Game Art Principles
Visual design thinking for games - style selection, asset pipelines, and art direction.
1. Art Style Selection
Decision Tree
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 Comparison Matrix
| 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 |
2. Asset Pipeline Decisions
2D Pipeline
| 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 |
3D Pipeline
| 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 |
3. Color Theory Decisions
Palette Selection
| 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 |
Color Principles
- Hierarchy: Important elements should pop
- Consistency: Same object = same color family
- Context: Colors read differently on backgrounds
- Accessibility: Don't rely only on color
4. Animation Principles
The 12 Principles (Applied to Games)
| 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 |
Frame Count Guidelines
| 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 |
5. Resolution & Scale Decisions
2D Resolution by Platform
| Platform | Base Resolution | Sprite Scale | |----------|-----------------|--------------| | Mobile | 1080p | 64-128px characters | | Desktop | 1080p-4K | 128-256px characters | | Pixel art | 320x180 to 640x360 | 16-32px characters |
Consistency Rule
Choose a base unit and stick to it:
- Pixel art: Work at 1x, scale up (never down)
- HD art: Define DPI, maintain ratio
- 3D: 1 unit = 1 meter (industry standard)
6. Asset Organization
Naming Convention
[type]_[object]_[variant]_[state].[ext]
Examples:
spr_player_idle_01.png
tex_stone_wall_normal.png
mesh_tree_oak_lod2.fbx
Folder Structure Principle
assets/
├── characters/
│ ├── player/
│ └── enemies/
├── environment/
│ ├── props/
│ └── tiles/
├── ui/
├── effects/
└── audio/
7. Anti-Patterns
| 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.