Every July, Atomhawk runs an art competition, giving fresh talent the chance to share what they’ve got. Aside from the possible glory of winning, there are solid advantages to entering art competitions:

• Practice focusing on a brief and systematically answering it
• Practice following a logical workflow and trusting your artistic judgement
• Practice working to deadline, training you to focus your efforts and make artistic decisions in a proactive way
• Introduce yourself to industry peers and recruiters.

Just entering competitions is a good idea, then. But how do you go about winning too? We’ve teamed up with Ben and Glenn from nDreams Studio Elevation to bring you insider tips and tricks to impress the judges

Check out the full article now at Atomhawk Resources

The Atomhawk Art Competition is run every year in July! If you would like to be notified of this year’s theme 24 hours before everyone else, join our Art Competition Early Access mailing list.

Whether you were rejoining us or getting involved for the first time, THANK YOU for entering the Atomhawk Art Competition 2022: Forgotten Creation. 

We received a whopping 487 submissions this year! Visit the competition page for the winners announcement on Tuesday, 23rd August 🏆🔥

What did you learn with your artwork this year?

📝 New Resource added! What is the future of digital art? Nader explores this question in State of the Art: Current and Future Art Development Trends from #SDC2022

Check out our full directory of career resources at atomhawk.com/resources

What kind of artist would suit this role?
To excel in this role, you need strong Hard Surface modeling fundamentals and a thorough understanding of the games development pipeline from initial blockout, through high/low poly modeling to UV mapping & baking.

We are looking for someone who is able to tackle modeling an asset from a concept sketch, quickly and effectively - with a good eye for proportion and detail. The best hard surface artists have thought and iteration behind them, so just being able to put out a good looking render isn't enough, this is a modeling biased role where edgeloops, vertices and polygons matter. Someone who is truly passionate about Hard Surface modeling will be able to demonstrate cleanly built models, care and attention to each stage of the pipeline process and a workflow, which allows for iteration and feedback changes.

What should I include in my portfolio to impress?
We would need to see strong examples of hard surface modeling, examples of which include; armor, props, vehicles, weapons and mechs. We would also like to see the design iteration, workflow and wireframes as well. It's one thing to show a finely polished and rendered model but showing the 'workflow processes be it initial sketches/concepts, blockouts or wireframes really helps us see how you got to the finished product. These should be ordered and presented cleanly as part of your portfolio.

What kind of projects will I be working on?
Initially you will be working on an update to an award winning FPS, your role will cover for the duration of the project; armour, weapons, props & vehicles. Longer term projects which come into Atomhawk vary from real world to fantasy and sci-fi to post-apocalyptic themes. Anything could come into the studio that needs a hard surface specialist, so a broad knowledge of subjects is essential.

What are top 3 tips to prepare myself for the interview process?
Know your process - It's super helpful for us to know your workflow and how you approach projects, so be prepared to take us through how you go about it, how you deal with problems and how you take feedback and critique.
Know your subject - We're really looking for someone who knows their hard surface design and games development pipelines, so be prepared to talk about your processes and workflow. Who's your favourite digital artist and why? Who/what inspires you? What's your goal with hard surface modeling?
It's not all about the art - We're also looking for someone who is friendly, easy to talk to and will fit into our collaborative studio culture. So try to relax and be yourself, it will help make a good impression.

Don't forget to follow Atomhawk's Portfolio Guide and send your application in at atomhawk.com/careers.

What kind of artist would suit this role?
To excel in this role, you will need a strong understanding of fundamental skills such as knowledge of anatomy, character design and clothing/costume design. Ideally you should be able to communicate your thinking quickly and effectively via sketches. 

Character design often comprises of an in-depth exploration stage so being able to explore and iterate upon a design is key. A strong sense of design will allow you to problem solve to create a character that fits into any setting, world, or style. An artist suitable for this role should be able to create a high-fidelity level of finish to their work. They should be able to communicate lighting, form, materials, and textures in their final render. 

What should I include in my portfolio to impress?
We would need to see strong examples of character designs, whether they are realistic or have a stylized flair. We would love to see the entire design process for your character art. Share your initial sketches and subsequent iterations. The journey of your character design: your exploration, thinking and reasoning behind your choices are equally as important as being able to create a polished end result. Sharing each stage of our work in a presentable way is an integral part of our day-to-day process, so it’s something we are always looking for.

