Joining Microsoft Xbox Activision Blizzard King – A New Creative Chapter

I’m excited to share a new and meaningful milestone in my professional journey: I’ve joined Microsoft Xbox Activision Blizzard King, where I’m now part of the New Games department, a space dedicated to developing the next generation of creative and innovative gaming experiences.

While I can’t reveal project details just yet, I can say that the work we’re doing is as exciting as it is ambitious. The opportunity to contribute to a team focused on pushing the boundaries of what games can be, both in terms of design and artistic vision, is something I’m incredibly proud of.

What makes this experience even more rewarding is the chance to collaborate with incredibly talented individuals across disciplines. Being surrounded by passionate creatives who challenge and inspire one another every day is both a privilege and a powerful motivator.

This new role allows me to apply everything I’ve learned over the years while continuing to evolve as an artist, leader, and creator. It’s a chance to grow, to experiment, and to help shape experiences that are emotionally rich, visually striking, and deeply engaging.

There’s a lot more to come, and I can’t wait to share more when the time is right.

Stay tuned!

#GameArt #MicrosoftXbox #ABK #GameDevelopment #CreativeLeadership #NewGames #BehindTheCanvas

Video Games Industry: How to Get Hired as a Concept Artist

Breaking into the video game industry as a concept artist can feel overwhelming. With so many talented individuals competing for the same roles, it’s important to understand what studios are actually looking for and how to stand out in a competitive field. Whether you're just getting started or looking to sharpen your approach, here are key strategies to help you get hired.

---

1. Build a Focused, Purposeful Portfolio
Your portfolio is your calling card. It should showcase your strongest work and demonstrate your understanding of visual storytelling, design thinking, and functionality within a game pipeline. Tailor your portfolio to the role you're applying for: if it's an environment concept art position, focus on environments. Include callouts, sketches, design iterations, and process, not just polished illustrations.

2. Study the Studios You Want to Work For
Every studio has a style, tone, and design philosophy. Spend time analyzing the art direction of the games they create and build personal projects that align with their visual language. This shows that you understand their needs and are ready to contribute.

3. Develop Strong Fundamentals
A strong grasp of anatomy, perspective, light, color, and composition is non-negotiable. These are the foundation of all great concept art. Continue practicing regularly, even outside of your portfolio pieces. Lifelong learning is key.

4. Understand the Production Pipeline
Concept art is not just about beautiful images; it’s about communicating ideas clearly to 3D artists, designers, and animators. Show that you can think like a designer and solve visual problems. Awareness of game engines, asset modularity, and practical constraints can make you much more valuable.

5. Network and Get Your Work Seen
Share your art consistently on platforms like ArtStation, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Join Discord groups, online communities, and forums where game artists gather. Attend industry events, online workshops, or portfolio reviews. Opportunities often come from visibility and connection.

6. Stay Professional and Prepared
Have a resume and a short, clear introduction about yourself. Be ready to explain your process, how you take feedback, and what you love about game development. Studios are hiring a team member, not just a skill set.

7. Stay Resilient and Keep Evolving
Rejection is part of the journey. Keep improving, stay adaptable, and be honest about where your weaknesses are. Each piece you create and each application you send is a step closer to your goal.

---

Hiring a concept artist in the game industry is about more than talent. It’s about mindset, discipline, and clarity. Focus on what you can control, your portfolio, your fundamentals, and your visibility, and you’ll be well on your way.

#ConceptArtCareer #GameIndustryTips #HowToGetHired #PortfolioAdvice #VisualDevelopment #SimonLocheArt

5 Best Sketchbooks for Artists (and Why They’re Worth Using)

Choosing the right sketchbook can make a big difference in how often you draw, how free you feel to experiment, and how your materials perform on the page. Not all sketchbooks are created equal, some are better for ink, others for watercolor, and some are perfect for carrying everywhere. Here are five of the best sketchbooks I’ve used, and why each one has earned a place on my shelf (and in my bag).

1. Moleskine Art Sketchbook
A classic for a reason. Moleskine’s sketchbooks have smooth, heavyweight paper that handles pencil, ink, and light washes well. The hardcover makes it portable and durable, and the elastic band keeps everything secure. It’s not ideal for heavy media like watercolor or oil, but it’s perfect for everyday sketching and ideation.

