• Interview

Samwise Didier discusses the history of Warcraft's art

In our latest interview Blizzard's senior art director Samwise Didier talks about the Warcraft franchise's history and offers up some advice for would-be artists.

Blake Morse

May 14, 2019 5:20 PM

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Blizzard senior art director Samwise Didier has been with the company for just about as long as it has been around. Now, on the cusp of the Warcraft franchise’s 25th anniversary, we had a chance to sit down with Sam to talk about the long road they’ve walked together and a few other topics.

The interview covers a range of subjects but the most prevalent topic is Warcraft’s art direction and how it has evolved over the years from the original Warcraft game all the way to the World of Warcraft. Sam discusses the way the art ties together with the gameplay and lore of the series to create the best quality entertainment experience possible for their audience. Sam also goes in-depth in regards to his art style of making characters with big shoulders, feet, and hands that have become so iconic throughout the Warcraft series. “It’s been a lot of shoulder pads and a lot of work” said Sam in regard to his prolific career.

While a majority of the discussion focuses on the history of the Warcraft franchise and his involvement, Sam also takes a moment to offer up some advice to would-be concept artists. He goes on to talk about how social media has given promising artists a new platform to engage with pros like himself and the proper way to show off their skills to potential employers. Sam states “If you want to be a concept artist I think it couldn’t be easier than nowadays. There are tutorials online and you can reach out to almost any artist on social media, including myself.” You can check out the full discussion in the video embed below.

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Blake Morse

Events Coordinator

Blake has been writing and making videos about pop-culture and games for over 10 years now. Although he'd probably prefer you thought of him as a musician and listened to his band, www.cartoonviolencemusic.com. If you see him on the street, buy him a taco or something. Follow him on twitter @ProfRobot