What does a concept artist do?
Concept artists develop the initial visual concepts (characters, props, vehicles, environments) from a script or creative brief. They set the tone and style of the work, giving life to an abstract idea. Concept art is used as a reference point throughout a project's development.
Visual storytelling is the key task of the Concept Artist, they imagine characters and worlds from off the page and bring the story to life. If you have a talent for visualizing abstract ideas a career as a Concept Artist could be for you!
Concept artist job description
The role of the Concept Artist is crucial as their work will be the stylistic building blocks upon which the animation, video game, cartoon, etc are built. They interpret a design brief from a client or expand their own original idea by illustrating the key characters and environments of a project. This preliminary artwork will be simple but expressive as it will be developed and expanded further during the development process.
Role and responsibilities of a concept artist in film and games:
- Liaising with the producer, art director, game developer, etc regarding the brief for the project
- Researching concept subjects, styles & genres
- Creating detailed key designs from a written brief
- Presenting a series of drafts of the concepts for approval
- Responding positively & proactively to feedback
- Drawing up specification sheets, establishing dimensions & details for others to follow
- Working to a schedule
- Using traditional & technological approaches to creating designs in either a 2D or 3D environment
- Assisting in creation of marketing materials and assets
- Continuing to develop concepts & designs for the duration of the production process
STUDY CONCEPT ART
Skills required to become a concept artist for film and games
Concept artists must possess a practical imagination to be able to bring the ideas of others to life. Interpreting a brief is the key skill for a concept artist, and what follows from this is constant development and refinement until the final design is approved.
Film and game companies may look for the following skills in a concept artist:
- Strong drawing skills, with a specialization in concept design
- Ability to draw in a variety of styles
- Knowledge of anatomy and zoology, costuming, physical settings and history-related references
- Solid awareness of facial expression, pose, posture, gesture and movement
- Able to draw from written briefs
- High-level attention to detail
- Solid understanding of visual language - texture, color, dimension, scale, perspective, shade, composition, depth of field, proportion, spatial awareness, etc
- Good communication skills, ability to explain concepts and support artistic choices
- Skilled in technical drawing
- Excellent time management skills, ability to consistently meet deadlines
- Team player, skilled at working independently
- Knowledge of the animation and/or game development processes
What software and tools do concept artists use?
Concept Artists work with a selection or combination of the following software. Some artists prefer to sketch out initial drawings using paper, pens and/or pencils, however, all final artwork is delivered in digital format
Concept artists may need knowledge of a combination of the following software:
- Paper & drawing tools
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- Corel Painter
- Zbrush
- Mudbox
- Clip Studio
- Autodesk SketchBook
- Tablet & digital pen
How much does a concept artist make?
Most concept artists will work as freelancers on films, animated features, and short and game production, however, they can attain full-time positions at animation studios and gaming companies.
Depending on location and employer, the average concept artist salary is around US$63,000, increasing with experience. (Source: salary.com)
To learn more about this field, read: What it's like to be a professional concept artist (Interview with award-winning Blizzard Entertainment Concept Artist Tyler James)
