Part 5: Matt Sharp
What do you do at Trailmix?
I am a Game Artist here at Trailmix which means I’m involved in a variety of different creative tasks. As a fairly autonomous team we tend to handle tasks right from their conception through to the final thing, whether this be character development, environment assets or illustrations. Because of this the art teams skill set is pretty dynamic but also ever growing to keep us on our toes!
What’s your best memory of making Love & Pies?
I think the first round of reviews that highlighted the game’s visuals were incredibly encouraging. A lot of time is spent on creating art that you hope will excite and engage players in a substantial way, so when that is achieved I felt like it was a job well done
What’s the most fun thing about working at Trailmix?
The people of course! Such a lovely bunch of folks who are empathetic, inspired and eager to help each other. It makes collaborating incredibly rewarding.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Pretty much anything! I spend a lot of time focusing on art in all forms and good design. London is so great for this and I try to get out and see as much as possible when I can. I think this has meant that a lot of ideas have just stuck in my head giving me good reference points to jump from when I need to. A lot of inspiration also comes from the other artist’s great knack for conceptualising and opening creative dialogues around that.
What would you want someone to know coming into Trailmix?
That there will be many authentic opportunities to be heard. There’s always something new to learn from other disciplines in the company which helps give you a more holistic and transparent picture of Trailmix.
What’s been the most challenging part of your role?
The autonomy of the role also came with a lot of responsibility which sometimes meant that I needed to be self-sufficient with certain elements earlier in the game’s production. At first this was quite daunting but it did mean that I could be completely hands on when figuring out certain processes. It meant that I could focus on workflows that worked best for me and increased efficiency. Ultimately this helped me grow and understand a lot about myself and the way I work. It also improved my problem solving skills a lot. I think that only makes me a stronger artist.
Who’s your favourite character in Love & Pies, and why?
Yuka for sure. I like her fiestinous and determination. And the way she zips off at 100 mph after every social interaction is something I can relate too.
What’s something else you’ve worked on that you’re proud of?
So a few years ago (when I had the energy) I worked with my partner and buddy out of work hours to create this big installation/seating/social area for a festival. I always like doing things like this as I get to make something physical with my hands which is not usually the case as a digital artist. It also forces me to use my creativity slightly differently, especially collaborating with other artists who have a more graphic approach to their work. The project went really well even though it wasn’t always a super smooth journey. Seeing people hanging out, chatting and engaging with the space was so great to see. It really felt like the project served its purpose and it was reassuring to know that my creativity can be used for vastly different things.
What did you learn from another job that helped you in your current role?
Working as a background artist for a couple of years in the animation industry was extremely informative. It was my first job out of uni so I still had so much to learn. Luckily the people around me were very skillful at what they did and were happy to teach me. I developed a really strong sense for foundational art principles in that job from people who hammered it into my head, but also helped me interrogate why my own art was sometimes falling short. I think these skills are invaluable and were important to pin down earlier in my career to help me grow as an artist. I still use some facet of them every working day.
What do you do to unwind?
I tend to read a lot when I can, at least every day before bed to truly unwind and sleep well. I can also always trust my friends to help me unwind and forget about the world for at least a bit of time.
