| Course Type | Elective Course |
|---|
| Course Level | Bachelor's Degree |
|---|
| Year of Study | - |
|---|
| Semester | - |
|---|
| ECTS | 6 |
|---|
| Name of Lecturer(s) |
- |
| Learning Outcomes |
At the end of this course, the students;
- Effectively translate conceptual ideas into visual materials,
- Apply appropriate design ideas for the various purposes and requirements of digital game design projects,
- Manipulate images and references to derive unique and original design ideas and apply these findings within a project,
- Work within the boundaries of a creative project,
- Design functional, interesting, and purposeful compositions for communicating ideas and telling stories,
- Evaluate light and illumination for storytelling purposes,
- Apply color theory and consciously design color palettes or make color choices for projects,
- Recognize and apply professional presentations and learn to create formats for presenting art and design materials.
|
| Mode of Delivery | Face to face |
|---|
| Prerequisites | No |
|---|
| Recommended Optional Programme Components | |
|---|
| Course Description | This course aims to teach students the fundamentals of design and creative problem solving with 2D art and design. Students will learn to use Photoshop, Sai or Procrate for design and art purposes, and will learn how to create assets for game design. Students will also learn how to create appealing images and appropriate design for different aspects of a digital game. Form, shape, composition, light and shadow, color theory, perspective and digital painting techniques are the basic fundamentals that will be explored in this course. In addition to design, how to research and use photographic references, and create scenes or assets appropriate for the chosen project. |
|---|
| Course Contents |
| WEEK |
TOPICS |
|
1st Week |
Orientation, course overview, and syllabus review. |
|
2nd Week |
General structure and mechanics of 2D games: The significance of 2D perception, its historical context, and evolution in visual communication (Retro, Pixel Art, Modern 2D). |
|
3rd Week |
Presentations on 2D game genres (Platformer, Metroidvania, Top-Down, RPG, etc.): Analyzing genres through visual language and player psychology/experience. |
|
4th Week |
Genre selection by students: Collaborative brainstorming on game themes, core concepts, and story/narrative drafts. |
|
5th Week |
Establishing a visual identity tailored to the chosen theme: Collecting color palettes, mood references, and defining thematic atmosphere. |
|
6th Week |
Main character and enemy design: Character archetypes, silhouettes, anatomy, and proportion principles in digital games. |
|
7th Week |
Midterm Exam Presentations and project review. |
|
8th Week |
World-building in 2D: Designing backgrounds, multi-layered parallax scrolling, and constructing a sense of depth on a 2D plane. |
|
9th Week |
UI/HUD and prop design: Creating in-game items, collectibles, menus, health bars, and score indicators based on visual communication principles. |
|
10th Week |
Level asset production: Designing modular tilesets and environmental assets for the initial level/stage. |
|
11th Week |
Interactive objects and 2D Visual Effects (VFX): Designing interactive elements and core special effects (explosions, magic, hits, etc.). |
|
12th Week |
Studio critique: Evaluating visual consistency, art direction, and overall stylistic coherence across characters, environments, and UI elements. |
|
13th Week |
Refining demo visuals, assembling final presentation boards, and conducting dress rehearsals for final evaluation. |
|
14th Week |
Final Project Presentations and comprehensive critique. |
|
| Recommended or Required Reading | "Drawing and painting fantasy landscapes and cityscapes" by Rob Alexander;
"Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice" by Otto Ocvirk;
"Picture This: How Pictures Work?" by Molly Bang;
artstation.com/learning - Tons of quality digital art courses and tutorials |
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| Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods |
- Questions/Answers
- Discussion
- Case Study
- Project
- Presentation
- Practice
|
|---|
| Assessment Methods and Criteria |
|
Quantity |
Percentage (%) |
| Project |
2 |
90 |
| Attendance |
1 |
10 |
| Total(%) |
|
100 |
| Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%) |
|
100 |
| Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%) |
|
0 |
| Total(%) |
|
100 |
|
| ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload |
| Activities |
Quantity |
Duration (Hour) |
Total Workload (Hour) |
| Midterm exam |
1 |
2 |
2 |
| Preparation for Quiz |
|
|
|
| Individual or group work |
14 |
3 |
42 |
| Preparation for Final exam |
1 |
25 |
25 |
| Course hours |
14 |
4 |
56 |
| Preparation for Midterm exam |
1 |
15 |
15 |
| Laboratory (including preparation) |
14 |
2 |
28 |
| Final exam |
1 |
2 |
2 |
| Homework |
|
|
|
| Presentation (including preperation) |
1 |
5 |
5 |
| Project |
1 |
5 |
5 |
| Total Work Load | 180 |
| Total Work Load / 30 (h) | 6 |
| ECTS Credit of the Course | 6 |
|
| Language of Instruction | Turkish |
|---|
| Work Placement(s) | No |
|---|
