Concept Art & Illustration Foundations Course

Transform your passion for art into a career as a concept artist or digital illustrator for film, games, and publishing. Our concept art and illustration courses focus on essential techniques and principles, teaching you how to bring ideas to life by creating compelling characters, creatures, props, and environments using Adobe Photoshop.

Why Choose Our Concept Art and Illustration Courses:

Mentorship from Award-Winning Artists: Learn directly from top industry professionals who have worked at major studios.
Master Concept Art for Film, Games, and Publishing: Gain the skills needed to design for the entertainment and publishing industries.
Industry-Standard Tools and Techniques: Receive training using the tools and methods used by professionals in the field.
Client-Focused Skills: Learn how to interpret client briefs and produce high-quality work that keeps clients coming back.

Upon graduation, you’ll have the option to specialize further in either concept art or digital illustration, allowing you to refine your skills and elevate your artistic career.

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Our Difference

Master Your Skills. Master Your Future.

Our mission is to ensure graduates are the best trained and best prepared for a successful career in their chosen field.

Industry Mentors Learn from the best! Our instructors are seasoned industry pros and bring real-world knowledge to the classroom, ensuring you're equipped with the skills that studios demand.

Outcomes Our goal is to make you job-ready. You'll graduate with technical skills and a deep understanding of the industry, making you a valuable asset to any studio.

Community Join an active community and network with peers, mentors, and industry professionals. Our strong industry connections can help you access job opportunities post-graduation.

Course Information

Everything You Need To Know

Quick Overview

Course Structure

What You'll Learn

Tuition & Payment

Qualification Industry certificate

Study Load

20hrs/week

Program Length

9 months

Delivery Mode Online live classes
Custom video lectures
Personalised mentor feedback

Skill Level

Beginner to Intermediate
Basic drawing and anatomy skills

Start Dates

January 6, 2025 February 3, 2025 March 3, 2025

Want to take your education higher?

Did you know that the subjects you complete in the career track courses can be used to apply for credit toward our accredited degrees and diplomas in the same discipline?

The skills and knowledge you build in any industry-certificate course can be transferred into academic credits through our Advanced Standing and Credit Transfer process. So, if you decide to take your studies to the next level, know that your prior learning will be recognized.

Compare your options and find out which course is right for you.

GET STARTED

Term 1: 12 weeks

Foundations 1: Essentials of Concept Art

Begin your concept art journey by establishing a solid understanding of line work, color, value, and lighting and how they help bring your art to life. Delve into visual design basics and build a strong foundation in character and narrative design to create visually compelling art. Through hands-on projects, you'll take your ideas from reference gathering, thumbnailing, and sketching all the way to polished, rendered artwork that showcases your unique creative vision!

What You'll Learn

Communicating effectively through the use of line, value, and color
Explore character design and visual storytelling through ideation and narrative archetype
Develop foundational skills in reference gathering, thumbnailing, and sketching
Learn to polish and present your work professionally

Weekly Breakdown

Introduction to Line Drawing
Introduction to Value
Introduction to Color & Colorization
Visual Design Basics
Character Design Basics
Narrative Design Basics
Ideation and Reference Gathering
Introduction to Thumbnails
Introduction to Sketching
Clean Line, Value Mapping & Rendering
Color Application
Introduction to Polishing

Term 2: 12 weeks

Foundations 2: Core Concept Art Principles

Learn the science of light, shadow, and material rendering to create more believable and immersive designs. You'll practice iterative design techniques, experiment with human anatomy and mutation, and master posing and cinematic composition to give your characters life. You'll also explore surface detailing and fabric dynamics and develop your personal style—all while refining your work for professional-quality output.

What You'll Learn

How to master light, shadow, and material rendering
Human anatomy, including posing, fabric, and surface detailing
The iterative design process, exploring multiple creative solutions from a single brief
Define, develop, and apply your unique artistic style

Weekly Breakdown

Light Theory 01
Light Theory 02
Material Rendering
Iterative Design - Sketching
Iterative Design - Rendering
Human Mutation
Fold and Fabric
Surface Design
Posing
Cinematic posing
Style Exploration
Style Application

Term 3: 12 weeks

Foundations 3: Professional Environment and Composition workflows

Learn the fundamentals of environment and set design by starting with perspective drawing: the key to creating solid concept art. Discover how to visualize environments by building matte paintings from scratch using photo-bashing techniques plus the paint-over method to acquire lighting and perspective information from pre-rendered assets.

What You'll Learn

How to apply new brush tools and techniques
Gather reference to inform your models
Use ZModeler for hard surface modeling
Finalize a hard surface and creature model

Weekly Breakdown

Environment Design - Client Brief
Environment Design - Client Brief
Set Design 01: Design and Render
Set Design 02: Color
Game Level 01: Concept Design
Game Level 02: Call Out
Basic Composition 1 - Line and Shapes
Basic Composition 2 - Light and Value
Advanced Composition 01: Armatures
Advanced Composition 02: Focal Points
Framing 01: Shot Types
Framing 02: Staging

Monthly

Upfront

SAVE 10%

Group Class

$1,222 USD/mo

$9,999 USD

CG Spectrum’s small group classes provide an ideal learning environment for aspiring artists to grow their skills and connect with peers. With a maximum of 4 students per class, the intimate setting ensures personalized attention from experienced industry mentors.

