The concept art department

TR is still (and always) looking for devoted concept artists. I'd like to encourage everyone who can hold a pencil and enjoys making TES art to pay us a visit. And of course ambitious artists who are keen to aid and influence our massive project are more than welcome.

It's not always easy to get started at such a project though. I often get questions from new artists coming to TR. TR can be an intimidating place for someone who's not familiar with the way things work there. So, being bored for half an hour, I thought I'd write a little about the Concept Art department at TR and how we work.

Concept Art is only one of many areas of work at TR. We're all the way at the beginning of the production line. Together with Lore I sometimes call it the 'brainstorming department'. It's not all brainstorming though, since in the end useful, detailed concepts must be made so that modelers can use them in their work.
It's also one of the few area's where regular members can contribute. You don't have to be promoted to draw stuff. Of course contributing artists will eventually deserve such a promotion. But at CA we don't work with the claims system which is used for modeling, questmaking and regular modding, and which requires a promotion.

Sometimes new artists ask me an entirely different question. 'What should I draw? All the artists seem to know so well what they're doing. I have no clue. What do you need?'
My useless answer to such questions is usually something like: 'We need anything you can come up with.' Useless, but true. Artists are completely free. Within our frame of work (currently Hammerfell and Morrowind) they can draw anything they like, and I'd encourage them to. I always say: even if a concept is not used, it is still useful. Every concept helps define and visualize the lands and cultures we create. We're even happy with off-topic TES art, since every bit keeps the forum active.

Of course, we do need results, so there is a certain degree of directing going on. At the start of the Hammerfell project, this was done with weekly sketch groups (WSG). These were simply brainstorming sessions on the forum with a different topic every session. But now that we have a clearer view on the style/atmosphere we're going for, the brainstorming sessions are no longer as useful. Instead, we now have to focus on designing individual objects for modeling. Trees, plants, furniture, buildings, creatures, equipment; all these things must be individually designed and created. This is what the focused concept groups (FCG) were introduced for. In practice they work the same as the WSG, but this time with detailed descriptions of what objects are needed; assignments for the artists. And much is still to be done.

These assignments don't cover everything though. In no small part because we often only realize we need something after someone's made a concept of it. That's why it's important that an artist can work independently. To find his/her own projects, things we missed or can be improved or added to. At TR there's no one to hold your hand and tell you what to do (even though there's still the FCG). The concept art forum is a rather welcoming place, but it takes a little guts and devotion from the artist to really get going. But I encourage artists to try it, hang around, don't be shy and don't give up.

Questions?
- Visit our forums at tamriel-rebuilt.org/forum/
- Send a pm to Myzel (Head of Concept Art)
- comment on this page