Chapter 4 – Key art and promo angles

Chapter 4: Key Art & Promo Angles

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Key Art & Promo Angles for Costume Concept Artists

Readability Across Cameras & Motion

Focusing on FPP, TPP, Iso, VR / AR, and Marketing

1. Why Key Art & Promo Angles Matter for Costumes

When people think of “key art” and promo images, they usually imagine posters, splash screens, and box covers. As a costume concept artist, you might be tempted to treat these as a separate, downstream concern—”marketing will sort it out later.” In modern game development, that separation is dangerous.

Key art is often the first and most persistent way players meet your costumes:

Storefront capsules and thumbnails
Launcher backgrounds and login screens
Season or expansion banners
Cinematic thumbnails and social media posts

Those images set expectations about:

What the character looks like from different angles
How the costume behaves in motion (capes, skirts, props, FX)
What kind of game this is (camera, pacing, combat fantasy)

If your key art angles are dishonest to the in‑game camera (FPP, TPP, iso, VR/AR), you create a gap between fantasy and reality:

A cape that’s huge and cinematic in key art but heavily trimmed or static in‑game.
A character posed in a way that never actually happens from the player’s viewpoint.
A weapon or prop staged front‑and‑center in marketing but barely visible during gameplay.

Your job as a costume concept artist is not just to generate cool images, but to bridge marketing and gameplay so that promo angles:

Amplify readability across cameras and motion, not contradict it.
Teach players what to look for in‑game (role reads, faction colors, silhouettes).
Give marketing a reliable toolbox of angles and poses that showcase costumes honestly and beautifully.

We’ll explore how to design costumes and pose them for key art and promo across:

FPP (First‑Person Perspective)
TPP (Third‑Person Perspective)
Isometric / top‑down games
VR / AR experiences
And broader marketing contexts (posters, thumbnails, social media)

We’ll address both concept‑side (ideation, pose exploration, angle studies) and production‑side (capture planning, shot bibles, handoff notes) so you can support the entire pipeline.

2. Key Art vs In‑Game Cameras: Aligning the Story

A costume doesn’t live in a vacuum. It’s seen from different angles depending on the camera mode. Key art and promo angles sit on top of that reality.

Think of it this way:

Gameplay cameras define how the player learns the silhouette. Key art reinforces and clarifies that learning.

If key art contradicts in‑game framing, you introduce confusion:

Players struggle to recognize characters in live gameplay.
Important reads (role, team, rarity) are only clear in marketing, not in the match.
The costume looks “off” because the promo used impossible or misleading camera setups.

Let’s quickly review each camera mode from a promo and angle perspective.

2.1 FPP Games

In FPP, the player mostly sees:

Hands and forearms
Weapons / tools
Small hints of sleeves, chest, or legs when looking down

But other players see the full character in TPP, killcams, lobbies, etc. Key art has two main jobs in FPP titles:

Show the fantasy the owner rarely sees (full costume, silhouette, back read).
Show the FPP experience (weapon + gloves + FX from POV).

If your key art focuses only on front faces and torsos at neutral angles, you’re not representing how the costume actually lives:

The backpack, cape, or back‑mounted props might be the main read in gameplay.
The gloves and weapon skins might be the only elements constantly visible to the player.

2.2 TPP Games

In TPP, the default camera is usually rear ¾, slightly above and behind. Key art should embrace that reality:

Show characters from rear ¾ hero angles, not only straight‑on portraits.
Emphasize the back billboard—capes, armor plates, backpacks, role flags.

If all promo art is front‑facing, players may feel bait‑and‑switched when the in‑game camera rarely shows that side.

2.3 Isometric / Top‑Down Games

In iso games, characters are tiny and seen mostly from a fixed angle above. Key art should:

Show the iso angle explicitly somewhere.
Use diorama or tilt shots that feel like “zoomed‑in versions” of gameplay.

