# Define Art Direction Before Generating Assets

Vague visual briefs lead to inconsistent assets and repeated generation costs. This skill guides style decisions, moodboard comparisons, palette constraints, and storyboard planning before production.

## Install

```bash
npx skillstore add layerai/layer-art-direction
```

## Metadata

- Status: approved
- Slug: layerai-layer-art-direction
- Skillstore revision: r1
- Version status: missing
- Tree hash: f4940d846d2f0e6f20345d10a6c35df262cd97055ca2d1c4bd87dcb317431fdd
- Author: layerai
- GitHub username: layerai
- License: MIT
- Repository: https://github.com/layerai/skills/tree/315d06db6f760160b26293fd867ac759942e2106/skills/layer-art-direction
- Ref: 7384f00fd76fb1373a81f07166d29fa86886638a
- Supported tools: Claude, Codex, Claude Code
- Audit status: complete
- Agent install advisory: allowed
- Manual install advisory: allowed
- Artifact signature: available
- Audit attestation: unavailable
- Human verification: not\_verified
- Risk factors: external\_commands
- Quality score: 78
- Quality tier: bronze
- Public page: https://skillstore.pages.dev/skills/layerai-layer-art-direction
- Manifest: https://skillstore.pages.dev/api/skills/layerai-layer-art-direction/manifest

## Capabilities

- Translate vague style and era labels into concrete materials, textures, shapes, and production terms.
- Plan moodboards that compare one visual axis while preserving the subject and palette.
- Define palette constraints and prioritize value contrast for gameplay readability.
- Specify camera height, distance, and framing as explicit visual decisions.
- Structure storyboards around advancing narrative beats and choose combined boards or separate shot images.
- Plan continuity through approved reference images and handoffs to related Layer skills.

## Use Cases

- Establish a Game Asset Style: Compare rendering styles for one hero prop, then define a shared palette and reference anchor for subsequent assets.
- Plan an Advertising Storyboard: Write advancing narrative beats and specify framing for each panel before preparing separate images for animation.
- Clarify a Client Visual Brief: Translate broad style labels into concrete visual choices and present a focused moodboard for client approval.

## Prompt Templates

### Clarify a Visual Style

```
My brief is [brief], and the desired style is [style word]. Ask about tone, then propose concrete production terms for approval.
```

### Plan a Focused Moodboard

```
Plan four moodboard directions for [subject]. Vary only [visual axis], preserve [palette], and describe the approval decision before generation.
```

### Define Palette and Framing

```
For [game scene], define a constrained palette, gameplay value contrast, camera height, and shot distance. Keep [team colors] consistent across assets.
```

### Plan a Trailer Production Handoff

```
Plan a trailer for [game] using [approved direction]. Write advancing beats, separate storyboard panels, reference continuity, and handoffs for animation and assembly.
```

## Limitations

- Image generation, video animation, and timeline assembly depend on external Layer tools and related skills.
- The skill provides guidance, not bundled scripts, models, or rendering assets.
- Visual direction requires user feedback and approval before production.
- Palette guidance does not provide automated contrast testing or accessibility certification.

## Best Practices

- Confirm concrete style terms and approve a direction before generating assets at volume.
- Change one moodboard axis at a time and retain the selected image as a reference anchor.
- Write advancing story beats first and create separate panels when each will become a video shot.

## Anti Patterns

- Passing vague labels such as realistic or retro into prompts without defining their visual markers.
- Changing subject, palette, and rendering style together in a comparison moodboard.
- Relying only on hue differences to distinguish gameplay-critical elements.

## Security Audit

- Audited at: 2026-10-11T14:37:07.686\+00:00
- Summary: All nine static findings are false positives caused by Markdown inline code, not Ruby or shell execution. The installation example asks the user to install a missing sibling skill rather than directing unattended execution. No evidence found of prompt injection, credential access, or data exfiltration in SKILL.md.

## Stats

- Views: 0
- Downloads: 1
- Favorites: 0
- Popularity score: 0