In conversation with graduate Anders Grube Jensen, Technical artist at Airship studio

Anders Grube Jensen is a Game Developer and Technical Artist from Denmark who graduated from BA (Hons) Games Art and Design in 2020. Growing up creating visuals for games, Anders has always had a keen interest in pursuing a creative career and is now working for award-winning games art studio Airship. In this interview, we discuss Ander’s creative inspiration and how he has fine-tuned his skills since graduating.   

Images courtesy of Anders Grube Jensen

Why did you choose to study BA (Hons) Games Art and Design at NUA?

I chose to study BA (Hons) Games Art and Design because it covers a lot of ground and really prepares you for a creative career in games. I was still exploring what kind of role I wanted and NUA provided great insight into the industry, which allowed me to focus on what I wanted to do.  

What does a typical week look like at Airship?

We typically have a team catchup meeting each morning to see what everyone is going to work on, as well as meetings with clients where we present work and get feedback and direction.

Specifically for me, I have been on a couple of projects for a long time, so I do art reviews for juniors coming onto projects and review assets before sending them to clients. Since Airship is an outsourcing studio, a nice thing about working here is definitely the variety of projects you get to work on.

What have you learnt about working in the games industry so far?

Try to specialise and learn as much as you can about your chosen subject- having a wealth of knowledge is a goldmine for opportunity.

What has been your favourite project of your career so far?

I have been working on a game since my second year at university which I showcased at the Norwich Games Festival. It’s called Peaks of Yore – a first-person platforming adventure about peak-bagging in the late 19th century.

The project is still not finished, however, I love chipping away at it when I can. The nice thing about working on your own game is being involved in every aspect of its production such as working on the art, design and music. 

What inspires you creatively?

A lot of my inspiration is embedded in historical events, documentaries and movies. Even the most mundane things can inspire me to create an engaging game. Generally, just noticing things in everyday life as well as consuming a lot of media is a great way to get inspiration!

How has your work evolved from your first year at NUA to now as a graduate?

When I started at NUA, I primarily wanted to specialise in character art, however, I also loved making games on the side-a lot of which was made during Game Jams. 

Participating in these Game Jams both in and out of NUA has improved my development skills immensely, allowing my skill set to take a drastic shift from making characters to making games and software tools. I would really recommend it!

Looking back to your time at university and what you’ve learned so far, what advice would you give current students?

Pick a career that lines up with what you really enjoy doing and look for opportunities that can aid you in this. While you’re at university, you have time to learn and explore what you find interesting, which will help you decide what you want to specialise in later down the line: whether that’s environment art, character art, concept art, technical art, etc.

But most of all, enjoy it!

You can see more of Ander’s work on his social channels:

Itch.io: andosdev.itch.io

Artstation: AndersGJensen

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