4 students max class size

Students are assigned mentor

Group interaction & collaboration

Private 1:1

$1,711 USD/mo

$13,999 USD

Learning 1-on-1 with CG Spectrum provides personalized guidance from industry experts, tailored feedback, and flexible scheduling. This focused approach helps students master skills, build competitive portfolios, and prepare for careers in games, film, and animation.

Private dedicated mentor

Students choose their mentor

More dedicated time per week

Brandon Reimchen

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.

Known for Resident Evil

Tyler James

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.

Known for Heroes of the Storm

Brian Huang

Brian is an illustrator and concept artist for video games with expertise in art direction, visual development, and concept art. His credits include World of Warcraft, Diabolo, and Starcraft.

Known for Diablo III

Fang Jing

Possessing a degree in concept art, Fang has produced many concept designs for projects including Minecraft Dungeons and Prison Architect. She currently works at Sony Playstation Studios.

Known for Concord

Humza Khan

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.

Known for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

Bernie Kang

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.

Known for World of Warcraft

Mike Thompson

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.

Known for Black Panther

Peter Ocampo

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.

Known for Annihilation

Jonathan Li

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.

Known for Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

Kinman Chan

Known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Joel Carpenter

Known for Kitti Katz

Catalin Laie

Known for Brother in Arms 3

Dio Lee

Known for Halo Infinite

Student Testimonials

Get The Education Your Deserve

"I have never experienced such an explosive evolution in my art since attending CG Spectrum.

I have learnt an incredible amount, not only from my amazing mentor Eric Wilkerson but from the entire CGS community. Being part of such an amazing program has opened my eyes to techniques that have streamlined my process and increased my confidence tenfold. I highly recommend the Advanced Illustration Course. Buckle up, and knuckle down – this could be the course that changes everything for you."

oliverh-rounded
Oliver H | Concept Art & Illustration

"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."

Victoria-Pascual
Victoria P | Concept Art & Illustration

"Not just for people wanting to break into the industry, it's also for professionals already in it.

I am a concept artist at Paradox Interactive in Sweden, and I wanted to expand my illustration skills, so I decided to take the Digital Illustration Course. I am loving it!! If you're a professional and want to learn a new skill, I would say go ahead! Expand your set of skills!

Ahmed-Albastaki-BW
Ahmed A | Concept Art & Illustration

"Thanks to CG Spectrum, I am a lot closer to my dream of being a concept artist.

The curriculum structure is very reasonable, with both academic basic theories and useful suggestions for career paths. Thanks to my mentors, Brian Huang and Victoria Sarkissian, who not only taught me drawing skills and design techniques, but more importantly, they also gave me the confidence to continue working hard."

xinliu-rounded
Xin L | Concept Art & illustration

"I was approached by Skybound North, and after a couple of months freelancing, I was offered an in-house job on a new animation project.

I went to a game art school after I graduated, but it wasn’t really what I was looking for. At the same time, I had started CG Spectrum’s concept art course, which is where I met my mentor Brandon Reimchen. He was an amazing teacher!"

april-prime
April P | Concept Art & Illustration

"I've never improved as an artist so quickly.

Great course! They teach you what you need to know and don't waste your time with stuff that just fills out a course. It was specific to what I needed to know. The classes are very personable and the mentors are industry professionals that never hesitate to put in the effort to help you out. I definitely would recommend this to people interested in getting into the industry."

tomgarden-rounded
Tom G | Concept Art & Illustration

"I have nothing but great things to say of CG Spectrum!

I was a bit unsure when I signed up for the concept art course because I had no prior experience, but it changed my life. I had a great mentor, Brandon, who would always push me to do better and I learned valuable things in each class."

erika-horinkova-headshot
Erika H | Concept Art & Illustration

FAQ's

Questions? We Have Answers

What are the prerequisites for this course?

Basic Drawing Competency Required
For this course, students must demonstrate their drawing competency through a portfolio submission. 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).

What are the digital painting software and hardware requirements?

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 require a MAC/PC and a compatible graphics tablet (see digital painting software and equipment). We recommend a minimum of 32GB RAM.

What's the difference between concept art and digital illustration?

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.

What digital painting careers can I explore post-graduation?

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:

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:

EXPLORE DIGITAL PAINTING JOBS

Concept Art & Illustration Foundations

Learn Concept Art & Illustration from Top Industry Artists

Master Your Skills. Master Your Future.

Everything You Need To Know

Your pathway to the film and games industry

Want to take your education higher?

Foundations 1: Essentials of Concept Art

Foundations 2: Core Concept Art Principles

Foundations 3: Professional Environment and Composition workflows

Download the Course Guide

Group Class

Private 1:1

Don't Put Your Future On Hold

Learn Directly From Film & Game Mentors

Brandon Reimchen

Tyler James

Brian Huang

Fang Jing

Humza Khan

Bernie Kang

Mike Thompson

Peter Ocampo

Jonathan Li

Kinman Chan

Joel Carpenter

Catalin Laie

Dio Lee

Join Our Alumni at World Class Studios

Questions? We Have Answers

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