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Concept Artist Specialization

Master advanced concept art techniques and launch your career in film, games and publishing

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Overview

Industry-Driven Concept Art Training to Launch Your Career

The Concept Artist Specialization course equips aspiring artists with the advanced skills and industry insights needed to create professional-grade artwork for film, games, and publishing. Taught by experienced industry mentors, this course dives deep into advanced design principles, storytelling through art, and refining your unique style. Students will learn to craft compelling characters, environments, and props while mastering industry-standard tools and workflows. 

  • Mentorship from Award-Winning Artists: Learn directly from top industry professionals who have worked at major studios.
  • Master Advanced Techniques: Refine your concept art skills through hands-on practice with advanced techniques used by industry artists.
  • Industry-Standard Skills: Master the techniques and tools used by top concept artists to ensure your work aligns with professional expectations.
  • Career Coaching: Get personalized advice on navigating the entertainment industry and advancing your concept art career.

By the end of the program, you'll have a polished portfolio that showcases your expertise and positions you for a successful career in entertainment design.

Get Started
concept-artist-specialization-overview-01
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.

badge_mentor_bronze 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.  
badge_mastery_bronze 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.  
badge_community_bronze 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

Same Course. Same Mentors. Two Ways to Train.

 Flexible ways to learn, shaped around your goals and schedule, whether you want the structure of a group or the focus of one-to-one mentorship. 
Private · one to one

1:1 Career Mentorship

Next Intake
Monthly
Duration
9 months
QUALIFICATION
Certificate

Train with a working professional focused entirely on you, reviewing your work every week the way a supervisor reviews a junior artist. Immediate, specific, tailored to exactly where you are. You set the pace, push past the set curriculum where you need to, and start the month you are ready.

WHO IS THIS FOR
  • Working professionals looking to upskill or pivot without leaving their job
  • Experienced artists who need targeted training in a specific tool or technique
  • Students who benefit from personalised instruction due to additional learning needs
 
  •  
 Private 1-hour weekly sessions with a dedicated mentor
  •  
 Flexible scheduling and pacing that fits around your life
  •  
 Personalised feedback on your portfolio and career direction
  •  
 Start any month, no waiting for a cohort
  •  
 No prerequisites, assessments, or fixed cohort schedule
Cohort · group class

Group Class

Next Intake
Duration
12 months
Qualification
Certificate

Learn in a small group led by a working professional, with everyone's work reviewed every week the way a studio team operates. You grow alongside people chasing the same goals, sharpening your eye on their work as well as your own, and keep the momentum that comes from not working alone. 

WHO IS THIS FOR
  • Students who learn better in collaborative, social environments
  • Career changers who want structure and accountability while they transition
  • Recent school leavers looking for an alternative to a traditional university degree
  •  
 Weekly 3-hour live classes with a small cohort of peers
  •  
 Collaborative group projects that simulate studio team workflows
  •  
 Structured curriculum with assessments and deadlines that keep you on track
  •  
 Watch your work reviewed next to your peers', and learn from their feedback
  •  
 Credits transfer directly toward a CGSI degree
Curriculum

Course Curriculum

Characters, Creatures & Enhanced Workflows

In the creature and character design term, you’ll use anatomy, posing skills, personality and character traits, plus the environment to inform your designs. Create backstories for your characters and experiment with color, posing and lighting to engage your audience in the story. 

What You'll Learn
  • Learn to create polished concept art
  • Design incredible creatures and characters
  • Use story and posing to drive action
  • Build professional model sheets
Weekly Breakdown
  1. Heroes Concept
  2. Heroes Demonstration
  3. Villains Concept
  4. Villains Demonstration
  5. Creatures Concept
  6. Creatures Demonstration
  7. Matte Painting Photobashing 01
  8. Matte Painting Photobashing 02
  9. Environment Paintover 01: Design and Texture
  10. Environment Paintover 02: Polish
  11. Prop Paintover
  12. ZBrush Character Paintover

3D Concept Art Workflows

Speed up your workflow using 3d sculpting and kitbashing techniques to quickly block out, light, and render your concept art. You'll create dynamic compositions using Zbrush and Blender to develop your concept art skills further and learn industry-standard workflows. Starting out by sculpting basic forms to generate quick renders, capturing detail, and lighting, you'll move on to more complex models such as the human form and complex environments. Finish with several pieces of original 3D concept art for your portfolio.

