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Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a concept artist. Feel free to use our concept artist job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a concept artist.

 

Who is a Concept Artist?

A concept artist is a designer who envisions and develops artwork for characters, animals, vehicles, settings, and other creative materials. For a variety of creative projects, they collaborate with creators, directors, and designers to create a uniform look and feel for characters, environments, and visual styles.

Concept artists must understand design and how to incorporate it into any creative effort. The design style of a concept artist working for Pokémon will be considerably different from that of a concept artist working for Blizzard. However, the basic procedure remains the same. The artist’s ingenuity and attention to detail allow them to design a wide range of characters, creatures, and other props for the production. This is why concept art is such a time-consuming process with so many moving pieces.

 

A concept artist was responsible for the creation of everything you see in a video game or animated film. Weapons, props, vehicles, characters, clothing, buildings, interiors, and anything else fall into this category. Concept artists must develop a rich visual library that serves as a database of ideas, shapes, textiles, textures, and other related notions from which to draw. A concept artist must often generate fresh ideas based on specific creative briefs, and the task must be completed quickly.

Here’s an example of a character design artist’s workflow: The art director or creative director presents the artist with a brief. This brief could include information about the character’s personality, visual characteristics, or anything else pertinent to the design.

The concept artist then begins to thumbnail rough ideas. They could make two, twenty, or two hundred thumbnails. However, the most crucial element is the discovery phase.

This is how you get from a blank page to a finished product. The artist will begin digitally painting their thoughts to a complete render once they’ve come up with a few intriguing ideas.

To provide all angles for the design, the greatest artists include a front view, back view, and profile view of the character. They might even show the character leaping, lunging forward, or wielding a weapon. These completed pieces are sent to the art director, who gives feedback on the design. These paintings will be updated if the director makes any modifications. The character’s design will be utilized as a reference for everyone else in the creative pipeline once it’s completed.

 

Characters, animals, scenery, props, and pretty much everything else in a video game or animated film go through the same process. Many concept artists who work in animation, on the other hand, are referred to as visual development artists. This is closely related to concept art, and both occupations necessitate great artistic skills and a keen sense of design.

Concept art is a rapidly rising area, yet it is also fiercely competitive. You’ll require expert-level art principles like perspective, anatomy, composition, light, and tone to get started as a concept artist (among other things). To capture the realistic details that sell an idea, you’ll need to spend a lot of time practicing from reality.

The majority of concept artists for video games work with a realism approach. However, concept designers for animation usually stick to the artistic style of the project they’re working on (which can also be realism).

If you want to be a concept artist, you must first master the craft of painting. Concentrate on the basics and draw every day. However, you’ll need decent design taste as well. Think of a concept artist as a product designer who develops seats, computers, laptops, vehicles, and so on, except for cases when the goods are built for digital assets.

Picking a concept art specialty and sticking to it is also beneficial. Concentrate on character design if you enjoy it. If you enjoy nature or animals, this is the path to choose. If you can design one sort of concept art properly, your portfolio will stand out a lot more. And, of course, the most important thing is to keep practicing.

 

Types of Concept Artists

Concept artists come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Concept artists must specialize in a specific field to make the best use of their resources, abilities, and time. The following are the most common sorts of concept artists:

Character concept artists: These are concept artists who specialize in character design for video games, animated films, and other types of media.

Environment concept artist: Concept artists specialize in the creation of backdrops for films, video games, commercials, and other media.

Product concept artist: Concept artists specialize in the design of products or objects, whether for a production firm, a brand, or items in video games or films.

Vehicle concept artists: These are concept designers who specialize in designing cars for a business, a video game, or a film.

Architectural concept artists: These are concept artists who specialize in the design of structures, typically for real-world construction but also for computer games.

 

Concept Artist Job Description

Below are the concept artist job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a concept artist job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.

The duties and responsibilities of a concept artist include the following:

• Create concept art for a variety of platforms, including online marketing campaigns, print advertisements, and video games.
• Create artwork for a variety of tasks, including architecture, clothing, and characters.
• Create spec sheets for other animators and artists to utilize that show the math and measurements of a design.
• Create presentation kits to present concept art.
• Collaborate with other art departments or team members.
• Assist with the design of marketing materials and creative assets.
• Collaborate with the project team to come up with ideas for the project brief and interpret it.
• Look for information about the project, such as translation styles, characters, and comparable projects.
• Present his ideas, research, and references to the project team.
• Create rapid sketch draughts for assessment after interpreting original concepts.
• Create detailed concept designs in a range of mediums, such as 2D drawings or 3D renders, that are unique to the brief.
• Participate in feedback sessions and keep track of any changes.
• Create characters, environments, props, and designs based on input.
• Manage project timelines and schedules, and notify the supervisor of any problems.
• Keep up with the newest design trends and technological breakthroughs.
• Draw and paint environments, characters, buildings, cars, and props quickly and in detail (including the creation of thumbnails and wireframes).
• Explain and pitch ideas to the client and design team clearly and concisely.
• Adapt and improve your work in response to client feedback.
• Maintain open lines of communication with the customer.
• Create specification documents for others to follow, noting measurements and features precisely.
• Stick to hard deadlines.

 

Qualifications

The qualification requirement for the role of a concept art requires that one possess the following:

1. There is no official admission requirement for this position, and you can work as a concept artist without having earned a degree. However, having a solid portfolio is critical, as this will be the employer’s primary consideration when making hiring decisions.

A good portfolio should exhibit an excellent command of fundamental art abilities as well as a comprehension of essential design principles. An artistic degree will assist you in demonstrating these abilities and will provide you with a distinct advantage. Degrees that include the use of creative software packages are also in great demand, thus degrees that include them will be beneficial.

If you have the essential abilities necessary by an employer, a foundation degree or HND in an artistic field may suffice.

Degrees that illustrate essential artistic principles, as well as familiarity with creative applications, will offer you an advantage, particularly:

• • Fine art
  • Illustration
  • Animation
  • Graphic design
  • Drawing and Painting
  • Games Design and Art.

When it comes to entering this area, experience in any creative function, making good industry contacts, and having a compelling portfolio are just as important as qualifications. If you’re particularly interested in a specific industry, such as advertising, prior industry experience, particularly in a creative role, will be advantageous.

2. Experience as a concept artist or graphic designer for at least two years is preferred.

3. For rough conceptualization, excellent sketching abilities are required.

4. Proficiency in the use of Photoshop, Illustrator, Maya, and Blender are among the various 2D and 3D software packages.
5. Ability to produce high-quality artwork within a short time frame.
6. Excellent ability to communicate and interpret.
7. Ability to work as part of a team and contribute.
8. Willingness to pick up new software and tools for further learning and improvement.
9. High organization and capability of juggling numerous projects at the same time.

 

Essential Skills

Some of the vital skills required to function in this role include the following:

1. Creativity: As a concept artist, you’ll be working on a wide range of briefs, so it’s critical that you’re innovative and can continue to push the boundaries of your past projects.
2. Flexibility: As the project proceeds, briefs may change, so you’ll need to be adaptable and willing to adjust artistic direction as needed to meet the most recent requirements.
3. Organization: There’s a good chance you’re working on many projects or project components at the same time. This is why having good organizational abilities is so important.
4. Teamwork: Because concept artists work as part of a team or a larger department in the majority of firms, effective teamwork and leadership abilities are essential.
5. Passion:  Because certain days will be particularly demanding, having a passion for your work as a concept artist can assist to make the workdays more pleasurable and the learning process goes more smoothly.
6. You may also have hard skills (also known as technical skills) depending on your specialization, such as:

• • Knowledge of anatomy
  • Knowledge of 3D and 2D rendering
  • Knowledge of design programs
  • Knowledge of illustration concepts

7. Perspective, composition, color and light theory, form, structure, and texture are just a few of the fundamentals in which he needs to excel at.
8. Outstanding time management abilities, with the ability to swiftly sketch and adapt images under tight timeframes – if you miss a deadline, the entire project will be delayed.
9. Great communication skills for describing concepts to clients and other members of the team.
10. To develop images of people and places that don’t yet exist, you’ll need strong research abilities and a vivid imagination.
11. You’ll be producing and polishing images both digitally and by hand, so you’ll need exceptional technical talents, particularly in creative programs and software.
12. Tenacity to receive regular comments and adjust your work in response to the client’s and director’s opinions.
13. Outstanding attention to detail.

