Imaginative 2D artwork inspired by the tale of Thumbelina has led to an important games industry award for a recent Game Art graduate from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).
Sarah Wright’s skills and creativity were recognised by Women in Games, the organisers of the European Women in Games (EWIG) student awards which celebrate women in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
Impressed by Sarah’s entire portfolio, the judges were particularly drawn to her third year final major project - 2D concept art based on the tiny fairy tale character.
The prize was the opportunity to attend last month’s EWIG conference which brought together prominent figures across the industry to showcase existing talent, educate and inspire future generations of talent.
Not only did Sarah get to connect with others in the game industry, she also had the chance to benefit from workshops and promote herself and her work.
The 21-year-old said: “The conference was great! I attended a bunch of talks and workshops that ranged from kick-starting your career in games and animation, to what it’s like being a minority in a minority, as well as CV and portfolio reviews.
“Between talks, coffee breaks allowed us to mingle with everyone in a very casual atmosphere and at the end of it I felt part of a very supportive community within the games industry.”
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Sarah also enjoyed meeting the five other student winners the afternoon before the conference thanks to the accommodation arranged by organisers, saying: “I met a group of women from universities all over the UK who produce amazing work, before the conference had even started!
“We were also part of different areas in the game industry - we had artists, game designers, sound designers and programmers all in one group.”
Currently working as a freelance artist, Sarah’s final major project gave her the foundation with which to build her future on.
She said: “Now I know the work I like to do and I’m confident that I can have a career in that area.
“Thanks to the friends that I made on the course, I now know what a good and supportive working environment feels like, which is something I can actively seek out in my job search.”
As a character designer, Sarah enjoyed the weekly life drawing sessions during her course at DMU. She also valued the talks, advice and workshops by industry visitors, many of whom were alumni.
Fully immersing herself in student life, Sarah was also part of De Montfort Student Union’s Game Development Society, helping to organise industry talks and trips, game jams and workshops.
In her final year at DMU Sarah became a Game Art Brand Ambassador helping out with Open Days.
“My favourite part of that job was interviewing potential first year students and looking over their portfolios. Some of the work I saw was absolutely amazing,” Sarah said.
Posted on Monday 17 October 2016