Exploring CyDesign, the company behind the character design for NieR:Automata and Granblue Fantasy! #DESKWATCH
#DESKWATCH is a project that shines the spotlight on creators of illustrations, manga, anime, videos, music…. and their work environment. Discover how these gems of creativity are born, and what kind of tools professional creators use through photos and interviews!


What if I suck at drawing!? What CyDesignation looks for in its employees


We work as concept artists and illustrators both for Cygames titles and for other companies.

The most famous titles are surely Granblue Fantasy, Shadowverse and Rage of Bahamut.
Also, since many of the designers used to work at Square Enix, recently we've been in charge for NieR:Automata character design.

Surprisingly enough, in 2013 we worked on a piece of concept art for Ise Shrine official website, in occasion of its 62nd anniversary. Hideo Minaba was in charge of it.
-- You're also working for companies that are totally unrelated to video games! Let me ask you about yourself. How did you become a part of CyDesignation?






The pros and cons of being an employee


Yet, it's not like I'm using it for a particular reason right now... I only don't know how to use other software. My brushes are always in default mode too.
In the most recent software there are many convenient functions, and easy way to recreate beautiful effects. I wish someone younger than me would teach me how to use them!

Working in a company as an employee must be pretty different from working freelance. What are the pros and cons of working in a company?

Plus, we have health insurance and various welfare benefits. Another advantage is having so many people around to teach you useful skills - it's easier to get better this way rather than to do everything on my own.
About the cons.... Ah! It always takes time to commute. I wish I could teleport from the company to my home... But yeah, that's about it.

What are the main points about character design?


Also, I think that it is better not to compare yourself with others. You'll end up getting stressed and sick. Don't care about others, develop your own style and treasure it!




When starting from a lineart on a white canvas, it is difficult to understand the weight and shape of the objects. So I would strongly recommend to start from the silhouette first.
About the design for NieR:Automata





Working for NieR:Automata was a pretty smooth job. I was the one to ask the client if everything was good, for the most part.
However, only the robots character called Pascal has been repainted many times. I like high-tech mechanics, but I had never drawn retro robots before, and that's why Mr. Yoshida's retake was amazing. I think he fixed it about 20 times.


I wasn't forced to give them tattoos, so I created different patterns: no tattoos, only on their arms, only on the upper part of their body and so on. Those who played this game probably noticed, but you know how Eve's tattoos get bigger and bigger? That's to show all parts of my design in a limited space.


For Adam and Eve I aimed to a design that might appeal to girls. I wanted to make those characters attractive for girls! (laughs)
I gave Anemone a basic face. I thought once all the characters were finished there was the risk that they would end up very similar. However, since the camera doesn't get too close, it's quite hard to understand from a distance.



If you want your dreams to come true, you should keep many roads open!
Nagai is a passionate character designer that focuses on his job from early morning until night. he told us about how lucky he was to find a company that was just right for him.
Being an employee helped to make his dreams come true, and dedicating himself to something different than being a freelancer allowed him to learn many new things and to make uncountable new experiences. If you're aiming to become a creator in the future, it might be good to try working for a company before starting your career as a freelancer.
#DESKWATCH checks out the inspiring desks of creators, and observes as they strive to deliver the best quality work.
Well then, till next time!
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