Concept art lead for ArenaNet, Kekai Kotaki recently took time out from his daily schedule to talk
to 2DArtist about everything from his background in art and what it’s like to work alongside the talents of Daniel Dociu and Jaime Jones, to how he keeps himself and others inspired and how to best sample a buffet. Along with a stunning portfolio from another of ArenaNet’s greats, this is an interview
not to be missed!
Hi Kekai, thanks so much for taking this time out to speak to 2DArtist magazine. To kick things off, can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about how things got started for you in terms of digital art? And what you’re currently up to in your career as a concept artist?
Hello, I am happy to be able to do this interview. I was born and raised in Hawaii; I am of both Hawaiian and Japanese ancestry. I got my first taste of digital art back when I was a senior in high school; it must have been a copy of Photoshop 5, or something. And the Wacom tablet that they had was one of those huge clunky things the size of a desk with the pressure sensitivity of a brick! I was only able to use it for a short period of time and it wasn’t until I got into art school almost a year afterwards that I was able to truly start to learn how to useit. That was almost 10 years ago now.
I am currently busy working at ArenaNet on Guild Wars 2. My position now is Concept Art Lead. I still work on concept art, but also I have the additional responsibilities of taking care of my team and making sure everything is on track to ensure that Guild Wars is still recognised as one of the most beautiful games on the market.
Ah-ha, yes, Guild Wars! Such a title must bring a high level of responsibility and keep not just you, but also the whole of your team, at the top of your game and producing the quality artwork that the Guild Wars name demands. But just how to you go about maintaining a team of happy scribblers? What is the studio environment like at ArenaNet – do you feel the space that you work in as an artist has an impact on productivity? Any tips?
It truly is a balancing act. On one hand you want your artists to be happy with what they are
working on, but on the other hand it is a job and you do not want someone burning out on you. I try to locate where an artist’s talent lies and then try to funnel that type of work to them. I also
make sure that the work is varied enough so that nobody gets bored and uncreative. Keeping them on their artistic toes is how some would put it! There is no real time limit on most of the
work that people do, except for those times when somebody really needs something right away or if there was a set deadline beforehand. Allowing an artist room to breathe and time to explore a concept is very important here at ArenaNet. However, at the end of the day, this is a job. I trust the artists to be responsible with their time. If someone is spinning wheels on a pretty painting that does little to push the concept that was assigned to them, it is partly my responsibility to get them back on track.
There are many assignments that may not be the most glorious jobs to work on, but they must
get done and done to a level that matches the high artistic standard that we have worked so hard to establish here at ArenaNet.
To this end, the environment here is both loose and studious. The environment you work in can play a huge roll in your productivity. Too many distractions can detract from your concentration,
while eight hours a day, seven days a week of no talking and just drawing can quickly kill creativity. One of the big strengths of working in a team is the interplay of thought and ideas. Sharing thoughts with one another creates a fertile ground for bigger and more unique ideas.
In this way it is not just one artist working on a concept; it becomes a team effort, with everyone contributing in their own way. If there is one particular tip I can give it’s that information is key. Being an informed and knowledgeable person will help others because you can bring something new to the table to share.
“If there is one particular tip I can give it’s that information is key. Being an informed and knowledgeable person will help others because you can bring something new to the table to share.”
[Laughs] It is a very tricky question. In hindsight, I learned more on my own than I ever did in school. Also, nothing compares to the things you learn once you get your first job in the industry. Having said that, I do think that going to art school was an important step. I came here to Seattle in 2000 after graduating from high school with no clue of what I really wanted to do. All I knew was that I loved to draw and that was it. In art school I was able to find out where the ground was so that I could put my feet on it. I also made friends, some whom are co-workers with me here at ArenaNet. So even though I could say that I learned nothing from art school and that it might not have been worth it, I can’t knock the fact that it was a beginning for me. Maybe that’s
what the real question is: How do you want to begin your path as an artist?
Very well answered, Kekai! I’ll keep that question in my ideas pot for a future interview – love it! Can you give any examples of experiences, whether at art school or in your job, that really defined what and who you wanted to be? For example, any particular conversations, lectures or meetings that gave you one of those “light bulb” moments?
There are too many to count! It all blurs together and the end result is the artist that I am today and striving to become tomorrow. Hearing one of my teachers talk about the differences between Boris Vallejo and Frank Frazetta; how composition and emotion create greater art than staid highly rendered images; the first time I stumbled upon Craig Mullins’ website and saw what was possible with digital art; seeing Justin Sweet’s art for the first time and being able to say, “I want to create art like that!”; to the many conversations with Daniel Dociu about art, careers and life; meeting people like Jaime Jones and seeing the dedication up front in person; opening up my first copy of Bridgeman and studying the human figure. There are too many to name. I just try to live out the results.
After working with you on the Digital Art Masters: Volume 4 book project (like the plug?), I know that you’re greatly inspired by the books that you read. Also checking out your blog, http://kekai.blogspot.com/, your latest piece seems to have been inspired by a mythology book. But when books just aren’t doing it for you, how do you get yourself inspired and painting again? Any tips?
I am greatly inspired by the books I read. But sometimes there are no really good books out there. But there is a wealth of inspiration out in the world and all you need to do is go out there and find something that clicks with you. Look at photographs of beautiful places in the world. See the latest in graphic design. Look at artists, both current and past. Go and see the latest summer blockbuster or rent the indie hit of last year. Buy that hot new game that just came out. There are many things out there, and I try to make sure that I taste them all. When you go to the buffet line you should try and get as much different food as possible. Only when you’ve worked out which ones you like do you go back and pile your plate with those select choices!