Promo that only uses cinematic eye‑level shots with complex foreshortening can make the actual iso silhouettes feel unrecognizable.

2.4 VR / AR Experiences

For VR and AR, key art needs to communicate presence and proximity:

How close the character can feel.
How the costume reads at human scale.

Angles often mimic:

Eye‑level distances (as if someone stands across from you).
Over‑the‑shoulder POVs from a player avatar.

If promo art shows only distant, tiny figures, you won’t sell the embodied, immersive nature of VR/AR—and you might hide staging issues that become uncomfortable up close.

2.5 General Marketing Contexts

On top of all this, promo angles must survive:

Extremely small thumbnails.
Different aspect ratios (store tiles, header banners, vertical phone art).
Multi‑character compositions where silhouettes fight for attention.

For costume concept artists, this means your design choices should anticipate:

Which angles will likely become templates (e.g., season splash, versus screen).
Where your costume needs to be bulletproof in silhouette and color blocking.

3. What Makes a “Good” Key Art Angle for Costumes?

From a costume perspective, a good key art or promo angle does three things at once:

Shows the costume’s core identity clearly.
Shape language, key motifs, faction / team colors, hero props.
Feels consistent with the in‑game camera reality.
It may be slightly pushed or dramatized, but not contradictory.
Remains readable at multiple sizes and crops.
Full poster, banner trim, tiny store icon.

Let’s break that into design‑friendly language.

3.1 Core Identity Read

Ask yourself:

If this character is a healer, tank, sniper, assassin, vendor, etc., can you tell at a glance?
Are the silhouette cues (e.g., broad shoulders, large shield, delicate staff) clear at the chosen angle?
Are the color and material cues (e.g., pristine cloth vs battered metal) visible and not buried in shadow or foreshortening?

For costumes, you especially want to highlight:

Distinctive garment shapes (capes, coats, skirts, unique headwear).
Role‑critical elements (armor thickness, medical symbology, stealth gear).
Iconic props that define the character fantasy.

3.2 Camera Consistency

A strong promo angle says: “This is how you’ll feel the character in the game.”

FPP: Show the back read and a POV angle with gloves and weapon.
TPP: Embrace rear ¾ and show capes/props as they’re usually seen.
Iso: Highlight top‑down shapes—helms, shoulders, big weapons.
VR/AR: Use eye‑level, human‑scale distances.

Costume decisions like cape length, skirt width, and prop placement should match what’s actually there in‑game, not just in a hyper‑stylized key art paintover.

3.3 Scalability & Crop Safety

Promo angles must survive:

Cropping to just the character’s upper torso and head.
Cropping to tiny square or circle icons.
Being placed behind logos and UI overlays.

As you pose and angle the character, consider:

Does the head + shoulders contain enough information (silhouette, team color, role motifs) on their own?
If the lower body is cropped out, do we still understand what kind of costume this is?
If the cape or props extend to the edge of frame, do they add to the read or just create noisy borders?

4. Key Art Angle Archetypes & How Costumes Behave in Them

Let’s look at some common promo angle archetypes and how to design or adjust costumes to work in each.

4.1 Front Hero Portrait (Straight‑On or Slight ¾)

Use case: Store banners, character select screens, social media posts.

Angle: Character facing camera, usually chest‑up or knees‑up; camera at or slightly below eye line.

Strengths for costumes:

Great for reading face, chest, and front garment details.
Strong for logo placement and standardized portraits.
Easy to reuse across multiple characters for a cohesive marketing grid.

Hazards:

Back story (capes, backpacks, rear props) barely visible.
Might not match gameplay view (especially in TPP/iso games).
Skirts and boots often cropped away, hiding movement cues.

Costume strategies:

Move some key symbology and team color to chest, collar, shoulders, and headwear.
Use necklines, collars, and shoulder silhouettes to convey role (tank vs caster vs rogue).
Ensure the front silhouette has interesting negative space (not just a flat rectangle).

