What does a concept artist do?
Concept artists are responsible for the style and look of a game. They are the first to draw the environments, enemies and player characters. Working with a brief from the producer, their sketches are used to help 3D artists, producers, programmers and publishers understand how the game will look.
The drawings of the concept artist are a vital part of the game’s development as they are the starting point of all the artwork and an important part of the marketing plans.
What’s a concept artist good at?
- Art: be very good at drawing by hand, understand of composition, draw in a way that matches genre styles such as fantasy, sci-fi or cartoon
- Creativity: imagine how a character will look, starting from a written brief
- Using art software: create 2D and 3D art using a range of programmes, know the latest technologies and techniques
- Communication: work with the other artists and in the team, share the vision with designers and games developers
- Knowledge of games: understand gameplay, have market awareness, appreciate how art will be experienced as a player
