Veronica Matei

CDQ Magazine
Creative Main Image
Veronica is a professional visual development artist working in the casual games industry and has experience with illustrations, concept art, character design and animation. She published tutorials in the CDQ magazine and How to draw stylized animals book.
Veronica Matei
Country Flag US
Distinctive Visuals
Q

What drove you to work in the casual games industry?

Veronica Matei: When I joined the casual games industry, I was working as a mobile game artist. The industry was fairly new and it was exciting to see all the new possibilities that came with the evolution of phone screens allowing the display of more complex graphics.

Additionally, I liked the challenge of creating designs that were not static but animated and interactive.

A fox guide
Q

What does the creative process look like for turning a photograph into a colored sketch?

Veronica Matei: I like to observe the overall mood of the picture and identify the ambient color that will spill a bit into all the other local colors. I found out that as long as the color values are correct, the hue and chroma can vary and the image will still look right. Once I map out the values and main colors, I like to stylize the palette by playing with vibrancy.

A fairy profile
Q

Being an artist who does portraits study, what do you specifically look for while creating a portrait?

Veronica Matei: The first thing I do when working on a portrait is to look for the overall head shape as well as the proportions between the individual elements that encompass the head. Moreover, using this as a base, I like to start stylizing and simplifying the different parts, looking for appeal and expressiveness rather than realism.

Two birds in clown costumes
Q

How do you create a character design based on a theme or mood board that speaks to viewers of your illustrations?

Veronica Matei: I enjoy working with mood boards and use them a lot in my process. They act as an inspiration and a guide for the character’s look, outfit, personality, and behaviors. Furthermore, using mood boards is like having to solve a puzzle, the pieces are there and I’m mixing and matching them into different sketches until I find the right design.

A mushroom creature
Q

How do you imagine inanimate objects into characters and create detailed characters with a personality?

Veronica Matei: Shapes play a big role in how we perceive the things around us. For example, shapes that have sharp angles are perceived as dangerous, squares are considered stable and rounded forms are softer and friendlier. Moreover, by studying the shape of an object I can start to imagine characters that would complement the form.

A landscape painting of a cloud
Q

What is the color scheme that you use the most in your sketches and character designs?

Veronica Matei: Mainly, experimenting with colors is one of my favorite parts of the process. The color scheme that I use most often in my work is analogous because I like the softer, less contrasting effect that it provides. Whereas, balancing and blending colors in this scheme is easy and gives harmonious results.

A personfied cloud
Q

What is the process of creating 3D versions of character designs?

Veronica Matei: The process is similar to the 2D, which means that I start by breaking down the character into the main basic shapes and start adding the details from there. Of course, modeling my characters is easier as I’m already familiar with the construction of the characters.

A woman looking out an open window
Q

Being a part of multiple CDC challenges and creating character designs based on a brief, what is the thought process involved behind the scenes before you pick up tools to start sketching your design?

Veronica Matei: Significantly, analyzing the brief is the first step. While reading the brief, I already start visualizing ideas and those ideas are the ones I start within the sketching phase. I have also found that doing a lot of research in this phase helps me to avoid cliches in the design.

“Furthermore, using mood boards is like having to solve a puzzle, the pieces are there and I’m mixing and matching them into different sketches until I find the right design”
Q

In the widely successful #drawthisinyourstyle challenge, what was the source of the inspiration behind your artwork?

Veronica Matei: Mainly, redrawing an existing design in a different style is a good way to practice. When I created my designs for this challenge I was focusing a lot on the overall mood of the piece, especially knowing that I wanted to portray a sense of joy.

I tried to achieve this by playing with the character expressions and choosing bright and energetic colors while keeping the design fairly simple so it wouldn’t discourage people from participating.

A boy riding a dinosaur
creative gallery image
creative gallery image
creative gallery image
creative gallery image
creative gallery image
creative gallery image
creative gallery image

Let’s get creative together.

Start a free consultation with a Creative Solutions Specialist.

You may also like
Creative image

Instructor

Strategist

Writer

Proofreader

Mauge
CBD Marketing
UpShot
Inbenta
Max & Erma's
Havas Chicago
McGuffin Creative Group
Wells Fargo Corporation
Clarinol Xs
Union Bank
AMResorts
Hornitos Tequila
DRIFIRE
Direct Energy
SkyMall
Hyatt Hotels
Grand Rounds
Three Rivers Youth
Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts
Sprint
Oxford Athletic Club
Green Bay Packers
Solar City
Subway
Inseego
Walgreens
EasyForex
Delta Faucet
Zoetry Resorts
Energy BBDO
Dreams Resorts
Basil Hayden
Siemens
Capital One
Critical Mass
Jacobs Agency
Chicago Portfolio School
S&T Bank
MUFG The Private Bank
Lakeside Bank
Visa
Avenue B2B Marketing Strategy and Activation
US Postal Service
Mynd Management
TIAA
Kent State University
Nucor
Tequila Avion
826CHI
Courvoisier Rosé
Digitas
St. Judes Children's Hospital
Merck
Chamberlain College of Nursing
Ooma
Morton's The Steakhouse
Charles Schwab
GlobalLogic
Point B
AT&T
alli
Wilson Sporting Goods
Chart House
Citibank
Ziploc
Molekule
U.S. Bank
CASE Construction SA
Menards
Launch Creative Marketing
Now Resorts
Merge
Amcor
Myriad Genetics
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania
OTTO Engineering
Sage
Rewards Network
Intel
Clock Four
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
LiftMaster
World Travel BTI
Constellation
MUFG Americas
CONEXPO-CON/AGG
Elias/Savion
Beanpod Candles
United Stationers
Secrets Resorts & Spas
Starz Entertainment
Kalamazoo Outdoor Grill
Innovera Technologies
UpShift Creative Group
Mandarin Oriental
FCB
Leo Burnett
Cars.com
Ingredion
Hortonworks
Novio
Lego A/S
CREDO Mobile
HP
Xero
An

Animator

Graphic Designer

Amazon
Pokémon GO
Footlocker
NHL
Corona USA
Sinfire Whisky
Adidas
Nike
Hennessy