Learn Professional 2D Game Graphic Design in…

This course was last updated on 10/19/16

Join over 10,500 learning students and begin designing game graphics today.

Looking to makeextra money as a game graphic designer? Or maybe you’re on a questto create graphics for your own games? In any case you’ve come tothe right place.

The 2D GameBackground Creation Course will show you how to create quick highquality stylized backgrounds for games and animations that will stand up as professional work. The techniquestaught in this course can be translated into prop and charactercreation. This course will enhance or give you skills in the world ofdigital art creation - or your money back.

The course is yourtrack to building amazing attractive backgrounds and ultimately -make you money. Whether for your own games or for other peoplesprojects.

This course willtake you from having little knowledge in Photoshop to creatingprofessional backgrounds in as little as 1 week.

So what else is init for you?

You’ll gaininstant access to all five sections of the course including the bonussection where I show you where and how to find jobs creating digitalart work that you can do from anywhere in the world. You’ll alsogain access to 50 assets I’ve created for your personal andcommercial use. These assets can be used over and over again in yourown games or can be used to help you make money with other peoplesgames.

The course is setupto quickly take you through step by step, the process of creating adigital background in Photoshop. It will equip you with the knowledgeto create stunning backgrounds for games and animations.

Don’t believe me?I offer you a full money back guarantee within the first 30 days ofpurchasing the course.

Here’s what youget with the course:

You’ll get accessto the five sections of the course that will show you how I createprofessional digital backgrounds and also teaches you where you canfind clients. The course is supported with over 2.5 hours of clearcontent that I walk you through each step of the way.

All at your fingerstips instantly.

The course startswith the basics. For those of you that have never used Photoshop I’llwalk you through the basic tools we’ll be using.
Next I’ll showyou how I create my thumbnails and where I go for inspiration.
Once you’vechosen a thumbnail we’ll design each individual aspect of thebackground.
After you designeach piece of your background I’ll show you how to stitch themtogether to complete the final design.
At this pointyou’ll be ready to dive right in and start building the individualcomponents that will make up your background. I’ll go over everything from how to create clouds, to building architecturalstructures.

Over the 5 chaptersyou will learn:

How to use the 50assets included in this course
Photoshop basics
The design process
Building yourassets
how to find jobscreating digital artwork

What else will youget?

- Personal contactwith me, the course tutor

- Lifetime access tocourse materials

- Understanding ofhow professional digital artwork is designed, created, and organizedlayer by layer

- 50 free assets foryour use

This all comes underone convenient easy to use platform. Plus you will get fast,friendly, responsive support on the Udemy forms and through email.

I will be here foryou every step of the way.

So what are youwaiting for? Sign up now to get your 50 free assets and startbuilding to day.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Build professional stylized backgrounds from scratch in photoshop
Make money from your new skills

Create your own game graphics

Build professional stylized backgrounds from scratch in photoshop
Make money from your new skills
Create your own game graphics

Syllabus

Introduction to the course

I'll take you through a brief overview of everything you'll be learning in this course on creating game graphics in Photoshop. The course begins with the basics. I'll walk you through the tools you'll be using throughout the course. Next I'll show you how to brainstorm and design your background. Then we can jump right in and start building your assets. At the end of the course I'll talk to you a bit about finding jobs creating digital art.

The best way to get the most value from the course is to become a part of the community. Create a new discussion in the Q&A section of the course and tell us about yourself. If you have any questions pertaining to the course you can also ask them in the Q&A section. Thank you!

Here's what comes with the course for you to use. In the course you will receive 50 free assets that I've created for your use. I've spent countless hours creating these assets for you. The assets include shapes, doors, windows, and plants. I hope you enjoy these graphic game assets!

It's super simple to download the 50 free assets. I'll show you how. Remember you can use these assets over and over again in your game designs!

Get connected with other students through the course Facebook Page. I encourage everyone to post there progress as they create there game artwork.

We'll have a look at every thing you'll be needing for this course including Photoshop, tablet, and basic drawing skills.

Links to resources.

I'll take the Photoshop beginners through a quick crash course on the main tools we'll be using in the first part of this course.