What You'll Learn
  • Use Photoshop, Zbrush, and Blender to enhance your concept art workflows
  • Gather strong reference material and create quick thumbnail sketches
  • Set up camera angles and lighting to capture detail and textures
  • Polish your work to a professional level using the latest studio techniques
Weekly Breakdown
  1. Introduction to ZBrush
  2. ZBrush Sculpting Basics
  3. ZBrush Details & Rendering
  4. ZBrush Alien Sculpture
  5. ZBrush Alien Rendering
  6. ZBrush Alien Paintover
  7. Introduction to Blender & Scene Brainstorm
  8. Blender Scene Layout & Terrain Creation
  9. Blender Importing models & HDRI Lighting
  10. Blender Compositing & Photoshop Techniques
  11. Blender Paintover 01
  12. Blender Paintover 02

Concept Art Capstone

This final term is dedicated to getting you job-ready! With your mentor’s guidance, you’ll polish your best art for your portfolio and learn how to develop your competitive edge, market yourself, and make the best possible impression in front of employers. 

What You'll Learn
  • Polish your portfolio to impress employers
  • Be more confident with negotiation
  • Network and self-promote effectively
  • Tap into the hidden job market 
Weekly Breakdown
  1. Developing Project Ideas
  2. Writing Project Proposals
  3. Planning Creative Projects
  4. Making the Most of Professional Feedback
  5. Research, Development, and Testing
  6. Preparing and Delivering Progress Presentations
  7. Rescoping Projects
  8. Responding to Critical Feedback
  9. Acquiring Feedback from Creative Communities
  10. Preparing Online Portfolio Content
  11. Presenting Completed Projects
  12. Professional and Creative Reflection

Download the Course Guide

Your creative journey begins here! Download our comprehensive course guide and discover the exciting educational opportunities that await you.
GET STARTED
Mentors

Learn Directly From Film & Game Mentors

To be the best, it helps to learn from the best. All concept art classes are taught by professional concept artists with years of experience.

Brandon Reimchen's Work
Brandon Reimchen
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

Brian Huang's Work
Brian Huang
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

Eric Wilkerson's Work
Eric Wilkerson
Eric Wilkerson

Eric is an illustrator/concept artist for film, TV, advertising, publishing, comics and games. Clients include Wizards of the Coast (Magic: The Gathering), Weta Workshop, Marvel, Upper Deck, Scholastic and Disney.

Known for Magic: The Gathering

Fang Jing's Work
Fang Jing
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's Work
Humza Khan
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

Joel Carpenter's Work
Joel Carpenter
Joel Carpenter

Joel Carpenter has spent 18 years working as a concept artist and illustrator across studios including Headstrong Games, Bravado Designs, Rockabox, and KIDSCAVE Studios, with cover work that earned Eagle Award nominations for Best Newcomer and Best Cover Artist. He mentors CGSI Concept Art and Illustration students on the visual development craft behind games, comics, and books.

Known for Kitti Katz

Kinman Chan's Work
Kinman Chan
Kinman Chan

Kinman Chan has spent 22 years designing for film and games at Lucasfilm, ILM, Disney ImageMovers, Insomniac Games, and Disney Interactive. His credits include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Strange Magic, A Christmas Carol, Curious George, and The Fox and the Hound 2. He mentors CGSI Concept Art students on the design thinking and visual storytelling that move a project from brief to screen.

Known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Min Ru Lee's Work
Min Ru Lee
Min Ru Lee

Min Ru Lee has spent 12 years working as a concept artist across studios including Mighty Jaxx, Fox and Co, and Resn. She mentors CGSI Concept Art students on the visual development craft behind games, collectibles, and brand-driven creative work.

Known for Mighty Jaxx collectibles

Peter Ocampo's Work
Peter Ocampo
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

Rachel Blackthorn's Work
Rachel Blackthorn
Rachel Blackthorn

Rachel is a Concept Artist and Illustrator specializing in visual storytelling and creature design. She currently works at Flix Interactive and is a Women in Games Ambassador.

Known for Sea of Thieves

Tyler James's Work
Tyler James
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

Student Testimonials

Get The Education You Deserve

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"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

  
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"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

  
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"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

  
spade-investigations-poster

"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

  
magic-the-gathering

"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

  
before-we-leave-poster

"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

  
shadowun-legends-poster

"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

  
Request Information

Join Our Alumni at World Class Studios

Our mission is to train highly skilled graduates ensuring they are prepared for a successful career.  Take the first step towards joining our alumni at world-class studios creating work that inspires.

FAQ's

Questions? We Have Answers

What are the prerequisites for this course?

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).
What are the 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 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. 

 
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 concept art 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:
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Check out our full range of courses with study options for all skill levels, from short introductory courses, specialized industry tracks and accredited degrees and diplomas

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