Check Out Songyu Aries Liu’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Songyu Aries Liu.

Hi Songyu Aries, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As an environment artist who worked full time for a first-party studio with Sony Interactive Entertainment, I was and still am, an environment artist by day and concept artist by night, honing in my skillset that allows me to spread out my voice, the shear compulsion of creating an inspiring and self-contained imaginary world has always been my one true goal.

To understand how it all began, I must bring up two of my favorite influences. One of which serves as my spiritual guide, it is the movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki in the early 90s, ‘Castle in the Sky/天空の城ラピュタ’, I was seven when I first saw this movie, about the same age as its protagonist, The intricate world-building and unfolding narrative deeply resonated with me, giant airships, thriving town folks with struggling working class, paired with masterfully crafted sky and natural scenes were all too cool for a kid who had grown up in the city concrete forest, This movie ignited my yearning for exploration, laying the foundation for both my hobby and career.

The second title introduced me to the endless possibilities of video games, 2010 ‘Red Dead Redemption’ by Rockstar Games, I was barely learning English at the time but still finished the game with much to savor, not being able to comprehend 50% of the dialogue definitely had its toll, however his perspective certainly had its merits, allowing me to embrace experiences that transcended language barriers. Various beautifully crafted landscapes and local traditions with interactive, sometimes funny side storylines made the experience all more immersive. It is a world designed to be explored and realized with craftsmanship in mind. With my spirit of exploration and later found attention to detail, I realized that contributing to this industry was the ideal outlet for my creative aspirations.

With the spirit lit and bearings set, It is time to take action. I departed from my previous university and earned my undergrad and master of arts degrees from the Academy of Art University; the main goal was to quickly narrow down my role and use the rest time to absorb and learn. Since have already welcomed myself into the game industry, I spent my first year locating the exact role I wish to be responsible for. It was quite the journey going through all sorts of inspiring yet demanding roles from level design to environment making, eventually I was able to find my calling as an environment artist —an unexpected revelation discovered through introspection.

The journey unfolded as I familiarized myself with the demands of each role and then turned inward to assess my own skill set. My multicultural background and open-mindedness propelled me to delve into global cultures; this is especially useful in the resource and inspiration-gathering phase for producing any original piece. Additionally, having a pair of trained eyes in fine art, history, and design philosophies empowered me to distill specific elements that harmonized with a given story or setting. These two crucial skillset, first divergent then convergent, are pivotal for successfully constructing immersive and grounded gaming worlds.

With a clear picture in mid, my time at Academy had not always been smooth due to the different approach and style me and the instructors adapt in terms of environment and concept art production, looking back at it now, I could be a little forceful and could have adapted better into the curriculum. I have taken the liberty having of numerous course outside the curriculum, art history, graphic design, industrial design, architecture, photography, for I believe these would help me in the long run as an environment/concept artist, gladly I was right; these studies not only prepped me with better understanding on how individual elements works, also as a whole they taught me the inseparable relationship between us, the society, and how art and design intertwines with every aspect of our daily life. This is when I knew that I am on the right track of finding my voice,

After graduation, I have had multiple offers came in, eventually I landed with Sony Interactive Entertainment as an environment artist, It was truly a dream realized—a far cry from the boy sitting in front of his PlayStation, now an integral part of the industry. This expedition has been one of self-discovery, a process of introspection and learning to understand my true self.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There has always been ups and downs, it is all relative to each other, and to be completely honest, I am rather content with my journey till this point.

For me, learning the program/media is not hard; finding one’s own voice is, thankfully I am already on the right track in this search of a lifetime. And the rest is all life goes on; I have had prolonged conversations with my parents about my decision of dropping out from my previous university, and I stayed up all night hyped, pouring myself into personal projects, not to mention the countless times I have to pack up and relocate for study/work opportunities, to me life is supposed to be like this, unique experiences is what sets up apart from each other, and I am grateful with the people I have met along the way.

Also being a foreigner whose time in the state is always on the countdown certainly had its drawbacks; immigration status had been my concern as of lately; the shear of uncertainty of tomorrow makes me unease when work calls for hyper concentration, I have noticed some more frequent drop out from mindflow while I am working, in response, I’ve adapted by considering these moments as short breaks.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a professional environment artist and self-proclaimed concept artist, I specialize in world creation down to its nuts and bolts. I always aim to bring something fresh to the table, which is also the thing I am most proud of, being able to inspire other fellow artists and audiences, left them with great aftertaste just as how Miyazaki’s movie treated me, always brings joy to my heart.

When it comes down to execution and quality control, the idea of ‘Design Honesty’ rooted deeply within me; in order to create an authentic and immersive world for players to explore, I take great responsibility when working with individual assets, to me a successful design is always true to its function meanwhile reflecting its surrounding, they should work independently but also as a whole, this is especially true when it comes to actual game asset production.

What sets me apart from others is my approach to seeking inspiration. If the situation allows, I opt for a full sensory-engaging approach, capturing firsthand photographs and notes that encapsulate the entirety of the experience, as I believe that information often arrives as a complete package rather than a linear sensation, and I value the individual moment as a whole not just a stimulation in one sensation. Moreover, I enjoy going through things that is often neglected or overlooked by others, I’ve cultivated a heightened sensitivity to such nuances. This wealth of first-hand information, coupled with my respect to what I have experienced as a whole helped me to create something original and inspiring.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Honesty is the cornerstone of my journey and success, guiding me to this very point.

It is about being honest to myself, recognizing my flaws and edges. Being honest to the surroundings, make a conscious effort to comprehend and document what I see and feel. Being honest to my creations, bold enough to take on the challenge of endless trial and error in search of my own voice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://briarchy.artstation.com/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/aries-liu
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SYAriesLiu
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/t53naXlWOkA