Citizen Conflict is taking shape and it wouldn't be the same without a skillful and dedicated team of concept artists. Let us introduce you to our one-and-only Jakub Marc. He's a guy behind concept art of the incredibly elaborate and captivating Ether Island's districts. Before jumping on our team, Jakub spent years of honing his artistic and graphics skills, either at academy led by esteemed industry leaders, or as a freelancer with an impressive portfolio.
Coming from neighboring Poland, Jakub was eager to take a leap of faith and move to Bratislava-based QORPO Game Studio, where he breaths life into the visualizations of Citizen Conflict. His work and passion keeps amazing us every day, so let's jump right into it.
Hi, Jakub! Let me kick this off with the obvious: How did you start your artistic career?
Since I was a little kid, I’ve always been inclined to art. I kept on sketching drawings of dinosaurs, trying to attain as realistic features as possible just with my pencil on paper. It has always been a hobby for me. Kind of a long time before I delved into digital painting.
I started to take it more seriously when I was a teenager. That’s when I started to explore games and their designs. I started to wonder how they are created and what it takes to be the one who creates the designers in games. I simply wanted to merge my passion for art with my dedication to gaming and building game worlds.
What did your first step into concept art look like?
I had no formal education in art, design, or game development. I started to explore my interest in graphic design on my own. I went through several online courses and video tutorials, and I started to tinker with Blender, exploring 3D art, until I discovered concept art as such and what role it played in game development and production pipeline.
It took me a while until I realized that I really wanted to move forward with my passion. That’s when I booked my first on-site courses in person back in Gdansk, Poland. I attended several courses led by renowned industry veterans and completed actual hands-on assignments that pushed me forward.
That’s how I ended up in Focal Point School, tutored by exceptional professionals, such as Darek Zabrocki and Michal Kus. I took plenty of classes, and under their direct tutelage, I got steadily introduced to advanced techniques in Environment Design, Hardware Design, and sharpened my Digital Painting skill, which opened many doors for me.
What are some of the most notable projects you worked on prior to joining QORPO Game Studio?
I got my try at concept art pretty early despite the lack of substantial formal background. As a 17-year-old, back in high school, I got involved in a 3D architectural visualization project for a real estate company.
It motivated me to seek more freelancing opportunities. Not so long after, I earned a contract with a game dev outsourcing company. I was mostly responsible for graphic visualizations and map overpaints. However, the most prominent project I put my hands on prior to QORPO must be the one I’ve done at Focal Point School. It was called “Zoradx,” and it basically revolves around the depiction of a dystopian futuristic city.
Why does it remind me so much of Citizen Conflict’s Ether Islands…
That’s exactly why I consider this work to be a life-changing moment for me. I was tasked with a brief to design a city based on the storyline my instructors provided me with. The storyline follows a post-apocalyptic land in the near future, reigned by the evil organization of the so-called Zodatx—the main plot toys with the idea of a place that is not sustainable anymore. To survive, people had to build a walled city to protect themselves from the dangers. The rich, who could afford it, were privileged to enjoy the city’s safeguard, while others were destined to perish behind the city’s protective embrace, mostly in impoverished favelas and slums,
I really enjoyed working on this project, and it’s fair to say that the outcome helped me to kickstart my concept artist career.
Additionally, before getting the job here, I took valuable lectures at Canadian Syn Studio Art School, where I polished my Environment Design prowess.
That’s nice to see your progress. How did you end up at QORPO Game Studio?
After some time freelancing, I really wanted to experience the cooperative environment as a full-time, on-site Concept Artist at some studio. This opportunity came when I noticed QORPO’s hiring incentive on ArtStation. I liked the project, I was interested in the dystopian futuristic nature of Citizen Conflict, and first of all, I was open to leaving Poland for a different country, given it’s still Europe.
On the other hand, I had no previous experience with cyberpunk-styled designs, so I had to embrace new approaches and reinvent the way I usually work.
Moving to a different country, different city, was it a challenge too?
It’s always a bit stressful to move. But I was ready to do that. Thankfully, people in Slovakia are friendly, and everything is so much smaller than in Poland, so the relatively cozy atmosphere made it easier to adapt. The only this that sometimes annoys me is that I don’t know the language, and it’s always harder to connect with people only in English as opposed to sharing the same native language.
I’m glad to hear you like your stay so far. Back to QORPO, when did you join the team, and what are the most noteworthy projects you are involved in?
I took the job the last November 2022, so I’m still relatively new to the team. But I was already able to deliver and bring some palpable changes to the game. I spend all this time mainly drafting concept art of the Citizen Conflict districts and the open-world map visualizations.
However, I had to learn how to work efficiently and meet expectations as a part of the wider team of artists and designers. But thankfully, everyone is helpful and friendly, so I like it a lot so far.
Lastly, besides the job, what are you into in your free time?
I’m a traveler. I like to explore the beautiful European architecture and historical cities we have here. For instance, Vienna, an astonishingly enticing city, is right over there, so close to Bratislava. So yeah, you could say I’m into traveling.
Thanks a lot for your time.
Thank you too.
Don't hesitate to bring Jakub's artistic vision to life by playing the game. Citizen Conflict Alpha 2.0 is live now! So go get your QORPO ID, join our Discord, and enjoy frequent updates, sponsored tournaments, and great community.
