How we estimate projects in our game art outsourcing studio

When working on a high-standard game art our main priority is to correspond with the customer's vision and style requirements at all times. The more precisely we can pinpoint all the nuances before we begin – the better the final result will be. In this post, we are breaking down a step-by-step guide through the game art estimation process in our studio:

Tell us about Your Game
We would like to know as much about your game as we can, including its genre and which other games it is inspired by. Don't hesitate to tell us about gameplay mechanics and lore. If you feel strongly about uncovering sensitive information, we will be glad to sign an NDA with you before we begin.
Specify the type, the number, and the deadline
Here you can tell us about the type of graphical assets that you would like us to estimate at the moment. It can be a character art, concept or sketch, animation, VFX or something else. Don't forget to tell us the overall number of the assets needed and the possible deadline for the work in order for us to plan ahead of the working load of our artists.
Show us Visual References
The best way to share your vision with a team of artists is to show them visual references that you consider to be relevant to the required art. What can you use as a reference? – Basically, any image that you think corresponds with your vision. You can use screenshots of similar games, already implemented in-game art, sketches, and concepts of your characters or gameplay gifs. Literally, everything can help us to grasp the visual style of your game.
Add the Level of Detail references too
Here you can use the same images that we mention above, just be sure to emphasize the ones that better convey the idea of how detailed the chosen art should be. The good news is that we can create the game art of any desired level of detail and adjust it in accordance with your needs and budget.
Mention size and / or resolution
In case you haven't yet figured out the exact resolution for your game art, try to give us at least rough measurements.
Don't forget about nuances
Even the slightest detail can make a huge difference in terms of the overall scope of work on the project. For example, will the required 2D character be used to create 3D model later in the production cycle? Should the characters be with or without the background? Will it be cropped somehow later on the screen/card? These are examples of course, but you can get an idea of how much influence they can make. Therefore, we would highly appreciate if you provide us with as much information about even the slightest and seemingly "insignificant" details about the required game art as you can.

From our side, we can promise that we will put all our efforts into providing you with a relevant estimate for the project. Having collected all the information and references mentioned above, we will come back in touch and provide you with the full estimation of the work within 1-2 business days.

Check also:

2D Game Art Brief Sample

Game Art Workflow

Epic 2D Game Characters

Highly detailed game icons

Art Outsourcing vs In-House Production