When I left school, I didn’t know what I wanted to go into – but I knew I wanted to create. Nothing else ever felt natural. I fluctuated between so many different art forms and fixations as a kid, from LEGO stop-motion films on YouTube to painting, songwriting and sewing. It didn’t really matter, as long as I was making my own little worlds.
Naturally, when it came time to choose a path for my future, my wide spread of interests made things difficult. That was until one of my art teachers informed me of the existence of Foundation Diplomas! A whole year of experimenting seemed like the perfect opportunity to find which niche I really wanted to set my sights on. After visiting AUB for a tour, I immediately fell in love with the sense of community on campus, with halls right on its doorstep and all the colourful, funky buildings. It finally made me feel like university was the right choice for me.
Halfway through my Foundation year, I chose to specialise in illustration as my passion for video games and game art was growing in the background. I’ve always been hugely influenced by atmosphere and exploration in game worlds, but with the releases of Elden Ring and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom around that time, my gaming inspiration was at an all-time high. I crafted my final Foundation project within this area, creating a gigantic pixel-art map depicting a fantastical landscape, akin to a world that might form the setting for one of these games.
After my Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, I chose to continue studying at AUB on BA (Hons) Illustration and was delighted to find that the course was just as broad and varied as Foundation, encouraging us to experiment with all sorts of mediums and styles and challenging us to dissect what illustration could be. Part of this variety meant learning all kinds of new industry-standard software, including Blender, an open-source 3D modelling program we were introduced to during first year.
At the beginning of my studies, I would have never guessed that I would end up focussing so immensely on 3D art, but our Blender workshops really opened my eyes to what can be achieved by just one person with access to a computer. Without access to a personal laptop, I made sure to make the most of studio hours every week, getting to grips with the program and eventually producing my own 3D-rendered snapshots of bizarre characters and worlds from my imagination – finally bringing all my video game inspiration into what felt like full realisation!
Over the summer following first year, I couldn’t wait to keep making work and hone my style further. I borrowed laptops from friends and family to spend as much time messing around with Blender as I could, making dozens of environments and short animations over the next several months. In second year, however, the illustration course surprised me with yet another revelation. In our Convergence/Divergence Unit, focused on pushing our practice to the very limits of what can be considered illustration, we had a workshop on Unity, a free engine used for making your own games.
Of course, this was a dream come true. With the skills I’d acquired from my past and across the degree – 3D modelling, world-building, composing – I finally felt able to tackle the task of producing my very own game. I’d learnt how to craft my own digital 3D environments with Blender, how to colour and bring them to life, and how to let others explore them with Godot (an open-source game engine similar to Unity). At the end of second year, I created TURBiNE, a walking-based game where players could explore a small world hand-crafted entirely by me.
Fast-forward to third year and my passion for game development has only grown. Thanks to the encouragement and bold defiance of traditional illustration that the course has brought out in me, I’m confident in all aspects of the process and able to work quickly while getting feedback from an incredible circle of artistic peers! My Final Major Project for this year is The Labyrinth on Burrow Hill, an atmospheric puzzle adventure set in the dazzling, deserted halls of a fantastical labyrinth. Inspired by the ambition of other indie game developers and my peers, I’m proud to say that my time at university has culminated in a professional, entertaining experience which I have self-published on Steam and is now available for anyone to download and play!
I feel the time I spent as an Illustration student has given me the knowledge and skillset to approach game design and world building from a uniquely visual point of view, but I want any prospective students to know that the starting point in your creative journey doesn’t really matter. The path will emerge as you try new things, new mediums and meet new people doing similar and completely different things to you. Get advice from your tutors, get things wrong, get frustrated and start over. It’s all part of it. As long as your desire to create is always there as a backbone, I guarantee everyone can make something weird and amazing that they’re truly proud of.
I’m so grateful to AUB and my tutors for giving the tools and advice I needed to find where my art was headed. I can’t wait to see where my newfound passion leads, as I’m sure The Labyrinth on Burrow Hill is only my first game of many.
Want to see more of Jonny’s work?
Find out more on his Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube channel and website.
Want to play The Labyrinth on Burrow Hill? Check out the full game on Steam.
