How To Draw Concept Art

Concept fine art is one of the well-nigh sought-later on artistic fields in the games manufacture.

When the GamesIndustry.biz Academy put together its guide to getting a chore in game fine art, Teazelcat CEO and game managing director Jodie Azhar pointed out that concept art roles can have hundreds of applicants for one position, making it i of the most competitive roles alongside grapheme artists.

Olivier Leonardi, proficient art managing director at Ubisoft Reflections, and so added that almost everything in game development starts with concept fine art, making it an platonic surface area of specialisation for immature artists. But concept fine art is also widely idealised by outsiders, who don't realise what it really entails.

"A common misconception is that concept art is about doing cool and pretty drawings or illustrations - it is non"

Pierre Armal, Shiro Games

"A common misconception is that concept art is almost doing cool and pretty drawings or illustrations -- information technology is not," says Pierre Armal, concept artist at Shiro Games. "It is almost ideas, and solving problems for the 3D artists and game designers. Drawing is only a tool used to that end."

And information technology's not the only misconception about the field, adds Cécile Jaubert, too a concept and VFX creative person at Shiro Games. For instance, despite common beliefs, you don't demand to be a flawless illustrator to be a good concept artist.

"80% of the task is designing 'small things'," she says. "There'southward only and then many important characters in a game, but male child is there a lot of chairs and rooms and VFX sometimes. You volition spend a lot of time working on things that might seem insignificant, but your work remains important for your coworkers.

"You don't need to be an incredible painter to be an excellent concept creative person. The most important part of concept art remains skilful design skills. As long as you describe (or photobash) well enough for people to understand your design and transcribe information technology in 3D or in a concluding 2D piece of work, then you're doing your job."

Armal actually wasn't drawing until he started studying to work in the games industry. He went to a 3D graphics schoolhouse and started drawing subsequently he realised concept art was what he wanted to do, then he started learning more well-nigh the field in his own time and through second art lessons.

On the other hand, information technology's Jaubert's honey of drawing that led her to concept art. She initially wanted to work in animation simply following "a series of failed tests," and inspired by a friend who was post-obit that path, she concluded up enrolling into a generalist video game school.

"Nosotros studied a lot of things at that place: 3D, animation, just not besides much 2D," she says. "I am lucky in the sense that I've been drawing since I was young and it never really left me. Doing all these different things during schoolhouse hours was motivating me to draw more for myself on the side.

"But through schoolhouse it also became credible to me that I exercise like the 'puzzle solving' aspect of design, so little by little it became obvious to me that a practiced way to combine drawing and design was concept fine art."

The role and responsibilities of the concept artist
Qualities, skills and adept practices
Advice for new concept artists

Layout exploration by Cécile Jaubert for Shiro Games' Darksburg (artstation.com/zellk)

The office and responsibilities of the concept creative person

Armal explains that concept art consists in the whole visual designing procedure of everything the thespian will see: the characters, the environments, the colors, the moods, the fashion.

The part of the concept artist is crucial to exploring early game ideas, delving into what could work and what doesn't, and iterate rapidly. That inherently means a lot of back and forth between fine art and design teams.

"Drawing is one of the fastest -- and by proxy, cheapest -- ways to explore various possibilities for an element of the game," Jaubert says. "Depending on the precision of the initial pitch, the exploration can go really wild or remain centered around the same cadre elements but with a chip of variation. It usually takes [some] back and forth to find a design that fits the directors and when that's done, the concept is sent to other team members that volition be in charge of making the terminal 3D -- or 2D, depending on the game -- model and breathing it, add sounds to it and insert it in the game.

"Drawing is i of the fastest -- and by proxy, cheapest -- ways to explore various possibilities for an element of the game"

Cécile Jaubert, Shiro Games

"It is possible that in one case integrated in the game, the squad realises some things aren't plumbing equipment -- that would accept been hard to figure out before being contextualised in the game -- and so some retakes can happen, merely by and large the pipeline remains the same."

