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME 10 YEARS (KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW), WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF TO DO DIFFERENTLY?
Hmmm… nothing really. Life is about overcoming obstacles and working thru hard-times. It’s invaluable to experience what life has to offer which is all the good and all the bad. People of all walks of life say “I would do this, buuuut….”. When I hear this, its an excuse of why they stopped doing something. Or never became the person they wanted to be or have the job they wanted. Its a personal choice, so make the ones you want and be prepared to fight for it if need be.
WHAT DOES “SUCCESS” MEAN TO YOU AND, WHAT ARE AT LEAST THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE IT?
Success is objectionable, really depends on personal outlook. My outlook is being able to create a living doing what ones does. A job that does not feel like a job. To achieve requires:
1) Hardwork.
2) Passion.
3) Patient & Persistence.
All images used with permission by the artist. ©Jason Felix
by Eliott Lilly | Jun 25, 2015 | Words of Wisdom
Jan Urschel is a freelance concept designer and illustrator working in the entertainment industry, designing for feature films and video games. Clients include: Warner Bros, Lucasfilm, Marvel, EA, Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, LucasArts, Cloud Imperium Games, and more.
Websites:
Educational background:
- Attended Feng Zhu Design school in Singapore in 2011.
- Masters degree in Japanese Studies in 2008 (studied abroad in Japan).
Number of years in industry: 4+ years in concept design
Shipped titles/ Projects worked on: Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One, Star Wars 1313, Star Citizen, Guardians of the Galaxy (animated), Assassin’s Creed 4 and 5
Current portfolio examples
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE(S) OF ADVICE YOU CAN OFFER STUDENTS THAT YOU WISH THEY HAD TOLD YOU IN ART SCHOOL?
A. There are no rules. There is no right way of doing things
B. What you do besides art and design will define you as an artist and designer.
ASSUMING THAT THERE ARE NO SPACE-TIME PARADOX’S INVOLVED… IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME 10 YEARS (KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW), WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF TO DO DIFFERENTLY?
Nothing! There are no regrets. Every decision I have made led me to this point now. I wouldn’t change a thing.
WHAT DOES “SUCCESS” MEAN TO YOU AND, WHAT ARE AT LEAST THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE IT?
In the traditional sense, it’s mostly about discipline and smart learning, however as I get older the meaning changes a lot. At the moment, I define success as becoming a better human being, which doesn’t have much to do with success in the traditional sense.
If you would like to read more from Jan Urschel, check out his full interview. In it, we ask him specific questions about what it’s like to be a concept artist in the entertainment industry, dispel a few common misconceptions that aspiring artists tend to have about the field, discuss his educational background, how he markets himself in the industry and more. .
All images used with permission by the artist. ©Jan Urschel
by Eliott Lilly | Jun 24, 2015 | Interviews, Words of Wisdom
JAMES PAICK IS THE FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT SCRIBBLE PAD STUDIOS WITH OVER 15 YEARS OF DESIGN EXPERIENCE.
Scribble Pad Studios under the direction of James Paick has been responsible for creating some of the most memorable designs and moments in entertainment design. James has developed many projects within the gaming, film, theme park, illustration, entertainment space and advertising fields.
Websites:
www.ScribblePadStudios.com
www.JamesPaickArt.com
www.BrainstormSchool.com This is a school specifically focused on design and job placement for students in the video game industry.
Educational background
- Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Ca
- Illustration Entertainment Design Focus Fall 2004
- Bachelors Degree in Fine Art
Number of years in industry
- 12+ years in Concept Design / Art Direction,
- 8+ years Art Educator
Shipped titles/ Projects worked on: League of Legends, the Uncharted series, Titanfall, Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, Transformers 4, Maze Runner, Universal Studios Singapore, Magic the Gathering, Shadow of Mordor, and many many more
James Paick/ Scribble Pad Studios’ current portfolio examples
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE(S) OF ADVICE YOU CAN OFFER STUDENTS THAT YOU WISH THEY HAD TOLD YOU IN ART SCHOOL?
