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Concept Artist Specialization

Master advanced concept art techniques and launch your career in film, games and publishing

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Overview

Industry-Driven Concept Art Training to Launch Your Career

The Concept Artist Specialization course equips aspiring artists with the advanced skills and industry insights needed to create professional-grade artwork for film, games, and publishing. Taught by experienced industry mentors, this course dives deep into advanced design principles, storytelling through art, and refining your unique style. Students will learn to craft compelling characters, environments, and props while mastering industry-standard tools and workflows. 

  • Mentorship from Award-Winning Artists: Learn directly from top industry professionals who have worked at major studios.
  • Master Advanced Techniques: Refine your concept art skills through hands-on practice with advanced techniques used by industry artists.
  • Industry-Standard Skills: Master the techniques and tools used by top concept artists to ensure your work aligns with professional expectations.
  • Career Coaching: Get personalized advice on navigating the entertainment industry and advancing your concept art career.

By the end of the program, you'll have a polished portfolio that showcases your expertise and positions you for a successful career in entertainment design.

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Our Difference

Master Your Skills. Master Your Future.

Our mission is to ensure graduates are the best trained and best prepared for a successful career in their chosen field.

badge_mentor_bronze Industry Mentors Learn from the best! Our instructors are seasoned industry pros and bring real-world knowledge to the classroom, ensuring you're equipped with the skills that studios demand.  
badge_mastery_bronze Outcomes Our goal is to make you job-ready. You'll graduate with technical skills and a deep understanding of the industry, making you a valuable asset to any studio.  
badge_community_bronze Community Join an active community and network with peers, mentors, and industry professionals. Our strong industry connections can help you access job opportunities post-graduation.  
Course Information

Everything You Need To Know

Quick Overview
Course Structure
What You'll Learn
Tuition & Payment
certificate-bronze-03 Qualification Industry certificate  
trimesters-bronze-02 Study Load

20hrs/week

  
calendar-bronze Program Length

9 months

  
online-bronze-01 Delivery Mode Online live classes
Custom video lectures
Personalised mentor feedback  
tuition-bronze-01 Skill Level

Advanced
Completion of Concept Art & Illustration Foundations or portfolio submission

  
start-date-bronze-02 Start Dates
January 6, 2025 February 3, 2025 March 3, 2025
  

Your pathway to the film and games industry

The 9-month Specialization Course is the second half of our Career Track, preparing you for your first day in the industry. Your future awaits!

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Want to take your education higher?

Did you know that the subjects you complete in the career track courses can be used to apply for credit toward our accredited degrees and diplomas in the same discipline? 

The skills and knowledge you build in any industry-certificate course can be transferred into academic credits through our Advanced Standing and Credit Transfer process. So, if you decide to take your studies to the next level, know that your prior learning will be recognized.

Compare your options and find out which course is right for you.

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Term 1: 12 weeks

Characters, Creatures & Enhanced Workflow Techniques

In the creature and character design term, you’ll use anatomy, posing skills, personality and character traits, plus the environment to inform your designs. Create backstories for your characters and experiment with color, posing and lighting to engage your audience in the story. 

What You'll Learn
  • Learn to create polished concept art
  • Design incredible creatures and characters
  • Use story and posing to drive action
  • Build professional model sheets
Weekly Breakdown
  1. Character Design: Villains 01
  2. Character Design: Villains 02
  3. Character Design: Heroes 01
  4. Character Design: Heroes 02
  5. Character Design: Creatures 01
  6. Character Design: Creatures 02
  7. Matte Painting - Photobashing 01
  8. Matte Painting - Photobashing 02
  9. Environment Paintover 01: Design and Texture
  10. Environment Paintover 02: Polish
  11. Prop Paintover
  12. Zbrush Character Paintover
Term 2: 12 weeks

Introduction to 3D Concept Art

Speed up your workflow using 3d sculpting and kitbashing techniques to quickly block out, light, and render your concept art. You'll create dynamic compositions using Zbrush and Blender to develop your concept art skills further and learn industry-standard workflows. Starting out by sculpting basic forms to generate quick renders, capturing detail, and lighting, you'll move on to more complex models such as the human form and complex environments. Finish with several pieces of original 3D concept art for your portfolio.

What You'll Learn
  • Use Photoshop, Zbrush, and Blender to enhance your concept art workflows
  • Gather strong reference material and create quick thumbnail sketches
  • Set up camera angles and lighting to capture detail and textures
  • Polish your work to a professional level using the latest studio techniques
Weekly Breakdown
  1. Zbrush Mini UI Navigation and Tools
  2. Zbrush Adding Objects
  3. Sculpting, Painting and Rendering a Character
  4. Applying Lessons 01 - Sculpting
  5. Applying Lessons 02 - Paintover 
  6. Refining Concept Painting 
  7. Introduction to Blender and Scene Brainstorming
  8. Scene Layout and Terrain Creation
  9. Importing Models and HDRI Lighting
  10. Compositing and Photoshop Methods for Environments
  11. Photoshop Paintover 01
  12. Photoshop Paintover 02
Term 3: 12 weeks

Mentored Studio: Concept Art

This final term is dedicated to getting you job-ready! With your mentor’s guidance, you’ll polish your best art for your portfolio and learn how to develop your competitive edge, market yourself, and make the best possible impression in front of employers. You'll also receive additional 1-on-1 career support, portfolio reviews, and industry insights from CG Spectrum's Career Coach.