What kind of projects will I be working on?
Anything from real world to fantasy and sci-fi to post-apocalyptic themes. Shooters, racing games, RPG’s – anything could come into the studio that needs a character specialist, so a broad knowledge of anatomy and design is key.

What are top 3 tips to prepare myself for the interview process?
Know your process - It’s super helpful for us to know how you work and how you come up with your designs, so be prepared to take us through how you go about it.
Know your subject – We’re really looking for someone who knows their character design, so be prepared to talk about your process! Who’s your favourite designer and why? What’s your favourite style of character to design? Etc.
It’s not all about the art – We’re also looking for someone who is friendly, easy to talk to and will fit into our collaborative studio culture. So try to relax and be yourself, it will help make a good impression.

Don't forget to follow Atomhawk's Portfolio Guide and send your application in at atomhawk.com/careers.

Hey everyone, we're excited to be doing a Q&A with ArtStation during Student Week on behalf of Atomhawk Design. We’ll be answering questions from 10am to 11am EDT. We're happy to answer any questions you may have regarding Atomhawk Design, our current job openings, and give career/portfolio advice.

How it works: write your question in the comments section and we’ll reply during the scheduled time.

Take it away!

Gavin Manners (Senior Concept Artist)
Will Lake (Associate Art Manager)

What kind of artist would suit this role?
To excel in this role, you need strong design fundamental skills and be able to communicate your thinking quickly and effectively– ideally through sketches. The most believable hard surface designs have thought and iteration behind them, so just being able to render a good looking, finished image isn’t enough, you need to be able to think, design and solve problems through your designs.
Someone who is passionate about real world design and who is mechanically minded is also a plus. They’d ask themselves questions like: how does a suspension system work? What makes a weapon fire? How does a jet engine work? All these things inform and help create stronger hard surface designs.

What should I include in my portfolio to impress?
We would need to see strong examples of hard surface design, so anything like props, vehicles, weapons, mechs. You also get bonus points if you can show design iteration and your thinking process as well. It’s one thing to show a finished polished piece but showing sketches and ideas so we can see how you came to the finished design is really helpful. These should be presented cleanly, it is still your portfolio and everything needs to look presentable.

What kind of projects will I be working on?
Anything from real world to fantasy and sci-fi to post-apocalyptic themes. Shooters, racing games, RPG’s – anything could come into the studio that needs a hard surface specialist, so a broad knowledge of subjects is essential.

What are top 3 tips to prepare myself for the interview process?
Know your process - It’s super helpful for us to know how you work and how you come up with your designs, so be prepared to take us through how you go about it.
Know your subject – We’re really looking for someone who knows their hard surface design, so prepare to talk hard surface. Who’s your favourite designer and why? What’s your favourite real-world design and why? Things like that.
It’s not all about the art – We’re also looking for someone who is friendly, easy to talk to and will fit into our collaborative studio culture. So try to relax and be yourself, it will help make a good impression.

Don't forget to follow Atomhawk's Portfolio Guide and send your application in at atomhawk.com/careers.

As we loudly & proudly celebrate #PrideMonth this year we also acknowledge the ongoing, multi-layered struggles experienced by LGBTQ+ people. We are ever-changing & growing; moving forward we're looking into ways to better support our LGBTQ+ employees & friends! #AtomhawkProud 🏳️‍🌈

Who are your favourite LGBTQ+ artists in history or who are active today? Let us know in the comments!

This week we spent our tea breaks and lunchtime playing games in support of the games industry and World Health Organisation to #PlayApartTogether. Join us in continuing to social distance, wear a mask and wash your hands to protect yourselves and others to do our part in the battle against #COVID19.

WHO are concerned with the escalating crisis in India. They have launched a dedicated messaging service on WhatsApp to keep people safe from coronavirus. Find out more here and let’s continue to protect ourselves as we #PlayApartTogether.

Watch part 2 of our Q&A with Great North Museum: Hancock! Dive deep into the creativity of concept art: inspirations, working to briefs and is it possible to create completely original work? Make sure to check out careers in concept art in part 1 here.

Other Worlds: The Art of Atomhawk is an exhibition at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle. Click here to take a virtual tour of the exhibition.