Concept Artist Specialization

This course requires the successful completion of the Concept Art and Illustration Foundations career track or a portfolio submission and an accompanying reel/resume. To read our portfolio submission rules and guidelines please head to our FAQ page.

If you don't have basic drawing competency, we offer a short Beginner Drawing Course, which requires no prior drawing experience and will help prepare you for our more advanced concept art and digital illustration courses.

If you are unsure about your skill level, you can always chat with our team hello@cgspectrum.com.

Age Minimum
The minimum age to be able to enrol in our career track courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrollment process for applicants under 18.

English Proficiency
We expect our students to have a good understanding of written and spoken English. There’s no specific ’level'; however, you must be able to understand video tutorials in English (no subtitles) and speak with your mentor in English during your live Q&A session.

Computer Literacy
To be successful in this program, you will need basic computer skills and a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).

Software:

You will need to purchase Photoshop (Creative Cloud 'All Apps' plan with a student discount) for the length of your studies. 

Hardware:

You will need a computer that meets the minimum system requirements for Photoshop, and a graphics tablet (see digital painting software and equipment). We recommend a minimum of 32GB RAM. 

Both require strong artistic fundamentals but serve different roles in the creative pipeline within film, games, and publishing. Concept art focuses on designing characters, environments, and props, with a focus on iteration and bringing ideas to life. Digital illustration, on the other hand, is about creating more polished, standalone images with a stronger focus on composition and storytelling. 

For a more thorough breakdown of the differences, please read our blog Concept Art vs Illustration: Understanding the Difference.

This course gives you an excellent understanding of concept art & digital illustration fundamentals, and depending on your level of commitment, skills, and portfolio pieces, you may be ready to start applying for entry-level artist positions or freelance concept art or illustration opportunities.

To further hone your skills and increase your hiring potential, we recommend honing your skills further through the Concept Artist Specialization or the Digital Illustrator Specialization.

The specialization courses cover more complex techniques and include an entire term dedicated to career development and portfolio preparation to prepare you for junior digital painting jobs such as:

• Concept artist
• Digital illustrator
• Comic illustrator
• Game illustrator
• Book illustrator
• Keyframe illustrator
• Character designer
• Environment designer
• Asset designer

Students also gain access to additional career services to support them in their job hunt. The CG Spectrum community is another great resource—you can network and find out about game development job vacancies through graduates and mentors already working in the industry. 

Discover more about these digital painting jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page: