Concept Art Environments: Introduction, Principles, Method and Technique

Introduction

The objective of this first tutorial on the Concept Art of environments and settings, whose slang is Environment Concept Art (1), is to know the principles, work method and basic techniques that we must understand to be successful with our designs.

 

The first thing we have to understand is that the concept artist performs the first ideas from scratch. His drawings will mark the guide for the rest of the creative team, giving visual aspect to an audiovisual project (cinema, animation, videogames, comics, architecture) reflecting the vision of the creative director.

 

Through concept art, we seek to find the specific design of a character, a landscape or a specific complement. Its work is done in the preproduction phase (2).

 

The work of the artist of concept art is not to make an illustration, his images do not serve for sale or promotion, they are first sketches to show an idea that must be understood and must be well represented. The concept art should be a quick and effective sketch in search of interesting results.

 

Notes:

(1) ARGOT: Private language used by those engaged in a particular trade.

(2) An audiovisual production is divided into three phases: Preproduction, Production and Post-production. Preproduction is the stage in which the ideas and visual aspect of a project are generated.

 

Feng Zhu

One of the best contemporary art artists of conepto, founder of the school "FZD School of Design"

 

Basics

We are going to create an environment that does not exist based on our creativity and, perhaps in the future, we will give a visual aspect to the idea that the art director has of what the aspect of a particular project will look like. But now we are in an initial phase of learning, following some pre-established guidelines as a guide or you can follow your own proposals.

 

The first thing will be to choose a theme for the concept of our environment: an aquatic world, a medieval world, fantasy ... what's the difference?

 

Just make a decision and let yourself go (3). The important thing in this process is to have fun and not worry about the final result.

 

It's time to put a music that relaxes you, why? The best advice they gave me and that I transfer: To be creative and for ideas to flow, it is necessary to be relaxed.

 

Notes:

(3) Ask yourself questions about what will appear in your concept art of environments is a good way to start. Write a list with the elements that you will be incorporating is a good start.

 

Method

The concept artist has creative freedom to generate the first ideas, therefore we must learn to control our work. It will be important to know how to draw, have knowledge of anatomy, perspective, be organized and, above all, optimize our work using layers and through the use of keyboard shortcuts. And when it comes to posing a drawing:

 

• Be clear about what I have to do

• Document me before I start drawing

• Begin our drawings by applying volumes, shapes, silhouettes and not look for detail

• Compose the scene well, looking for centers of interest

• Work in an organized, fast and efficient way

 

Always look for a good working method. As artists, we want to start drawing as soon as possible and this is one of the most common mistakes, wanting to start before having clear ideas. In an office where there is great competition and the work rhythms are very demanding in terms of the delivery date, a proper order is necessary before moving on to the first of the strokes.

 

Technique

To draw our first concept of environment, as in almost all drawing techniques, we start by making a sketch drawing thick volumes and shapes in silhouette, without stopping at the details. This method will help us to better understand the perspective within our composition as the disposition of the elements in the scene.

As for how to interpret or give depth to our sketch, what we call atmospheric perspective (4), we will use a tonal scale limited to gray variations and the superposition of elements:

 

• The blackest tones will be used to highlight elements in the foreground. As we move away, using different planes of depth, the tonal scale will go through different grays (dark gray, gray, light gray, etc.). The farthest elements are those with lighter shades. We will draw each plane in a new layer.

 

Notes:

(4) The atmospheric perspective is a pictorial technique that enhances the effect of depth in a landscape

 

• When we draw silhouettes, the superposition of elements helps us to understand how near or far away the different elements that make up the scene are, placing the closest objects above the ones that are farthest away (depth).

 

Let's observe for a moment the images that follow. Despite being simple silhouettes we clearly perceive that objects are closer to the most distant and we understand the environment in which the scenes are located.

 

Concept Art: Practice - One of Vikings

1. Create a new document

CONCEPT ART: Practice - ONE OF VIKING

 

We create a new document in the File / New menu (Ctrl + N) (1), with the following options:

 

• Type of work: Illustration

• File name: "Test Concept Art"

• Unit: pixels and canvas size: Width (1600), Height (1200) and Resolution (300)

• We click on the color sample and in the Color Adjustments dialog box we add the values: H (44), S (19) and V (86), in this way we decrease the brightness of the white color. Our eyes will thank you.

• To accept

 

Notes:

(1) Go learning a series of keyboard shortcuts will make our work more efficient.

2. Leave what is necessary

Once the new document is created, we save it. File / Save menu (Ctrl + S) (2). Now close all the windows that you are not going to use.

 

In our case we will only keep the sale of layers in view. The work area is cleared and we will optimize the size of the canvas. To hide the windows, simply unfold your menu and hide it. (3)

 

Notes:

(2) A tip: Ctrl + S (Save) is one of the shortcuts you should always keep in mind. It will save you more than one dislike to save each time you make a change in your work. Keep whenever you can.

(3) Whenever we need a window we will find it in Window Menu

 

This is what our work area should look like to begin with. Over time, each of them will adapt their work area according to their needs. (4)

 

Notes:

(4) For now we just need to have the layers and tools window in view.

 

3. Choose a brush

For this first exercise I recommend you, although you can choose another option with which you will find more comfortable, an ink brush. Specifically, the brush of Tinta + clara (5), since we will begin our sketches by drawing spots.

 

Notes:

(5) In the Window menu we choose Sub-tool (Brush) / Ink / Ink + light. We close the window

 

To understand the behavior of the brush, it is better to try it before starting to draw. It is time to take your digital pen and trace stains of different sizes (6) and shapes. Test your opacity by pen pressure, etc. In short, as a way of preheating.

