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Nov. 17, 2021

Concept Artist Christopher Hayes Turns Ideas Into Powerful Characters

Concept Artist Christopher Hayes Turns Ideas Into Powerful Characters

Although every part of a video game is indispensable, from storyline to animation, the looks are the first thing we get access to, even before seeing what the characters can do. That sounds like a lot of pressure for those creating the blueprints of how a game would look, doesn't it? Actually, concept artists, those in charge of designing those blueprints, love their job, and we have the pleasure to talk to one of them in today's episode: Christopher Hayes. 


Christopher Hayes is a concept artist; from his imagination and how his hands translate his thoughts into drawings is how some of the games we've spent hours playing look like. Currently working as a Senior UI Artist at Blizzard, he also worked at Epic Games as a Senior Artist and spent over 6 years at Blizzard as a 3-D Character Artist and Concept Artist. 


Christopher created weaponry, armor, and characters of World of Worldcraft, Hearthstone, and Disney Infinity. 


In this episode, we hear tons of incredible stories from Christopher about the characters he created, how fun it is to work at Blizzard, and his journey to becoming an artist. His father, a musician, and his mother, a painter, certainly encouraged him to work with art, while his grandfather would ask him if Blizzard was a good company to work in. We also talked about the projects he enjoyed the most working in, his and his kids' favorite games, and the things he prefers to design. Christopher also shared his thoughts on the importance of reading and constantly stimulating creativity, the tight connection between concept creation and storytelling, and much more. 


Tune in to Episode 15 of A Gamer's Story and join us on a journey into the depths of a creative mind. 


Some Questions I Ask:

  • As a concept artist, how does a typical day at the office looks like? (1:24)
  • Do you take inspiration from a specific artist or from several? (5:24)
  • Hearthstone is a great game. What did you work on in that game? (16:30)
  • What kind of designs are the ones you enjoy doing more? (41:44)


In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Where does someone like Christopher get inspiration from (7:01)
  • About the hundreds of possibilities to get into the gaming industry besides being a professional player (12:04)
  • Christopher's favorite games to play (21:49)
  • Why storytelling is one of the primary parts of creating the concept of a video game (47:52)


Connect with Christopher:


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