.. continued
Have you ever come across something in a game that just blows your mind, and what was it?
Artwork in games will continually blow my mind… there are just so many talented people out there. I come across stuff that blows my mind all the time, though many times it's something small and unnoticeable. Artwork in games like Final Fantasy and Abe's Oddyssey continue to keep me in awe. I'm also amazed with new innovations in technical design implementations… whew. For instance Spyro the dragon amazed me at the large-scale worlds they pulled off (especially after playing croc). I would just go back and forth watching the textures fade out, turn to flat shading, and then cut poly count. Populous Beginnings was also very cool in creating a world instead of a flat map for an RTS style game. Oh… and I happened upon a recent Anachronox trailer and all I have to say is I'm going to have to work my ass off to keep up with those guys over there!
What type of music gets your imaginative juices flowing?
Hmmm… music. I usually don't listen to music while I'm working. Not because I don't like music, but because music to me has always been something that plays in the background and I actually always forget to turn it on. Every now and then it dawns on me, oh! I could be listening to music right now, and Ill play a few songs, then its back to forgetting my music is off.
How important is a formal art training in this business?
I feel that formal art training is very important in this business. Formal art training gives a person a strong foundation. Most artists work off of intuition which I feel is also important, and training can give you a better understanding of why you do certain things. So instead of arbitrarily relying on instinct you can make conscious decisions while creating. This combined with instinct can not only aid in efficiency but also create incredible results. Though I do believe there are a few individuals out there who just seem to understand what they do, as if they had gone through art school, but didn't.
Who is your favorite artist and piece...why?
I don't think I have a favorite artist or piece. But two of my favorite movements in art are Romanticism and Realism. Both, to me, have the same powerful concentration of emotion on both ends of the spectrum, idealism, and realism. Realism is powerful because it almost seems to focus on the desperation of the people…the hard time, and even the few moments of joy they were able to find. Romanticism, however, is fantastic in its display of the grandiosity of nature, and the challenges it sets before mortals.