Notes:

(6) A tip: To increase and decrease the size of the tip of the brush using the keyboard: File / keyboard settings. Configuration area / Options. Palette of brush sizes. Follow the instructions of the panel.

 

4. Theme

As I said in the introduction, the first thing we have to be very clear before we start to draw, is to know what I want to represent.

 

The topic that I will develop for this tutorial is about the world of the Vikings. First, look for documentation (7). To look for documentation the resources are almost unlimited. Books, magazines, image bank, etc.

 

Notes:

(7) Decided the issue is the time to document and look for documentation that will serve as inspiration.

 

5. We start with the first strokes

5.1. We have chosen a brush and the size of our canvas. Here begin the problems, the so-called "horror vacui". We are facing a space where there is nothing. Where to start?

 

 If we have clear ideas, if we have the necessary documentation, everything happens to support the pen on the tablet and make the first spot.

We call this layer (8) First level. I have decided on a rocky form in the first place.

 

Notes:

(8) Use a layer for each level, keeping in mind that the top layer will hide the one below.

 

 

5.2. The next thing I'm going to add in this first level is a ship. A Viking ship, the famous Drakkar. I will trace it with spots, until I get a silhouette that is understood, without worrying, for the moment, about the details (9).

 

To draw the silhouette with different volumes, do not forget to vary the size of the tip of the brush (10).

 

Notes:

(9) We have already commented that we must work quickly. Avoid the details in this process.

(10) See note number (7)

 

 

5.3. The ships sail on water, right? This part is simpler, a simple stain that interprets the surface of the water. We add a new layer below the current one and name it "water" (11). For this level we will use a dark gray tone.

 

Notes.

(11) Always name the layers. In this way we will locate the elements of our composition more easily. Especially when we are manipulating a large number of layers.

 

 

5.4. If we believe, as in the example, that the boat was badly placed, we do not erase and start again. We have the Lazo selection tool. It allows us a freehand selection of an object in a certain layer to be able to relocate it with the Move Layer tool. We reposition the image and deselect (Ctrl + D).

 

6. Work together

6.1. It is time to continue adding elements to our concept. As I said, we have to have very clear ideas, to work quickly and not digress in what new ways we are going to add to make sense of the final idea. As an example, I have thought of including a cliff, a watchtower or watchtower, a sky and clouds.

 

6.2. Keep testing (12) the art tools Clip Studio Paint puts at your disposal.

 

So far we have added spots to our sketch using the ink brush. We are going to work with another type of brushes, specifically with watercolor brushes (13). With the brush tool selected, expand the sub-tool windows (14) and Properties of the Window Menu. (15)

 

Notes:

(12) The best way to discover how software tools behave is to try and play with them. The trial and error strategy.

(13) Try the Clip Studio watercolor brushes. Particularly it is a tool with which I have enjoyed the most, both for its behavior and for its versatility.

(14) The sub-tool window is adapted to the tool we have selected (pencil, brush, rubber, etc.). In it we will find varieties of the tool to facilitate the work.

(15) In this window we can configure the selected tool adapting the properties of the tool to our own needs.

 

 

6.3. Now I start to trace the silhouette of the cliff in a new layer, which I name CLIFF, and with a lighter shade of gray. I use a watercolor brush.

 

Clip Studio Paint is a very intuitive and easy to understand software. Try the brushes, their behavior and decide which of them is best suited to your purposes.

 

It's time to be brave and start making decisions. Do not forget to give perspective to the elements of the environment. (16)

 

Nptas:

(16) A bad perspective ruins any job.

 

 

6.4. We add a lighter tone to the sky.

 

7. Sharpen the spots (add value to the image)

7.1. It is time to add other tones to the spots so that they acquire contrast.

 

Small details to highlight volumes and lights and outline the spots. (17)

 

Notes:

(17) While using the brush and not leaving the tool to select a different tone of our drawing, press ALT. The tool commutes with the drop count. We select the tone and continue painting.

 

7.2. I insist, in this point, that the concept art is defined by itself: it is a drawing whose purpose is to settle the first ideas on a certain project and that will serve as a guide for the rest of the creative team. Therefore, the degree of finishing is not important.

 

Let this be very clear. It can be a simple sketch or be completely detailed.

 

7.3. We highlight by means of the value (18) parts of the cliff, we give some detail to the ship, to the cliff in the foreground, to the water. We add elements that visually favor the image as clouds, some element that helps to give more depth, etc.

 

Notes:

(18) The value in the painting defines the light. White is a high value and black a low value. Grays are not considered value and are used to lighten and darken the tones. When passing from light to darkness, mixing the tones, 2D images, acquire volume.

 

 

7.4. To add other tones to the silhouettes of a certain layer and not to get out of the edge, we can block the transparency in the tools at the top of the layer window.

 

7.5. Test the mixture of the brushes. First we draw strokes with the opaque watercolor brush (eyelash brush sub-tool / Watercolor tab) and mix the tones with Watercolor mix, for example, or with the brush Mix with texture (brush sub-tool tab / Realistic watercolor). The possibilities are several.

8. Clean and finish

8.1. Adding light tones in the background, like a fog, favors the illusion of depth.

8.2. Clean the edges of the silhouettes using the rubber tool. A good option is the sub tool / Fit rubber. And finish the concept for its presentation.

8.3. We have a first sketch of the illustration. Your appearance can still be improved, to give it a more professional look.

We add more details trying to give greater contrast and sharpness to the images in the foreground with respect to those in the background.

. The final result is appreciated in the last illustration.

Now comes the time of the challenge. Think about your own environment proposal, follow the steps outlined and show your results. Luck.