What Is Concept Art In Animation For Games

Nothing draws you into the game world more than visuals. Concept art is required for each aspect generated by artists and engineers to function properly. But let’s delve a little deeper into this material.

Despite certain similarities, concept art and production art are not the same. What is the difference? At least in that the production designer creates materials such as backgrounds, textures, and animations based on the work of the concept artist.

The main task of the concept artist is to create as many different options (concepts) for the future character, background, or element as possible. The main task of the production artist is to bring concept art notions to life in a high-quality illustration.

When considering the difference between concept art and illustration in games, it’s important to note that each serves a distinct purpose. Concept art aims to provide a broader overview of what a character, environment, or prop might look like, allowing the viewer to visualize the design’s potential. In contrast, illustration takes these elements and brings them together to tell a story, evoking emotions and conveying a specific narrative.

While both forms of art are essential in game development, the key disparity lies in their focus: concept art centers on conveying a design’s potential, while illustration centers on crafting a compelling narrative.

Good art is desirable, but the best idea artists are not often terrific illustrators. They are simply highly creative and have many wonderful dreams in their thoughts, therefore it is all about ideas in the end. You can be a terrible illustrator but a fantastic concept artist and vice versa.

Concept art is an idea, a starting point, which will further help the art and animation team to create a high-quality product. A long journey begins from the moment the concept is developed.

In the world of modern technology and digitalization, it is very important that a concept artist be able to create illustrations by hand. This is especially important for animated games. Animation concept art includes all plans of a character or an object, taking into account its movements and movements in space. This should look like a short sketch, but with a clear depiction of all the curves of the lines.

The history of concept art begins back in the 1930s at the Walt Disney Studios. Then talented artists created the concepts for all the cartoons that we now consider classic examples of animation. It was they who created worlds, heroes, and stories that could not be imagined before. Concept artists have been and continue to work with what will later fall into the animation department and will be embodied on screens and in games as well.

Isometric sprites have played a significant role in the history of concept art. Isometric graphics became popular in the 1980s and 1990s, providing a way to create a sense of depth and perspective that was not possible with traditional 2D graphics. Isometric sprites allowed for a high level of detail and complexity in the design of game environments, which was essential for creating immersive worlds.

Concept art can range from stylized to photorealistic, depending on the project’s needs. Artists working on a project frequently turn over a large number of times during the early ‘blue sky’ stage of development. This opens the door to a wide variety of interpretations, the majority of which are sketches, speed paints, and 3D overpaints. Later works, such as matte paintings, are done as realistically as possible. Concept artists are frequently forced to adhere to the aesthetic of the studio in which they work. The skill of a concept artist in generating a variety of typefaces is highly recognized.

Conceptual artists in a game company are always developing various types of concept art. Each phase of this digital art process is a chain piece that aids in the creation of video games and other projects.

Character concept drawing requires deep research before putting pencil to paper. For example, if your character lives in a certain era, you need to carefully study all aspects of this time. Concept artists will develop numerous character design drafts before settling on a finished piece as research accumulates and art directors weigh in.

World concept art. This style of painting entails sketching and comprehending the environment and architecture of a specific story. Creating the setting is an important component of world-building. This subset of concept art assists you in visualizing the color, texture, and distinctiveness of a world, which is frequently visible in establishing shots or in the background while characters travel through it.

Equipment concept art. Here we are talking about the items, weapons and armor. Equipment concept art may improve a setting while also providing it with a deeper definition, resulting in a much richer and more comprehensive final product.

We live in the age of digital art, so it’s no surprise that there are so many tools to pick from. We’ve put together a list of the most important programs you need to create video game art:

• Photoshop

An absolute classic in the realm of 3d modeling for games. Drawing character designs from scratch or creating textures for 3D models is easy. This tool is multi-faceted enough for you to express your creativity.

• ZBrush

Traditional modeling in digital format? Now it’s real. Bringing to life ultra-detailed models will help you with countless polygons. Simple and intuitive interface as a nice bonus.

• Sketchbook Pro

Not the most popular tool, but still a good alternative to Photoshop. If you are new to the art world and not ready for a big investment, this program will definitely suit you.

• Maya

The #1 choice for 3D artists working on video games. This program is not easy to master, but if you put in your best efforts, the result may surprise you and your customers.

• 3ds Max Design

If you need a powerful renderer for your 3D models, then pay attention to this tool. Suitable for creating game worlds and detailed environments.

Concept art is key in the visual development of video games. Several graphic artists and art directors move fast through digital art representations during this creative process, and concept art allows everyone to get on the same page before moving on to the following stages. Without the efforts of concept artists, the labor of individual designers may result in an incoherent end product.

Good concept art specialists have a pool of tools needed in their work, as well as a well-developed imagination to create several options (concepts) at once, for example, a character. You, as a customer, may have certain ideas about what this or that object, background, or character should look like. This is the necessary data that you must present to the artist who will create concepts for your video game.

Firstly, many concept artists assist customers to visualize their ideas. Secondly, they offer a videogame its own appearance and ambiance and serve as a foundation for graphic elements that will be employed later in it. Although plot and mechanics are as (if not more) important, they can only be completely discovered after a game has been released.

However, concept art for games is what potential players may see initially, frequently before the game comes out. That is why it is critical to select a top-portfolio concept art studio: some people still judge a book by cover.

A good house cannot be built without a sturdy foundation. Similarly, in order to create a strong gaming product, one must first take the first steps and prepare high-quality concepts. We’ve already discussed the roles and essential talents of a concept artist. But we also want to emphasize the significance of this team member’s participation in the project’s work.

You can’t progress and win the hearts of players if your character concepts are dreadful. You must be patient while professionals in their fields construct something from which it will be impossible to break away in the future.

It might be nice if, before hiring concept artists, you thoroughly analyzed and researched the prospects. It is not difficult to find a concept artist. However, you must thoroughly search them and conduct extensive research before deciding on one.

You can look through the artists’ digital portfolios to choose the right prospect for you. They will work according to the specifications and enroll to handle the organization’s effective innovative solutions.

Concept art is the heart and soul of your animation. Good concept art and open feedback ensure that the animation matches the customers’ requirements while also conveying the underlying point.

The team of concept artists and animators at RSG has extensive experience in delivering projects and communicating with clients. We have experience in creating realistic images, game environments, animations and much more. Check out our portfolio to see for yourself. And we wish you success and exciting ideas.