If you do, congrats! It's going to be fun! And maybe painful... but it should mostly be fun (:
First, you may want to know what kind of art-pieces a Visual Novel needs:
- Character Sprites/Portraits:
This is the most basic component of a Visual Novel you will have to draw. They're used to show the character currently present and/or talking.
Most character sprites are shown as just standing there from the thighs or waist up and they change facial expressions according to the mood of the characters.
They may have different arm positions or different body poses altogether to showcase different moods/Emotions and the may have different clothes and/or hairstyles that vary during the course of the game. All this is not a requirement, though. - Event Illustrations/CGs:
This is the second most important thing you will have to draw. A VN *can* go without event CGs, but they're a nice addition, like pretty illustrations in an old book.
They illustrate crucial moments in the story (the VN).
They usually show one or more characters doing something against a background.
Event Illusts/CGs may have variations, like the sprites. The characters could change facial expression or pose, for example, like still keyframes from an animation. - Backgrounds:
And this is the last element you'll have to take care of.
Many people just use photographs that may or may not be filtered. You can also use stock free backgrounds that may be available around in the web.
You can "cheat" and trace a photograph instead of drawing the background from scratch.
Backgrounds may also have variations, like full of people versus empty, day/night, weather or season changes.
- Marketing and promotional pieces:
Posters, Banners, Wallpapers, etc.
All the material you use to make "hype" and promote a VN, usually depicting the main characters in group pictures with the logo in them. You can also use some of the Event Illusts/CGs and Sprites for this purpose, but it's better if you make separate pieces.
- Logo:
All games need a logo! Now this is something that's more of the work of a Graphic Designer than an artist, since the skills required to make one are different than what you need to draw characters and backgrounds.
The Logo must be easy to read and easy to remember and communicate and/or reflect the key concept, theme or mood of the game.
- Graphic User Interface (GUI):
While you can get away using a "default" GUI provided by the program you're working on, having a customized and unique GUI is always the better option.
Again, this is more of a Graphic Designer work rather an an artist's.
The GUI should be clean and non-intrusive, and may, like the logo, reflect the theme, concept or mood of the game.
- Special Effect Graphics (SFX/GFX):
If you're working on an action-orented story, or one with supernatural elements or magic or other similar things, you may consider creating Special Effect Graphics.
They can be used for magic, powers, attacks, energy rays/orbs, particles, slashes of weapons and a long list of etceteras. If you're planning to go commercial with such a game, consider this sort of graphic as a requirement!
Now that we have that out of the way, let's see what kind of skills do you need to draw to draw each kind of asset.
BASIC skills are bare ones you need in order to produce an asset.
INTERMEDIATE are the average/desirable ones to make your assets look okay.
ADVANCED are the ones you need to make your assets look *good*. Or at least commercial worthy*
*your milleage may vary. Some people are okay with Intermediate level art
It may be a given, but the closest your art looks to your fav artists' art (in terms of how polished, clean and "professional" it looks) the better! And *please* be *brutally honest* with yourself when comparing! If you can't tell the difference, ask somebody else for feedback
- Character Sprites/Portraits:
- BASIC - You can draw a character standing there.
- BASIC - You can draw different emotions on a face (neutral, happy, sad, angry, etc)
- BASIC - You can color.
- INTERMEDIATE - You can make a non-sketchy or wonky lineart/inked drawing.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic understanding of human figure and its anatomy.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic understanding of how clothes look.
- INTERMEDIATE - You can draw the same character in different poses.
- INTERMEDIATE - You can use references to get your character's anatomy, pose and/or clothes right.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic understanding of color theory and how shadows work (or at least where they should be!).
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic understanding of body language.
- ADVANCED - You can make a crisp and clean linear.
- ADVANCED - You have a good grasp of human anatomy.
- ADVANCED - You have a good grasp of how clothes work.
- ADVANCED - You have a good understanding of color theory and lighting.
- ADVANCED - You have a good understanding of body language.
- ADVANCED - You either use references very efficiently or draw from memory without needing references because you're just that awesome.
- Event Illustrations/CGs:
- BASIC - You have the Basic skills to draw a character sprite.
- BASIC - You can draw a close-up of a character.
- BASIC - You can draw characters interacting.
- BASIC - You can produce a background of some sort.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have the Intermediate skills to draw a character sprite.
- INTERMEDIATE - You can draw basic backgrounds.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic understanding of how characters interact within/with an environment.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic understanding of how to draw people interacting.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic sense of picture composition.
- INTERMEDIATE - You can draw intermediate backgrounds.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic understanding of how to communicate what's going on in a scene without having to explain the image with words.
- ADVANCED - You have a good grasp of visual storytelling.
- ADVANCED - You have a good grasp of people and environment interacting together.
- ADVANCED - You can draw advanced backgrounds.
- Backgrounds:
- BASIC - You understand 1 point perspective.
- BASIC - You can draw objects in 1 point perspective.
- BASIC - You can draw okay looking trees and buildings.
- INTERMEDIATE - You can draw in 2 point perspective.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic understanding of how things look and are placed in space (you can "think in 3D").
- INTERMEDIATE - You can use references of backgrounds.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic understanding of proportions between elements in space.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic understanding of how light affects the environment.
- INTERMEDIATE - You have a basic understanding of foreground, middle-ground and background elements.
- ADVANCED - You can draw in 3 points perspective.
- ADVANCED - You can a good grasp of all the Intermediate skills.