WG: What tips do you have for up and coming artists and those looking to get into the gaming industry?

Yasmin: I would say that a strong foundation in traditional arts is never to be overlooked, even when you're planning to work in computer graphics. Having a solid understanding of form on paper will surely reflect itself in 3D, and a solid understanding of gesture reflects in 3D animation. A 3D modeler is not simply tracing, simply translating a 2 dimensional concept into 3 dimensions. A 3D modeler must also have artistic sense to make something look good in full form, and be able to take artistic license where gaps in the transition need to be filled.

Hard work, or the lack of, will easily be obvious to whoever is reviewing your reel or portfolio. Making sure you have a strong body of work is pretty much the only thing you can control for sure in your destiny, because the other factors that help- timing, and who you know- are often determined by luck.

Jessica: I would tell anyone to work on their foundation skills in art making. I think an understanding of color theory, traditional art, and anatomy goes a long way. You may not need to know how to paint on a canvas, but knowing that an equal value blue & orange next to each other scintillates and creates the illusion of light can help a texture artist roll the form of a monster’s muscles, when you can’t bake light into it. Or knowing how the femur, fibula, tibia, & patella come together to form the knee can help a modeler sculpt more realistic anatomy, or spring board a concept artist into figuring out how their bi-pedal alien cricket is going to walk.

If you’re an artist that has considered jumping into the games industry, I’d like to point out the website www.conceptart.org/forums. It was solely through that website that I learned the ins and outs of making game art, exactly what to put in my portfolio, what to show, what not to show, how to show it, etc, tons of educational materials & tutorials. Not to mention they have an ever growing female presence, and a “Girl’s Only” forum in case you want to target feedback, advice, critiques, etc, from the ladies! There are a whole bunch of things taking place to promote the female artists on that site, so there has never been a better time to check it out. I owe a lot to that art community as it has helped shape the artist I have become.

WG: How long have you been a gamer and what is your favorite game and why? What game are you currently playing in your spare time?

Yasmin: I've been a gamer since NES came out. Choosing a favorite game is difficult, but I'm very partial to Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Metal Gear Solid, Ico, and Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. I love forgetting myself and becoming immersed in each of these worlds. I'm a sucker for vampires, stealthy secret ops, fun puzzle challenges, and good stories to carry you through it all.

Sadly, working full time on games and attempting to continue school part time has left me little time to play video games. Though I've been hacking away, very little by little, at Resident Evil 4, Metal Gear Solid 3, and Shadow of the Colossus. I'm behind, I know…

Jessica: I started playing games when I was a kid, simple puzzle games like Tetris, Bejeweled, & Pop-It have always been favorites. But games took a backseat to comics until about 2 years ago, when a super hero game called City of Heroes naturally caught my interest. I started Beta testing it and I was officially HOOKED on my first MMO! I actually got so addicted to it that I had to cut it off cold turkey… I swore off MMO’s for fear of a relapse. That lasted until City of Villains… Play responsibly kids!

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