Hey guys, in Part 2, I narrated the trials and tribulations of bringing Knight Estate to the public, and how I had to swallow the hard truth that there was going to be a delay. That delay was a surprise to me too. I had structured everything in a way that the game would be out between September and November. So, I had to make changes not only mentally, but also in my workflow. I had to improve the game based on feedback and find a way to look at the delay in a positive light.
One of the biggest changes I made, and what I’ll be talking about today, was having to change, or rather adapt to a new drawing style. Or art style. Or whatever you wanna call it.
See, before game development, I was mainly an artist, an illustrator. But even waaay before that, I was a comic artist. I wanted to be a comic artist, but I couldn’t find a way to publish anything since I was still in college, broke, and had no time. So, all long-term projects were a no-go.
Still, I didn’t give up. I had to make money somehow with the little time I had. Freelancing was the best thing I could do, $5 to $10 gigs that I could finish in an hour or less. I still presented myself as a comic artist because that was the style I was most comfortable with, and the one I’d been doing since I was a kid. But now I only did single illustrations.
Now that you know the backstory, and how deeply tied I was to that particular style, I hope you can imagine the discomfort I had to endure learning a new one.
And yeah, I know some of you might be wondering, “Why would this even be hard if you're an artist?” Well, being an artist helps… but just a little.
Yesterday I rewatched Happy Gilmore. If you’ve seen it, remember how it felt when Happy tried golf after spending his whole life playing hockey? That’s exactly how it felt for me switching art styles.
You might be wondering what style I’m talking about. It’s basically digital painting.
See, comic book art has clear line art and solid shading. But digital painting meant I had to ditch the lines, ditch the simple shadows, and start making more lifelike, smooth, blended shading. I had to spend way more time on each piece. It’s definitely more time-consuming, but it’s worth it.
If you’re a comic book reader, you’ve probably noticed that some comic covers are done in this style. It’s more… let’s say: inviting.
So, why did I go through all this? I mean, I could have just stuck with my old style, slapped it in the game, and called it a day. After all, it’s not the art that matters, it’s the gameplay, right?
But remember what I mentioned back in Part 1, my biggest inspiration was Crusader Kings III.
If you’ve played CK3, you’ve seen those paintings. Don’t lie, you loved them. That game wouldn’t feel the same without the painted loading screens. Especially that one with the assassin lurking while a ruler welcomes a new baby. That one goes hard.
As an artist, not only was I in awe of that style and wanted to draw like that one day, but I also wanted Knight Estate to have the same kind of feel. The same kind of emotion.
So after realizing what I had to do, I dedicated about a week to watching artists on YouTube, studying their process.
Since I already knew a thing or two, I just had to pick the practices I liked best and Frankenstein them into my own workflow. One technique I liked the most was starting with the furthest object in the composition, working on it until I was satisfied, then moving forward.
For example, if I were painting a farm, I’d start with the blue sky in the background, obsess over every detail until it looked just right, then move on to the faraway hills, then the closer hills, then the buildings, and so on.
So that’s it for today, folks. Hopefully I'll be able to make a part 4 soon. For now, just make sure to join the Discord community using the link below.