4.2 Rear ¾ Hero (Gameplay‑Honest)

Use case: Splash screens for TPP games, lobby scenes, key art that reinforces in‑game camera.

Angle: Camera behind and slightly above the character, often looking toward a vista or threat.

Strengths:

Feels very honest to TPP gameplay.
Showcases capes, backpacks, weapons, and prop placement clearly.
Great for emphasizing silhouette and stance.

Hazards:

Face and chest detail are minimized or hidden.
Marketing may feel nervous if they can’t show the character’s face.

Costume strategies:

Design the back of the costume as a primary billboard: big shapes, clear faction markings, bold color blocking.
Put at least some character personality in the back via trim, patterns, or pose attitude.
For key art, consider subtle head turn to catch a bit of facial expression while staying mostly honest to the rear view.

4.3 Dynamic ¾ Action Angle

Use case: Splash art, box art, battle scenes, hero versus villain compositions.

Angle: Strong perspective, sometimes low angle or Dutch tilt, character mid‑action.

Strengths:

Maximizes drama and energy.
Lets you show flowing capes, skirts, and FX as graphic shapes.
Can represent a blend between in‑game and cinematic views.

Hazards:

Extreme foreshortening can hide silhouette clarity.
Capes and skirts can become unreadable tangles.
Can easily misrepresent cape length or skirt volume vs in‑game.

Costume strategies:

Treat capes and skirts as designed graphic shapes in the composition; simplify folds and edges.
Keep one or two clear read lines (e.g., weapon line, cape sweep) rather than many chaotic ones.
Respect in‑game proportions: don’t over‑inflate cape length by 50% just for drama unless clearly stylized.

4.4 Versus / Face‑Off Angles

Use case: Versus screens, PvP promos, key art featuring multiple factions or teams.

Angle: Two or more characters angled toward each other, often in mirrored ¾ views.

Strengths:

Great for faction and role contrast.
Helps sell meta readability (which side is which, who’s the tank, who’s the sniper).

Hazards:

Overlapping silhouettes can merge; capes and props may intersect visually.
Similar angles between characters can flatten the scene.

Costume strategies:

Design complementary silhouettes: one broad, one narrow; one tall vertical weapon, one low sweeping weapon.
Use opposing cape / skirt directions to steer the eye toward the center clash instead of off frame.
Ensure team colors and faction motifs are highly legible even when characters overlap.

4.5 Iso / Diorama Angles

Use case: Isometric games, tactics RPGs, mobile squad games.

Angle: Tilted top‑down, often 30–45° from horizontal, showing ground plane and character in context.

Strengths:

Directly mirrors gameplay angle.
Shows how costumes sit on the board or battlefield.

Hazards:

Legs and lower garments are heavily foreshortened.
Props and capes can merge with ground patterns.

Costume strategies:

Emphasize top‑side shapes: headgear, shoulders, large weapons.
Keep cape and skirt footprints controlled; avoid huge circles hiding feet.
Use contrast between character and ground (value and color) to keep them popping.

4.6 POV / FPP Promo Angles

Use case: FPP games, weapon and glove skins, immersion marketing.

Angle: Camera inside the character’s head; we see arms, weapon, and environment.

Strengths:

Directly communicates “what you will see” as a player.
Great for selling weapon and glove cosmetics.

Hazards:

Most of the costume is off screen.
Capes and skirts are almost invisible.

Costume strategies:

Ensure gloves, sleeves, and forearm silhouettes carry some of the costume identity.
Use material choices (leather vs fabric, plating vs wraps) to align with the full outfit.
Pair POV shots with at least one full‑body angle in key art packs so players can see the entire costume story.

4.7 VR / AR Eye‑Level Angles

Use case: VR/AR box art, promo sites, in‑headset splash screens.

Angle: Human‑scaled, eye‑level, often at conversational distance.

Strengths:

Conveys presence; feels like sharing space with the character.
Highlights how costumes read up close.