You'll learn the hot keys you'll be using throughout the first part of the course.

I'll show you what layers are and how they work.

You'll be shown how to label your layers and why they need to be labeled.

I'll show you where you can find inspiration and how to brain storm.

You'll learn how thumbnails are used in the design process and you'll see how I create my thumbnails.

We'll further design our chosen thumbnail.

Now you'll sketch out each individual piece of your background.

I'll show you how to stitch your individual sketches together to create the layout for your background.

You'll block in your values to help guide you in creating your background.

You'll jump right in building your sky background.

Learn how to create stylized clouds for your backgrounds.

Build your mountains in a matter of seconds.

We'll quickly organize our layers to keep track of them.

You'll beguine on your firtst detailed piece, the island.

Watch how quickly and easily we'll build the island.

We'll use the same techniques to create the floating islands.

Learn how to create texture for your islands to give the feeling of rock.

You're islands will now need some shadows to add depth to them.

Change your shadows to a cool color then learn how to create a grass effect.

I'll show you how to quickly create trees with great colors and shape.

Cut your trees out then re-size and place them into your background.

I'll show you how to create a 3 dimensional cavern in your islands.

Learn how to quickly create a reflective surface.

We're going to build your bubble windows into to your island as well as give them shadows.

We'll build the base for the main tower for our castle.

Create a 3 dimensional look to your tower using highlights.

Quickly build your railing and lip that will rap around the tower.

Learn how to create quick doorways and windows and apply them to structures.

We'll create the finial ball for the top of your tower.

I'll show you how to reuse assets to build your backgrounds quicker.

Let's quickly organize and label your layers so you can keep track.

We'll now build your second tower by reusing pieces from your first tower.

Quickly put up your third tower and create a tapestry for it.

We'll quickly knock out the fourth and fifth structure of the castle.

Learn to create solid colored sky lines to add to your castle size.

We'll finish up the castle and move ahead.

Create depth with shadows and place your castle into your background.

Create depth between your island and castle by adding shadows.

I'll talk to you about how reusing assets speeds up the process of background creation.

We'll draw our water line then fill it with a base color.

Using different layer types well start to create the illusion of water.

Well continue to add layers to achieve our hazy water effect.

We'll add a distant under water island to give depth to the back ground.

I'll show you how to add particles to your sea and light reflections from your water.

I'll teach you how you can quickly create light rays in your water.

Lastly we'll add some finishing touches and lighten our floating islands to add atmosphere.

I'll walk you through what freelancer is and how it works.

Here are links to the most popular freelancing sights!

Lean how free lancer allows you to work from anywhere in the world and I'll show you how to find jobs.

I'll tell you how to differentiate yourself from all the other freelancers through your proposal.

Pricing your bid is very important on freelancer. In this article I will teach you the techniques I'v used to score big jobs freelancing.

Part of getting jobs on freelancer is writing a good proposal to your potential employer. In this article I will share with you an example of what my proposals look like.

This course should have left you with some great skills for creating digital art. If you're happy with the course please feel free to leave a positive review.

In this video I'll show you how to use the 50 assets I've included in this course for you. I'll show you how to cut them out, re-size, reshape, and recolor your assets so they fit into your background.

Just like you did with your first background you are going to start this background off by drawing a sketch of your background layout. It's important to do this sketch so you don'v have to worry to much about shape and placement when you are painting your background.

When painting your backgrounds it's always a good rule of thumb to start off with your furthest back layer. This way you can build each layer on top of it. In this lecture we will start our background by painting the sky and the mountains!

In this lecture you are going to learn how to create hand painted textures for your background. Hand painting game art is a process of layering transparent and opaque colors. You will be hand painting an Aztec temple for your game background in this lecture.

In this lecture you are going be painting green foliage for your jungle floor. You will specifically be painting jungle ferns in this lecture. By the end of this lecture you will have to plant assets for your game art background.

Now that you've created your jungle fern it's time to create the three other plants for you jungle foliage. Jungles are made up of all types of plants so It's important to create multiple plants to add variety. Once you have created all of your plants it's time top place them in your scrolling game background.

