Visual Arts Track

Sessions | Speakers

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JUST ANNOUNCED! Highlighed Sessions:

• Universal Character System in Saints Row 2
  Speaker(s): Chris Fortier (Volition)
  Overview: Attendees will learn how Saints Row 2's character customization and random NPC generator work. Some things that will be discussed include the universal body mesh, character morphing, normal map blending, layered clothing, shader-based customization features, how we assemble NPCs and how all this character variation affects animation. Read more...
• The Art of Braid
  Speaker(s): David Hellman (Independent Artist)
  Overview: Braid's ambiguous narrative provoked players towards adventurous interpretations. David Hellman, the graphic artist responsible for Braid's living watercolor landscapes, will share the intentions and thought process behind his contributions to the game. Also included will be a demonstration of the level-building tools used to create the organic-looking environments. Read more...
• Behind the Scenes: The Gears of War 2 Cinematics Pipeline
  Speaker(s): Tanya Jessen, Greg Mitchell (Epic Games)
  Overview: This session discusses the creation of a new pipeline for completing the cinematics for Gears of War 2. The story demands were much bigger than the original Gears of War so processes had to change and adapt in order to fulfill the scope of the game's cinematics. Learn how pre-planning and locking down the timing early on in motion capture helped streamline the process in the end. Read more...

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The focus of game art is shifting from simply attaining the best possible production quality to exploring new ideas and art styles that allow a game to stand out from the competition.

The Visual Arts Track delves into the nitty-gritty of the artistic side of games and offers longer format classes to allow speakers the time to walk attendees step-by-step through the latest tools and techniques. Each class will be self-contained to provide the specific practical knowledge of advanced techniques that will take game art in new directions.

Click here to view all Visual Arts Track Sessions.

Click here to view all GDC Sessions.