2. Stillman & Birn Beta Series
If you want to paint in your sketchbook, this one’s for you. The Beta Series has 270 gsm cold-press paper that takes watercolor beautifully without buckling. It’s also great for gouache, markers, and mixed media. Available in hardcover or softcover, spiral or stitched, it’s a workhorse for any serious sketcher.

3. Strathmore 400 Series Sketchbook
This is an affordable, accessible option with solid performance. The paper has just enough texture for pencil and pen work, and it’s great for gesture drawing, figure study, or daily warm-ups. It’s not meant for wet media, but it’s excellent for volume sketching without worrying about cost.

4. Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook
This one has ultra-smooth, bright white paper that’s fantastic for fine liners, technical pens, and graphite. It’s also compatible with markers and light washes. It has a minimal, elegant aesthetic and lies flat, making it a pleasure to use in the studio or on location.

5. Pentalic Traveler Pocket Sketchbook
For sketching on the go, this one is hard to beat. Compact, with a durable cover and elastic closure, it fits in a bag or jacket pocket easily. The paper holds up well to pencil, pen, and even light ink washes. It’s a great companion for urban sketching or travel journaling.

Mini Tutorial: How to Prime Your Sketchbook Pages for Heavier Paint Techniques
If you want to use acrylics, heavy gouache, or oils in a sketchbook not built for them, you can prepare the pages with gesso to give them more strength and absorbency. Here’s how:

1. Clip or tape your sketchbook open so the page lies flat.

2. Apply a thin, even coat of acrylic gesso with a wide flat brush or foam brush.

3. Let it dry completely (usually 10–15 minutes).

4. Optionally, add a second coat for extra strength.

5. Once dry, lightly sand with a fine-grit sandpaper if you want a smoother surface.

This helps prevent buckling and improves paint adhesion, letting you treat your sketchbook like a mini canvas.

---

Ultimately, the best sketchbook is the one you actually use. Whether you prefer texture or smoothness, portability or space, there’s a sketchbook out there that fits your process. Try a few, see what suits you, and most importantly, keep drawing.

#Sketchbooks #ArtTools #DrawingGear #ArtSupplies #TraditionalArt #SimonLocheArt

Digital Landscape – Ciutadella Park Study with Infinite Painter

 

This landscape study was done in Ciutadella Park in Barcelona, using Infinite Painter on the iPad. Painted in 2021, it was a quick session focused on capturing light, shapes, and atmosphere.

Ciutadella is one of those places where the balance between architecture, nature, and movement makes it perfect for observational studies. I kept the brushwork loose, using just a few values and broad shapes to build structure without overworking the composition.

Infinite Painter remains one of my favorite tools for this kind of sketch,fast, responsive, and just enough flexibility to stay focused on the essentials.

A simple study.

Essential Life Drawing Resources for Artists

Art by Ryan Woodward

Strong figure drawing skills are the foundation of good visual storytelling. 

Whether you’re working in concept art, illustration, animation, or simply trying to sharpen your observational skills, life drawing remains one of the most valuable practices you can invest time in.

But not everyone has regular access to live figure drawing sessions, and that’s where online resources come in. Over time, I’ve gathered a set of go-to websites that offer high-quality life drawing references. Each one brings something slightly different to the table, depending on what you’re looking to practice.

Here’s a breakdown of the best online resources for life drawing:

---

Top Life Drawing Reference Websites

PoseSpace

https://www.posespace.com

A reliable source for high-resolution, artist-focused photography. PoseSpace offers a wide range of models, diverse poses, and carefully lit setups. Some poses even include full 360-degree rotations, which is a huge help when you want to study form and volume properly.

---

Line of Action

https://www.line-of-action.com

Perfect for quick gesture practice. Line of Action lets you set up timed figure drawing sessions, focusing on capturing movement, energy, and proportion. You can also explore categories like hands, feet, animals, and faces.

---

QuickPoses

https://www.quickposes.com

If you want to train speed and instinct, QuickPoses is ideal. The platform pushes you to work through a high volume of sketches in a short time, helping build fluidity and confidence in your strokes.

---

Croquis Cafe

https://croquis.cafe/

Croquis Cafe brings the feel of a real-life figure drawing session to your screen. Their free videos simulate studio sessions with live models, timed poses, and consistent quality. It’s one of the closest substitutes for an actual drawing class if you’re working from home.

