When creating a concept art piece, there are various methods and theories that can help bring the process together effectively. In this post, we’ll walk you through the key steps of the concept art workflow to help you enhance your creative process and gain a deeper understanding of how it all comes together.
Brainstorming
The artist is likely to first decide on the concept of the piece. In the case of a piece of concept art, this will be influenced by some kind of popular culture icon or image. It could be from a movie, TV show, video game, comic book, or fantasy novel, for instance. There are really no rules, but in the development of the concept, there is usually a love of a particular world or set of characters that the artist is keen to bring to life. You’ll find yourself determining the tone and style, including time period and settings, and any specific story element you might need to rely on too.
Gathering References for Concept Design
The process of collecting vital reference material is essential because without it, you are not able to create a piece of concept art at all. During this process, the artist will likely consume and collate as much material as possible to help get closer to the concept and start to form some stronger ideas around it. This is all about gaining inspiration at this stage.
Sketching for Concept Design
Initial sketches of the characters, themes, settings, and general ideas, so that you have something you can start to draw together later on. These sketches are your chance to allow your creativity to shine through and just try anything out. You can’t really make mistakes here, in that sense.
Deepening Your Concept Art Skills
After the initial sketching process, there will come a period of deepening it and making the image more complex and engaging. That may involve the use of shadows, lighting, and an increase in the way the forms are depicted. The point is to get the sketch closer to what you want it to be in the final analysis.
