What does it take to be a concept artist?
I want to be a designer. I always have wanted to be a designer of some sort, but I'm not entirely sure for what yet. I'd like to be a concept artist, but I'm not sure if I'm going to be a good enough artist to become one.
What are the biggest things a concept artist should need to be able to do? Do I need to learn many different styles, or can I have just one style? If I am going to be a concept artist for video games, do I need to know coding? Do I need to know how to draw animal, humans and scenery, or can I just focus on one specific thing? Are there any courses to help walk me through the steps of becoming a concept artist; learning anatomy, designing, etc.?
Thanks to all! #art #game-design #concept-design
1 answer
Andy’s Answer
Hi KJ,
Glad to hear that you're interested in becoming a concept artist. There are many skills required in becoming a concept artist. Ideally you should be well versed in drawing all kinds of things; characters, animals, environments, weapons, props, costumes, etc.
Some artists can manage to specialize and have a very distinct art style, but to increase your ability to gain employment it's best to have a broad set of skills and styles. It's easier to specialize in larger companies but for smaller companies you're more useful if you have a broad tool kit.
So it's best to have good fundamentals. Know color, composition, anatomy (human and animal), perspective, environment, etc. You will probably enjoy a few things more than others and that's okay, just don't neglect the other areas.
Most accredited art schools that offer bachelor of fine art degrees will have a thorough course load for you that touch all or most of the above fundamentals.
I hope that this information was helpful to you.