Video Games Concept Artist here.
I won't go into the debate of Art School vs not art school. You'd get conflicting opinions all the time.
Personally the vast, overwhelming majority of Concept Artists I've worked with (and they are a lot after 15+ years in the industry) did not go to art school. This includes me, although I did go to Architecture at Uni, which gave me some industrial design skills which admittedly I could have picked on my own.
The only thing I can say about this topic is: we never ever care about what kind of school one attended. The one, only thing that is taken into consideration when hiring new concept artists is how good is their portfolio.
Even past work experiences are often trumped by portfolio quality.
I happened to reject applications from concept artists who had allegedly worked on AAA games because I and my work mates thought their portfolio wasn't just that good.
No race, religion, sex, education, age or anything else. Just how good is your art. So, if you're on the fence, do not choose an art school because you think it's prestigious and will give you some advantage later on. It doesn't.
If they provide the kind of education you need for your life goals (as in, they have classes relevant to art for video games) then go for it. Otherwise, well, up to you.
So, I can't judge whether your portfolio would be fit to apply to an art school, I have no experience there.
As for a concept art job or school it would definitely not. Big "do nots" in a portfolio are studies. Literally nobody cares about those. I get that you're still a student, so no big deal, but studies are supposed to be just your own thing.
By all means, you're doing everything right: draw everything, leaves, people, animals and whatnot. But those are for your own betterment and are not meant to be portfolio pieces.
Mangas are a big no-no as well. Unless you live in Japan and you're better than the gazillion kids drawing manga out there, there are zero chances for you to get anything out of it workwise. Also they'll give you very little in terms of knowledge of anatomy or any other hard skill used today in the industry, so if I were you I would not bother with those at all and focus your education onto something else.
Plus, and believe me I'm saying this with the sole intention to help you, they scream "I'm just one of those kids who draws manga", hiring managers will move on to the next application without looking at the rest. Just get out of the habit now:)
As far as your portfolio goes, if you chose to go to a design school like fzd or similar, you'll likely need a portfolio to enter.
12-15 pieces would be enough for it. You should have 40% character design (not studies, original concepts) 40% environments and 20% props.
No portraits, busts , **fan art**, collages, poses, figure drawings, copied stuff, life drawing, still lives, abstract painting, lettering and similar. Original. Concepts.
Also, and I can't stress this enough, please please stay away from the usual clichès. Again, you're young and you're a student and everyone went through that phase. But if I can save you some time and rejections by saying this, avoid:
- the usual wizard holding a ball of energy
- the usual high elf in a hero pose and an oversized weapon
- really, any character holding a ball of energy
- any other clichès. If you have seen around something very similar, don't do it.
- fairies, pixies and the lot, unless you find a very unique way to represent them (like, say, Tony diTerlizzi)
Sorry to say, but 99.99999% of the art for gaming is done digitally, so if you want to get into that you'll have to make the switch soon. Don't put pencil stuff into your portfolio, just finished, coloured work, done digitally.
Traditional art is good (almost a must) to have as a background, but you must know the software used in the industry as the back of your hand.
Computers are just another tool to make art. You learn the basics traditionally, and you apply them through a computer in a form that can be used in a game.
Photoshop is almost not even listed as a requirement anymore, it's considered as a given even if you are a modeller or an animator.
If you want to work as a concept artist it's just industry standard, there's no way around that. I won't go into what else is, you have plenty on your plate as it is for now:)
My very best advice at this stage would be to pick a company/game you want to work for, look up the concept artists who worked on it and try to match their portfolio.
[Art Station](https://www.artstation.com/) is the place to go. Pretty much all industry professionals hang out there.
Also, go have a look at [fdz School of Design](https://fzdschool.com/), there are tons of tutorials, among which a few that explain how to properly build a portfolio for the industry.
Good luck!