It's important that your background layers seamlessly connect to each other on both ends of your PSD. In this lecture I'm going to show you how to line up the ends of your image and how to bled them into each other. By the end of this lecture you will know exactly how to blend seems in your scrolling game backgrounds.

When designing game backgrounds you are most likely going to want to have multiple elevations for your player to move on. In this lecture we are going to add a floating log type obstacle. This asset could be used as a platform or even as an object for your player to run through.

In this lecture you are going to be painting the two floating platforms in your game background. These platforms would be for you player to jump on at some point in the game. The platforms will be broken up into two different parts, the rock bottom and the grassy top.

Its always important to make sure that you have a floor for your character to play on. In this lecture you will be adding in the jungle floor platform. You will also make the platform seamless that way it can scroll in you background endlessly.

In this lecture you are going to paint a stone Aztec head. It's important to use reference when ever creating game art so be sure to find some reference for your Aztec statue. By the end of this lecture you are going to understand how to create game assets that look like they are made form stone.

In this lecture you are going to paint the giant tree in your foreground. You will also reuse your jungle fern assets as the tree tops leaves. Lastly you will add in some jungle vines for your game character to swing on. You are nearly complete with this game art background!

The last thing you will be adding to your jungle are light rays that will be shinning down trough your jungle canopy. The light rays will make your background look more realistic and add atmosphere to your background.

Now that your background is complete it's time to export. In this lecture I will teach you the correct and fastest way to export your background. You will need to export each layer as it's own file with transparent backgrounds that way you can use them in your game. Thanks for joining me in this course and I look forward to seeing the wonderful games you make!

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Provides 50 free assets, including shapes, doors, windows, and plants, that can be used for personal and commercial projects, saving learners time and resources

Covers the basics of Photoshop, including tools, hotkeys, and layers, making it accessible to beginners with little to no prior experience

Explores the design process, from brainstorming and thumbnail creation to sketching and value blocking, offering a structured approach to digital art creation

Includes a section on finding jobs creating digital artwork, providing guidance on using freelancing platforms and crafting effective proposals

Requires learners to have access to Photoshop, a tablet, and basic drawing skills, which may pose a barrier to entry for some students

Course was last updated in 2016, which means that some of the techniques and tools taught in the course may be outdated

Reviews summary

Mastering 2d game art basics

According to learners, this course offers a solid foundation for creating stylized 2D game backgrounds in Photoshop. Many students found the content, particularly the step-by-step instructions for building scenes, to be clear and easy to follow, making it great for beginners in both Photoshop and game art. The inclusion of 50 free assets is highlighted as a useful bonus. While generally positive, some learners noted that the course material, last updated in 2016, can feel slightly dated, and the section on finding jobs is considered basic rather than comprehensive.

Introduction to freelancing is brief.

"The part about finding jobs on freelancer sites was a bit too basic for me."

"It gives you an idea of where to look, but not much practical advice for landing clients."

"The job-finding section felt more like an overview than a guide."

Instructor is helpful in Q&A.

"The tutor was available and provided assistance."

"The instructor was very responsive and helpful when I had questions."

"I received quick and clear answers in the Q&A section."

"Good support from the instructor."

Provided assets aid practice and learning.

"The included 50 assets were a great help for practicing the techniques taught."

"It's nice to have assets provided to get started right away."

"Having the assets to use made the projects much easier to complete."

"The assets are a valuable resource for the course."

Clear and detailed background creation.

"The process of building the background layer by layer was very well explained and easy to replicate."

"I loved how the instructor walked through each part of creating the scene."

"The step-by-step method takes the guesswork out of creating a detailed background."

"Easy to follow instructions on creating game art."

Excellent starting point for novices.

"This course is amazing for beginners! Everything is explained step-by-step and is easy to follow."

"The instructor goes at a good pace for someone new to Photoshop and digital art."

"I had very little experience, but this course made it easy to jump in and start creating."

"Perfect for anyone looking to learn game graphics from scratch."

Techniques may not be current.

"While the fundamentals are good, some of the Photoshop techniques feel a bit old-fashioned now."

