animation / art / design for games/kickstarters?

Hey Benjamin,

Pretty freaky (in a good way) art style! I've partnered with a few people for game art, and it's always because I have a style in mind, and I find someone who fits that style.

I have a Japanese pop culture-inspired card game, so I tracked down an anime artist I really liked on fast-manga.com. For another game I wanted a darkly comical style inspired by artists like Jhonen Vasquez, so I went to an animator friend and we worked together to find the style (went through a few style explorations based on reference and talking through what I wanted to accomplish).

BGDF is a great place to get your work out there...the only drawback is that most designers looking to license a game and not self-publish know that any company who ultimately makes their game will work out the art on their own...rarely does the art present in the prototype make it to the final game. Art is also expensive, so it's better to focus on a great playing game with placeholder art that gives a little flavor rather than going all-in on game art.

Cons sometimes have "artist alleys," which could be a good bet for you. You want to reach designers who either make their own games, or link up with publishers who keep an ever-expanding roster of artists. I don't think it's much different than being a comic, children's book or video game artist; get in front of those who would most likely hire you. Create a one-page portfolio and business cards you can hand out at cons and work the floor! Find publishers of unusual games, games which you think your style fits, and ask them about upcoming projects. Do whatever it takes to get on their radar, and see what comes of it.

Lastly, I'm working on a game with a publisher for which I created an "inspiration board" which shows the style and flavor I think the game art should have; it's based on an original theme with inherently rich character opportunities, so some precise reference can help playtesters "see" how the final game could look.

With such a bold and original style, I'm sure you'll find some interest.

Hope this helps!

Hey Ben,

I just saw your post. I recently finished a prototype game and I am going to throw it on kickstarter. I need to compile a list of costs in order to set my fund goal. How much does it cost to get an art designer to draw the artwork for a board game roughly?

Matt

Hi Ben,

You can get email updates on a thread by clicking the "subscribe" link at the bottom of the initial post for the thread. It'll then give you a couple options.