Best Resources for Learning Concept Art

Concept art is the origin of all the illustrated stories. It’s how designers portray and present fantasy or a game world. The origins of concept arts can be traced back to multiple centuries since it is a form of conveying an alternate reality with stark visualization.

In this online world, the best thing to happen is an abundance of resources to learn anything. And so, you’ll find a lot of amazing resources that give you at least a basic understanding of how concept art works. A formal Concept Art Course is one of the most effective avenues to grasp this knowledge.

Here are some of the few avenues to get you started-

Free courses & tutorials

You’ll find a bunch of free courses, detailed blogs, and video tutorials on concept art to help you learn the basics. Here’s one which grants a foundation to how digital concept art can be learned and applied with some instantly applicable knowledge.

If you are all in on learning concept art for gaming, take a look at this one.

Give this one a watch to gain an intrinsic understanding of the concept art world. And this one if you are keen to learn character concept art.

Designing fantasy or cinema art can be fun as well. This video sums it up very well.

Character Design is one of the key facets of concept art. To learn and have a deeper idea of how it works in real life, have a look at this tutorial.

If you’re into straight-up online learning, you can find interesting courses like Painting Environments, Imaginative Drawing, and much more on popular e-learning sites like Udemy & Skillshare.

Artwork by Phillip Dobrusin

Websites

There are a few websites that give a basic as well as an advanced level of knowledge and practical guidance into the world of concept art.

Let’s list down a few-

1. Concept Art Empire: You can have an all-around look at all the components of concept art and illustration. From 3D modeling and motion graphics to advanced animation & graphic design that applies in the industry on a daily basis.
2. CG Cookie: It’s one of the best places to learn digital painting and concept art. It has specialized courses and paid modules for the advanced practitioners to get ahead in their design and concept artist career.
3. CtrlPaint: For a complete beginner in digital painting and a novice in concept art, this is where you go. Or if you just want to brush up with your basics so you don’t make silly mistakes on your next big project.
4. DrawABox: Another website that focuses on a fundamentals-first approach. Here you can learn all the foundational chapters of design through detailed articles and videos. It’s a place you go to kick start your concept art education. A primer if you will.
5. The Gnomon Workshop: A website with industry professionals of concept art teaching the craft. Also, made more popular by one of the pioneers of concept art in movies and otherwise. Famous for his work on Steven Spielberg movies, Scott Robertson shares his secrets on this website for the beginners and the lifelong learners of concept art.
6. Others: There are loads of other awesome websites you can find on gaming, art and design forums. You could find experts selling courses on Gumroad.com like this one- Maciej Kuciara.

Artwork by Charles Northrup

Books

More often than not, the most patient teacher is a book. You decide when you want to learn. You can learn it all in one go or go at it step-by-step. Some of the books you must absolutely pounce on if you’re really into concept art-

• Light for Visual Artists – Laurence King

For any kind of art, it is uber important to understand light and its effect on color. This book is a fundamental must-read for anyone who’s going to paint, draw, imagine or conceptualize any artwork. Concept art in many ways is a game of shadow and light when it comes to articulating the exact concept you want to portray. Most certainly, this is one of the essentials to learn concept art and the related fields.

• How to Draw – Scott Robertson

If you’re someone who really wants to make it big in concept art, especially in creating an environment, characters, and objects- this is the one book you can take home and be fine. It’s a detailed anecdote and a whole education on how to draw the most basic to the most advanced ideas & imagination into existence.

• Figure Drawing for Artists – Steve Huston

This is a Bible on learning to draw intriguing characters that capture attention and provoke emotions. Many books are present to learn to draw a basic human figure. But none comes close to teaching how to cover the breadth of emotions, feelings, moods, and responses of the body with such depth of understanding.

• Art Fundamentals: Color, Light, Composition, Anatomy, Perspective, and Depth

Are you interested to get to know concept art from the horse’s mouth? Here you go. This book is written by pioneering concept artists working in the riveting gaming & film industries. Get to know what goes behind the tiniest of movements in expressions that seem so simple at first. A Kickstarter book for a beginner in concept art.

• Human Anatomy for Artists – Eliot Goldfinger

Another masterpiece for understanding the peculiarities of the human figure and anatomy. If you truly want to gain a better grasp on how to draw the most nuanced parts of a human with elegance, make this book your guide to excellence. An essential for bringing characters to life, it’s a must-read for others who aim to draw real-life characters.

Concept art is an ever-evolving field. With the increasing accessibility to tools and knowledge owing to technology, it’s becoming easier to find the right resources to learn the basics. If you truly want to go deeper, try learning from the experts and masters of the field to start on a high note already.

Passionate about concept art but confused at the abundance of information the internet throws at you?

Head over to our program section, find one of your choices at prices that put affordability to shame (wink wink) and kick-start your journey now with industry-level support, guidance, and a healthy, exciting networking environment!