Art and Design: Games and Playable Media

ARTG 80I

Session 1

Understanding the foundations of play through reading influential texts; in-class lectures and activities; designing and "playtesting" games; and the ethnographies of players in the physical world. Students are billed a $4 materials fee. (Formerly Art 80I.) (General Education Code(s): PE-H.) 

Proposed Instructor: Elizabeth Swensen

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ARTG 91

Session 2

Online only class. 

This is a project-centered course that introduces the process of world-building and interaction design from the standpoint of the art director. Each project addresses a milestone in the art direction development pipeline, and demonstrates corresponding entry-level technical and conceptual skills and strategies. Utilizing this split methodology, the “big-picture” game development process is presented in tandem with related fundamental digital art and design skills at an achievable scale for an introductory course. (General Education Code(s): PR-C.) 

Proposed Instructor: Kristen Gillette

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ARTG 120

10-Week

Teaches the concrete skills associated with making a digital game, from start to finish. Activities include establishing a team, concepting, storyboarding, prototyping, producing, and testing a game for release. Students are organized into groups and work together to create and produce a playable game. Students are billed a $6 materials fee. Prerequisite(s): courses 80H or 80I; and Computer Science 12B and 12M and Computational Media 80K and Film and Digital Media 80V. Concurrent enrollment in Computational Media 120 is required. (General Education Code(s): PR-E.)

Students can request an exception to the prerequisites in summer. Contact the ARTG Adviser Juan Morales-Rocha at julmoral@ucsc.edu. Include which of the specific prerequisites you would like waived.

Proposed Instructor: Tad Leckman

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ARTG 131

10-Week 

Online only class. 

Students will learn the highly technical and fundamental skills in the production of 3D art assets for video games. The course will cover the essential steps in the 3D art pipeline, starting with basic 3D modeling, UV unwrapping, the creation of texture maps, and finally, game engine implementation. This course will focus on developing an understanding of the processes and creative thinking necessary to produce industry-level artwork rather than specific software. Students will be provided with video lectures and demos, and can expect to produce weekly assignment to practice basic skills and concepts covered.  

Proposed Instructor: Marcelo Viana Neto

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ARTG 132

10-Week

Online only class. 

This course is intended to give students an in depth understanding of the techniques of 3D Character Rigging and Animation for Video Games. Through this course, students will understand and develop the skills necessary to be an effective technical artist and animator with a focus on industry standard methods for animating characters to be implemented into a game engine. The course will provide students with video and written lectures, video demonstrations, assignments and discussion boards aimed at giving them historical understanding of game animation, the evolution of these techniques, hands-on work to become proficient, as well as the ability to communicate online with other students and the instructor. (General Education Code(s): PR-C)

Proposed Instructor: Ed Gregor

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