Architect, carver, and 2D Artist: switching story

Hello, I'm Dmytro, a 2D Artist at Kevuru Games. To become a game dev artist, I've come a long way and tried myself in many other professions. I can say that I've been a switcher several times, but now I've finally come to what inspires me the most. The gaming industry is very multifaceted and varied, and today I want to share my tips on how to enter the game industry and find your first job. I hope my experience will be useful to someone.

"The world was gripped by a pandemic. As strange as it may sound, it was my finest hour."

My story as an artist began in my childhood when I invented and drew board games that I played with my friends. At that time, I didn't know about game design, but the games were quite multi-level and interactive. I also loved video games and dreamed of creating my own.

However, I went to study at an art school (Taras Shevchenko State Art School) in the architecture class. Why? I thought it was prestigious. But by the end of my studies, I realized that I didn't like architecture. So I went to look for myself. I graduated from a carving school in the Lviv region, but when I returned to Kyiv, it turned out that there was little demand for carvers here.

I needed money to live on, so I managed to work as a parking lot attendant, a security guard at a restaurant, made advertising signs, handmade sweets, taught woodcarving to children, and so on. Later, I worked in a vegetarian restaurant, where I became a real multi-tasker (I was a cook, waiter, barista, and cashier).

At this time, I started thinking about returning to drawing. I drew illustrations on paper. Then I went to work in Poland, and with the money I earned, I bought a laptop and a graphics tablet. By the way, since then I've been working on my one and only Wacom Intuos, but I've already changed my laptop.

After returning to Kyiv, I decided to focus on digital art. I went to a course, but unfortunately, I didn't get the necessary knowledge there, so I didn't have much chance of getting a job. So I had to go back to where I could earn a living even then. That's how I ended up in the field of children's entertainment and quests. But at the same time, I didn't give up drawing and periodically created illustrations to order, watched tutorials, and improved my skills. I attended open classes in 2D art, talked to acquaintances who had already worked in game development, and was moving towards my cherished dream of making games.

And then the pandemic hit the world. The entire entertainment industry was paralyzed, and I actually lost my job. My wife and I were living on credit at the time (the coronavirus took away her job as well), but I finally had a few months of free time that I could spend on self-study and drawing practice. As strange as it may sound, it was my finest hour. I got a chance to finally focus on getting into the game industry.

"Do what you enjoy"

I studied for 8–10 hours every day, 6 days a week. This time included watching tutorials, searching for vacancies, and, of course, painting.

As a realist, I realized that I wouldn't be able to successfully complete a test task on the first try. That's why I took rejections in stride. When I was rejected, I asked for detailed feedback on my work for analysis and further correction of errors. The test tasks actually "pumped me up" quite a bit, and each time I purposefully improved my weaknesses. So at some point, I did so well that I was offered an interview and then an offer. That's how I managed to get into Kevuru Games.

The main key to my success was that my portfolio was the most suitable for the style the company was looking for. My enthusiasm and dedication also played an important role, because I didn't get here the first time. It's an interesting story. I found a recruiter through an ad on Facebook and contacted her. She said they were hiring artists for a project with isometric houses. I didn't have any such art in my portfolio, so I agreed with her that I would draw some artwork and send it to her if the position was still open. However, by the time I was preparing the artwork, the position had already been closed. But the recruiter was still interested in my work and saved my resume. And about a month later she wrote to me herself and said that there was a vacancy again for that particular isometric project. Then came the test, the interview, and the offer.

Referring to the experience of previous years, I realize that the transition to game development for working people can be a real challenge, primarily due to lack of time and overload. While I was working in the entertainment industry, I tried to draw and learn from tutorials in my free time, but it was very difficult. In such a situation, the main thing is not to lose motivation.

Why did I choose 2D art, you may ask? Because it was easier to enter the game industry with my skill set. In fact, it's much easier to switch to a different game development direction when you already work for a game company. This is because you have the opportunity to communicate with your colleagues, gain useful experience, see how it works in practice, and so on.

For me personally, 2D art isn't the limit. I am also interested in level art, 2D animation and narrative design. There is still room for development.

I have a life credo: "Do what you enjoy." After two and a half years of my career in game development, I still haven't lost my enthusiasm for work. And this is a remarkable indicator! I feel most at ease in my work, compared to my previous fields of activity.

"The period when I was a junior went by very quickly"

I would like to warn newly minted switchers: don't think that once you get your first job, your learning and development challenges will end. On the contrary, everything is just beginning. Because there are limited time frames for work, a lot of edits, and many incomprehensible technical nuances. You have to study alongside your work to stay afloat. However, you always have leads and colleagues at hand, in particular, who can share useful life hacks. When I saw the artwork of my colleagues that I really liked, I wrote to the authors to find out how they managed to technically create such beauty. Communication in the team contributes greatly to professional growth.

At Kevuru, I learned a lot thanks to the leads who arranged long video sessions to teach me how to work with filters and modes, gave me life hacks on how to draw this or that material, and so on. Of course, you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help, because your development is solely in your best interest.

Sometimes I draw something for myself outside of work and then take it to a lead to get feedback or advice. I've never had anyone refuse me to do this.

