Student work by Steve Koo
CG Spectrum offers comprehensive concept art courses designed to equip aspiring artists with the skills needed to thrive in the entertainment industry.
These courses provide hands-on training in creating visually stunning concept art for video games, films, and animation. With a curriculum designed and taught by industry professionals, students learn advanced techniques in digital painting, character and environment design, and storytelling.
Whether you want to freelance as an independent artist, or work at a major film or game studio, you'll learn job skills, master complex techniques and learn to communicate through art, creating compelling work that captivates and inspires.
CG Spectrum's online concept art courses offer a complete study pathway to get you industry-ready. Receive the highest quality education and learn the latest techniques used by major studios.
Expand your concept art skill set, learn best practices and professional lighting techniques. These courses are designed to give you the necessary skill set to prepare you for your concept art career.
Get a more hands-on education with mentorship from top film and game experts, an industry-approved curriculum and a thriving creative community cheering you on.
By giving you access to the most talented artists in the industry, we help you to become well connected, trained and prepared for life beyond school.
What you get when studying at CG Spectrum:
As an online school with students and mentors in 90+ countries, we're proud to bring the industry to you – wherever you are in the world!
Our commitment to job-outcomes and focus on career development has helped graduates find work at studios all over the world.
Get expert feedback and support from your industry mentor in a live Q&A call each week. All CGS mentors are established artists with years of experience creating art for films and games at top studios.
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.
Manager of Digital Painting
Known for Resident Evil
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.
Mentor of Concept Art & Illustration
Known for Hearthstone
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Game of Thrones (publication)
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.
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Black Panther
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.
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for World of Warcraft
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.
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Halo Infinite
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Brother in Arms 3
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Illustrations for children's market
Our students create amazing quality work that speaks for itself. We provide you with the tools and resources to help you build a portfolio that gets noticed.
CG Spectrum has given me the skills I need to make my art a professional career.
I've always wanted to pursue training in concept art, but living rurally I never had the opportunity to do so, until I came across CG Spectrum. The online learning capacity allowed me to study from home. My mentor gave me detailed critiques, not just pointing out flaws, but painting over and showing how to improve them. I was always encouraged to push the envelope, and gained valuable insight into the industry. A fantastic school, I highly recommend it!
I honestly couldn’t have had a better experience with the classes.
I got an hour each week of dedicated one on one time with the mentor. He would give me critiques and paint overs of my work. The paint overs from a professional are the biggest benefit in my opinion. Not only are the classes immensely helpful, the staff are quick to answer emails and they even went out of their way to send my certificates to colleges here in the USA, which helped me get accepted to some of the top art schools on the east coast.
Training with a mentor 1-on-1 was instrumental in learning what to expect in the industry.
Shortly after completing the course, I landed several long term projects. I'm very grateful for the time and patience my mentors gave me. Highly recommend CG Spectrum to anyone looking to learn new skills or up their game in the digital art world.
Discover free concept art resources and articles to inspire you on your journey into the film and games industry.
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. Their day can vary depending on the project.
Some general tasks that a concept artist might do in a day include:
A concept artist might also spend some time working on personal projects to improve their skills. This could involve practicing new techniques or trying out different styles. By continuously developing their skills, a concept artist can ensure that they're always able to create the best possible art for their projects and clients.
Highly skilled concept artists are in demand due to the ever-growing gaming and movie industry. These industries are always looking for talented individuals to work on a variety of projects. However, concept artist roles are extremely competitive (just head to ArtStation to see the standard of work top concept artists are producing!). So if you want to make it as a concept artist, you have to be prepared to put in the work!
To become a concept artist, you first need to develop your skills and expand your portfolio. This can be done by taking a course, studying the work of other artists, and practicing as much as possible.
Next, you'll need to network and build relationships with people in the industry so you can learn about new projects, show off your skills, and get your foot in the door.
Finally, you need to be patient and persistent. It takes time and hard work to succeed in any field, but if you're passionate about art and willing to put in the effort, then a career in concept art could be right for you.
Besides becoming a Concept Artist, an artist with additional illustration skills could explore careers as a Digital Illustrator, Comic Illustrator, Game Illustrator, Book Illustrator, Keyframe Illustrator, Character Designer, Environment Designer, or Asset Designer. Explore all digital painting jobs.
You need to be able to draw well enough to communicate your ideas visually to your clients or colleagues. Concept artists require a strong foundation in the basics of art and design, as well as composition, color theory, and lighting.
Concept artists typically use various mediums to create their work, including traditional media like pencils and paints, as well as digital painting programs like Adobe Photoshop and 3D modeling software such as Blender or ZBrush.
No, you don't need a drawing tablet to be a concept artist, but it will make your life easier. A drawing tablet gives you the ability to create digital art for film and games more efficiently. Most clients will expect to receive digital files, and it is faster to save different versions and make changes based on client feedback.
While you can find some cheaper alternatives, we recommend investing in a quality tablet that will last you a long time and provide a great experience.