How To Make Game Art
Whether you are interested in making games, or a game developer making your own game, looking how game art can be broken down into 3 simple elements can help you look at games from a fresh perspective. In this video I describe what I call the game art act, how each games art direction can be broken down into 3 simple elements; atmosphere, clarity, and theme.
I break down the art of some of your favourite games, including pixel art masterpieces like blasphemous, stardew valley, graveyard keeper, and celeste, as well as fan favourite 2D game hollow knight.
Then I show you my full process for creating a game art mockup with pixel art, from reference, to value, to colour, all the way to a finished game art mockup, before setting you a challenge so you can do the same.
Whether you are a beginner gamedev, 3d artist, 2d artist, or pixel art enthusiast, I hope these game dev tips can help you in your learning and game development journey. If you have anything to share please let me know in the comments, I try to respond to everyone!
#gamedev #gamedevelopment
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GAMES SHOWN –
Blasphemous –
Stardew Valley –
Graveyard Keeper –
Hollow Knight –
The Messenger –
Celeste –
Super Hexagon –
P1 Select –
Post Void –
VIDEO TIMESTAMPS –
00:00 The Game Art A.C.T
00:47 Atmosphere
01:42 Blasphemous Art Analysis
03:23 Stardew Valley Art Analysis
04:28 Graveyard Keeper Art Analysis
05:28 Hollow Knight Art Analysis
06:49 The Messenger Art Analysis
08:13 More About Atmosphere
09:02 Clarity
09:50 Contrast In Practise
10:40 Player Expectations
11:18 Consistency Is Key
12:05 How To Achieve Clarity
13:11 Game Examples Of Clarity
14:44 Theme
15:48 Consider This When Choosing A Theme
16:43 Bringing It All Together
17:22 Making Game Art
17:48 Referencing
18:34 Art Direction
19:10 Value First
19:26 Colour Choices
19:42 Shapes
20:00 Polishing
20:32 Challenge Time
21:15 Awesome Community Work
I love this because I'm not so expert with my english but I do preffer to watch your videos without subtitles snd if I don't understand something there are your visual support to help me!
Mlk, se pá que o canal foi hackeado
ITS REALLY WORKED LOL THANK YOU DUDE
Well, i didn't watched the video yet, but didn't atmosphere and theme come under clarity?
This was probably your best video so far! I really like how you've toned down the meme stuff, but kept some subtle humor in. This was a really good breakdown of the key elements. 🙂
This is such a great overview of the design process. Just a quick idea for a video (that I've yet to see anyone else make) – you mention taking a screenshot of your bare level, then designing on top of that, then bringing those elements back in — would be interesting to see your process.
I thought it was a hoax, but everything works!
One of the best YouTube tutorials I've ever seen. I love how you engage with different types of learners, by showing various examples and thoroughly explaining what you mean, using the science behind your teachings. Keep up the good work brother!
Thank you bro !!!
this is so inspiring!
i always thought on how to make art.
i should try it out!
epic content man, just keep doing this 💙
please stop shaking the screen
im having a problem when i put gms and na the patter "app" it doesnt soft like what it was in the video its a loud annoying soft
Nice tutorial … I've got a problem … when I first used soft soft , there were so tutorial such as Slayer , wNice tutorialch disappeared after I
OMG This video is BRUTAL :O The Pac-man analysis was mind-blowing!!! Awesome video with infinite work behind it!
Great video as always saulty
Thanks! 🙋 I think will join the discord & upload my own pixel art for feedback because need feedback, 🙏🏻
Cant wait to see what you do with the art collab!! So cool to be introduced to so many cool fellow youtube artist!! You got mad skills, and I know youre going to kill it!!!
Such a great video; thanks for sharing! I'm definitely going to try mocking up a level… what a great idea!
waiting for the collab XD
I took an intro to game development in community college years ago. This is all super helpful info!!!
Since a wee youngin I have always wanted to develop games and thanks to your videos it is giving me the push to do so.