---

AdorkaStock

https://www.adorkastock.com

For more expressive, dynamic, and storytelling-driven poses, AdorkaStock is a great option. The poses are often animated, dramatic, or exaggerated, making them perfect for character work, comic art, and animation studies.

---

SenshiStock

https://www.senshistock.com

Focused on action, movement, and fantasy poses, SenshiStock is great for artists who want references that feel lively and filled with narrative energy. Lots of free pose sequences and motion packs are available.

---

New Masters Academy (Subscription)

https://www.nma.art

If you’re serious about academic study, New Masters Academy is one of the best investments you can make. Their professional-quality model references and figure drawing videos bring classical art training into your workspace.

---

Which One Should You Use?

Each site has its strength:

• Quick gesture warm-ups: Line of Action, QuickPoses

• Detailed anatomy studies: PoseSpace, New Masters Academy

• Dynamic storytelling poses: AdorkaStock, SenshiStock

• Simulated studio sessions: Croquis Cafe

Mixing different types of references into your practice keeps your skills flexible and sharp.

---

Final Thought

Mastery in figure drawing doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built quietly, through repetition, focused observation, and constantly challenging your hand and eye to work together. These online resources make it easier to stay consistent, even without access to a live model.

Use them well, draw often, and remember: every sketch, no matter how quick or rough, moves you forward.

#LifeDrawing #FigureDrawing #ArtPractice #ArtResources #GestureDrawing #SimonLocheArt

Talking Tom Sky Run – Concept Art and Building a New Vision

Back in 2019, I had the opportunity to join Outfit7 to help establish a brand-new studio in Barcelona. One of the key projects I worked on during that time was Talking Tom Sky Run, a fresh take on the globally popular My Talking Tom IP.

The challenge was clear: innovate.

Rather than following the established formula of classic runner games, the goal was to reimagine the experience, offering players something freer, more dynamic, and distinctly different. Talking Tom Sky Run introduced a flying-plane runner concept, something that broke away from traditional linear gameplay and opened up new possibilities for movement, style, and world-building. 

Although my time at Outfit7 was relatively brief, the project was an exciting and rewarding challenge. Beyond the gameplay innovation, it was also about building a new team, aligning creative directions, and setting the visual foundation for a fresh branch of an already successful franchise. Being part of the early stages of something new, helping shape it from the ground up, remains one of the most memorable highlights of my career.

Throughout the project, I worked on multiple concept pieces to flesh out the look and tone of the game. From early environment ideas to mood explorations and gameplay visualization, each concept was aimed at supporting a vision that felt both familiar to fans and fresh enough to stand out.

Sharing here several of those concepts to give a deeper look into the visual development work behind the scenes.

#GameArt #ConceptArt #TalkingTomSkyRun #Outfit7 #VisualDevelopment #SimonLocheArt

Digital Painting Studies of John Singer Sargent in Procreate

There’s something about the boldness and confidence of John Singer Sargent’s brushwork that continues to challenge and inspire me. As a long-time admirer of his portrait work, I decided to spend some focused time doing a series of digital studies of his paintings using Procreate on the iPad.

The goal wasn't to replicate the pieces perfectly (even though I think I got pretty close), but to understand the choices behind his lighting, edge control, and value grouping, and to see how those choices translate into a digital format.

Working in Procreate allowed me to zoom in on details, study color temperature shifts, and break down how Sargent used simplicity and restraint to suggest complexity. Even in quick sessions, there’s a lot to learn from how he treated fabric, skin, and background with just a few well-placed strokes.

These studies reminded me how valuable it is to step back from original work and revisit the fundamentals through the lens of a master. And while nothing replaces the tactile experience of oil paint, working digitally let me experiment more freely and focus on observation without being bogged down by setup.

More of these are coming soon. There’s still plenty to absorb from one of the greats.

#JohnSingerSargent #DigitalPainting #ProcreateStudy #MasterStudies #ArtPractice #PortraitArt #SimonLocheArt

 

Why Every Game Needs a Strong Artistic Vision: Lessons Learned

After working on multiple game projects over the years, one truth stands out more than most: a clear and consistent artistic vision can make or break a game. It doesn’t just influence how a game looks, it shapes how it feels, how the team works, and how players connect to the world you've built.

