Who is a concept artist? — Cubic Games column

We continue our series of publications where gaming industry specialists talk about various professions. The new article in the series is dedicated to the work of a concept artist. Valeria Berlenko, content producer at Cubic Games (part of the GDEV holding), shares insights about this specialization.

Valeria Berlenko

What is a Concept Artist?

A concept artist is a generator and visualizer of ideas.

Creating a character in film, a location in a game, or a car in real life all starts with a concept.

It’s important to note the difference between concept art and illustration. The task of concept art is to think through the design and how a particular entity will look and function. Illustration, on the other hand, tells us a story or a plot.

Additionally, the tasks of a concept artist differ from those of a 2D artist and a 3D artist. One could say that the concept artist creates the "foundation" for the further work of 2D and 3D artists.

A concept artist should possess some basic skills of a game designer to form the appropriate mood, understanding, and vision for the concept of a particular object.

In essence, concept artists "resolve" the tasks they receive from clients, engaged in the search for and embodiment of text into art.

What is the Range of Responsibilities for a Concept Artist?

Within game development, a concept artist is primarily a creator and inventor.

If we were to describe the work of a concept artist in one word, it would be "search."

A concept artist is always searching for the most suitable solution, considering various factors. The producer’s vision, the requests and expectations of the target audience, the technical limitations of the project, aesthetic, moral-ethical, and religious aspects… these and many other factors influence the development process and the final result.

Typically, concept artists are divided by their respective specialties—some exclusively draw characters, while others focus on weapons, and so on.

In our company, we have generalists—artists who can concept characters, weapons, and environments.

Our key responsibilities for a concept artist include:

• creating sketches and illustrations that visualize client ideas (typically from game designers);

• creating team reference boards/mood boards;

• creating 2D concepts for characters, weapons, vehicles, backgrounds, and other objects in the game;

• preparing 3D concepts in the form of voxel models and 3D prototypes;

• visualizing and conceptualizing animations and effects for objects in the game;

• texturing completed 3D models (developing and creating skins);

• working with the art director and other team members to ensure the coherence of the game's visual style;
• participating in the creation of style guidelines and other documents describing the visual aspects of the game;
• making changes and refining concepts based on team and client feedback.

What Should a Concept Artist Know to Perform Well in Their Role?

Requirements for concept artists can vary across different projects, but generally, a concept artist needs to:

• be creative and able to generate many ideas;
• work in uncertainty with vague or absent briefs (search, search, search);
• have an artistic foundation (know how to construct composition, and work with form, color, light, perspective, and anatomy);
• be able to work with references;
• have a broad view and be able to harmoniously incorporate it into their work;
• know the basics of design and how a particular object will function;
• be familiar with graphic editing software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop);
• understand the basics of 3D modeling and texturing;
• be able to work with feedback;
• possess resilience to stress.

How Do People Enter the Field and Transition Out? How Can One Get into Concept Art?

In the gaming industry, concept art is most often entered from 2D and 3D disciplines. It can be considered one of the branches of an artist's development. Artists often transition back to 2D, 3D, or into art direction/management.

In concept art, both beauty and thoughtfulness are valued equally, so to become a concept artist, you need to love drawing extensively and thinking deeply.

When it comes to hiring, you need to determine in which specific direction you want to become a concept artist. You might enjoy drawing characters, environments, weapons, or technology. Perhaps you want to work in gaming or film. Do you prefer realism to stylization, fantasy to sci-fi, etc.?

Once you choose your niche, study the market and find projects that you would like to work on as a concept artist. Look on ArtStation for works by other concept artists working on these projects. Draw as if you are already working on that project. Seek feedback from other accomplished concept artists on your work; this is very helpful. Build connections in the gaming industry, as networking often leads to job opportunities. Reach out to companies you want to work for; sometimes, a talented artist can be hired even without a job opening, or you might be contacted as soon as a new position arises.

What is Needed for Growth in This Field?

The recipe for growth is simple:

5% theory + 85% practice + 10% quality feedback

Are There Any Red Flags in This Profession?

Creative burnout. Concept artists need to constantly amaze, offering something new, fresh, unusual, interesting, and cool. To do this, they must continuously find new solutions to the same problems, try new methodologies and techniques, step out of their comfort zones, and brainstorm. All this can lead to creative burnout. It's essential to regularly find sources of inspiration.

Many concepts are left "on the shelf." It's important to understand that, for instance, out of six options, only one will be chosen while the rest are discarded, and possibly no one will ever see them, likely not even making it to your portfolio.

Subjectivity. This aspect always exists in artistic fields, with varying degrees of prominence. It’s beneficial when all participants in the process can defend their decisions with constructive arguments, but even in these situations, there is still room for subjectivity.

Concept ≠ Implementation. Overall, this is a common case.

What Should You Read About This Profession?

Visit ArtStation as often as possible.

I also recommend:

• “Tips and Tricks for Creating Concept Art in the Gaming Industry” by Paul Richards;
• “Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytelling” by Marcos Mateu-Mestre;
• “Color and Light” and “How to Draw What Doesn’t Exist” by James Gurney.