In Saona Studios we like being different, that’s why we have moved away from conventional art in video games such as pixel art, vector art, cel shading art and monochromatic art.
In our game we are going for a traditional illustration. For that reason, in the team we don’t have graphic designers to perform this task, instead we have artists.
We honestly think that the game artists from Saona Studios have one of the most rewarding jobs, because they bring objects and characters to life in the way they imagine them.
Our team is formed by very creative and talented people, and that is why, after thinking about it, we realised that it would be an amazing opportunity for you guys to learn from our lead artist, Ramón Escalera. So here is a short interview we were able to arrange with him!
Hey Ramón! Could you tell us a little bit about your day to day tasks?
R: My day-to-day work consists of bringing the impressive narrative, design and programming work to an artistic level according to the quality of the final product we are looking for. It’s a long but rewarding task.
In your opinion, what makes traditional art special?
R: Well, I think that all ways of artistically representing a target are good, and that there is no type of art more special than another. Although of course, as a traditional illustrator and animator, I feel a predilection for a more traditional and perhaps less “digital” finishing. Although we work with modern and digital methods, the team’s goal is to convey visual affection to the project, creating worlds and characters much richer and with a much greater visual depth that other techniques do not allow us.
Do you think the type of art is relevant inside the game you are developing?
R: Of course, as I have explained before, there are many visual styles that adapt phenomenally to many games. But when it comes to telling a deeper story it is necessary to go a step further, to give personality to the world we have created, to bring to life the characters that populate it, creating a much richer universe, and all this with a single purpose: we want the player to feel part of it, to identify and empathize with the inhabitants of this universe, to enjoy the joys of our protagonist, to suffer her misfortunes, and all this is unthinkable without an art that surrounds everything, a visual style that makes you fall in love and enjoy every moment of the game.
Any advice for people interested in traditional art?
R: Patience, lots and lots of patience, and never lose hope. It’s a tough world, especially at the beginning, but it is very rewarding in the long run. You don’t need any special talent, just persistence and time.