Introduction
The responsibilities of a character artist spans across the front end of the production pipe line and varies from studio to studio. A seasoned character artist’s contribution can include concept art in pre-production, modeling, texturing and rigging in production and, in some cases, technical animation and or simulations. To carry the title of character artist one must demonstrate their proficiency in at least one of these production phases as it relates to character development.
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Beyond technical knowledge a character artist can possess an in-depth knowledge of character design principals that includes ethnic attribute recognition and racial makeup fundamentals. A character artist, having an in-depth knowledge of these character design principals and various pipelines, is an invaluable asset to a production team. The application of this knowledge can open doors to the exploration of new and yet to be explored character demographics, potentially tapping into underserved consumer markets. This study is aimed at developing the design tools needed for observation and knowledge quintessential in depicting ethnic groups authentically. Building this fundamental knowledge base will enable character artists to design diverse and appealing characters without intent but with integrity.
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There is an overwhelmingly underrepresented population when it comes to mainstream gaming, to be more specific Hispanic and Latino main characters statistically don’t exist. Leia Calderon states in her article Hispanic Representation in Video Games “Unfortunately, characters with darker skin tend to be cast into tertiary roles or, cameo appearances that don’t require a lot of character development. When Latinos are represented most characters consist of stereotypes that serve the single purpose of forwarding the white male hero’s journey.” It is perceived that the lack of representation and/or the demonization of ethnic groups in video games is a story driven issue mostly related to character roles. Lazy character development and writing relies on the negative stereotypes of our culture to carry the games plot points.
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The International Game Developers Association suggests that only 7 percent of game developers identify as Hispanic or Latino, in comparison, 76 percent of developers are white. With this information one can assume that this may not be a manifestation of direct or indirect racism, but a direct result of developers designing what they know. With this assumption one might suspect a lack of training and experience in diverse character design. if artists lack the tools they need to accomplish this task, their only option is to rely on the mental stereotypes derived from our culture.
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This study will sample students of character art through a survey assessing if and how character diversity is being taught. In addition to this assessment a set of short hand design principals that address the differences in facial proportions, body, skin, and hair types that make up different ethnicity will be developed. The ability to quantify these differences in shape, color and proportion will empower character artist to design diverse characters without needing to lean on heavily or over used stereotypes.
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I have chosen to make this the focus on my thesis because I believe It’s important for emerging character artists to understand the game development pipeline as it pertains to character art as well as current trends in character design that are affecting our medium. By breaking character design stereotypes and introducing a wider character demographic to entertainment media consumers, character artists can shift our industry to have a more positive impact on our culture and self-image.