How to Outsource Game Art: A Comprehensive Guide

Contracting game artists can be approached in several ways, each with its own set of advantages and considerations:

In-House Recruitment

This method involves hiring artists as salaried employees to become part of the company. These employees can work from the company’s offices or remotely but are fully integrated into the company’s operational and cultural framework.

Advantages

• In-house teams benefit from direct communication, facilitating easier coordination and collaboration.
• Having a dedicated team allows for a consistent art style and vision, as the artists are deeply involved in the project from start to finish.
• The artists become part of the company culture, contributing to a cohesive team environment and fostering a sense of belonging and loyalty.

Considerations:

• Employing full-time staff incurs significant costs beyond salaries, including benefits, taxes, equipment, and workspace.
• Hiring permanent staff is a long-term investment, making it less flexible than contract-based hiring.

Freelancers

Freelancers are self-employed individuals hired on a contract basis for specific tasks, projects, or periods. They offer their services to multiple clients and typically work remotely.

Advantages:

• Studios can hire professionals for specific skills or project needs, making finding the right talent for unique tasks easier.
• Hiring freelancers can be more cost-effective than hiring full-time staff for short-term projects or tasks.
• Freelancers provide the flexibility to scale the workforce up or down based on project demands, offering a dynamic way to manage workloads and deadlines.

Considerations:

• Working with freelancers requires effective project management to align their work with the timeline and quality expectations, which can be challenging.
• Freelancers may work on multiple projects simultaneously, affecting their availability and leading to consistency in style or quality.

Art outsourcing services

This approach involves contracting an external company specializing in game art services. These companies manage their own teams of artists working on various client assignments.

Advantages:

• Outsourcing services enable rapid scaling of art production capabilities without the complexities of hiring or managing additional staff directly.
• These services have access to artists with various specialties, allowing projects to benefit from high expertise and innovation.
• The outsourcing company handles the hiring, management, and administration of the artists, reducing the workload on the game development team.

Considerations:

• There may be less direct control over the day-to-day activities of outsourced artists. However, it can be quickly sorted out if you choose a reputed game art outsourcing studio.
• Ensuring consistent quality that aligns with the project’s vision requires clear communication of standards and expectations and regular review and feedback.

The game development art outsourcing process is a structured approach to collaborating with external partners to produce art assets for a game. This process ensures that the outsourcing partnership aligns with the project’s goals, quality standards, and timelines. Here’s a detailed look at each step:

Identifying the requirement

The first step involves thoroughly assessing the game development project’s specific art needs, including the types of assets required, the art style, and the volume of work. Define the scope of the outsourcing project, including detailed descriptions of each asset, technical specifications, and the overarching creative vision to ensure alignment with the game’s aesthetic and narrative goals. Teams often turn to video game art outsourcing at this stage to access a broader range of styles and capabilities aligned with their creative vision.

Finding the right partner

Conduct research to identify outsourcing studios or freelance artists with the expertise and portfolio that match the project’s art style and quality requirements. Evaluate shortlisted candidates through discussions, reviewing their portfolios in detail, and possibly conducting a small test project. Assess the compatibility of the outsourcing partner’s workflow, communication practices, and project management tools with your own to ensure a smooth collaboration. Onboarding providers experienced in game art outsourcing services will significantly streamline this process through well-established pipelines and industry best practices.

Drawing up the contract

The contract should clearly outline the scope of work, delivery milestones, payment terms, confidentiality requirements, and intellectual property rights. It should also include provisions for revisions and handling of any disputes. Include detailed quality standards and acceptance criteria for the art assets to ensure they meet the project’s requirements. This may involve specifying resolution, file formats, and artistic guidelines. Define how often and through what channels communication will take place, including regular update meetings, progress reports, and the primary contact points.

Production

Provide the outsourcing partner with all necessary documentation, assets, and access to essential tools. Maintain active collaboration through regular check-ins and updates. Use project management tools to track progress, share feedback, and make adjustments as necessary to ensure alignment with the project’s direction. Implement quality control measures at various stages of production to catch and correct any deviations from the project’s art standards and technical specifications.

Review and delivery

Conduct thorough reviews of delivered assets against the established criteria. This step may involve multiple iterations to refine the assets based on feedback. After the project’s completion, evaluate the success of art outsourcing services, including the quality of work, adherence to timelines, and communication effectiveness. This evaluation can inform future outsourcing decisions and help strengthen long-term collaborations.

