I researched what it means to be a character artist. I got in touch with Ralph Sutter, an instructor at W.P.I. He was kind enough to answer some questions I have about his career. Below I will list the questions.

1.)What made you decide to become an artist?

2.) Why did you choose to be a Character Artist out of all the positions offered?

3.) What are you struggles and advantages as a Character Artist?

4.)Did you have to make sacrifices to be in the position you are now (i.e., moving, relationships, financial trouble, etc.) and if so, how did you manage?

5.)What types of projects do companies give you? On average, how long can they take to complete?

6.) Do you feel you have stronger skill-sets than other artists as a character artist?

7.) What is your step-by-step approach to starting a new project?

8.) Does the gaming industry benefit you as a person in anyway? Does being a character artist helped you shape who you are as an individual?

9.)What would you say companies expect the most from you as a character artist?

10.)What final tips would you give to beginning character artists seeking a job in your field?

Sutter responded to my questions:

1. I never really made the conscientious artist to become one. I recall that I was always drawing and sculpting from an early age, so I was always creatively active. I guess I made the decision to pursue it more professionally immediately after high school. This started with just learning 2D animation and eventually ended up branching off into 3D animation and digital character sculpting.

2. Throughout my studies I just found that I was best at character art. Digital sculpting is a huge passion of mine and I really wanted to make the push to make that my actual profession. I’ve done work outside of that field (mostly animation) but I just enjoyed creating character art the most.

3. Struggles are finding a position within a company that is willing to retain you. It is hard to find a salary position that keeps you for more than a year. The same things are true for freelance work, it’s tough because there are draughts where you receive no work whatsoever, but the opposite is true as well, where you’re up to your neck in work. The advantage is that as an artist you are very flexible, and you can work in a lot of different industries, so there is always something. Another challenge is staying on top of all of the latest software developments and keeping your work up-to-date.

4. I moved from the Netherlands to the United States. It was definitely tough, since it was a long and arduous process. Immigration definitely was definitely one of the biggest obstacles I had to overcome in my lifetime. But as with anything else, persistence and perseverance are the key to success.

5. I get a lot of different projects, work ranges from creating characters for games and film (completion time is between 2-4 weeks) to toy/figure design (also 2-4 weeks). It’s a cool industry to be in because your skillset translates to many different industries. I can honestly say I am always working on something new and different.

6. Stronger may not be the right word, but I definitely feel that I am very good at a particular form of art and its associated creative processes. I definitely think I have a strong sense of anatomy, poses, etc. Things that are specific to character art but that translate well within the greater art realm.

7. First things first, that is the business side of things. I want to make sure that the client and I are on the same page, so a solid contract is key (limited number of revisions, clear outline of the expected work, payment milestones, etc.). I’ll start by providing loose sketches, once a design is approved I’ll move on to roughing out the mesh. I like to send that in for approval as well because the jump from a 2D design to a 3D character tends to open up the work for more concrete feedback and criticism. Once the final rough mesh is approved it’s on to all of the detail and asset work. If the mesh needs to be optimized for game or film purposes I’ll move on to that once the final high poly design is approved. On a technical level, all of my production work is done in Zbrush, and I optimize meshes using 3ds MAX and xNormal.

8. Being a character artist and being involved in the game industry has definitely helped evolve who I have become. I think on a professional level it has really given me a stronger work ethic, a constant drive to become better (because there are so many other awesome artists out there producing great work) and a really solid appreciation for video games as an art medium.

9. A strong work ethic and clarity when it comes to communicating with a team. Being on top of your work and delivering the product when it’s due is vital to success. Learning when to say no, clarifying your design choices (and defending them) whilst still being open to critique are all very important to the people you work for. I think it is also important to show your employer that you are constantly creating/creative. That drive to create is important because it shows the employer that you are passionate about what you do.

10. Practice, practice, practice. Produce as much art as you can and post it all over the place. Ask for crits and feedback, incorporate it into your work. Be critical of what it is you do. Learn when to call a project finished and at the same time see them through (give yourself x amount of time do something and then call it done). Learn how to deal with the stress of a deadline and commit to making it. Also, learn how to step out of your comfort zone. Learn new techniques and experiment. When you only create art that is in one particular style you are not challenging yourself, yet some of the best work you’ll ever make will be made when you are being thoroughly challenged.

What I learned from Sutter is that although being a Character Artist sounds like the dream, there are underlying qualifications and responsibilities that are necessary. Work ethic, motivation, skill, organization.. these responsibilities are needed in order to be successful. Although being a Character Artist has it's downsides (inconsistent income, job bouncing), the advantages are still there. When you attain the skillset needed to be a character artist, you don't have to stay in the industry. You can branch out to other industries. It's very flexible.

Sutter has enabled me to become even more interested and motivated to pursue my career as a Game Designer. As a game designer, the sky is the limit.

Character Artist Presentation ft. Artworks of Ralph Sutter