""I think it's probably one of the least understood jobs," Paul Scott Canavan says of concept art for video games. He has worn a number of hats in his career as a creative director, art director and artist, but has always been hands-on with concept art, including 2023's narrative-based adventure A Highland Song. "Concept art encapsulates a whole lot of stuff. It's like the broadest range of art styles that you can do as an artist," he says."
"It's a skill set that can also cross over to other lines of work, as Maxime Desmettre, a concept artist for action RPG Eternal Strands that released earlier this year, also does occasional art in films, book illustration, collectible card games and tabletop role-playing games. But while we may associate concept art with hand-drawn sketches and illustrations, his interest in game art began with early pixel art. "I enjoyed copying backgrounds and characters from arcade games of the time like Street Fighter 2," Maxime reflects."
Concept art functions as an essential, versatile discipline that shapes a game's visual identity across production. Concept art encompasses a broad range of art styles and practical skills applied to environments, characters, props, mood, and composition. Concept artists often work across related industries including film, book illustration, collectible card games, and tabletop role-playing games. Interest in game art can originate from early pixel and arcade aesthetics, and practice can include hand-drawn sketches, digital painting, and pixel work. Concept art is frequently misunderstood and can be conflated with general illustration, but the role influences visual direction beyond initial concept stages.
Read at Creative Bloq
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