Loving the food analogy, Kekai (I feel hungry now – buffet, anyone?) – great answer! With so
much inspiration and so many ways with which to feed your brain, how do you get everything
down into material form? Do you carry a sketchbook, or perhaps an electronic one? … Make notes on the train? Could you also give us a pretty basic outline of how you go about your
average concept painting, from initial concept through to the final painting?
I always seem to have a sketchbook handy. Or if not, then any sort of variation on a pencil and
paper will do if I want to jot down a quick idea. But that is really just visual information. The stuff I am really interested in is the mood, feeling and emotion of a particular idea. And that is best kept with memory. Taking down a quick sketch helps jog the memory. When starting a concept
it is a very similar process: I begin with some sort of prompt, whether it comes from design or me, and I try to have a finished “feeling” in my head that I want to happen. Painting the
concept is just me trying to remember that feeling and expressing that in the concept. All the compositions, figures studies and design rules are there for me to use in order to better express myself. I start rough and simple; grey and white to begin with, moving later onto a monochromatic colour scheme that is usually warm browns and greys. When I am getting towards the end of a piece I try to pick a colour to paint into the concept. Details in figures and environments are done in the same fashion – rough and loose with continued refinement. Since the concept is based on the feeling that I am trying to find, nothing is safe. Things change according to how I feel about the piece. I try not to get hung up on small details that may look cool by themselves, but overall aren’t helping anything. This continues until the piece is done.
We’re huge fans of the Guild Wars concept art here at 2DArtist. What is daily work life like exactly, working at ArenaNet as a concept artist alongside great artists such as Daniel Dociu,
Jaime Jones and Jason Juan to name just a few?
Invaluable. Humbling. Fun. One of the great things about working in this sort of environment is that you are “there” when it happens. It’s one thing to see the finished product, but to be there and actually see it happening before your eyes? Nothing really beats that, and the flow of ideas that happens naturally. I am always learning something on the job. There is always something more to push. It is a great place to be, and I hope I never leave.
Well, we hope you don’t leave either! It’s rare to find a place of work that makes you smile in the morning, so it’s really wonderful that you’ve found your place in the world. Kudos! Now, I’m just being nosey here, but could you possibly give us a “day in the life of Kekai” and tell us a little about what happens on your average day as concept art lead?
My average day consists of me trying to keep ahead of everyone else, while still trying to create art on my own. The main goal is to try and stay aware of what is going on in the different departments that are connected to concept art. This happens by keeping in contact with the various art leads and producers of the company, finding out what is being worked on and what is coming up next in the pipeline. Since we outsource a fair amount of art, but not concepts, keeping track of the various drop off dates and making sure concepts are prepped properly has become a major part of my job description. Also making rounds through my own department to make sure everyone is on track and that everyone has the proper information plays a big part in my day too. There are also a fair amount of meetings that happen to deal with different issues that pop up. Actually formal meetings do not make up that much of my day; most problems are solved on a case by case basis as they come to my attention. In between all of this I try to sit at my desk and finish what work needs to be done. Somehow it all comes together, which I am not sure is part of my job description [Laughs]!
I’m often interested in the tools that artists use - hardware, software etc. - and also how they
go about backing up their work to insure against HD crashes or other such problems. So what are your chosen tools to aid you in your fantastic creations? I know that having all the right tools doesn’t make a great artist, but it’s always interesting to learn what artists and using and why.
That is a very true statement. But at the same time it is nice having the best stuff. My setup when I am working is a very basic one: I use Photoshop CS2 – nothing really grabbed me about CS3 – and I am still waiting to get CS4. I tend not to change something just for the sake of changing it. I use an Intuos 3 tablet. And there’s nothing much beyond that. I have a work laptop that I like to back stuff up on. I am a big believer in keeping things simple.
Sure, I agree with you there! Talking about keeping things simple: do you paint traditionally,
at all?
I dabbled in traditional painting a few years ago, but I lacked the patience and motivation needed to learn something like that. I hope to pick it back up again someday in the future. Right now the only traditional art I do is the sketches in my sketchbook and charcoal life drawing studies.
Okay, so we’ve discussed life as a concept artist, work at ArenaNet, tools of the trade … but what about the artist beyond the art – what do you get up to in your free time (if there is such a thing!) when you escape the world of pixels for the one made of all things bright and beautiful?
[Laughs] Free time…? What is that? I joke … kind of. There are very few things in my life that
aren’t connected in some way to art. I could say that I like to read books, go to movies, look
at comics … but then I am using that as a way to help me better my art. I like to hang out with
friends, but of course many of those are great artist themselves. I guess the best way I get a break from art is by kicking back with a beer and watching the latest TV drama with no redeeming value ... then again, that only makes me want to get back to doing art!
Well, you’re a true artist, Kekai – you live and breathe the stuff! Finally, I’ve just realised I haven’t asked you about your artist favourites: whose artwork do you regularly follow and turn to time and time again?
I try to keep up with any number of artists on the different art forums. I try to stay aware of
what is going on in the concept art world. But there are a few favourites of mine that I look to for inspiration: Justin Sweet and Vance Kovacs; Ashley Wood is another; Jaime Jones falls under this too. Daniel Dociu is in here by default; I work under his nose and he is my art director, so it is kind of hard not to be affected by him. Alex Kanevsky and Jenny Saville are two amazing fine artists. I also have a huge number of friends that I try to keep tabs on. There are also the random art book that I have open on my desk - right now there’s an awesome dinosaur book that Matt Barrett lent to me. But the fact of the matter is that I try to find the good in all art. There is always something more to learn, and you cannot limit yourself.
Thank you for giving me the chance to do this interview. I had a fun time.
The pleasure is all ours Kekai, talk to you soon!
Kekai Kotaki
For more work by this artist please visit:
http://www.kekaiart.com
Interviewed by: Lynette Clee
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