What is the hardest part when looking for a game artist for hire? To find the right person who meets all your requirements: talented, but also committed, to deliver the work on time, and to understand exactly your vision. Everyone wants a game artist who delivers exemplary work, so we understand perfectly that sometimes it is difficult to find a game artist for hire who can meet all your requirements. That’s why we’ve created a mini-guide to show you what to look for when choosing the right person. Also, in this article, you will find information that will help you decide if you want to collaborate with a freelancer game artist or a game art studio that will deliver the services you need.
1. First, set a budget
There are many game artists for hire on the market waiting for your job offer. First, you have to set a budget, to see if you can work with a game artist with more experience or with one with less experience in the field. As you already know, those who have more experience, have higher prices. But it doesn’t mean that a game artist who is at the beginning of the road wouldn’t do a good job for you. On the contrary, the fact that he is at the beginning of his career is motivated to create a professional-client portfolio and to do an excellent job for your project.
What is the salary of a game artist? If you’ve never hired a game artist before or have no slightest idea about the cost of their work, here you can see the annual income of a game artist.
Here’s a quick overview: Game artist salaries start around USD$35,000 annually for entry-level art positions. They can grow to as much as $90,000 per year, even higher for senior or lead positions. On the other hand, the game artist’s rate in Starloop Studios is much lower than the industry average in premium locations such as the United States, which is more cost effective if you’re looking for a professional game art outsourcing studio who can help you with your artwork requirements.
There are specific factors that can influence concept art prices:
- Project complexity. Complex projects require more work, imagination, and time. Therefore, the more complex a project is, the bigger the budget for the game artist must be.
- The level of details. When it comes to setting the price for a game artist’s work, the level of details is an important factor. For example, the creation of details such as the clothing of the characters, the textures, the materials, and other assets, can raise the budget needed for a game artist to hire.
- Time frames. A reasonable time in which a game artist can create a detailed concept means somewhere around 50-80 hours of work, but this time is influenced by the complexity of the project, the level of art details, etc. But, if you want the project to be completed as soon as possible, you can opt for a game art outsourcing studio, where there are several game artists to work on your project. The more people who work for you, the sooner your project will be completed.
2. Create a clear list of assets you need
Before you start collaborating with a game artist, it is best for both parties to create a clear list of assets you need for your project.
The game artist needs to see a list of game elements, but also a prototype of the game; whether it’s paper or digital doesn’t matter too much, but it will definitely help him better understand your requirements.
If he gets a list of required assets from you, he will have a clear understanding of the vision for the game. Sometimes, the amount of art required to make something look good and work well, and the amount of time it takes to create it, are underestimated. Therefore, it is good to create this list with your needs and establish these aspects from the beginning. The initial conversation is definitely important. If you’re providing a list of assets and a project description and the game artist come back to you with a quote but haven’t asked you any questions about your project, that would be a red flag. It’s weird to quote on an entire project without having a very clear idea of the client’s vision for the entire project.
When starting this conversation and providing this kind of information to your game artist, you should be able to see right away if the person you’re talking to grasps the vision for your project, and is capable of understanding not only what needs to be done to complete it, but also the entire game design and development process.
3. Skills you should look for when looking for a game artist for hire
2D & 3D Art
High-quality animation helps to create a strong bond between a player and a character providing the user with an unforgettable experience, therefore your game artist needs to be skilled in using 2D art tools, especially Photoshop, or 3D art tools. To choose the right person, you can also see if the game artist is constantly drawing, painting, creating, and animating. You can choose a game artist for hire without an art degree if he is a natural artist and has an impressive portfolio of work.
2D & 3D Animation
The game artist for hire needs to create any character you want and “bring it to life”. Depending on the style of your game, 2D or 3D, he must have the knowledge to model, create a layout, animate the character, and render him exactly the qualities you want.
Concept Art
A game artist must know how to create but also visualize the characters, environments and all the assets you need. Concept art is used to visualize ideas so that modelers, animators, and VFX teams can make these ideas ready for production.
UI/UX Design
It is the duty of a game artist to create an attractive and graphical game interface in several styles. It is ideal that your game artist to know how to create from initial user flow diagrams and wireframe prototypes to final, in-game layout designs, interactive and graphical components, transition animations, and effects with a focus on quality, innovation, integration, and ease of use.
4. Freelancer game artist vs. game art outsourcing studio. What to choose?
Freelancer Game Artist. One advantage of choosing a freelancer game artist for hire is affordability. Because it is a single person involved in your project, the price can be lower than for a game outsourcing studio. But the good part is that you have smaller tasks to do, you can choose the right game artist according to your specific needs. The downside is that it may take some time to find the right person to understand your vision. Also, if you are in a hurry with your project, it is not a wise choice, because a freelancer game artist is a single person who works on your project and can take some time. Especially if he has other projects besides yours. You can find game artists for hire on freelancing platforms like Upwork or Freelancer.
Game Art Outsourcing Studio. The tendency to choose a game outsourcing studio is growing, because the clients want, if it’s possible, maximum quality in a short time. If you choose to work with a game outsourcing studio, the project is completed faster and the area of expertise is larger. In a studio game art, you will find game artists of all levels, each specialized in his area. When every part of your project is worked on by specialized people on that piece, the results are remarkable and totally professional. Also, the tools and technology they have will increase the quality of the work you receive.
Our experience as a game art outsourcing studio
When it comes to creating art in a video game, the experience is probably the most important aspect. With over 10 years in the field of video games, our team consists of game artists professionals who can cover all your needs: from creative concept and sketching to the development of outstanding animated 3D characters, texturing and rigging, making environments, UI and UX and 2D elements.
Starloop Studios is proud to be part of the Magic Media group, an international group specialising in entertainment and gaming industry services. Our wide range of offerings includes VFX, blockchain gaming, game art services, and more. Reach out today to avail of our expertise and A-Z services for your projects.