It has also happened that an art director comes to you and says: "We have a project where we need to do work in Illustrator instead of Photoshop. How long will it take you to learn?" Such opportunities shouldn't be missed, because this is the only way to learn new skills, and in game development companies, specialists who can work not only in Photoshop are highly valued.

Now I am a middle+. The period when I was a junior went by very quickly because I had a goal to do the work efficiently and quickly. But there are no limits to the ideal, so my development path never stops, and I am constantly adding new skills to this day.

"My main result was achieved through self-study and practice"

I received the basics of art at art school. Then I took a course to learn how to use Photoshop. However, my main result was achieved through self-study and practice. I went through a lot of tutorials and tried a lot of different pipelines of work. I also attended open classes from a well-known computer graphics school (there were both online and offline formats). The advantage of such classes is that you can always get feedback from the teacher, which is very valuable.

By the way, the skills from my previous professions also came in handy in game development. When I was working as a waiter and a cook, I was able to improve my soft skills. These professions require teamwork. My work with children helped me develop my imagination. At one time, I had to come up with several master classes a day on very different topics. Therefore, the skill of quick idea generation was a must. And this skill helps me in my current project, where I have to generate an incredible number of ideas, which will then be implemented by a team of artists.

When I was drawing pictures to order, I realized that drawing isn't a flight of creativity, but a craft. At first, it was very painful to redo the works that I had already fallen in love with many times. Over time, my attitude changed. Now I perceive feedback as part of my work.

Well, and quests. If I want to develop myself as a narrative designer, then the experience of coming up with quests will be very useful to me.

Advice for newly minted switchers

Below are nine tips that I believe will help anyone who is considering a career change.

1. Decide what you want to do

To begin with, you need to objectively assess your skills and base your career choice on them. I knew how to draw, so I chose 2D art. If you are good at writing, you can try your hand at narrative design. Also, testing is often the starting point for beginners.

2. Don't think, just do

Often we are in doubt when we first start changing the direction of our work. Will I be able to do it? Is it worth doing this? Should I draw characters or environments?

There's only one way out: don't think, just do. After all, you won't know if you should move in a certain direction until you try.

3. Tutorials and practice right away

In the beginning, I had a desire to master everything at once, so I downloaded tutorials on a global scale. How many of these tutorials did I review and turn into practical skills? About 1%.

It is much easier to set yourself a task, for example, to draw a beaver in the style of a Pixar cartoon. And look for tutorials for this task. And, importantly, immediately apply the skills in practice. Because if you watch the tutorial in the morning, run to work, and start practicing after work, you will have to watch everything again to remember what exactly was there.

4. Communication with specialists working in game development companies

Communication with professionals is the key to success. If you have a friend in a game development company who works in the position you are interested in, it is just great! Communicating with such people will significantly speed up your path to becoming a game master and simplify your life. It is especially important to use your free time as efficiently as possible during the social life, so it is better to follow the well-trodden path than to fill your own bumps. Ask your friends how they passed the interview, prepared a portfolio, and what difficulties they faced when applying for a job.

If you don't have such friends, there are many publics on Facebook, Discord, or Telegram. You can find the people you need there.

5. Competent portfolio

This is a tip not only for switchers, but also for anyone who wants to start their way in gaming. A good portfolio is your face, so you need to approach its creation wisely.

Firstly, the portfolio should contain only the best works, because you will be judged by the worst ones.

Secondly, your work should be relevant to what you want to do in your future position.

Last but not least, try not to make your portfolio a composite of different styles. When I was drawing my own portfolio, I tried to combine the works into one project. As if the houses, icons, and characters were from the same game. This will make it easier for you, and it will create a very specific picture of you for a potential employer, which is a big plus.

6. Simplicity is power

Often, when creating a portfolio, we want to realize something grandiose with an epic scale, but then we hit the reefs of a lack of skills. This is especially true when you have little time and energy because of your main job.

To avoid this, take on tasks that you can handle. It's better to do simple but high-quality work than to take on a difficult task and not be able to complete it.

7. Keep yourself motivated

In the beginning, many things may not work out. This can be especially demotivating when you come home from work and need to paint something outside your work hours. That's why you have to keep yourself motivated.

Podcasts with artists' stories about their own path to game dev helped me. It's very supportive on the thorny path of a switcher and adds to the understanding that many skilled artists once went through the same thing.

8. Communication with recruiters

Most often, to find a job, we go to popular job resources. However, here the employer will not be able to establish personal contact with you, and this will reduce your chances of getting the desired offer. That's why you should try to communicate directly with recruiters of the companies you want to work for. You can do this on LinkedIn or Facebook. That's how I got my job at Kevuru.

9. English language

A skill that you absolutely need in a game developer is the ability to read English.

Most of the documentation, guides, and feedback you will receive will be in English, so if you learned it well at school, good for you. If not, you should improve your English to at least A2.

I recommend mobile apps like Duolingo. It will be easier for you to learn the language when you are on the road or standing in line.

As a translator, I recommend Context Reverso. It will help you not only translate words but also see how the word can be used in context.

I wish all switchers strength, inspiration, and motivation, and you will definitely succeed! Believe in yourself!