Hazards:

Tiny background figures become irrelevant.
Very small framing changes can distort perceived proportion.

Costume strategies:

Treat face + upper torso as the primary read zone.
Keep busy microdetail under control; it can feel noisy and overwhelming at VR distance.
Use subtle cape and skirt motion rather than huge sweeping shapes that could be uncomfortable when very close.

5. Designing Costumes With Key Art & Promo Angles in Mind

Now let’s talk workflow: how do you, as a costume concept artist, bake key art thinking into your design process instead of bolting it on at the end?

5.1 Angle Thumbnails Alongside Outfit Thumbnails

When you thumbnail costume ideas (silhouette passes, value passes, etc.), add a row of angle thumbnails right away:

1 × front hero
1 × rear ¾ gameplay
1 × dynamic action ¾
1 × iso / top‑down (if relevant)
1 × POV / FPP (if relevant)

These don’t need to be detailed; just block out:

Where capes, skirts, and props fall.
How team colors appear from each angle.
Whether the read is simple and iconic or noisy and ambiguous.

Seeing these together helps you avoid designs that only work from a single, flattering view.

5.2 Identifying Your Costume’s “Hero Angles”

Not every costume looks best from the same direction. Identify 1–2 hero angles per design:

“This tank looks best from rear ¾ with shield presented.”
“This assassin reads best from high ¾, diving down.”
“This mage is clearest from frontal ¾ with staff and book visible.”

Once you know the hero angles:

Make sure marketing‑friendly poses exist for those angles.
Avoid overly relying on angles that contradict gameplay views (e.g., extreme low frontal angles in a game with fixed isometric camera).

5.3 Costume Features That Help Promo Angles

You can design costume elements that naturally support key art.

Consider:

Graphic shapes on chest and back that stay clear even when cropped.
Asymmetrical features (one shoulder pad, a sash, one glove) that make directionality obvious.
Props that point toward focal areas (weapons that guide the eye to face or logo).

Conversely, be wary of:

Over‑complex patterns that blur at small scales.
Symmetry that makes front and back indistinguishable at a glance.
Excessively long or wide elements that are constantly cropped or awkward in standard aspect ratios.

6. Production‑Side: Turning Angles into a Shot Bible

On the production side, especially if you’re in a lead, senior, or live‑ops role, you can help build a shot bible for each character or costume line.

A shot bible is a small document or sheet that says:

“These are the approved angles and poses that best showcase this costume.”
“Here’s how to frame them for store portraits, banners, thumbnails, and cinematic beats.”

6.1 Contents of a Shot Bible

For each character / costume, include:

Angle lineup:
- Front hero portrait
- Rear ¾ gameplay angle
- Action ¾ angle
- Iso / diorama angle (if relevant)
- POV / FPP shot (if relevant)
Pose sketches:
- Neutral pose
- Signature combat pose
- Secondary/emote/fun pose
Camera notes:
- Suggested focal length ranges (e.g., avoid ultra‑wide that distorts the head).
- Height and tilt suggestions (e.g., “slight high angle emphasizes vulnerability”).
Costume notes:
- How capes, skirts, and props should behave (spread, hang, or be restrained).
- Which elements must remain visible in every promo (e.g., role icon, faction logo).

6.2 Working With Capture Artists / Marketing

Many studios have dedicated capture artists (people who pose characters in‑engine for screenshots) or external agencies.

As a costume concept artist, you can:

Provide pose and angle roughs that capture can match.
Flag staging hazards (e.g., “At this angle the cape hides team color; please rotate 10°”).
Suggest safe ranges for camera rotation and zoom during promos.

This collaboration ensures your costume is always seen at its best while remaining honest to gameplay.

7. Readability Across Cameras & Motion: Angle‑Specific Tips

Let’s tie it back explicitly to FPP, TPP, iso, VR/AR, and marketing.

