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How to Make Concept Art for Video Games? A Beginner’s Guide

Want to start making those beautiful visuals that you see in video games? All around the world, there are at least 2.5 billion people who play video games, making them a perfect platform for your art.

The important thing people usually look for in video games is the aesthetic design of the game, along with a good story and smooth controls.

Video game concept art is one of the most significant stages in video game development. It’s the initial sketch of game characters and designs that defines the game’s look and style.

Not sure how to make concept art?

Don’t fret, we’re here to help. Read our guide below to learn everything you need to get started:

1. Knowing What to Expect

You must know your way around different software related to drawing and making 3D models. The main goal of concept art is to inform and give a detailed direction to the clients and the art staff.

You may be doing more than character design like environment and understanding how each element should move. Things like photographic research, digital painting, basic 3D modeling, and UI, logo, and font design may be other tasks you need to learn about and understand.

2. Researching References

If you’re stuck in coming up with ideas, try to do some research by looking at different genres of movies. Analyze their lights, colors, composition, camera angle, design, and some elements that bring life to your concept.

Try looking closely at famous art designs and paintings because it can teach you more about how they were able to get the attention of the public.

You can try playing other games and analyzing each element, or search and base on online photos from sites like Pinterest. You can rotate images for free to see the different angles and proportions that you want to see in your references. You can also edit, resize, flip, and crop images.

3. Pick a Style 

Learning how to make concept art for video games requires defining a style from the early development stages. You need to pick a style and start sketching out art to flesh that tone out.

If, for example, you want something dark and gritty then you might need to go with a realistic art style. Is the game comedic and self-aware? You could do better with a cartoony, 2D hand-drawn style instead.

The style of your concept art will affect how the graphic designs and 3D artists approach their work. It all rests on your shoulders to define how the game will feel.

Think Big, Start Small, Learn Fast

It takes so much work to simply think of how a video game should look and how its design should be. Your patience and determination can get you through the time you need in making concept art for games.

Was this guide able to help you understand how to make concept art for video games? Please feel free to go over our other posts for more guides.

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