What You'll Learn
  • Polish your portfolio to impress employers
  • Be more confident with negotiation
  • Network and self-promote effectively
  • Tap into the hidden job market 
Weekly Breakdown
  1. Career Pathways
  2. Industry Overview
  3. Portfolio Upgrade
  4. Networking and Online Presence
  5. Resume and Cover Letter
  6. Job Hunting
  7. Freelance Work
  8. Interviews and Pitching
  9. Personal Projects and Challenges
  10. Working in a Studio
  11. Contracts and Negotiations
  12. Personal Roadblocks

Download the Course Guide

Your creative journey begins here! Download our comprehensive course guide and discover the exciting educational opportunities that await you.
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Monthly
Upfront
SAVE 10%

Group Class

$1,222 USD/mo
$9,999 USD
CG Spectrum’s small group classes provide an ideal learning environment for aspiring artists to grow their skills and connect with peers. With a maximum of 4 students per class, the intimate setting ensures personalized attention from experienced industry mentors.

  4 students max class size

  Students are assigned mentor

  Group interaction & collaboration

Private 1:1

$1,711 USD/mo
$13,999 USD
Learning 1-on-1 with CG Spectrum provides personalized guidance from industry experts, tailored feedback, and flexible scheduling. This focused approach helps students master skills, build competitive portfolios, and prepare for careers in games, film, and animation.

  Private dedicated mentor

  Students choose their mentor


  More dedicated time per week

Don't Put Your Future On Hold

Financing shouldn't stand in the way of pursuing your dream career. No matter where you are in your creative learning journey, our financing options have been designed with you in mind.
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Mentors

Learn Directly From Film & Game Mentors

To be the best, it helps to learn from the best. All concept art classes are taught by professional concept artists with years of experience.

Brandon Reimchen's Work
Firas Hosn
Brandon Reimchen

Brandon brings almost 20 years of experience as a video game concept artist with a long client list that includes EA, Activision, Capcom, Gree, and Disney Interactive.

Known for Resident Evil

Tyler James's Work
Firas Hosn
Tyler James

Award-winning artist Tyler has worked with major clients like Cryptozoic and Blizzard on titles including Heroes of the Storm, Warhammer, Rift, Star Wars, Hex, Warcraft, and RWBY.

Known for Heroes of the Storm

Brian Huang's Work
Firas Hosn
Brian Huang

Brian is an illustrator and concept artist for video games with expertise in art direction, visual development, and concept art. His credits include World of Warcraft, Diabolo, and Starcraft.

Known for Diablo III

Fang Jing's Work
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Fang Jing

Possessing a degree in concept art, Fang has produced many concept designs for projects including Minecraft Dungeons and Prison Architect. She currently works at Sony Playstation Studios.

Known for Concord

Humza Khan's Work
Firas Hosn
Humza Khan

Humza has worked for EA, Microsoft, Activision, LucasArts, Wargaming, Ubisoft, Fischer Price, Hasbro, Mattel. Credits include: Call of Duty, The Division 2, and the Sims.

Known for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

Bernie Kang's Work
Firas Hosn
Bernie Kang

Now art director at Phoenix One, Bernie created creatures, characters, weapons and FX concepts for cinematic trailers for World of Warcraft and more while at Blizzard.

Known for World of Warcraft

Mike Thompson's Work
Firas Hosn
Mike Thompson

Award-winning artist Mike has worked with clients such as Marvel, Hasbro, Dimension Films, HBO, Electronic Arts, Warner Bros, Mattel, DC Comics and Cartoon Network.

Known for Black Panther

Peter Ocampo's Work
Firas Hosn
Peter Ocampo

Peter is a freelance concept artist and has worked at DNEG as an in-house concept artist on diverse projects for film and TV. He has a particular passion for designing dark horror creatures.

Known for Annihilation

Jonathan Li's Work
Firas Hosn
Jonathan Li

Jonathan currently works as a Concept Artist at Square Enix. He has a passion for narrative arts and loves creating worlds, characters, and the stories they can tell.

Known for Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

Kinman Chan's Work
Firas Hosn
Kinman Chan

Known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Joel Carpenter's Work
Firas Hosn
Joel Carpenter

Known for Kitti Katz

Catalin Laie's Work
Firas Hosn
Catalin Laie

Known for Brother in Arms 3

Dio Lee's Work
Firas Hosn
Dio Lee

Known for Halo Infinite

Student Testimonials

Get The Education Your Deserve

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"I have never experienced such an explosive evolution in my art since attending CG Spectrum.