7.1 FPP

Design and showcase two views:
- A POV view: gloves, weapon, bits of sleeve.
- A full‑body TPP view: what others see.
Make sure promo packs show both, so players understand why they’re buying gloves, weapon skins, or full outfits.
Avoid implying that players will constantly see their full costume if the game doesn’t support that.

7.2 TPP

Make rear ¾ a primary promo angle.
Ensure capes, skirts, and props don’t completely hide role reads from that view.
In action key art, keep at least one pose that feels like a slightly dramatized version of the in‑game camera.

7.3 Iso / Top‑Down

Include at least one true iso angle key art shot per major costume.
Avoid showcasing extremely fine lower‑body garment detail in marketing if it will be illegible in gameplay.
Use key art to train players to read headgear, shoulders, and main weapon shapes as the primary cues.

7.4 VR / AR

Show characters at human scale (torso‑up, at conversational distance) in promo materials.
Use angles that resemble what players will actually see in‑headset.
Avoid over‑dramatic mid‑air, camera‑behind‑the‑cape compositions that don’t reflect the close‑up experience.

7.5 General Marketing

When designing seasonal lines or battle passes, try to make angle families: similar hero angles across the lineup.
Ensure every costume has at least one angle that is thumbnail‑proof—strong silhouette, clear colors, simple background.
Keep a mental checklist:
- “Does this angle teach players how the character reads from the gameplay camera?”
- “If this is the only image a player sees, do they get the right impression of the costume and role?”

8. Practical Exercises for Costume Concept Artists

Here are some exercises that will help you internalize key art and promo angle thinking.

Exercise 1: 5‑Angle Sheet for One Costume

Pick a costume you’ve already designed.

Create a single sheet with:

Front hero portrait
Rear ¾ gameplay angle
Dynamic ¾ action angle
Iso / top‑down angle (even if your game isn’t iso, just to test shapes)
POV / FPP view (if relevant)

Ask yourself:

Which angle best expresses the costume’s identity?
Which angle feels most honest to how players will see the character?
Where do capes, skirts, or props cause occlusion or confusion?

Exercise 2: Thumbnail Stress Test for a Splash Illustration

Take a splash or promo illustration you’ve done (or a favorite from a game you love).

Shrink it down to storefront thumbnail size.
Convert it to grayscale.
Ask: “What do I still understand?” and “What details were wasted?”

Then, redraw a simplified version of the costume and pose specifically optimized for that tiny size.

Exercise 3: Honesty vs Drama Dial

Design two promo angles for the same costume:

Honest angle: Very close to gameplay camera.
Drama angle: Pushed perspective, stronger pose.

Compare:

How much you had to exaggerate cape flow, skirt spread, or prop size to reach the drama version.
Which aspects of the “drama” design you can responsibly “dial back” into the honest version without losing excitement.

Exercise 4: Iso Diorama for a Non‑Iso Game

Pick a TPP or FPP character and design a mini diorama using an iso angle.

How does the costume’s silhouette hold up from above?
Which reads survive? Which are lost?

This helps you avoid over‑relying on low eye‑level shots for clarity; it pushes you to think about pure shape language.

9. Building a Key Art Mindset for Costumes

Key art and promo angles are not a separate world from gameplay cameras—they’re an extension and amplification of them. As a costume concept artist, you’re in a unique position to:

Protect readability across cameras and motion.
Help marketing showcase costumes honestly and beautifully.
Give animation, capture, and UI teams angles they can rely on again and again.

When you:

Design with hero angles in mind from day one,
Consider FPP, TPP, iso, and VR/AR realities in your pose and staging choices,
And collaborate with production to build shot bibles and promo guidelines,

…your costumes stop oscillating between “marketing fantasy” and “in‑game compromise.” Instead, they become a coherent visual experience, from the first teaser image to the thousandth match.

That’s when your work as a costume concept artist transcends single images. You’re not just making cool key art—you’re designing recognizable, trustworthy visual identities that hold up from every angle, in every camera, in every moment of motion.