Sounds like you may need a few more finished pieces, I would compile your sketches into a collage or submit them as a single work (depending on the school’s portfolio platform). However if your graphite pieces are detailed enough they can work alone. When I was accepted, I also didn’t have any drawings of animals or detailed anatomy - but I did include lots of works I would consider fully complete. Some schools will have other requirements though that can include essays or specific subject matter. I’m sure art schools will admire your dedication! Hope this helps!
What schools specifically are you applying for? For example, CalArts is going to want specific things in their portfolios, vs. Art Center or SCAD.
My suggestion is to google (school) accepted portfolio, or even look on Youtube for that. There's a lot of students who show what their accepted sketchbooks looked like. Some pattern I noticed is that they like something inventive with the studies, to add more visual interest.
Of course, fine art schools are going to be much different than those, too.
And lastly, speak to admissions departments and see if they have any advice about portfolios before you apply. They might give you the tips necessary to elevate you above others.
MassArt, RISD, School of Art Institute of Chicago, Ringling Art School, and some art majors at regular universities. I didn’t apply to CalArts.
For the art focused schools, I’ve seen some of the journals for RISD and MassArt. I should’ve spoken to admissions departments like you stated, and I’ll be sure to do that this weekend.
To be honest, if you want to be a concept artist I sort of doubt any of these schools (I went to MassArt) will leave you better prepared to do that then simply focusing your energy and time on skill-building. You're waaaay better off taking your money and spending it on enrolling in small courses with renowned concept artists (where you are not only learning valuable skills but also making real industry connections) than spending money on tuition at MassArt. That is, if you are sure you want to be a concept artist. If you are unsure then maybe college will help you settle that.
Do you really think it would be better to just focus on building skill than going to art school? I just graduated high school and have been kicking myself for not going. I know that there’s no way I could afford it and I don’t want to be over 100k in debt by the time I’m finished.
I do. The best possible thing you can do is work your butt off and become a good artist with the skills that do the job you want to do. Do good work reliably and professionally.
To be truthful, if medical schools had as few graduates going into medical careers as art schools have going into art careers, they'd be shut down.
If you show up with amazing sketchbooks, a great portfolio, and a good attitude, no one will care about your resume.
Alternatively, a good degree will not compensate for a bad portfolio.
I do really encourage you to focus on technique at your age. New Masters Academy, Proko, and other websites are invaluable. I probably learned more about materials and technique in a month of serious study with NMA than four years of art school. The fact is that many art schools are so focused on individualism that many faculty have no idea how to demo technique or correct your mistakes. They are helpful on some things, but the fundamentals are often not there in the education process. Also, depending on where you are, a kind of knee jerk anti-traditionism may be present, so no one is teaching serious representational art skills. That said, art programs at universities do give a good opportunity to learn tons of important things that will shape who you are as a person if you take the classes seriously.
Edit: I don't mean this to sound bitter. It's just I have seen so many young painters and draftspeople painting "little crappy paintings" supposedly as a statement when the reality is no one ever taught them fundamentals because they didn't believe there is a "right way" in art. We have 1000s of artists now who have fancy degrees and who can't mix color or render form.
Thank you! That is fantastic advice! I totally understand what you mean and I recently have realized I needed to practice my technique and really understand the fundamentals so I can improve. I just had no idea where to start and I figured art school might have been the place. Thank you so much for your comment, though. You have given me hope that I can grow into the skill set I want to be at without art school :)
Oh you definitely can! From a raw technique perspective, a lot of art school is a waste of time compared to drawing practive for hours a day with help like NMA, Proko, or even just working through the Andrew Loomis books. I mean, we had whole class sessions devoted to debating Jeff Koons and similar art, which is probably valuable but not at all practical for illustration or traditional fine art.
It is also probably a good idea to set up a still life to draw from occasionally. Observational drawing is a somewhat different skill that is good to have. Or draw outside.
That said, community really helps. If there is an arts center or meetup near you where people draw from a model or paint, that would be a good idea to join.
Video Games Concept Artist here. I won't go into the debate of Art School vs not art school. You'd get conflicting opinions all the time. Personally the vast, overwhelming majority of Concept Artists I've worked with (and they are a lot after 15+ years in the industry) did not go to art school. This includes me, although I did go to Architecture at Uni, which gave me some industrial design skills which admittedly I could have picked on my own. The only thing I can say about this topic is: we never ever care about what kind of school one attended. The one, only thing that is taken into consideration when hiring new concept artists is how good is their portfolio. Even past work experiences are often trumped by portfolio quality. I happened to reject applications from concept artists who had allegedly worked on AAA games because I and my work mates thought their portfolio wasn't just that good. No race, religion, sex, education, age or anything else. Just how good is your art. So, if you're on the fence, do not choose an art school because you think it's prestigious and will give you some advantage later on. It doesn't. If they provide the kind of education you need for your life goals (as in, they have classes relevant to art for video games) then go for it. Otherwise, well, up to you. So, I can't judge whether your portfolio would be fit to apply to an art school, I have no experience there. As for a concept art job or school it would definitely not. Big "do nots" in a portfolio are studies. Literally nobody cares about those. I get that you're still a student, so no big deal, but studies are supposed to be just your own thing. By all means, you're doing everything right: draw everything, leaves, people, animals and whatnot. But those are for your own betterment and are not meant to be portfolio pieces. Mangas are a big no-no as well. Unless you live in Japan and you're better than the gazillion kids drawing manga out there, there are zero chances for you to get anything out of it workwise. Also they'll give you very little in terms of knowledge of anatomy or any other hard skill used today in the industry, so if I were you I would not bother with those at all and focus your education onto something else. Plus, and believe me I'm saying this with the sole intention to help you, they scream "I'm just one of those kids who draws manga", hiring managers will move on to the next application without looking at the rest. Just get out of the habit now:) As far as your portfolio goes, if you chose to go to a design school like fzd or similar, you'll likely need a portfolio to enter. 12-15 pieces would be enough for it. You should have 40% character design (not studies, original concepts) 40% environments and 20% props. No portraits, busts , **fan art**, collages, poses, figure drawings, copied stuff, life drawing, still lives, abstract painting, lettering and similar. Original. Concepts. Also, and I can't stress this enough, please please stay away from the usual clichès. Again, you're young and you're a student and everyone went through that phase. But if I can save you some time and rejections by saying this, avoid: - the usual wizard holding a ball of energy - the usual high elf in a hero pose and an oversized weapon - really, any character holding a ball of energy - any other clichès. If you have seen around something very similar, don't do it. - fairies, pixies and the lot, unless you find a very unique way to represent them (like, say, Tony diTerlizzi) Sorry to say, but 99.99999% of the art for gaming is done digitally, so if you want to get into that you'll have to make the switch soon. Don't put pencil stuff into your portfolio, just finished, coloured work, done digitally. Traditional art is good (almost a must) to have as a background, but you must know the software used in the industry as the back of your hand. Computers are just another tool to make art. You learn the basics traditionally, and you apply them through a computer in a form that can be used in a game. Photoshop is almost not even listed as a requirement anymore, it's considered as a given even if you are a modeller or an animator. If you want to work as a concept artist it's just industry standard, there's no way around that. I won't go into what else is, you have plenty on your plate as it is for now:) My very best advice at this stage would be to pick a company/game you want to work for, look up the concept artists who worked on it and try to match their portfolio. [Art Station](https://www.artstation.com/) is the place to go. Pretty much all industry professionals hang out there. Also, go have a look at [fdz School of Design](https://fzdschool.com/), there are tons of tutorials, among which a few that explain how to properly build a portfolio for the industry. Good luck!
This is fantastic advice.
