How to Become a Visual Development Artist

Visual development is a professional field in the visual arts that relates to building the look, feel, and atmosphere of a world. Visual development deals with designing an environment, establishing the color scheme for the environment, and drawing the characters that are a part of it. People who work in this field mainly work in 2D or 3D animated production (for TV and film) and video game design, but they can also apply their skills to advertising, app development, and live-action film. Visual development work typically occurs in the pre-production phase of a project and sets the aesthetic tone for a production.

A visual development artist (sometimes shortened to “vis dev artist”) can refer to any multimedia artist who works in a relevant field of visual development or someone who specifically works on animated movies and TV shows. They are responsible for building the world and characters for a story. Visual development artists know how to use lighting, color keys, and visual effects (VFX) to create immersive, cinematic worlds for audiences.

Vis dev artists often have the skills of graphic designers and animators. This field is highly creative, as these artists are responsible for building an atmosphere for a film or video game from scratch. Though concept art is a similar field (and some use the terms interchangeably), a concept artist creates the initial visual representation of the artwork for a select piece of media—usually video games or live-action shows. Visual development artists are responsible for rendering a more fleshed-out representation of a world and may build on the initial work of a concept artist.

Visual development artists have a number of different responsibilities and can fill a variety of different roles. Here is an overview of some jobs that a visual development artist can do.

1. 1. Environment design artist: An environment design artist creates the worlds and backgrounds of TV shows, video games, and movies to match the genre and storyline of a project. They are often well-versed in landscape design, architecture, and geography, and know how to use color theory and props to establish the setting and tone of a world.
2. 2. Character design artist: Character designers take the initial designs of a concept artist and turn them into more fully fleshed-out characters. A character design artist will develop physical traits, quirks, behaviors, and other attributes to make a character feel more lifelike or rounded-out.
3. 3. Animators: Animators can work in fields like television, film, or advertising to create cartoons or other digital art for entertainment or professional purposes. Animators can work as either 2D or 3D artists to bring illustrations to life. They also collaborate with other members of the production team—like writers and producers—to develop a world for a project.
4. 4. Art directors: An art director is someone who oversees the production of all the artistic elements of film, video game, or advertising campaign. In film, the art director designs sets, oversees artists and construction workers, and helps determine the overall look of a film production. In advertising, art directors set the visual tone for—and ultimately direct—all visual aspects of an ad campaign for a client.

If you’re looking to break into the visual development field, consider the following tips.

1. 1. Develop your skills. While not necessary to pursuing this career, a bachelor's degree or master's degree in a visual arts—related field (such as animation, graphic design, fine arts, or communications) can help you. You can also look for workshops or other classes, so you can develop your skills.
2. 2. Experiment with different specialties. You don’t have to decide on your focus right away. Have a few design skills under your belt, and experiment with them to figure out which one you like best. Rely on your schooling, research, or experiences to help narrow down the particular element of vis dev you might be interested in, whether it’s environment design, creative direction, or something else.
3. 3. Get experience in an internship. Try to find an internship or shadowing opportunity at an animation studio, indie production company, or independent artist to immerse yourself in your selected specialty and gain hands-on work experience. Apprenticing can help hone your skills, build your resume, and help you develop a competitive portfolio.
4. 4. Build a portfolio. Establishing a portfolio of work that showcases your skills is imperative in any professional artistic field, and visual development is no different. Compile your most impressive pieces to show prospective employers. You may end up having to do some work for free to get started, but you can build a showcase of your best work through a multitude of personal experiences—from personal projects, to internship work.
5. 5. Meet people in your field. Networking with people in your field at panels, events, or reaching out through the internet can be a helpful way to connect with like-minded professionals who may have access to job opportunities.

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