Andy Lomerson

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

Current project:
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 for Game Boy Advance. I am lead artist and game designer for this project. My role is to oversee and work with a team of two other artists on tasks including designing levels and level art, producing skater animation and textures, and creating HUD and UI elements.

Academic Info

College & Degree: I received a B.A. in Computer Science from The University of North Texas and an M.F.A. in Computer Art from The Savannah College of Art and Design.

Were there any particular projects or areas of study that you pursued?
I learned the basics of game art while involved with the Laboratory For Recreational Computing at North Texas. I focused on art for games as opposed to high-end computer imagery at SCAD. My thesis project was a virtual museum of art and technology created in the Quake III engine.

Did you do any internships?
While at SCAD, I was a C++ tutor, a T.A. for a Houdini class, and an assistant system administrator.

Career Info

Tell us about your first job in the industry. How did you get the job? What was it like? What were your responsibilities?
My first job in the industry is my current job with Vicarious Visions. During my last quarter at SCAD, V.V. came down on a recruiting trip and had interviews and portfolio evaluations. I presented my work, which included both game assets and traditional art. After a follow up interview at the company, I was hired as a Game Boy artist. My initial responsibilities included creating low color level graphics for Game Boy Color games. After a few projects, I moved on to developing assets for Game Boy Advance games.

What jobs have you held in the games industry thus far? Briefly describe the career path you took to get where you are today.
This is my first job in the game industry, but most of my previous experience has been with computers. I have been a computer instructor, a technology specialist for a school board, a system administrator, and a digital artist. The path I took to end up in the games industry includes all the experience I gained with these jobs and my decision to return to school to obtain a Master's in computer art.

Advice

What fields of study, specific courses, or life experiences would you recommend to students interested in your field?
If you are interested in digital art, it pays to attend a national conference like SIGGRAPH or the Game Developers Conference, to get a better understanding of where the industry is currently and where it is heading. Better yet, be a student volunteer and get the inside scoop for free. I have been a volunteer at both conventions and have had very rewarding experiences. Also, join or start a group that mods existing games. If you create models and levels for existing game engines, like Quake or Unreal, you will gain a better understanding of the steps it takes to create assets and help build your portfolio with work relevant to the games industry.

Is there anything you wish someone had told you before you got into the games industry? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Surround yourself with people who have like interests. This doesn't just mean find friends who like to play games. Not everyone wants be a developer. Check out schools that specialize in game development or let you specialize. If you are already attending school, try focusing your assignments on creating assets for games. Instead of skinning a high-poly model for an animation, see if you can substitute a low poly one for real-time. If that's still not possible, seek out groups on-line and participate in forums. Ask lots of questions and post lots work to get feedback.

As games increase in complexity, what are the various kinds of jobs that you foresee development companies needing in the next five years?
It seems like the industry will be in need of more technical artists. Artists will need to be able to script some of their own utilities and deal with more complex tools to achieve ever-increasing levels of realism, or style as the case may be. Game artist roles are beginning to split, much like their movie industry
counterparts already have, into highly technical specialists and traditional artists who work together to create tools and assets.

Do you have any other advice or recommendations to share with students who are interested in doing what you do?
Keep at it. This is my first job in the industry and it's taken me a while. I have had several jobs, lived in several states and attended several schools. If you get rejected from a school or a job, don't give up. You might have to put your plans on hold while you are developing your skills or your portfolio, but remember that there are lots of jobs that can teach you invaluable experience in what might be considered a not so related field.