That also means that concept artists have to produce a lot of different visual options and directions based on the initial pitch, whether that'due south a character, an environs, an object, or an ability.

"Our art helps the remainder of the squad project into these possibilities in a more than concrete manner and make choices from that," Jaubert continues. "Having a visual under the optics helps the directors see which options fit more the feeling or information they desire the thespian to have. It's much easier for everyone in the team to hear, 'This pattern feels scarier than this one, continue pushing in that direction' than, 'Make something scary' and go from there.

"We can never completely forestall big changes from happening and piece of work being 'thrown away,' as it is the life of every project, but nosotros limit this every bit much as possible by weeding options out beforehand."

While the role of the concept artist may exist slightly different depending on the size of the studio, and evolves alongside development, it is the most crucial at the showtime of a projection, as everything needs to be fleshed out.

"That'south the moment when we need a lot of pre-production art to find the game'south direction and pattern the characters and environments that will later be built," Armal explains. "Considering nosotros are a modest studio at Shiro Games, as 2nd artists we have to design the UI, all the icons and interface-related things too. When the production [reaches] the end, we participate in checking everything that can exist polished visually, in both 2D and 3D."

Finally, as concept art is a fashion to explore the game's atmosphere, storytelling volition oftentimes transpire through the fine art, pregnant narrative elements are something concept artists ofttimes have to keep in mind when working.

"I call back it's important, while designing, to ask yourself questions similar 'who?', 'where?', 'how?', 'why?'," Armal says. "For example, for a character, what do they practice? Where do they come from? What are they doing here and how exercise they intend to achieve whatsoever it is they want to achieve?"

Same goes with objects, Jaubert adds. Y'all'll need to think nigh how information technology volition be seen in-game: will it be up close? Or but from i angle? It'south non all about telling a story or transmitting a strong intent for a graphic symbol or environment.

"Sometimes it's just designing a chair that fits a room. But fifty-fifty and so, you can notice footling things to put in them. Your tools will exist the shapes and colours you use, but retrieve also that a lot of the design will likewise come to life through the animations, sounds and effects of the final version."

Concept art by Pierre Armal for Shiro Games' Darksburg (artstation.com/sicaeth)

Qualities, skills and good practices

The qualities of a good concept creative person

Concept art is the ability to convey ideas in a visual form, significant that good communication skills -- both in your art and verbally with your colleagues -- is crucial.

"A good concept artist in my opinion is someone who has expert and interesting ideas, is able to come up upwards with visual solutions to problems, and communicates that through clear and concise drawing and paintings," Armal says.

Jaubert adds: "Sometimes people aren't clear on what they desire, and then you won't e'er have clear cut pitches to base yourself on for your pattern. Endeavour to sympathise what they want, while too minding what you think is good for the game."

Closely linked to communication skills, synthetic thinking and problem solving are a must to exist a skillful concept artist.

"Don't lose yourself in the details, especially not at first"

Cécile Jaubert, Shiro Games

"Don't lose yourself in the details, especially not at start," Jaubert warns. "Similar sculpting a rock, showtime with the big shapes and one time those are validated, then yous tin can piece of work on the details. Information technology might as well exist up to yous to [decide] what the place of the chemical element you're designing is in the game. A game designer will give you parts of the information, a QA might complement it after doing in-game tests, your art director will also have their own word nearly the element you're trying to design. But you demand to summarize all these views together to work. On acme of that you'll also need to learn the visual and blueprint mode of the game so that your concepts fit nicely in the universe."

Finally, curiosity is another central quality to being a practiced concept artist, as you'll need to acquire near all sorts of unexpected things, from beast beefcake to applied science, to perfect your drawings.

"It'southward impossible to take knowledge almost everything, [and] you'll demand to learn for each project you work on," Jaubert says. "My best communication is to cultivate your curiosity, as it is easier to larn something when you make it interesting for yourself. Curiosity volition besides help you cultivate your own references and nurture your tastes, what will eventually grow to be your comfort zone, and what y'all like working on the nearly."

