If you haven’t already, you should first form a Game Design Document (GDD), or alternatively, a collection of reference images. An artist has no idea what a client means by a “cool warrior character”, however they can concretely understand a moodboard showing the specific type of armor the character wears, likenesses their appearance is based on, and paintings matching the desired art style. Pinterest, Tumblr, and even Google Drive are widely used tools for compiling and sharing reference material. A good game artist can nail a design in very few iterations, but regardless expect some back-and-forth between you and your artist until you’re satisfied with their work.

If you’re leading a game’s development, it’s up to you to also send any relevant technical information to your artist. Technical information commonly includes things like file formats, image sizes, and engine limitations. If you’re unsure what kinds of technical specs your artist needs… ask!

3 Curated Resources

Pinterest

free, Social Platform

A free image cataloging application that functions as a digital corkboard, used widely for organizing personal projects.

Tumblr

free, Social Platform

One of the most popular tools for gathering and reblogging images, text, and video. Like Pinterest, Tumblr is completely free to use.

Google Drive

free, Storage Hosting

A free storage and organization application by Google, with storage size upgrades available at tiered prices.