Lilith Games' AFK Arena is one of the world's most popular mobile games, with an art style that draws from Art Nouveau, has a distinctly hand-draw feel and emotional connection.
In my interview with environment artist Chenrui ZENG I dug into the Tim Burton and God of War influences on the game's scene art, but he also told me how AI isn't, or shouldn't be such a threat to game artists. Though he has some caveats for how and when AI could be used.
Chenrui ZENG tells me, "Over the years, I’ve experimented with AI and 3D tools, but in the end, I still think hand-drawing is the most important. Understanding how a piece of art is created and how long it takes is crucial for determining the value of any assistance AI can provide. AI for me isn’t a co-creator.
"It should be seen more as a search tool that quickly finds references and inspiration, enhancing efficiency, but it can’t replicate the human intuition that shapes a scene’s soul. How we're infusing our personal understanding of scene concepts, thematic settings, player needs, and our own aesthetic and experience… these are what retain the emotional warmth of the artwork and connect with players on a deeper level.
"Looking ahead, I’m optimistic about AI streamlining technical execution, freeing us to focus on what truly matters, such as the emotional resonance and narrative depth. And I hope that these technologies become extensions of our creativity, not shortcuts, to help us building universes that feel breathtakingly vast."
If you want to try your hand at game art, Lilith Games has partnered with drawing tablet brand XPPen to launch a global art contest called Monsters Gone Wild – to challenge artists to redesign some of the game's popular characters and creatures. To help, visit Lilith Games' site for inspiration.
XPPen makes some of the best drawing tablets, including the recent XPPen Magic Note Pad for casual sketching and note-taking. This, along with other tablets are prizes to be won in the Monsters Gone Wild art challenge.
