Game Art

Outsiders refer to game visuals simply as '3D models,' while insiders use 'asset' to encompass all visual elements including models, textures, and props essential for game environments.

Outsiders call pre-rendered lighting 'fake lighting,' but game artists refer to this efficient technique as 'baking,' crucial for performance optimization.

Outsiders see early sketches as simple 'drawings,' while insiders recognize them as 'concept art' representing initial designs critical to the game's visual development.

While outsiders broadly say 'video game animator,' insiders distinguish the 'rigging artist' who sets up skeletons and controls for animations, a specialized technical role.

Casual users call specialized rendering programs 'game engine tools,' whereas insiders specifically call the code for surface effects a 'shader.'

Outsiders say 'make it shiny' for reflective effects, while insiders use 'specular map' to specifically describe texture maps controlling shininess and reflection on surfaces.

Non-members might say 'flat image' for 2D graphics in games, but insiders use the term 'sprite' for 2D bitmap graphics that are integral in many games.

Casual observers call surface images 'texture pictures,' but insiders refer to these detailed images as 'texture maps' that define surface appearance in game art.

Casual viewers call character illustrations 'sketches,' but game artists refer to 'turnarounds'—a complete 360-degree view of a character used for modeling.

'Game visual effects' is the outsider term, but insiders say 'VFX' (acronym for Visual Effects) referring to particle systems and shaders creating dynamic visuals.