Concept art tutorial for props-EN

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GuiNogue

GuiNogue

Hey, I'm Guinogue, and this is a straightforward concept art tutorial focused on props, where I'll do my best to share all the knowledge that helps me create unique and efficient designs for you!

Even though it's just a prop, every design should always start with a briefing. This helps us get straight to the point and understand exactly what we want.

This here is the Ark of Imbalance from my personal project, Riftborn. I wrote a short description for it, and in practice, players will shoot powers at it to break it and collect the Riftstone Essence inside.

I always recommend working on personal projects, no matter how small, because they help us develop a crucial skill—ideation. They allow us to fully immerse ourselves in the project, imagining even details like what the grass or sky of the universe you're creating would look like.

Silhouettes—this is a key word and an essential concept to work with right from the start when we have an idea in mind.

Why should we work with silhouettes? They help us simplify complex thoughts by focusing on smaller shapes, like the folds of a shirt or the gaps in an astronaut's helmet. Many iconic and unique designs have silhouettes that are instantly recognizable. For example, if we take a cartoon character like SpongeBob or Mickey Mouse, we can identify them just by their silhouette.

So think about it—it's much easier and more efficient to create nine silhouettes than to design nine highly detailed characters with different values and intricate elements.

Pay close attention to these silhouettes and notice how easy they are to read and recognize. Each one was carefully thought out and refined. Even if they weren’t created through this specific process, the artist definitely considered their silhouettes in some way.

Props are no different—we can create items, characters, houses, creatures, and anything else we can imagine using this process.

Of course, this is a method designed to help you stay consistent and avoid getting lost during the creation process.

I love mixing different processes—it always helps me find new and better solutions.

After developing the silhouette, I think about the design using two to three different values, either with lines or colors, to create some cool effects.

I usually create 6 to 9 silhouettes—I think it's a good number—and I try to refine each one well. However, I don’t spend too much time on them, like days. I generally take as much time as I feel is needed for each, without a strict time limit, but I never spend more than 40 minutes on a single silhouette.

After that, we can move on to a more refined line and start exploring colors, like in this example where I created this creature using the same process.

For the render, you can go for something simpler with more blocky colors, try something more rendered, or even create a 3D model and use it as a base. The best part of art is that it’s full of possibilities and free of rules. The processes are there to help you develop better, not to restrict you.

In the case of the Ark of Imbalance, I chose to show something like the VFX of it opening or after it’s activated, and I didn’t show the color exploration, but I always do that. Only by doing so can I know which colors would look best.

Working on a layout for a presentation is also essential. Look for your favorite artists and see how they organize and present their projects, then try to come up with solutions based on them, using them as references and not simply copying.

I hope my knowledge has been helpful to you.

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