Concept Art Course - Learn Online - Classes for Beginners

Learn Concept Art Essentials

Dive into Concept Art: Online Beginner's Course in Essential Tools and Techniques

Overview

Learn concept art basics led by film and game industry artists

In this short course, you'll build your understanding of concept art and illustration essentials and see what it takes to make a career of your craft. Be mentored and inspired by an industry expert with years of experience.

Why study digital painting with us:

  • Receive mentorship from professional artists
  • Learn to conceptualize art for film, games, and publishing
  • Discover industry techniques and workflows
  • Choose 1-on-1 or small group classes (max. 4 students)

You'll explore how to design characters and props for film, video games, and publishing using specialized software, Adobe Photoshop. Basic drawing skills are required. Traditional artists welcome!

Concept Art Course - Learn Online - Classes for Beginners
Qualification

Industry Certificate

Duration

3 months

Commitment

20 hrs weekly

Skill level

Beginner

Start date

December 2nd, 2024

January 6th, 2025

February 3rd, 2025

Delivery Mode

Weekly live online classes
Video lectures
Mentor feedback
Access to vibrant community

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Curriculum

Industry-focused curriculum to get you started as a concept artist or illustrator

Term 1: 12 weeks

Foundations 1: Essentials of Concept Art

Begin your concept art journey by establishing a solid understanding of line work, color, value, and lighting and how they help bring your art to life. Delve into visual design basics and build a strong foundation in character and narrative design to create visually compelling art. Through hands-on projects, you'll take your ideas from reference gathering, thumbnailing, and sketching all the way to polished, rendered artwork that showcases your unique creative vision!

*This course is equivalent to the first term of the Concept Art & Digital Illustration Foundations course. If you choose to continue your learning journey, you'll be eligible to join the Foundations course in Term 2 (and already be one-third of the way through your studies!).

  • Communicating effectively through the use of line, value, and colour
  • Explore character design and visual storytelling through ideation and narrative archetype
  • Develop foundational skills in reference gathering, thumbnailing, and sketching
  • Learn to polish and present your work professionally
  1. Introduction to Line Drawing
  2. Introduction to Value
  3. Introduction to Color & Colorization
  4. Visual Design Basics
  5. Character Design Basics
  6. Narrative Design Basics
  7. Ideation and Reference Gathering
  8. Introduction to Thumbnails
  9. Introduction to Sketching
  10. Clean Line, Value Mapping & Rendering
  11. Color Application
  12. Introduction to Polishing
Career Track

Your pathway to the industry

This short course is equivalent to term one of the Foundations course. On completion of the Essentials course, if you decide to progress further with your studies, you'll enroll straight into term two of the corresponding Foundations course which means you'll already be one-third of the way through your studies! Continue your learning journey towards an exciting career in the industry by enrolling into the Foundations Career Track.

Pathway illustration for Essentials 3 Month Course
Mentors

Build industry skills with mentorship from professional concept artists

Receive personalized guidance and feedback directly from industry experts with years of film, games, and publishing experience.

Frequently asked questions

Concept Art Essentials FAQs

Learn more about the prerequisites for this course and the concept art careers you could explore in the future. For general questions about studying at CG Spectrum, visit the main FAQ page or contact us.

Drawing Skills
For this course, basic drawing competency is required. If you are unsure if you qualify, please contact our admissions team.

Age Minimum
T
he general minimum age to be able to enroll in our industry certificate courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrollment process for applicants under 18.

Students under 16 will require a further assessment before they can officially enrol. This may include an interview with a course advisor and the creation of a study plan to ensure they have considered how they will manage a college-level workload.

English Proficiency
We expect our students to have a good understanding of written and spoken English. There’s no specific ’level'; however, you must be able to understand video tutorials in English (no subtitles) and speak with your mentor in English during your live Q&A session.

Computer Literacy
To be successful in this program, you will need basic computer skills and a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).

Software:

You will purchase Photoshop (photography plan only) for the length of your studies.

Hardware:

You will need a computer that meets the minimum system requirements for Photoshop, and a graphics tablet (see digital painting software and equipment).

Please note: As the software we use is regularly updated, please check the specs against the latest available version at the time of enrollment.

This short course will get you started on your creative journey, but in a competitive industry, we advise continuing your studies with the full career track.

The concept art career track includes the Concept Art Foundations and either the Concept Art Specialization or Digital Illustrator Specialization. It is designed to better prepare you for a job in the industry and help increase your employment opportunities.

The career track ensures you build strong foundational skills before moving on to more complex techniques and workflows. You will also dedicate time to career development and preparing a polished portfolio while you gain invaluable industry insights.

Some of the junior digital painting jobs you could pursue after completing the full study pathway include:

Discover more about these digital painting jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page: