3 Traits Every Concept Artist Needs! (And how to develop them)
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Here are 3 Traits and skills you can develop to improve your Concept Art game!
1 - The first is Enthusiasm! - Most of the great concept artists I know have a lot of passion for projects and ideas. They like to try new things and get on board with the project vision... even if it changes a lot!
Tip - This is a hard one to develop, as it's based on personality... but the more you can train yourself to collaborative positive thinking the better. Always attempt to see the best vision for what you are working on. To see it in a positive light. To see the good elements on offer. You can add new things too... so focus on what to add or how the idea could be made better.
2 - The Second is Improvisation! - Being able to switch from idea to idea easily while being committed 100% to the current vision. Often things change and the best concept designers I know are really good at being able to readjust and refocus without loosing steam. I liken this to improv acting... the story changes as new actors enter the stage and get to mix it up... but everyone has to be committed to their role as it morphs.
Tip - This is definitely something you can work on and improve in my opinion. Try to practice this mentally as much as possible... commit to an idea.... then change it... commit to the new one... and change it. Get good at this mental gymnastics and contortion. Notice when you start to get annoyed at the loss of an old idea... try to be present and refocus. Always build the ability to systematically look at the new idea and assess it anew... what's good about it... what can you do to make it interesting... what can you offer... why is it better... how can you use this to further your own artistic goals... where is the positive in there to get excited about.
3 - The Third is a taste and appreciation for Aspirational Imagery! - Concept art and design is so often about rallying a team behind a vision. It's important to embrace the nature of imagery which is bold and impactful... and makes us aspire to interact with the project or end product. What we are trying to do is link the final 'I want it' that the player or viewer is going to feel to the current state of development. If people see the cool impactful shiny images in pre-production... it allows everyone to get behind the project. We are trying to inspire and push the project forward and improve the visual aspects of what we are working on. So making stuff look cool is key.
Tip - Build your visual library for impactful inspiring images... covers, advertising, splash screens... Some may see these as shallow but if you can't do this then no one will play or watch what you create... and the subtler details underneath will never be appreciated. At it's core we are selling ideas! So think advertising :) Make everyone say 'I want that'
Happy Drawing!
Tim Mcburnie
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