Does it mean you need to have a fully-formed artistic vision from day one? Not necessarily. Artistic direction can evolve collaboratively throughout the concept, prototype, and pre-production phases. The earlier you involve your art team in shaping the vision, the stronger the shared understanding will be. This process not only builds trust but also fosters alignment and ownership, turning your team into active champions of the visual identity.

Here are a few key lessons I've learned about why artistic vision matters and what happens when it's either missing or misaligned.

---

1. Vision Brings Unity

A strong artistic vision creates consistency across all departments, from concept art and 3D modeling to animation and UI. It acts as a shared compass that helps artists and designers make decisions independently while staying on track. When a game lacks a clear visual identity, the result is often a patchwork of styles, tones, and references that feel disconnected.

---

2. Vision Speeds Up Production

Paradoxically, clear constraints breed creativity. A strong artistic direction gives the team guardrails: what shapes to use, what colors define the mood, what rules to follow (and occasionally break). This reduces indecision, shortens feedback loops, and minimizes costly revisions.

---

3. Vision Builds Trust and Buy-In

When the art direction is strong and well-communicated, the team gets behind it. They start contributing with confidence, amplifying the vision rather than questioning it. Artists become advocates, and their work carries more intention. It turns a top-down mandate into a shared creative mission.

---

4. Vision Resonates with Players

Visual consistency isn't just aesthetic, it's emotional. Players remember the mood, the atmosphere, the tone of a world. A cohesive art direction is part of how a game becomes memorable. Think of the warm melancholy of Journey, the raw painterly boldness of Hades, or the stark graphic world of Inside. None of those games happened by accident.

---

5. Vision Requires Leadership and Flexibility

Great artistic vision doesn’t mean rigid control. It means leading with clarity, then allowing flexibility within the framework. Sometimes, a team member brings in a fresh take that pushes the direction further. The best visions are strong enough to guide, but open enough to evolve.

---

6. Vision Outlasts Trends

Relying solely on the latest rendering tech or visual gimmicks can give a game a short-term edge, but it rarely holds up over time. The games we return to, the ones that feel timeless, are those grounded in strong artistic direction, not trendy effects. Visual identity should come first; technology should serve it, not define it.

A well-considered art direction can give even technically modest games a lasting presence. It’s not about chasing realism, it’s about making your world feel cohesive, expressive, and intentional.

Concept Art and Mood Boards for a game that was unfortunately cancelled.

Gear evolution of the main character

---

Final Thoughts

Without a shared artistic vision, teams drift. With one, they align, amplify, and elevate. A strong visual foundation doesn’t just improve the art; it supports storytelling, production, player experience, and team morale.

If you're leading or contributing to a game project, don’t treat art direction as a side topic. It’s not just decoration, it’s the language of your world.

#GameArt #ArtDirection #VisualDevelopment #CreativeLeadership #GameDesign #SimonLocheArt

From Reference to Screen – Life Drawing on iPad

 A quick life drawing study of a woman seated on a chair, captured in a relaxed pose. Drawn from reference.
The figure is lightly dressed in underwear. Infinite Painter.

Joining Space Ape Games – A New Adventure in London

 

I’m excited to share that I’ve recently joined Space Ape Games in London as Studio Art Director for the Visual Development department.

After several years working across different studios and projects, the opportunity to be part of a team like Space Ape, known for its energy, creative spirit, and ambition, felt like the perfect next step.

In my new role, I’ll be focusing on building and leading the Visual Development department, helping to define the artistic vision across new projects while supporting the incredible teams already in place. It’s an exciting challenge, combining hands-on creative work with mentorship and long-term art direction.

One of the things that drew me to Space Ape was the studio’s commitment to innovation and its approach to empowering small, focused teams to create high-quality, original games. Being part of that kind of environment, where new ideas are encouraged and creative risks are supported, is exactly what I was looking for.

Relocating to London has been a big change, but it’s been a good one. The city’s energy, its art scene, and the collaborative spirit at Space Ape make it an inspiring place to be.

I’m looking forward to this new chapter and to sharing more as our projects take shape.

Exciting times ahead.

#SpaceApeGames #ArtDirection #VisualDevelopment #NewBeginnings #SimonLocheArt

---