"Given the last update was in 2016, some parts of the course don't reflect current Photoshop workflows."

"I had to adapt some techniques to fit newer versions of Photoshop."

"Could use an update to reflect more modern practices in game art design."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Learn Professional 2D Game Graphic Design in Photoshop with these activities:

Brush Tool Mastery

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Practice using the brush tool in Photoshop to improve control and precision, which is essential for creating detailed game graphics.

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Experiment with different brush settings like size, hardness, and opacity.
Practice creating smooth lines and gradients.
Try using the brush tool to create basic shapes and textures.

Review 'Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book'

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Reinforce Photoshop skills by working through tutorials and exercises in a comprehensive guide.

View Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book (2022... on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book'.
Work through the chapters relevant to game graphic design, such as layers, brushes, and textures.
Complete the exercises and projects in the book to practice your skills.

Design a Simple Game Asset

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Apply learned techniques by designing a simple game asset, such as a coin, potion, or button, to reinforce understanding of the design process.

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Choose a simple game asset to design.
Sketch out several variations of the asset.
Create the asset in Photoshop, paying attention to detail and style.
Share your asset with the course community for feedback.

Four other activities

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Layer Organization Practice

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Improve layer management skills by practicing organizing complex Photoshop files, which is crucial for efficient workflow.

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Download a complex Photoshop file with many layers.
Organize the layers into logical groups and subgroups.
Label each layer and group clearly.
Color-code the layers for easy identification.

Review '2D Art Pipeline'

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Understand the broader context of game art creation by studying the 2D art pipeline.

View Alter Ego: A Novel on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of '2D Art Pipeline'.
Read the book to understand the different stages of the 2D art pipeline.
Identify how the techniques learned in the course fit into the overall pipeline.

Create a Parallax Background

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Solidify skills by creating a parallax scrolling background for a hypothetical game, applying the techniques learned in the course.

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Plan the layers and depth of your parallax background.
Create each layer in Photoshop, paying attention to detail and perspective.
Export the layers as separate files.
Import the layers into a game engine or animation software.
Animate the layers to create the parallax effect.

Portfolio Website Update

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Showcase your new skills by updating your portfolio website with the game graphics created during the course.

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Select your best game graphics from the course.
Prepare the images for web display.
Update your portfolio website with the new graphics.
Write descriptions for each graphic, highlighting the skills used.

Career center

Learners who complete Learn Professional 2D Game Graphic Design in Photoshop will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Indie Game Developer

An indie game developer often wears many hats, including that of an artist. This course would certainly be helpful, teaching you how to create your own game graphics, particularly backgrounds. This training helps independent developers create professional-quality visuals without needing to outsource. An indie game developer can utilize this course to learn the design process, build assets, and ultimately create attractive backgrounds for their games. You will also receive assets for personal and commercial use, which will speed up the process.

See salaries and explore the career path for Indie Game Developer

Background Artist

A background artist specializes in creating the environments and landscapes for games. The skills gained in this course directly apply to this role, focusing on the creation of high-quality stylized backgrounds. The course curriculum takes you through the entire process, from initial design and thumbnail creation to building individual assets and stitching them together in Photoshop. A background artist will find value in the step-by-step approach to crafting professional backgrounds and learning how to find inspiration.

See salaries and explore the career path for Background Artist

Mobile Game Artist

A mobile game artist creates art specifically optimized for mobile games. Given the resource constraints of mobile platforms, stylized 2D art is frequently used. This training directly addresses the needs of a mobile game artist, helping create high-quality backgrounds and assets within Photoshop. A mobile game artist will benefit from learning to create quick, attractive backgrounds and translate those techniques into prop and character creation. The course may also be useful in finding freelance opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mobile Game Artist

Freelance Artist

A freelance artist works on a contract basis, providing artistic services to various clients. This course directly addresses this career path and may equip you with the skills to create digital artwork and find clients. The course emphasizes learning Photoshop, creating stylized backgrounds, and utilizing assets. The course also includes a module on finding jobs creating digital art. A freelance artist can benefit from the practical skills taught and the guidance on securing freelance work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Artist

