What does visual effects (VFX) artist do?
VFX artists add the wham, bam, crash and wallop to games. They create anything that moves that isn’t a character or an object. They create dust, water, explosions and superpowers. VFX artists use digital art software, alongside tradition art insights to create realistic effects that are stunning, like a tornado, or subtle, like slow moving clouds.
What’s a VFX artist good at?
- Art: understand composition, colour, texture, and light, and know how these elements work together
- Physics and advanced maths: understand how elements like water, light and dust behave in different conditions
- Using software and games engines: create artwork using a range of programmes and physics software packages, know the technical capability of the game engine and the latest technologies and techniques
- Collaboration: work with the other artists, share the vision with designers and games developers
- Time management: work on projects to tight deadlines, prioritise tasks. VFX is often expensive so it’s necessary to know how to work within budget