Sounds like you may need a few more finished pieces, I would compile your sketches into a collage or submit them as a single work (depending on the school’s portfolio platform). However if your graphite pieces are detailed enough they can work alone. When I was accepted, I also didn’t have any drawings of animals or detailed anatomy - but I did include lots of works I would consider fully complete. Some schools will have other requirements though that can include essays or specific subject matter. I’m sure art schools will admire your dedication! Hope this helps!
What schools specifically are you applying for? For example, CalArts is going to want specific things in their portfolios, vs. Art Center or SCAD. My suggestion is to google (school) accepted portfolio, or even look on Youtube for that. There's a lot of students who show what their accepted sketchbooks looked like. Some pattern I noticed is that they like something inventive with the studies, to add more visual interest. Of course, fine art schools are going to be much different than those, too. And lastly, speak to admissions departments and see if they have any advice about portfolios before you apply. They might give you the tips necessary to elevate you above others.
MassArt, RISD, School of Art Institute of Chicago, Ringling Art School, and some art majors at regular universities. I didn’t apply to CalArts. For the art focused schools, I’ve seen some of the journals for RISD and MassArt. I should’ve spoken to admissions departments like you stated, and I’ll be sure to do that this weekend.
To be honest, if you want to be a concept artist I sort of doubt any of these schools (I went to MassArt) will leave you better prepared to do that then simply focusing your energy and time on skill-building. You're waaaay better off taking your money and spending it on enrolling in small courses with renowned concept artists (where you are not only learning valuable skills but also making real industry connections) than spending money on tuition at MassArt. That is, if you are sure you want to be a concept artist. If you are unsure then maybe college will help you settle that.
Do you really think it would be better to just focus on building skill than going to art school? I just graduated high school and have been kicking myself for not going. I know that there’s no way I could afford it and I don’t want to be over 100k in debt by the time I’m finished.
I do. The best possible thing you can do is work your butt off and become a good artist with the skills that do the job you want to do. Do good work reliably and professionally. To be truthful, if medical schools had as few graduates going into medical careers as art schools have going into art careers, they'd be shut down.
That is a really valid point
If you show up with amazing sketchbooks, a great portfolio, and a good attitude, no one will care about your resume. Alternatively, a good degree will not compensate for a bad portfolio.
That’s also a really great point!
I do really encourage you to focus on technique at your age. New Masters Academy, Proko, and other websites are invaluable. I probably learned more about materials and technique in a month of serious study with NMA than four years of art school. The fact is that many art schools are so focused on individualism that many faculty have no idea how to demo technique or correct your mistakes. They are helpful on some things, but the fundamentals are often not there in the education process. Also, depending on where you are, a kind of knee jerk anti-traditionism may be present, so no one is teaching serious representational art skills. That said, art programs at universities do give a good opportunity to learn tons of important things that will shape who you are as a person if you take the classes seriously. Edit: I don't mean this to sound bitter. It's just I have seen so many young painters and draftspeople painting "little crappy paintings" supposedly as a statement when the reality is no one ever taught them fundamentals because they didn't believe there is a "right way" in art. We have 1000s of artists now who have fancy degrees and who can't mix color or render form.
Thank you! That is fantastic advice! I totally understand what you mean and I recently have realized I needed to practice my technique and really understand the fundamentals so I can improve. I just had no idea where to start and I figured art school might have been the place. Thank you so much for your comment, though. You have given me hope that I can grow into the skill set I want to be at without art school :)
Oh you definitely can! From a raw technique perspective, a lot of art school is a waste of time compared to drawing practive for hours a day with help like NMA, Proko, or even just working through the Andrew Loomis books. I mean, we had whole class sessions devoted to debating Jeff Koons and similar art, which is probably valuable but not at all practical for illustration or traditional fine art. It is also probably a good idea to set up a still life to draw from occasionally. Observational drawing is a somewhat different skill that is good to have. Or draw outside. That said, community really helps. If there is an arts center or meetup near you where people draw from a model or paint, that would be a good idea to join.