Clearing up some things about the concept art

Post by **King of Creation** » Wed May 23, 2007 2:58 am

[ Game -> Article ] - More info on <a href="#Fallout 3">Game: Fallout 3</a>

NMA has <a href="http://nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36401" target="_self">posted a nice collection of quotes</a> from Steve "MrSmileyFaceDude" Meister about the Craig Mullins concept art. Here's what he had to say:<blockquote><MSFD> didn't take the Fallout fans long to find the source photo Craig Mullins used for that concept art

...

<MSFD> yeah

<MSFD> they even identified which carrier it was

<MSFD> it's funny because people are extrapolating all sorts of
stuff from that identification, as though it has anything to do with
the actual game...

...

<MSFD> nah, it was in Florida for a while but they sunk it in the Gulf to make an artificial reef

...

<MSFD> anyway all we did was ask "Hey Craig Mullins, make a
painting of a carrier that's run aground on a river bank in a ruined
city" (or something to that effect)

...

<MSFD> nah, he's freelance

...

<MSFD> he's done stuff for a ton of games

<MSFD> incl. Halo

...

<MSFD> he did some stuff for Star Trek for us, too

<MSFD> once the teaser countown is finished you will have seen the entirety of the work he did for Fallout

...

<MSFD> anyway we have an in-house concept artist who's done
hundreds & hundreds of drawings & sketches & such for all
the Fallout stuff

...

<MSFD> haven't shown any of that</blockquote>So hopefully the in-house stuff is a lot more "Fallouty" that what we've seen from Mullins. Despite the <a href="http://www.duckandcover.cx/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17565" target="_self">latest image</a>, we're still missing the grand retro-atom art deco 50's vision of the future style. Bioshock has kind of got it going on. Give us more giant shrugged statues holding up buildings!
Spotted @ <a href="http://www.nma-fallout.com">No Mutants Allowed</a>

TelemachusSneezed · Post by **TelemachusSneezed** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:07 am

Steve Meister wrote:anyway we have an in-house concept artist who's done hundreds & hundreds of drawings & sketches & such for all
the Fallout stuff 
haven't shown any of that

We need a :whew: smiley. I mean, I don't think the art was as terrible as folks typically made it out to be, but I am looking forward to the more Falloutish art-deco stuff.

Post by **Dogmeatlives** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:19 am

If they are so big on showing rather than telling, why are they "showing" us shit that may or may not represent the game?

Post by **King of Creation** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:38 am

TelemachusSneezed wrote:We need a :whew: smiley.

If you find me one, I'll add it.

POOPERSCOOPER · Post by **POOPERSCOOPER** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:11 am

Why are they posting concept art from an outside freelancer artists when they should be showing the art from the interal artist who actually works there?

GOSH FALLOUT FANS ARE SO DAMN CRITICAL. ITS JUST A FREAKIN GAME LAWL.

Mechanurgist · Post by **Mechanurgist** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:14 am

Good to know, but puzzling. At least now we know why it looked so generic.

Maybe the teaser will be in-house artwork?

Post by **Dogmeatlives** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:46 am

Didjn't you know? The teaser is being made by Pixar.

Did anybody else know how long ago this concept art was created? Apparently before Oblivion was finished. Its strange that they would show us such early stuff.

Thor Kaufman · Post by **Thor Kaufman** » Wed May 23, 2007 9:07 am

dun dun dun

DaC-Sniper · Post by **DaC-Sniper** » Wed May 23, 2007 12:00 pm

that fucker.

Cimmerian Nights · Post by **Cimmerian Nights** » Wed May 23, 2007 1:11 pm

Quick, distract them with shiny pictures while we change the minotaur skin to a deathclaw.

jetbaby · Post by **jetbaby** » Wed May 23, 2007 2:01 pm

I want to know what they asked when they got the recent image:

http://www.duckandcover.cx/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17565

"I want a collage of various buildings from all across the united states, all kinds of wrecked shit, an M-2 position, and several people standing over the corpse of a large armored man with a sniper in the distance" seems a little bit farfetched.

PsychoSnipers · Post by **PsychoSnipers** » Wed May 23, 2007 2:41 pm

Dogmeatlives wrote:If they are so big on showing rather than telling, why are they "showing" us shit that may or may not represent the game?

Indeed.

Mechanurgist · Post by **Mechanurgist** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:21 pm

PsychoSnipers wrote:
Dogmeatlives wrote:If they are so big on showing rather than telling, why are they "showing" us shit that may or may not represent the game?

Indeed.

Quite.

Brother None · Post by **Brother None** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:38 pm

Craig Mullins clarified again

Wow, I am amazed people are looking at these images so closely. At some point Bethesda may release better versions? These seem to be jpeg'd very heavily..

