[dalickwid aka Magdalena R]

I think I might want to try to get a job as a character/background/vehicle/fictional story thingy designer. For people who do this and are successful, what is it that you need to learn? What do employers look for? Umm. I'm not even really sure what questions to ask. Are there any books that you guys could recommend maybe? All my designs suck right now. Does that mean I just don't have the capability to be a good designer? Is there anything I should know other than "practice until you cease to suck"? Are most good designers just self-taught by looking at the designs of others? Not to say that they steal other people's work, but just looking at good designs and analyzing on their own what makes it work and what doesn't. Or is there something more? Any help you guys could offer would be useful. I'm curious as to what the industry is like too I guess. Or...general things I should know. Do's and Don'ts...anything. Thanks.

-Brandon

[[Shizo]]

Being a concept designer, you have to be very good at it, or at least be able to draw a lot =]
Because game development goes like this: Design Doc -> Concept Images -> Actual game art. I would think you need to practise basic drawing and try to conceptualize creative looking characters, mechanics, and even levels or buildings.
That's what i think but i never been in real game company and mods that i was into had awful or no concepts :)

[Damien]

Well, I am not a char designer per se, but I would suggest that you expend great effort in learning to draw every geometric shape from every concievable angle and distance. You want to be able to draw anything, and do it quickly and repeatably.
I'd also suggest taking some life drawing courses, if you can. Sure, you can get good at drawing solely from books and practice, but a life drawing class will make it go faster.
After that (which should take you a few months at least. It took me damn near an entire year, and I am now deeply regretting not giving my full attention to practicing basic geometry.)

Develope a style, and run with it. Do a ton of drawings in that style. Then develope a totally different one, and do a bunch of drawing in that style. Flexibility is the second best thing in a character/other designer, next to skill, in my opinion.
You might also do a few practices that I did (and still do): imagine something (a character, vehicle, location, whatever), and draw it in as many different ways as you can. Change the mood, lighting, costumes, everything. Or take one drawing, and don't redraw it, just adjust it so it has a different mood.
And some practice with quick colouring methods wouldn't hurt, either. Watercolouring, felt pens (although you have to buy a ton of them...), anything that grabs your eye.

But of course, this is just what my experiences have taught me thus far. Yours can (and probably will) teach you differently, and that is a good thing.