Portfolio Advice: 2D Concept Artist

HR Departments and creative team leaders are always on the look out for someone who will fit easily into their existing team, and sometimes, even as specifically as someone who has something in their portfolio that the company is currently working on. So if you want to increase the appeal of your portfolio to anyone looking for a 2D Concept Artist, then you need to fully comprehend the role being discussed and consider tailoring your portfolio for each company you approach.

Job Specs often include the following requirements:

• High level of drawing and illustration skill, painting (and sculpting), able to work in both the digital and traditional medium.
• The creation of dynamic artwork that illustrates various narratives, scripts and gameplay, and can reference cinematic language and shot composition.
• An exceptional understanding of proportional human and creature anatomy, and a exceptional eye for form, shape, structure, silhouette, gesture, and character poses. An ability to create character concepts including character sheets, rotations, movement studies and detailed breakouts for equipment and weapons.
• An ability to iterate on game assets with (3D) production artist team using “paint overs”, studies, and group critiques.
• Have a vast imagination, Ability to visualise and interpret other people’s ideas and instruction. Willing to collaborate closely with the Art Director and other Concept Artists to produce quality designs that define and expand the look of the product.
• Ability to go beyond the quality of Visual Development production to create additional exceptional quality illustrations/concept art for marketing and PR needs, potentially including some ability with typography and graphic design.

Most importantly, Concept Artist roles increasingly demand:

• An ability to create concept art in 2D (Photoshop, Painter) and 3D, with a working knowledge of 3D art techniques & software packages such as Maya, 3Ds Max, Zbrush, or Mudbox and AfterEffects.

You should also consider the differences between the visual developmental role of the Concept Artist and associated or closely collaborative roles such as Marketing Artist, and even Environment Artist.

For your portfolio you may wish to include:

• Environment and Set Designs (inc. interior, exterior, natural and artificial) – thumbnails, colour keys, line art, tonal studies, paintings (digital or traditional), mock-up models and maquettes.
• Prop & Object designs (inc. small, medium and large objects, both singly and relation to each other, Weapons (futuristic, contemporary and historical), and Vehicles, winged, wheeled, and water-based. – design sheets showing relative scale, themes, ideation techniques.
• Character (and Creature) Designs – Turnarounds/Character Sheets/Blueprints/Expression- and posture Sheets.
• Icon and UI Design (inc typography and Graphic Design).
• Examples of work that showcases your ability to produce work inc’ Hard Surface vs Organic or Fabrics. Works that show an understanding of Composition, Values, Perspective Drawing, Colour Theory, Proportional Anatomy, and “Design Thinking“.
• Matte Painting and Photo Real techniques.
• Storyboards.
• Life Drawing.
• Observational Drawing of Architecture and Props and Objects.
• Visuals that show your ability to adopt a style or aesthetic other than your own (designs in the style of…).
• Some indication of time spent (speed) against some of the visuals.