Peter Ocampo

Meet Peter Ocampo

(Freelance artist)
Peter Ocampo

About Peter

About Peter

Mentor of Concept Art

Peter is currently 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.

He studied Computer Animation and Visualization at Bournemouth University in the early 2000s and has consistently worked since then to improve his art skills.

  

Peter's work

Credits include Thor: Ragnarok, Doctor Who, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Annihilation, to name a few.

Doctor Who
Thor Ragnarok
Annihilation
Dark Crystal Age of Resistance

Q&A with Peter

Which city are you currently based in?

London, England

What did your pathway into the industry look like?

I drew a lot throughout my school years and followed a lot of concept artists on the internet at that time, but I wasn't confident enough in my skills to pursue it nor did I know how to begin pursuing a career as a concept artist.

I studied computer animation at university, which got me a job at a VFX house in London and, after 8 years working in post production, I made a switch to the in house art department. This is why I'm such a proponent of online learning, as it let me study while working full time and eventually that's what got me the skills to switch departments.

What has been the best experience of your career so far?
Definitely designing the mutated bear for Alex Garland's Annihilation. It was the most open brief I think I've ever been given and the whole process of taking something from script to screen is something that I've rarely been able to enjoy in its entirety. While, sadly, it didn't get the release I think it deserved, hearing about how much that bear freaked people out has been really entertaining for me.
What’s your advice for your students?

Show people in the industry you're reliable and can get the job done, I think that can create a better impression with your managers than doing the most amazing art possible.

I think it's really important to learn how to focus and how to meet your objectives, and the students that stand out to me tend to be the ones who can apply themselves fully during the course, sometimes in spite of very busy schedules.

Lastly, I think lots of successful people in their respective disciplines learn how to learn. In your professional life, you'll always have to research and grasp concepts you don't know very much about, so don't expect to be spoon fed everything, be curious and avidly pursue your own interests to further your skills.

Learn Concept Art from industry pros 

Concept Art Foundations

Concept Art Foundations

24 weeks - 20hrs weekly

From art history to the latest techniques, learn the fundamentals of both disciplines using Photoshop. Explore light, color, perspective and anatomy and create polished art for your portfolio.

Concept Artist Specialization

Concept Artist Specialization

36 weeks - 20hrs weekly

This intensive course covers environment, creature and character design, plus matte painting using hand painting, photo-bashing and paint-over techniques. The final term focuses on career development to prepare you for a successful career as a concept artist for film and games.
Digital Illustrator Specialization

Digital Illustrator Specialization

36 weeks - 20hrs weekly

Discover advanced character illustration techniques and create various narrative artworks to client briefs. Whether you want to work in film, games or book publishing, this career-focused course prepares you for an exciting career in your chosen field.
Concept Art Essentials

Concept Art Essentials

12 weeks - 20hrs weekly

The best concept art course for beginner-intermediate level. Get hands-on experience creating concept art from scratch using Photoshop and working with client briefs. Graduate with a solid foundation and original work for your portfolio! Basic drawing skills required.
Character Design

Character Design

6 weeks - 20hrs weekly

This intensive course covers environment, creature and character design, plus matte painting using hand painting, photo-bashing and paint-over techniques. The final term focuses on career development to prepare you for a successful career as a concept artist for film and games.
Diploma of Digital Art

Diploma of Digital Art

24 weeks - 40hrs weekly

Establish strong digital art foundations for film, games, and publishing. Using Photoshop or Toon Boom Harmony, understand core industry workflows and processes and how to apply them.
Bachelor of Digital Art

Bachelor of Digital Art

92 weeks - 40hrs weekly

Translate concepts and ideas into compelling visuals for film, games, and publishing and learn how to work with client briefs to hit the ground running as a concept artist or 2D animator.
Bachelor of Digital Art (Concept Art)

Bachelor of Digital Art (Concept Art)

2 weeks - 40hrs weekly

Learn advanced 2D and 3D concept art techniques for film, games, and publishing. Create characters, creatures, props, and environments using Photoshop, Blender, and ZBrush, and examine industry production pipelines and creative workflows.
Diploma of Digital Art (Concept Art)

Diploma of Digital Art (Concept Art)

0 weeks - 40hrs weekly

Learn foundational concept art processes and techniques while building your interpersonal skills and industry knowledge. Create characters and props in Photoshop and explore essential concepts, principles, and workflows within the industry.
What do you enjoy most about being a CG Spectrum mentor?
Although all our meetings take place online, there are definite moments when you can see something you're explaining click with a student, and seeing them feed that back into their work is really great. I still hold onto a lot of the knowledge and processes taught to me over the course of my own online education so I'm hoping the student will carry what they've learnt here throughout the course of their careers.
How do you stay creative outside of work?
Rock climbing and enjoying the outdoors are generally what get me away from being hunched over my tablet for too long.
What excites you most about the future of concept art?
Not knowing what the future is! I remember when I started, the internet concept art community was a rickety old forum and now we have ArtStation. I think the changing ways in which concept art is consumed and produced creates both positive and negative change within our industry, but it's always interesting.

Learn more about Peter's experience on ArtStation or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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