Outsourcing game art offers several key advantages that can significantly benefit game development projects:

Project Scaling

Partnering with top game art outsourcing companies enables your developers to scale their art production up or down as needed without the long-term commitment of hiring full-time staff. This flexibility is crucial for managing fluctuating workloads and meeting tight deadlines.

Flexibility with team

It allows game developers to adjust their team’s composition quickly, adding or reducing specialized artists as the project’s requirements change. This agility is invaluable in responding to project shifts or evolving creative directions.

Cost -effective

By outsourcing game art, companies can save on the costs of hiring in-house artists, such as salaries, benefits, and workspace. Outsourcing to regions with lower labor costs can further increase savings, allocating funds to other project areas.

Specific Expertise

Outsourcing provides access to a global talent pool, enabling developers to find artists with the precise skill sets and experience needed for specific project requirements. For instance, mobile game art outsourcing allows studios to tap into specialists who understand the nuances of smaller screens, performance constraints, and platform-specific design needs, supporting higher-quality outcomes and innovative solutions.

Identifying the project requirement first

Begin by clearly defining your project’s art requirements, including the style, quantity, and type of assets needed. This is crucial to simplify the next steps. You can easily shortlist potential game development art outsourcing studios that have the tools, professionals, and skills aligning with the requirements. Understanding your needs will help you find a partner with the right expertise.

Research and compare potential studios

Conduct thorough research to identify studios that specialize in game art outsourcing. Look at their portfolios, read client testimonials, and compare their strengths. Evaluate potential partners based on their past projects, their relevance to your game’s style, and their experience in the industry. This comparison will highlight which studios align most with your project’s vision.

Look for specific expertise.

Choose a studio with expertise in the specific type of art you need, whether it’s character design, environments, UI/UX, or animation. If your project demands stylized or hand-drawn visuals, look for studios that have a strong background in it. Studios that specialize in your required area are likely to deliver higher-quality results. For projects requiring handcrafted visuals, working with reputable 2D game art outsourcing partners can make a significant difference. You can quickly learn about such details through interviews with the team or individuals with expertise and in-depth relevant knowledge.

Take the team size into account

Consider the size of the outsourcing studio’s team. A larger team might offer quicker turnaround times and the ability to handle larger projects, while a more minor team might provide more personalized attention and flexibility. Moreover, finding game art studios with an extensive team is advantageous in the long run. As the project is scaled up, the team can be expanded quickly when the outsourcing studio already has a large team.

Cooperation models and flexibility

Look for outsourcing partners that offer flexible cooperation models, such as project-based, hourly, or retainer agreements. This flexibility can help accommodate changes in scope or project timelines. Evaluate the studio’s willingness to adapt to your communication and project management tools, ensuring seamless collaboration.

Budget

While budget should not be the sole deciding factor, it’s essential to choose a studio that offers a good balance between cost and quality. Get detailed quotes and ensure transparency in pricing to avoid unexpected expenses.

Project scalability

Consider whether the outsourcing company can increase resources if your project’s scope expands. As your project evolves, a studio that can adjust to changing demands will be a valuable partner. One must also consider the cultural fit. Assess whether the studio’s working style, values, and communication preferences align with yours. Lastly, start with a small trial project to evaluate the studio’s delivery quality, communication efficiency, and adherence to deadlines. All these would also help assess their ability to scale the project efficiently at later stages.

Outsourcing game art can supercharge your production, but only when done right. Below are the most common mistakes developers make, and what to do instead:

By steering clear of these traps, you increase the chances of a smooth, productive outsourcing experience. Game development companies bring years of experience in managing remote, large-scale art outsourcing, helping you avoid these pitfalls while delivering high-quality game art on time.

When it comes to outsourcing game art, Juego Studios stands out as a reliable partner known for its ability to deliver assets that are visually compelling across styles and platforms. With a proven track record of 13+ years in handling end-to-end art production, the studio brings together technical precision and artistic expertise. Whether you need stylized characters, immersive environments, or UI elements that upgrade gameplay, Juego’s team adapts seamlessly to your project’s unique vision. Their experience with diverse genres and platforms, ranging from console to mobile, makes them a go-to choice for developers seeking a collaborative, high-quality outsourcing experience.