Game art principles. Visual style selection, asset pipeline, animation workflow.
Visual design thinking for games - style selection, asset pipelines, and art direction.
What feeling should the game evoke?
│
├── Nostalgic / Retro
│ ├── Limited palette? -> Pixel Art
│ └── Hand-drawn feel? -> Vector / Flash style
│
├── Realistic / Immersive
│ ├── High budget? -> PBR 3D
│ └── Stylized realism? -> Hand-painted textures
│
├── Approachable / Casual
│ ├── Clean shapes? -> Flat / Minimalist
│ └── Soft feel? -> Gradient / Soft shadows
│
└── Unique / Experimental
└── Define custom style guide
| Style | Production Speed |
|---|
| Skill Floor |
|---|
| Scalability |
|---|
| Best For |
|---|
| Pixel Art | Medium | Medium | Hard to hire | Indie, retro |
| Vector/Flat | Fast | Low | Easy | Mobile, casual |
| Hand-painted | Slow | High | Medium | Fantasy, stylized |
| PBR 3D | Slow | High | AAA pipeline | Realistic games |
| Low-poly | Fast | Medium | Easy | Indie 3D |
| Cel-shaded | Medium | Medium | Medium | Anime, cartoon |
| Phase | Tool Options | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Concept | Paper, Procreate, Photoshop | Reference sheet |
| Creation | Aseprite, Photoshop, Krita | Individual sprites |
| Atlas | TexturePacker, Aseprite | Spritesheet |
| Animation | Spine, DragonBones, Frame-by-frame | Animation data |
| Integration | Engine import | Game-ready assets |
| Phase | Tool Options | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Concept | 2D art, Blockout | Reference |
| Modeling | Blender, Maya, 3ds Max | High-poly mesh |
| Retopology | Blender, ZBrush | Game-ready mesh |
| UV/Texturing | Substance Painter, Blender | Texture maps |
| Rigging | Blender, Maya | Skeletal rig |
| Animation | Blender, Maya, Mixamo | Animation clips |
| Export | FBX, glTF | Engine-ready |
| Goal | Strategy | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Harmony | Complementary or analogous | Nature games |
| Contrast | High saturation differences | Action games |
| Mood | Warm/cool temperature | Horror, cozy |
| Readability | Value contrast over hue | Gameplay clarity |
| Principle | Game Application |
|---|---|
| Squash & Stretch | Jump arcs, impacts |
| Anticipation | Wind-up before attack |
| Staging | Clear silhouettes |
| Follow-through | Hair, capes after movement |
| Slow in/out | Easing on transitions |
| Arcs | Natural movement paths |
| Secondary Action | Breathing, blinking |
| Timing | Frame count = weight/speed |
| Exaggeration | Readable from distance |
| Appeal | Memorable design |
| Action Type | Typical Frames | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Idle breathing | 4-8 | Subtle |
| Walk cycle | 6-12 | Smooth |
| Run cycle | 4-8 | Energetic |
| Attack | 3-6 | Snappy |
| Death | 8-16 | Dramatic |
| Platform | Base Resolution | Sprite Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile | 1080p | 64-128px characters |
| Desktop | 1080p-4K | 128-256px characters |
| Pixel art | 320x180 to 640x360 | 16-32px characters |
Choose a base unit and stick to it:
[type]_[object]_[variant]_[state].[ext]
Examples:
spr_player_idle_01.png
tex_stone_wall_normal.png
mesh_tree_oak_lod2.fbx
assets/
├── characters/
│ ├── player/
│ └── enemies/
├── environment/
│ ├── props/
│ └── tiles/
├── ui/
├── effects/
└── audio/
| Don't | Do |
|---|---|
| Mix art styles randomly | Define and follow style guide |
| Work at final resolution only | Create at source resolution |
| Ignore silhouette readability | Test at gameplay distance |
| Over-detail background | Focus detail on player area |
| Skip color testing | Test on target display |
Remember: Art serves gameplay. If it doesn't help the player, it's decoration.