I would have to go back and look through what Bethesda sent me on this job, but as I remember most of the source materials on Stripmall were provided by Bethesda. I was not familiar with the Fallout universe and had trouble "getting it" at first. The capitol was painted on top of a 3-d block model.

This is commercial art, made to illustrate an idea. It is not fine art, nor is it an exposition on my abilities as delineator. Whether or not I could paint some of these objects from scratch is not relevant. What is relevant is it would take more time to do so, and that time could be spent toward the end goal of illustrating an idea or feeling.

The most difficult aspect of repainting from a different angle is the complexity of these objects and scenes. There is a LOT of stuff in there. Constructing them in perspective is very time consuming. The majority of these images are constructed, however.

I prefer not to use photos like this, but I solve the clients problem faster, easier, and cheaper this way. The current method of working in concept/digital mattes is 3-d/photo composites with varying amounts of paint. It has been trending this way for the past few years, and it is very obvious when this technique is used, for better or worse. There is no intent to deceive or misrepresent. If this lessens your respect for work done this way, I completely understand and partially agree. But if I don't use these powerful tools, I will be at a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace. I do ask clients if they would allow a more "painted" look and the answer is almost always no. Maybe if I was a better painter the answer would be different.

Given the purpose of concept art there is little reason to reconstruct things that already exist, other than my (or a minority of others) preference, or an artistic machismo. This makes things more expensive for all involved. The time saved can be put into areas that do have to be constructed, which is the great majority most of the time.

DaC-Sniper · Post by **DaC-Sniper** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:02 pm

Thats how it should be done, Craig.

This would be my artist of choice, but Bethesda dont know shit.

Post by **King of Creation** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:04 pm

Brother None wrote: I prefer not to use photos like this, but I solve the clients problem faster, easier, and cheaper this way. The current method of working in concept/digital mattes is 3-d/photo composites with varying amounts of paint. It has been trending this way for the past few years, and it is very obvious when this technique is used, for better or worse.

How does he know that this is the way the "industry" is trending? He lives in some nice place in Hawaii. Are there twice-yearly conferences or something? Maybe an industry newsletter?

Brother None · Post by **Brother None** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:13 pm

DaC-Sniper wrote:This would be my artist of choice, but Bethesda dont know shit.

Natig Ã¢â‚¬Å“DefontenÃ¢â‚¬Â� Aghayev is from Azerbaijan, and can not get an American green card. Bethesda, like many American companies, does not employ people that need immigration papers to get to the USA, for reasons of reliability.

He did apply:

two or three days ago I emailed this and some other pics to Bethesda Softworks. Here's what they answered:

Thank you for your interest in Bethesda Softworks.

We have received your resume and are reviewing your background and experience against current openings. Should we feel that an interview is appropriate, we will contact you at our earliest opportunity. Otherwise, your resume will be kept on file and when an opportunity of mutual benefit rises, you will be contacted.

Again, we are glad you considered us during your employment search. On behalf of Bethesda Softworks best with your employment endeavors.

Human Resources

Bethesda Softworks

As you can see it was "thank you for cooperation" type of answer In other words (I think) that means "No". Well at least I know that they refused Leonard Boyarsky also (of course I'm not as good as Leo but nevertheless)

VasikkA · Post by **VasikkA** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:20 pm

Brother None wrote:
DaC-Sniper wrote:This would be my artist of choice, but Bethesda dont know shit.
Natig Ã¢â‚¬Å“DefontenÃ¢â‚¬Â� Aghayev is from Azerbaijan, and can not get an American green card. Bethesda, like many American companies, does not employ people that need immigration papers to get to the USA, for reasons of reliability.

Yet they purchase artwork from Massive Black with teams in Shanghai and Bangkok? I know it's a US company, but location shouldn't be an issue for concept artists.

DaC-Sniper · Post by **DaC-Sniper** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:22 pm

thanks

another puzzlepiece added to the "why Fallout 3 will suck" -history

Well at least I know that they refused Leonard Boyarsky also (of course I'm not as good as Leo but nevertheless)

also back to my point, Bethesda dont know shit.

Brother None · Post by **Brother None** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:29 pm

VasikkA wrote:Yet they purchase artwork from Massive Black with teams in Shanghai and Bangkok? I know it's a US company, but location shouldn't be an issue for concept artists.

The difference is indeed that Massive Black is a US company, plus it is a company Bethesda outsourced to and it's not really Bethesda's business where the company works, once outsourced.

Aghayev would've been under direct contact to Bethesda, and they don't do that for people that need immigration papers. I believe they're not alone in that, but some of the yanks here know that better than me.

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Clearing up some things about the concept art

Clearing up some things about the concept art

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