From generalist to specialist

Before I started this course I had no idea how the game industry actually works. I was aware that there are people that are responsible for 2d work, 3d work, programming and producers.. But that was it. 

Only thanks to those Critical Studies tasks I started to research this subject more and I realized how big and complex game developing companies are. It was also interesting to learn how the industry has changed in last 25 years. Back then games were created by single or small group of people having some knowledge about coding. No artistic skills were needed whatsoever. As time went by technology has evolved. It created new possibilities by also new demands. When 3D technology has arose game developers were no longer limited to graphic build  from only a few pixels. They became able to show to the player fantastic creatures, fancy heroes and complex environments. However, someone has to design all of these first, and then build actual 3d models. Game artists were at high demand. 

Nowadays, when technology is even more advanced and games are more complex, most roles in the industry are increasingly specialized. For example, now you would find jobs like an environment artist, creature artist, vehicle artist, as well as texture artist and GUI artist. In the past it was all done by one person. 

As for me, I always knew what I want to do for living - draw monsters and robots. So, ever since I found out about existence of a job called Concept Artist it was clear to me that it's exactly the career path I want to pursue. Obviously, concept artist jobs do not consist drawing robots and monsters only. It requires to design things that don't exist yet. It's about imagining and that's what  I think I'm good at and what I like to do. 

Nevertheless, just like any other job, in gaming industry concept artist jobs have also became more and more specialized. I know artists who draw characters or vehicles only. There are also artists who draw monsters and robots only. So should I leave characters, environments and vehicles to focus on drawing monsters and robots to be more specialized and in that area, so that then I could try to become, for example a creature artist? Well, following Feng Zhu advice - no, I shouldn't.

In his video tutorials series called Design Cinema, he said many times that it's very unlikely for someone who is new to the industry to find job as a specialist. Moreover, he stressed it that being a specialist doesn't mean that you can draw only one subject. It means that you are good at drawing everything and you are excellent in drawing particular subject . If company would hire me as  a concept artist and asked me to draw concepts for a heroe's vehicle I couldn't just say ''Oh, sorry I draw monsters and robots only''. In that scenario the employer would get rid of me straight away, because they could hire in my place someone who can draw everything. 

So, to sum this up, if you want to become a specialist, better start as a generalist. That way you can do more things = you are more useful.