This beginner-friendly course is your first step toward bringing your artistic ideas to life in both traditional and digital mediums. Learn how to navigate Photoshop, use perspective to create more realistic drawings, and dive into anatomy, exploring how to determine key forms, proportions, and landmarks of the human head and body.
Why study beginner drawing with us:
Carefully designed by industry pros, this short course will build your fundamental drawing skills and provide the foundations needed for pursuing CG Spectrum's more comprehensive concept art courses.
Industry Certificate
12 weeks
10 hrs weekly
Novice to Beginner
January 6th, 2025
February 3rd, 2025
New content weekly
Access to TAs for feedback & support
Mentor-led session every 6 weeks
In this course for beginners, you will learn essential drawing techniques, from basic shapes to foreshortened volumes, gain a strong understanding of perspective and depth, and delve into human anatomy, including the head, torso, limbs, hands, and feet. You'll also develop life-drawing skills, capturing the essence of movement and character, with an introduction to creating and refining digital art using Photoshop.
*This course can be used as a bridging course if you want to study Concept Art & Digital Illustration Foundations or the Bachelor of Digital Art (Concept Art) but possess no previous drawing training or skills.
This beginner's course is for aspiring artists who have no prior drawing experience. It will teach you the skills and knowledge needed to meet the entry requirements for the Concept Art Career Track. Consider it like a bridging course that equips you with what you need to be ready for further study.
This short beginner's course includes two mentor-led sessions where you'll receive guidance from industry experts with years of experience.
Brandon brings almost 20 years of experience as a video game concept artist with a long client list that includes EA, Activision, Capcom, Gree, and Disney Interactive.
Manager of Digital Painting
Known for Resident Evil
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Minecraft Dungeons
Award-winning artist Tyler has worked with major clients like Cryptozoic and Blizzard on titles including Heroes of the Storm, Warhammer, Rift, Star Wars, Hex, Warcraft, and RWBY.
Mentor of Concept Art & Illustration
Known for Hearthstone
Jonathan currently works as a Concept Artist at Square Enix. He has a passion for narrative arts and loves creating worlds, characters, and the stories they can tell.
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Humza has worked for EA, Microsoft, Activision, LucasArts, Wargaming, Ubisoft, Fischer Price, Hasbro, Mattel. Credits include: Call of Duty, The Division 2, and the Sims.
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Award-winning artist Mike has worked with clients such as Marvel, Hasbro, Dimension Films, HBO, Electronic Arts, Warner Bros, Mattel, DC Comics and Cartoon Network.
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Black Panther
Now art director at Phoenix One, Bernie created creatures, characters, weapons and FX concepts for cinematic trailers for World of Warcraft and more while at Blizzard.
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for World of Warcraft
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Ghost Force
Peter is a freelance concept artist and has worked at DNEG as an in-house concept artist on diverse projects for film and TV. He has a particular passion for designing dark horror creatures.
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Annihilation
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Halo Infinite
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Brother in Arms 3
Mentor of Concept Art
Known for Illustrations for children's market
Mentor of Concept Art & Illustration
Known for Kitti Katz
Age Minimum
The general minimum age to be able to enroll in our industry certificate courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrollment process for applicants under 18.
Students under 16 will require a further assessment before they can officially enrol. This may include an interview with a course advisor and the creation of a study plan to ensure they have considered how they will manage a college-level workload.
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).
A solid foundation in drawing is necessary for courses like Concept Art Essentials, Concept Art Foundations, and the Bachelor of Digital Art (Concept Art). This beginner's course is thoughtfully crafted to equip you with the necessary drawing skills to meet the entry requirements for our more advanced programs.
This course is designed to provide a structured group learning experience with a focus on building introductory drawing skills for students with no prior experience.
Participants gain access to:
The course emphasizes collaborative learning and resource-driven guidance within a dedicated Slack channel, fostering a supportive environment for skill development. It serves as a stepping stone, equipping students with the confidence and skills to advance into more in-depth studies.
Software:
You will purchase Photoshop (photography plan only) 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).
Please note: As the software we use is regularly updated, please check the specs against the latest available version at the time of enrollment.
This short course will teach you the basics of drawing and will help you to qualify for and succeed in our more advanced programs.
If you wish to take your learning further and build industry-level skills, we advise continuing your studies with the full career track.
The concept art career track includes the Concept Art Foundations and either the Concept Art Specialization or Digital Illustrator Specialization. It is designed to better prepare you for a job in the industry and help increase your employment opportunities.
The career track ensures you build strong foundational skills before moving on to more complex techniques and workflows. You will also dedicate time to career development and preparing a polished portfolio while you gain invaluable industry insights.
Some of the junior digital painting jobs you could pursue after completing the full study pathway include:
Discover more about these digital painting jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:
These courses helped me learn much faster than in any other school or classroom.
I spent so much time trying to learn on my own using free resources - which worked up until a point. But it's that extra push a mentor will give you that really ties it all together. I couldn’t be more grateful for all the support this community and my mentor Eric Wilkerson have given me. Taking a rough concept to a fully-rendered illustration is something I never could have done before, and now I finally have the skills to make it happen.
The community is welcoming and helpful.
I couldn't be happier with my time at CG Spectrum. Communication with the mentors is really easy and they push you to achieve the best. I really enjoyed my experience. I would totally recommend.
It was literally the absolute best thing that has ever happened to my career and professional life.
I feel like I’ve improved not only as an artist but as a professional as a whole, as the classes integrate every single detail of the artist life. The doors really open for us all and there’s nothing I’d change.
Thank you CG Spectrum for giving me exactly what I needed to get started in this competitive industry.
I started the Concept Art & Illustration Course to create a stunning portfolio to apply for an internship. Without CG Spectrum I would never have been able to create a portfolio on a level that got me an amazing internship in Beijing.
Highly recommend this school!
My teachers were very helpful and I have learned so much about the industry. The highlight I think is the community they nurture—I have great relationships with other students, alumni, and mentors from my time at CG Spectrum.
Results of this course exceeded my expectations.
Eric Wilkerson is by far my favorite art teacher. He is patient, super helpful and encouraging. I had some self-discipline challenges but when I started the course, but he immediately set me on the right path and I started drawing and learning every single day.
They give you the right tools for the right job.
I enrolled in the Concept Art and Illustration course without any art background (theoretical and practical). Thanks to my enthusiastic mentors, Eric Wilkerson and Brian Huang, and knowledgeable fellas in group chat, I was able to improve my skills in a short time.
Experienced, successful and friendly mentors.
CG Spectrum has pushed me closer to my dream of being a concept artist. The mentors are amazing, which really is their unique selling point! Very glad to have taken both the illustration and concept art course, and the advanced concept art course.
The staff are really awesome. They genuinely care and they work very hard for you.
There are plenty of extra curriculars on offer. You can drop in on fundamentals classes every week. The Technical Assistants run friendly competitions. They have workshops and Q&As with big-name studios like Industrial Light and Magic. You get out what you put in, but they do their best to make a lot of good available to you while you're there.
It's one of the best discoveries of my life.
Never been so happy to study before. I've learnt so much in such a short time, and not only with the awesome mentors here, but thanks to this big community too! Thanks, CG Spectrum!
I learned so much in 9 months that my personal efforts at learning beforehand paled.
My experience with my mentor was fantastic. His own expertise was clear in how cleanly he was able to analyze my artwork and offer advice ranging from creating an effective composition, adding storytelling elements to an image, effective ways to paint over line work, simple brushes to generate quick and useful effects, and even just using the lasso tool in simple ways to expedite workflow.
Study options for all skill levels, from short introduction courses, specialized industry tracks, and accredited programs