All Things Important Monthly Newsletter

Coming in April at the Holls Social Library HAS is hosting a month long exhibit of original artworks by our members. The subject matter of the artwork will be images of Hollis, NH. All of our members are encouraged to submit artwork for this event. Your artwork must be framed and ready to hang (wire only, no sawtooth hangers please) by 3/31. We will be putting up artwork from 1-4pm on March 31 and the show runs through April.

There will be an opening reception, details on that to come.

If you are interested in submitting work please contact Grace McGinnis at her email by clicking here.

Grace will also need your artist bio and a current headshot. Those can be submitted either to her email or brought along on 3/31.

Throughout my first year as a game design student I have learned many different skills ranging from how to design a video game, how to create 3D objects, and how to program different aspects of them as well. The programs I have learned to use throughout my first year in school are Unreal Engine (a game design engine where you can both code and design functioning games) and Maya (a 3D sculpting program used to design assets). Throughout all of these focuses, I have realized that although game design is a digital medium, it is really rooted in traditional mediums. While taking these more technical classes, having additional classes such as drawing or painting really allowed me to improve my skills as well as create new aspects of the games I design.

This semester I have been taking a few traditional art classes (painting and drawing) and I have learned a lot about how these classes work together with my game design classes. The first assignment I completed for my introduction to painting class was to create a grisaille painting of a still life. While this seems like it may not have a big relation to game design, looking at the composition of this still life helps me to think about composition and how it relates to 3D scenes. When I create levels in game design, the composition of each room or area is really important to the narrative of the game. Through learning 2D composition, I am able to translate this to 3D mediums but also keep this in mind when designing these spaces.

A big part of my game design program is learning how to create game assets (3D or 2D objects like chairs, trees, or plants that are placed inside a game) and traditional mediums influence this in a big way. I have recently started my first 3D modeling class and through this I have found that my foundation in ceramics (through taking various ceramics classes in high school) have really helped me to understand this medium. Although it may be digital, having an understanding of 3D mediums like clay or even other sculpture mediums like cardboard or fiber, helps me to understand how to first model these objects digitally but also think about them in space and how they will be interacted with in video games. While I have just started learning this 3D program and have not made a full project yet, understanding these basic concepts really allow me to learn quickly and create better assets. In relation to this, my drawing classes have helped me to understand how to draw 2D objects from a 3D perspective as well. In my class, Drawing Intensive, we are working on drawing squares and rectangles in space and through this I am learning the basics of perspective as well as composition. When I draw 2D assets for video games, they may be a variety of objects (for example I have recently created a sword for a fantasy themed 2D game) and using my knowledge of space and shadows, I was able to make the object look three dimensional, while drawing it in a 2D format.

While I am still at the beginning of my game design journey, I feel as though my strong foundation in fine arts has really assisted me in learning these 3D mediums as well as become a better game designer. While I continue to grow as a game designer and artist I hope to continue to grow my fine arts skills to help me further improve throughout college.

DUES ARE DUE by March 1st, 2023. In order to get the current Discounted Member Rate of $40 which allows you to participate in our 2023 November Art show, please submit your dues by mail OR in person at our member meeting on 2/8. If you need one, here is our HAS 2023 Membership Application.

Call 603-345-3462 or email [email protected]

As you know, part of your HAS membership includes opportunities for visibility. This newsletter is distributed to over 600 people and your artwork is welcome! This opportunity is also your responsibility. If you would like your artwork to appear in subsequent month's newsletters please respond to this one with your name, two high quality images of your work plus it's title, medium, size, and any other applicable info.

We look forward to promoting YOU!