Environment artist

An environment artist is a professional artist who works in the video game industry or film industry as a 3D modeler, specializing in outdoor and indoor locations for a game's setting. They are responsible for creating the majority of the overall asset and visuals the player will encounter on the screen, modeling, texturing and placing assets, buildings, streets, foliage, furniture, and all other elements into a scene using a method called set dressing. They also approximate collision so that the player isn't running through walls or other objects that block, optimize topology so that the level runs at a manageable framerate, and help bring life to the game world.

History of Environment Art in Games and Cinematic Industries

The history of environment art within games and other cinematic industries is characterized by a gradual progression of advancements within technology that brought environment art to life. The incorporation of fine arts skills into the technology and entertainment industries resulted in the many intricate backgrounds in movies and games that we see today. Although it is difficult to pinpoint its origins, individuals and their contributions have significantly changed the way backgrounds and environments work.

Early Techniques and Innovations

Before technology was introduced in the games and cinema industry, there were various other techniques used such as matte painting, miniatures, rear projection, and forced perspective. These techniques were used to simulate large-scale settings, oftentimes when “backgrounds and environments [were] too expensive, impractical, or impossible to recreate or achieve through traditional on-location or practical set design”(Veselinovikj, 2023). Very popular films such as Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back used matte painting to achieve realism in the background (Moore, 2022). Oftentimes, these techniques are still used but in a more digital atmosphere as it is quicker and cheaper now.

Contributions of Notable Individuals

One of the companies that has defined cinematography is the Walt Disney Company, better known as Disney. Many individuals have contributed significantly to defining the style of film produced by Disney. Eyvind Earle and Claude Coats were award-winning artists who worked on films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Sleeping Beauty. Both Earle and Coats produced varying effects from the styling and colors. They each brought a never-before-seen artistic skill when designing the backgrounds that many modern-day artists refer back to. For example, Earle produced the “magical, medieval look” (Eyvind Earle– Official Site, n.d.) that is in Sleeping Beauty and Claude produced “stunning watercolor background paintings in Pinocchio (Walt Disney Archives, 2018). These new standards elevated the experience of audience members as the atmosphere and general feel of the film were improved.

Evolution in Gaming Environments

The gaming industry is slightly different. The history of games is very broad and many specifics in technological advancements define how exactly they changed the functions of a game. In earlier games such as Pong, there were very simplistic backgrounds, often using a few solid colors. Slowly as games could handle more demand, pixel art became a very popular art style and could be seen in games like Donkey Kong, Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario Bros.. As GPUs became stronger and more versatile, fake 3D illusions were implemented in games like Doom to simulate a 3D environment. Now in modern-day video games, there is a variety of games that are in 2D, 3D, or both. These different styles can be accomplished all through software like Maya, Blender, Nuke, Unreal Engine, and Adobe Creative Suite. For example, VALORANT's maps, a first person shooter produced by Riot Games, are made in 3D. However, as you travel further away from the main level, the background is a bunch of detailed 2D art that has depth to simulate the dimensionality of it.

Impacts and Challenges

While environment art has enhanced the visual and emotiona appeal of films and games, challenges such as historical accuracy persist in historical genres. There is extra mportance placed on creating environments that are historically acccurate in order to create a more immersive experience for the player. An example is Assassin’s Creed’s depiction of Notre Dame. In an article published on Vice titled “Historial Accuracy Matters in Video Games. Here’s Why”, Kris van der Voorn dives into how the game’s representation of the Gothic cathedral is a huge possibility in rebuilding Notre Dame because of its “unerring accuracy.” From an educational perspective, misrepresentation in games can lead to historical misunderstandings and distortions. It would provide false information that impressionable young children and adults may perceive as truth.

Barriers

The evolution of technology has significantly increased the accessibility of tools required for creating environment art, especially in a growing digital world. While the improvements within technology have revolutionized the accessibility of creating background art, high costs, limited access to information, and technical complexities all pose challenges that need to be overcome.

Cost Barriers

Software

Most backgrounds today are made digitally. Artists will go on computers and open up design software that enables them to create backgrounds within a matter of minutes. The problem arises when software requires money to access them. Most companies require multiple industry-standard software that require incredibly expensive payments such as Autodesk Maya and ZBrush. Maya is a “professional 3D software for creating realistic characters and blockbuster-worthy effects” (Autodesk, 2024) and ZBrush is “the industry standard for 3D sculpting and painting digital clay” (Maxon, 2024). According to the Autodesk website, Maya subscriptions include $235 monthly, $1,875 yearly, and $5625 tri yearly (Autodesk, 2024) and ZBrush is $29.91 per month or $359 a year (Maxon, 2024). Another commonly used design tool is Adobe Creative Suite which includes many design software such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Users can either pay for the Creative Cloud which includes all the apps or pay for them individually which costs more (Adobe, 2024). Many online classes or universities also require payment to learn the software. If people can’t afford to take these courses, they are at a much higher disadvantage than those who can. For unemployed people searching for jobs, paying for multiple subscriptions takes a toll on them financially. If universities do not provide access for students, they would have to make these expensive payments on top of their tuition out of their pocket. At Purdue University, Maya is free for students both on personal and school devices. However, ZBrush and Adobe apps are only free on school devices. They can not be downloaded on personal devices unless the students pay. For majors such as Visual Communications Design which use Adobe products every day for their assignments, the cost is a barrier to their education. By paying for these subscriptions, people have to set aside a budget for them, affecting their budget for essential needs. This can lead to an increase in stress due to financial strain and the closure of many opportunities. For people in marginalized communities who already don’t have as many opportunities, having to pay expensive fees for access inhibits their learning opportunities as well

Hardware

Along with software payments, there are hardware requirements to run the applications. According to Giuseppe Stidemann who posted a blog on Morph3d titled “Computer Spects You Need for 3D Modeling,” there are 11 hardware components that are needed: CPU or processor, GPU, memory or RAM, graphics card, monitor, computer case, PSU or power supply unit, storage devices including HDD, NVE, SDD, cooling, an operating system, and peripherals and other input devices. Similar to software, these hardware components are by no means cheap. According to Easy Render, one can build a PC on a budget of “approximately $1100.” While the price is steep, this is an investment for the future.

Traditional

Traditional mediums for creating backgrounds tend to be expensive because of the amount of materials required. Art supply stores such as Michael’s sells supplies at a relatively affordable price. However, small costs add up quickly can result in individuals being severely financially compromised because of the mediums. Depending on the canvas selected, prices can range from around $10 to almost $100 (Michael’s, 2024). This cost does not include the paints, brushes, pens, pencils, and colors that go into creating this traditional art medium.

Solutions and Alternatives

Although there are many barriers, most financial, there have been solutions to this problem. Other software only requires a one-time payment or are completely free such as Procreate and Blender respectively. Procreate allows users to “create expressive sketches, rich paintings, gorgeous illustrations, and beautiful animations” (Procreate, 2024). Blender allows users to 3D Model, animate, render, and many more all for free (Blender, 2024). YouTube also provides a vast amount of information on how to use these free or paid software, allowing the free flow of knowledge for a bigger audience. There are dozens of channels dedicated to creating educational step-by-step videos giving insight into tips and tricks on how to use the software with the most efficiency. The access to knowledge allows more users to get creative with their art and allows for a better chance at success within the artistic and design industry. Free content also allows people within different demographics to access information. The diversity of more minds, coupled with the ability to exercise creative freedom by a wider range of individuals allows for more creativity and advancement within the industry.