Concept art by Cécile Jaubert for Shiro Games' Darksburg (artstation.com/zellk)

Adept practices for concept artists

In addition to cultivating the qualities listed above, Armal says that one of the best things yous tin can practice to amend is constantly feeding your "visual library" through reading, watching movies, or playing games. And regardless of your level every bit an artist, y'all should always exist working on your drawing fundamentals.

"Sketch a lot, [do] drawing do," he continues. "And take fun. If you don't similar to draw -- which was my case in the kickoff -- learn to love it, it will be incredibly worth it. My favourite [practice] by far is to build a larger personal project, something you work on during a few months. It trains you to work on designs that are cohesive together, and that'southward when I personally accept the most fun and come upward with better designs and ideas."

"Creativity and design are muscles that grow more flexible and stiff when used frequently"

Cécile Jaubert, Shiro Games

Jaubert advises to sketch out your ideas frequently, even if they're random, which volition as well help find your own way. At a bones level, you only need a pencil and paper to practice, but the Shiro Games artists had a few recommendations when it came to software.

"Photoshop is an industry standard but in that location'due south a lot of them out at that place at present," Jaubert says. "Krita, Gimp, FireAlpaca, Prune Studio Paint, Pigment Tool SAI... My advice is to endeavor the ones you're curious nearly and see their strengths and limitations. See how they work and which 1 clicks best with y'all.

"Creativity and design are muscles that grow more flexible and strong when used oft. It doesn't hateful you accept to draw five hours a day though -- just a sketch can be enough. The thing is more than to practise putting the idea down and 'making information technology visually real' rather than keeping information technology in your head, where it will always be a bit shapeless. The act of putting what is in your brain on the paper can be really catchy sometimes. Some ideas volition exist clear cut, others will escape your grasp similar water and it will be a struggle to actually draw them 'like you want them to feel'."

Concept art often means producing a lot of different visual options based on the initial pitch - Concept art by Pierre Armal for Shiro Games' Darksburg (artstation.com/sicaeth)

Advice for new concept artists

When information technology comes to finding a job as a concept creative person in the games industry, Armal advises to brand sure that you have work in your portfolio that actually matches the needs and projects of the studio you're applying for.

"If at that place'southward a studio y'all actually actually want to work at, don't hesitate to tailor all your work towards that studio," Jaubert adds. "As well don't hesitate to exercise fanart. Some people might say y'all should just do original work, but fanart is an excellent fashion to study designs you like, share your passion about something with people that similar it too, and get noticed by people that work on said thing you beloved a lot."

"That shit is no joke, take intendance of your torso."

Cécile Jaubert, Shiro Games

Movie and animation artists moving to games, which can exist a very logical sidestep, may take an reward in terms of employability, simply game artists trying to get into concept fine art besides have the advantage of understanding the pipeline already.

"If yous're coming into the game industry [from film], don't diminish what the knowledge you already have can bring you," Jaubert says. "Designing stuff for a game isn't and so unlike as for a picture -- existent or animation. Just remember to be mindful that game design has priority over visuals. You're making a game. So the most important part of it is, does it experience good to play? Is your pattern helping that direction? And that'due south information technology.

"If you're already in the game industry, talk to the concept artists you know. Ask them about their job. They might take precious communication for you lot, and dissimilar from mine."

And as a last discussion, Jaubert says y'all should also exist taking very practiced care of your body.

"Your hands and eyes are your tool of craft," she says "Even if you don't feel pain or issues, stretch them often -- each time you lot take a little pause, or every two hours if you need a timed reminder, walk exterior and do squats to milk shake off the long hours of sitting. Pushing until you feel discomfort or pain is the sure way to go towards injury that will take you out of practising for months at a time, and sometimes even years. That shit is no joke, take care of your trunk."

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