 

How to Become a Concept Artist

The following are the steps you can take to pursue a career as a concept artist:

1. Get a high school diploma: Obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent is the first step toward a career as a concept artist. To be considered for an entry-level concept artist role, you must have at least a high school graduation.
2. Pursue a bachelor’s degree: A bachelor’s degree in fine arts or a similar area is the next step toward becoming a concept artist. While a bachelor’s degree isn’t necessarily necessary for companies looking for concept artists, it does provide in-depth expertise that can’t be found anywhere else. A degree program will also give you opportunities for hands-on learning and may help you form networking connections in this industry, which will be beneficial once you graduate.
3. Obtain an art certification: You should consider getting an art certification at a post-secondary art college after completing your bachelor’s degree. While an art certification is not essential to work as a concept artist, it can help you stand out from the crowd by demonstrating your talents and abilities to companies. You will gain essential skills and experience as a result of your certification.
4. Practice regularly: You should practice sketching daily while pursuing higher education to refine your talents and perfect your artistic ability in the following areas:

• • Knowledge of MAYA
  • Graphic design
  • Artistic skills
  • Creative skills
  • Photoshop
  • Design concepts
  • Game designs
  • Character design
  • Visual development
  • ZBrush
  • 3-D modelling
  • Anatomy

5. Create a portfolio of your work: You’ll need to construct a professional portfolio that exhibits your work either during or shortly after graduating from a bachelor’s program. You can develop a website for your work that showcases your greatest work as well as your contact information, allowing potential employers to contact you.

Include art done in the medium with which you are most comfortable while developing your online portfolio. You should also include a variety of art styles, such as machine illustrations, character sketches, schematics, and environmental art. Include captions that explain how each artwork was created.

6. Start networking: The more people in your professional network you have, the more likely you are to find an open concept artist position. Connect with other concept artists on social media sites like Twitter and Instagram, go to concept art-related networking events, reach out to concept artists that work for organizations you’d like to work with and keep your portfolio up to date with your current work regularly.
7. Get some experience: To be eligible for some concept artist opportunities, you must have prior experience. Consider pursuing an internship with an art-related company to gain practical experience. If this is a field you are familiar with, you might potentially work as a graphic designer.
8. Apply for jobs: To be considered for some concept artist opportunities, you must have prior experience. Consider doing an internship with a company that deals with art to gain practical experience. If you’re familiar with the field, you could work as a graphic designer.

 

Where to Work as a Concept Artist

Concept artists’ opportunities are nearly entirely limited to the private sector. The bulk of offered roles are in the video game industry, however, concept artists are also employed by a variety of other businesses, including:

• Animation studios
• Film and television studios
• Art departments across all industries
• Creative agencies
• Illustration and design studios
• App development firms
• Advertising and marketing agencies
• Publishing houses.

In this industry, it’s usual to work on a freelance basis, taking on short-term contracts and project work. The length of freelance contracts in this profession varies based on the project, but they usually last between two and three months. Freelance work allows you to pick and choose jobs that suit your personality and interests, but it is less secure.

Self-employment is prevalent in this sector, and a wide range of organizations hire concept artists, so freelancers should have no trouble finding work.

 

Concept Artist salary scale

Concept Artist salaries in the United States range from $14,263 to $379,980, with a typical compensation of $69,119. Concept Artists in the middle earn between $69,119 and $172,706, with the top 86 percent earning $379,980. Starting salaries for entry-level or junior concept artist positions in the United Kingdom, on the other hand, range from £17,000 to £20,000.

Concept artists can make between £25,000 and £40,000 depending on their experience. Concept artists earn an average of £14 per hour as freelancers.

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