This project teaches students how to think like artists and designers before actually making assets. Students produce moodboards, paintovers, environment studies, and greybox sketches. Throughout the project, they learn fundamental skills in shape language, composition, colour theory, and visual storytelling. The three-week structure starts with induction and shape/colour theory in Week 1, moves into genre analysis and art breakdowns in Week 2, and finishes with gameplay space analysis and UE5 greybox sketches in Week 3.
Focus, deliverables, software, the week-by-week breakdown and covered units unlock on the hand-out date above. Tutors can open it early.
Students will produce a comprehensive "Visual Development Pitch" consisting of curated moodboards, a completed 2D environment paintover demonstrating visual storytelling, and a documented 3D greybox blockout of a small gameplay space. This portfolio of work will clearly demonstrate their ability to plan and conceptualize a game environment prior to asset production.
How the 3 weeks are structured, stage by stage.
FocusShape language, color theory, and genre analysis.
\* **Miro:** Collaborative genre breakdowns (e.g., deconstructing what makes a cyberpunk environment read as cyberpunk).
PureRef: Creating targeted moodboards based on specific emotional prompts (e.g., "claustrophobic sci-fi" or "whimsical fantasy").
FocusComposition, visual storytelling, and environment studies.
Photoshop: Executing 2D environment studies and paintovers. Learning how to use composition techniques (rule of thirds, leading lines) to guide the player's eye to objectives.
FocusGameplay space analysis and greyboxing.
Paper/Photoshop: Top-down greybox sketches.
Unreal Engine: Basic introduction focused *strictly* on viewport navigation and placing primitive shapes (BSP/Basic Geometry) to build a 3D greybox of their sketch.
This project directly mirrors the workflows of **Concept Artists**, **Level Designers**, and **Art Directors**. It prepares students for the industry by enforcing the "think before you build" mentality. Instead of rushing to model high-poly assets, students practice the industry-standard pipeline of gathering reference, establishing a visual language, proving the aesthetic via paintovers, and testing the spatial flow through greyboxing. This prepares them for roles where rapid iteration, visual communication, and spatial problem-solving are prioritized over isolated software technicalities.