I will have to setup a discord and try out some of your game dev tasks using your tips cause this definitely sounds like a whole lot of fun! Thanks again! 👍🏼
Awesome video!
Wildly underrated channel, just came across it and I’m hooked. Also it feels like you could’ve split this video into the analysis part where you look at different games, and the rest, for 2 10 minute videos, which’s probably better for the whole youtube game, but I kinda appreciate you keeping it into 1 video so people don’t have to go look for a part 2 or a different title all together.
PS. I’m more comfortable doing character art and animation, so I’m struggling to create backgrounds/environments to create a finished mockup scene/frame/level, especially with all the post processing stuff (adjustment layers, gloom, light, fog, effects in general..etc) Perhaps you could make a video about that if thats something you’re interested in covering by sharing your approach and thought process behind it.
Very informative video about art design in multimedia about moving images…except for the fact that background and game images are always moving in the video which makes me extremely dizzy.
Niceeee thank youuuuuu🌺💐💐💐💐
Omg sault! I didnt expect to learn SO much, this video is awesome! Definitely makes me think more about the art of my game!
can u teach us how to draw art for games that u play on free sites like miniclip, crazygames, addictinggames etc. Im trying to make a game (like small flash games)but i dont know how to draw them or what tool.
I want to make a comment, I don't know if it is good. You have the video rotating on an infinity loop pattern. I think you are trying to keep the attention by shaking everything all the time simulating their's something happening. All the time. I don't think it really helps to have that shaking all the time, would it make sense to use it more sporadicly?
Edit: example, the section "shapes" around 19:43, there's already so much happening on the image, why is it shaking on top of all that is happening on the screen… I'd argue that even on still images you don't need it. I think the screen shake might help distract from uninterestic topics, so if you have something that is not very interesting but you want to say it anyway, I'd say put the shake. Otherwise, as you can see from the general user feedback, your video is pretty good, I don't think you really need something distracting from what you are saying or showing.
The three C's part was really funny!
Hi! I'm new here! I saw you were part of the art collab!!! Hi! Can't wait to see what's next….😊🤗🥰
Hi I know ive not got a lot of subscribers or anything but I would love it if u could let me do the biggest art collogr on YouTube It would brighten my day so much so keep me in mind please
great content, although I would suggest to not do the constantly moving background that shakes around. It is highly distracting and makes me a little sick, im sure there are others out there who may get the same effect. Your video content stands alone on it's own and you dont need little tricks like that to make it more interesting.
great videos, thanks for teaching us! but pls stop cut-scening your bald pompous ass face every now and then. I get grossed out and distracted, breaks the immersion of what you are explaining and showing with those beautiful cartoons…
Your content and editing is really good man, I’ve been watching several of your videos recently and they’re really helpful! I hope your channel keeps growing :))
Im excited to see what you do with the big art collab!
Can’t wait for my gaming desktop to come in soon so I can use unity and unreal again and start making games again but this time hopefully selling them noice video
2:08 the being in the other ones lap and hands reminds me of ripely from Metroid prime lol
I love hollow knight but never got close to beating it lol
absolutely amazing! We learn so much from watching your videos!
When's the collab piece dropping man?? So excited
ᎮᏒᎧᎷᎧᏕᎷ 💘
Do you draw these with a mouse or a digital pen?
Saul! Catching up with you! Great video
I don't know if that was intentional or not, but around the ''Blasphemous Art Analysis'' bit, when you have CC's on it looks like Arty is actually saying it in the speach bubble.
any update on the art collab?
I love this video, it's a great reference for me. But surely that yellow line for your platforms is not in the final art?
i can finally continue on my game!
after im done procrastinating
Yo firstly, AMAZING tutorial but Oh my god is there a video which talks about the kind of level design you are doing? Where you make the level outside of the game engine and then put it in? Im really curious as to how we can do that properly…..
all right. I have tried game dev before (terrible at coding though so they were never that fun to play) but I think it’s time to step out of my wheelhouse and make art that LOOKS like a game. especially since I want to get into animation for games.