Who am I? Why am I here?

I'm starting this blog at the start of my 1st year on Game Art at De Montfort. Here I will post my work, reflect on my progression and share any relevant thoughts I happen to have.

So who am I? Well my name is Jonah. Prior to this course I completed a BTEC in Art & Design at Exeter college. I made some great friends and worked (fairly) hard. I was lucky enough to have some excellent tutors and thoroughly enjoyed the course. So much so that it restored my faith in education and I decided university was for me.

I took a gap year to earn some money and thoroughly research what I planned to spend the next 3 years of my life on. I had a goal in mind but I took my time to find the best road to get there. I have absolutely no regrets about this. There are a lot of traps you can fall into when researching how to get into the games industry but that's probably a subject for another time.

Why Game Art? I'm passionate about Games and I'm passionate about Art. Art allows me to visually explore and understand the world around me. And fantasize about the worlds that aren't. Games offer the chance to literally create experiences. Experiences with a boundless potential to enjoy, educate and inspire.

My heart was absolutely set on Game Art at De Montfort so I was completely ecstatic (and a little relieved) when I found out I got in. This was in January so I had a while to wait. I was advised by my interviewer to prepare by taking a course in Life Drawing so I found one immediately. It turned out to be massively beneficial and worth every penny. I also continued working and saving until June, when I told myself I'd have a summer holiday before getting my head down.

I spent the summer blowing off steam. I traveled to Spain for 10 days of Skydiving in the sun. If you want to see me flailing in the air, there is a video. I also went to Rome with my family to soak up some culture and then went to Ireland for 2 weeks. It was a jam packed summer but when September came rolling around I was well and truly ready to go!

Blowing off steam.

Now that I'm here, it really is work time! The first few weeks have been really intense and it's an all round big adaptation. There is so much to learn already and the days don't feel long enough. But above all, even though I grumble about the work load, I love it! I've met masses of outgoing, interesting and all round lovely people. Being around so many like minded individuals has me feeling motivated and inspired. When I roll out of bed in the morning, even when I'm a little hung over, I feel like I'm moving with a purpose.

Currently my course is split between Game Production, Visual Design and Critical Studies. Critical Studies is a really exciting prospect and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it. Visual Design is exactly what I expected. Sketching in the cold and learning the fundamentals. Genuinely, way more fun than it sounds. 

First week of Visual Design, drawing Leicester Canal.

Second week of Visual Design, drawing the Medieval Archway.

Game Production is a whole new experience for me. Currently the main focus is learning 3D Studio Max and I have not encountered such a daunting program before. Digital 3D modelling is completely new to me but it has intrigued me for a long time. 

I'm naturally quite competitive and like things to be as good as I feel they can be. In a student environment tearing into the program feels safe and natural. My hunger to master the program has me running myself ragged but I've never felt myself learning so much and it feels good!

I will endeavor to update every week but it depends on how much work I have and whether or not I have something to write about. I'd like to only post when I have something to say but if the start of the course is any indication, I'll have a lot to talk about. It's definitely been an epic start and as I plunge head first into the course there is only one thing on my mind. Get better, get better, get better.