Game Artist

A game artist creates the visual elements of video games. This includes backgrounds, characters, and other assets. This course helps you create stylized backgrounds, which is a key component of game art. You can learn how to design and build individual assets, stitch them together professionally, and use tools like Photoshop. A game artist benefits from the course's focus on creating high-quality, attractive backgrounds and the included assets. The course may also be useful in learning how to find freelance work to build a portfolio.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Artist

Digital Painter

A digital painter creates artwork using digital tools, often for games. This course can provide a foundation in digital painting using Photoshop. A painting professional benefits from learning how to create stylized backgrounds, design individual assets, and stitch them together into professional-quality artwork. The course helps you develop a workflow in Photoshop and improve your digital painting skills. You can use these skills to create concept art, character art, or environmental art for games.

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Multimedia Artist

A multimedia artist creates art for a variety of platforms, which may include video games. This course would be beneficial, teaching you how to create digital art in Photoshop. The course's emphasis on stylized backgrounds, asset creation, and finding freelance work directly ties into the skills needed by a multimedia artist. This will equip you with the tools to create attractive graphics for various projects and find employment opportunities. Receiving free assets also gives a head start.

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Texture Artist

A texture artist creates the surface details of 3D models used in games. This role involves using software to create realistic and stylized textures. The course helps in learning basic Photoshop skills to develop backgrounds, architectural structures and terrains. You will also learn to add shadows and highlights to create depth. The course's emphasis on creating assets and digital backgrounds directly translates to the skills needed to create textures for game environments and characters. The segment on creating scrolling parallax backgrounds is especially relevant.

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Environment Artist

An environment artist creates the 3D environments for games. While this course focuses on 2D backgrounds, the core principles of environment design, composition, and asset creation are relevant. This learning path will provide a foundation for understanding how environments are built and how different elements come together to create a cohesive scene. A background artist learns to create stylized backgrounds and individual assets in Photoshop, which can translate into skills for creating 3D environments. The segments on parallax backgrounds are especially useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Environment Artist

Illustrator

An illustrator creates still images, often for use in games. The skills taught in this course might be useful, particularly the focus on creating stylized backgrounds and individual assets in Photoshop. Illustrators may use these skills to create visually appealing environments and elements for games. This course helps build a foundation in digital art creation and design processes. The inclusion of 50 free assets may also be useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator

Concept Artist

A concept artist visualizes ideas and concepts for games, often creating initial sketches and designs to guide the development of visual elements. The course may be useful in understanding the design process and learning how to brainstorm and create thumbnails, which are essential skills for a concept artist. Understanding how to use Photoshop to sketch and design backgrounds and individual pieces helps build a foundation for creating compelling concept art. Color theory principles also come into play.

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Animator

An animator creates moving images for games. While this course focuses on static backgrounds, the skills in digital art creation and asset design may be useful for creating elements that animators can then bring to life. Animators benefit from understanding how backgrounds are created. This course helps build a foundation in using Photoshop and designing individual assets that can be incorporated into animations. In the course is also a segment that discusses how to find freelance work.

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Level Designer

A level designer creates the layouts and environments for games, focusing on gameplay and player experience. While this course concentrates on the visual aspects of background creation, it helps level designers understand the process of building game environments. Level designers can also learn to create or modify existing assets to fit their designs. Level designers also benefit from the course by learning to create varied backgrounds and landscapes.

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User Interface Artist

A user interface artist designs the visual elements of the user interface in video games, such as menus, buttons, and informational displays. The skills to create digital artwork and use design software like Photoshop that you might learn from this course may be useful for creating visually appealing and functional user interface elements. This course may help provide a foundation in the basics of digital art creation. Being able to create individual assets can come in handy as well.

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Graphic Designer

A graphic designer creates visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. While this course is specialized for game art, the fundamental skills in Photoshop, visual design, and asset creation may be useful for a graphic designer. You can learn to use Photoshop effectively, design attractive visuals, and create individual assets. This learning path may be helpful for creating graphics for games or other digital media. It may also be useful in finding freelance work if you decide to specialize.

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