I have learnt an incredible amount, not only from my amazing mentor Eric Wilkerson but from the entire CGS community. Being part of such an amazing program has opened my eyes to techniques that have streamlined my process and increased my confidence tenfold. I highly recommend the Advanced Illustration Course. Buckle up, and knuckle down – this could be the course that changes everything for you."

 

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Oliver H  |  Concept Art & Illustration

  
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"Thank you CG Spectrum for giving me exactly what I needed to get started in this competitive industry.

I started the Concept Art & Illustration Course to create a stunning portfolio to apply for an internship. Without CG Spectrum I would never have been able to create a portfolio on a level that got me an amazing internship in Beijing."

 

Victoria-Pascual 
Victoria P  |  Concept Art & Illustration

  
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"Not just for people wanting to break into the industry, it's also for professionals already in it.

I am a concept artist at Paradox Interactive in Sweden, and I wanted to expand my illustration skills, so I decided to take the Digital Illustration Course. I am loving it!! If you're a professional and want to learn a new skill, I would say go ahead! Expand your set of skills!

 

Ahmed-Albastaki-BW 
Ahmed A  |  Concept Art & Illustration

  
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"Thanks to CG Spectrum, I am a lot closer to my dream of being a concept artist.

The curriculum structure is very reasonable, with both academic basic theories and useful suggestions for career paths. Thanks to my mentors, Brian Huang and Victoria Sarkissian, who not only taught me drawing skills and design techniques, but more importantly, they also gave me the confidence to continue working hard."

 

xinliu-rounded 
Xin L  |  Concept Art & illustration

  
magic-the-gathering

"I was approached by Skybound North, and after a couple of months freelancing, I was offered an in-house job on a new animation project.

I went to a game art school after I graduated, but it wasn’t really what I was looking for. At the same time, I had started CG Spectrum’s concept art course, which is where I met my mentor Brandon Reimchen. He was an amazing teacher!"

 

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April P  |  Concept Art & Illustration

  
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"I've never improved as an artist so quickly.

Great course! They teach you what you need to know and don't waste your time with stuff that just fills out a course. It was specific to what I needed to know. The classes are very personable and the mentors are industry professionals that never hesitate to put in the effort to help you out. I definitely would recommend this to people interested in getting into the industry."

 

tomgarden-rounded 
Tom G  |  Concept Art & Illustration

  
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"I have nothing but great things to say of CG Spectrum!

I was a bit unsure when I signed up for the concept art course because I had no prior experience, but it changed my life. I had a great mentor, Brandon, who would always push me to do better and I learned valuable things in each class."

 

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Erika H  |  Concept Art & Illustration

  
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Join Our Alumni at World Class Studios

Our mission is to train highly skilled graduates ensuring they are prepared for a successful career.  Take the first step towards joining our alumni at world-class studios creating work that inspires.

FAQ's

Questions? We Have Answers

What are the prerequisites for this course?

This course requires the successful completion of the Concept Art and Illustration Foundations career track or a portfolio submission and an accompanying reel/resume. To read our portfolio submission rules and guidelines please head to our FAQ page.

You must also understand the difference between concept art and illustration (as you will need to decide between taking this specialization and the Digital Illustrator Specialization) and demonstrate competent use of perspective, anatomy, color, and colorization in Photoshop, linework, composition, and iterative design as these skills and knowledge are all required in this more advanced course.

Age Minimum
The minimum age to be able to enrol in our career track courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrollment process for applicants under 18.

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).
What are the software and hardware requirements?

Software:

You will be required to purchase Photoshop (photography plan only) for the length of your studies at CG Spectrum.

Hardware:

You will need a computer that meets the minimum system requirements for Photoshop, and a graphics tablet (see digital painting software and equipment).
What concept art careers can I explore post-graduation?

This course gives you an excellent understanding of concept art & digital illustration fundamentals, and depending on your level of commitment, skills, and portfolio pieces, you may be ready to start applying for entry-level artist positions or freelance concept art or illustration opportunities.

To further hone your skills and increase your hiring potential, we recommend honing your skills further through the Concept Artist Specialization or the Digital Illustrator Specialization.

The specialization courses cover more complex techniques and include an entire term dedicated to career development and portfolio preparation to prepare you for junior digital painting jobs such as:

Students also gain access to additional career services to support them in their job hunt. The CG Spectrum community is another great resource—you can network and find out about game development job vacancies through graduates and mentors already working in the industry. 

Discover more about these digital painting jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:
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Looking For Something Else?

Check out our full range of courses with study options for all skill levels, from short introductory courses, specialized industry tracks and accredited degrees and diplomas

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