How do I be a good art director?

[NadOtavlas]

I'm writing and programming a Ren'py VN and I have a close friend of mine volunteering for the project's artwork.

Today I asked him to draw a sprite for one of the characters. I'm wondering how can I be a good art director and give good instructions and about how to make assets.

I'm worrying that it might potentially too much for him and he might quit. How do I strike a balance between being assertive to the point of him producing the asset quality I want and being lenient enough that it doesn't make him too stressed and overwhelmed?

[morinoir]

Hmm.. personally, I think it'll be hard to give art direction if you don't know much about art yourself. You need to have eye for composition, lights and shadows, good color combination, basic of anatomy, etc. That's why art director usually came from those with art background. Even if you're not, you should be an art enthusiast and have seen A LOT of artwork to get a grasp of those knowledge. You should also know a glimpse about the technical stuff, like how to prepare a sprite so they can be animated for example. By having those knowledges, you can give the instruction necessary to get the artwork you want or need.

It's best if you first know what quality you want for the artwork, and you can easily look for references throughout the internet. Collect some samples, and hope that your artist can recreate those level of quality (which you should be able to see from their portfolio). Some artist work well with detailed instructions, while other prefer instruction as loose as you can give and it should be communicated at the start. Based on my experiences, a lot of client start with descriptive text-based instruction, which is not a bad thing but can potentially create some misunderstanding that leads to revisions. So it's good to complement your text-based instruction with some visual references.

I'm worrying that it might potentially too much for him and he might quit. How do I strike a balance between being assertive to the point of him producing the asset quality I want and being lenient enough that it doesn't make him too stressed and overwhelmed?

Remember that what you have in mind and what you get will not be 100% the same, and you should just make piece with it. Although if something is bugging you, you should let the artist know and find the solution together. Let them know your expectations and whether those expectations can be fulfilled with the amount of money you're willing to pay. Things will work well if you can keep the communication open. If he ended up quit because he's overwhelmed by your instruction, it means that you expect too much and his skill can't keep up with it or he's short on patience and had enough of you, but either way, learn from your experience and find someone with better skill that can bring your vision to life next time.

Best of luck in working together with your artist!