In a recent episode of the Nightdive Studios Deep Dive podcast, Nate Wells, the art director at Epic Games and former artist on classics like System Shock 2, discussed the evolving landscape for game artists. He stated that the original artistic community he was part of is now largely non-existent, replaced by professionals who, while more skilled, often face challenges in differentiating their work.

Wells encouraged aspiring artists to “touch grass, read a book, throw a ball, get tackled once in a while” to gain diverse experiences that can inform their designs.

“When you see really interesting work, it’s because it seems to come from somewhere else,” Wells noted, stressing the importance of varied influences in fostering creativity. He criticized the trend of artists focusing solely on video games and anime, stating that it limits the scope of their work. The lack of broad influences makes it challenging to create unique aesthetics in games.

He reminisced about his own unconventional journey into the industry, highlighting how diverse educational backgrounds contributed to richer artistic expressions in gaming earlier in his career. Wells concluded by advocating for young artists to seek inspiration from a variety of fields to truly stand out in the competitive gaming market.