Never allow yourself to say, I wish I tried harder
I was exposed to this quote during my youth, and living by it really allowed me to push myself to my limits as much as I could.
ASSUMING THAT THERE ARE NO SPACE-TIME PARADOXES INVOLVED IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME 10 YEARS (KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW), WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF TO DO DIFFERENTLY?
I would have to say I would tell myself to be curious, ask questions, and have fun!
WHAT DOES “SUCCESS” MEAN TO YOU AND, WHAT ARE AT LEAST THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE IT?
To me, success means: effective problem solving that goes above the clients expectations. Three things to do are: listen, problem solve, and execute. This is what every concept artist in the commercial industry should focus on and is something I try to do when working on projects for games like League of Legends.
Do you enjoy playing League of Legends? If so, you might be interested to know that you can purchase a League of Legends account to help you get ahead of the competition. For more information, head to unrankedlolaccounts.com. There are a number of unique benefits when purchasing different LoL accounts, so make sure to do some research before committing to a decision about whether to buy an unranked or ranked lol account. Once you have created or purchased your account, you may find that your rank doesn’t improve quickly enough. Don’t worry, as this is very common, especially in ambitious players. To help you reach your desired rank, you could look into ways of boosting – when it comes to league of legends boosting, www.chiboost.net is the best place to go.
If you would like to read more from James Paick, check out his full interview. In it, we ask him specific questions about what it is like to be a concept artist in the entertainment industry working on projects for games such as League of Legends, dispel a few common misconceptions that aspiring artists tend to have about the field, discuss his educational background, how he markets himself in the industry and more.
by Eliott Lilly | Jun 3, 2015 | Words of Wisdom
DAN LUVISI IS A DIGITAL CONCEPT ARTIST WORKING IN THE FILM, VIDEO GAME AND COMIC BOOK INDUSTRY.
While still in high school, LuVisi was hired by German Acony Games, prompting him to decide against college and instead, immediately follow his obvious calling. He has since created a name for himself and is known for his extremely versatile style. Besides concept illustrations, LuVisi has become an expert in character and costume design, matte painting, storyboards, posters & packaging design and generally welcomes new challenges within his field.
Website: www.danluvisiart.com
Number of years in industry: 12. Currently freelancing and developing his own Intellectual Property.
Shipped titles/ Projects: LMS: Killbook of a Bounty Hunter, Your Highness, They Came From Upstairs,
DC Comics - Secret Six, Nemesis
Clients list also includes: Hasbro, Ignition Interactive, and Microsoft
Educational background: Self taught (never attended college).
Check out his book: Last Man Standing: Killbook of a Bounty hunter. It's LEGENDARY!
Follow him on social media: Instagram: DanLuvisiArt - Facebook: DanLuVisiArt
Current portfolio examples
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE(S) OF ADVICE YOU CAN OFFER STUDENTS THAT YOU WISH THEY HAD TOLD YOU IN ART SCHOOL?
As someone who didn’t go, the best advice I ever received was from my father, and this can be applied to any artist:
Every day you’re not working on your craft, someone else that wants it more is catching up with you. And it’s true. I see a lot of talk, and no shop.
ASSUMING THAT THERE ARE NO SPACE-TIME PARADOX’S INVOLVED… IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME 10 YEARS (KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW), WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF TO DO DIFFERENTLY?
Don’t be scared. Be brave, be yourself, don’t ever succumb to weak people.
WHAT DOES “SUCCESS” MEAN TO YOU AND, WHAT ARE AT LEAST THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE IT?
Working alongside with my friends, and knowing they’re all fed and happy. To achieve it:
1. Keep my mind on the game, stay focused and on target.
2. Don’t allow negativity to separate or destroy ones hope.
3. Get back to work.
All images used with permission by the artist. ©Dan LuVisi
