Overview

As a concept artist, you illustrate ideas for use in films, games, animation, comics, or other media. It’s all about problem-solving, storytelling, and creating something new.

You focus on the pre-production process, designing assets including characters, creatures, environments, key art illustrations, splash art, weapons, and props.

You explore these creative briefs through traditional art methods as well as utilizing digital art tools including Photoshop, Maya, ZBrush, and After Effects.

If you need additional preparation or if you don't have sufficient grades to join Year 1 of the degree then you can study this course with a foundation year. An optional work placement year is included, at no extra cost.

Course structure

Year 0 (foundation year) core modules

You are introduced to the creative possibilities of image-making using digital tools. The fundamental principles of design and composition will be addressed and a range of image creation techniques will be explored using appropriate graphics software. Skills and topics introduced include: layers, transparencies, vectors, bitmaps, Outcomes & reproduction (web/print/screen), and Input devices

Drawing Principles

You gain confidence in creating rudimentary images using traditional tools such as pencil and charcoal. The teaching enables you to develop your drawing technique and approach and helps you produce images that effectively communicate simple ideas.

With a range of traditional materials, you are encouraged to experiment with different approaches to drawing. You learn methods and techniques to improve your observational skills in relation to still-life drawing. You also look at other formal elements including tone, proportion, perspective, and basic human anatomy.

Final Projects

This module aims to guide you through the production of a small-scale individual project defined in part by you, with guidance from the tutor. The final project aims to develop an individual working approach and good project management. You will develop original ideas and concepts for an appropriate project in your chosen field of study. These may take the form of a short story, artifact, report, campaign, comic, concept art, or other appropriate form related to the arts and media industries.

Modelling Principles

You learn some of the basic principles of 3D computer modeling, lighting, and texturing. You use 3D software to produce a simple 3D model that will be textured and rendered with basic lighting. Through guided tutorial tasks, you learn some of the first principles of 3D modeling with the view to creating a small collection of elementary assets for computer games and animation. You create simple textures in appropriate software, such as Photoshop, and consider basic CG lighting.

Study Skills 

You explore learning skills for undergraduate study at University, providing you with a range of learning material and practical sessions. You develop your professional skills including teamwork, researching a topic, report writing, and delivering presentations, as well as time management and learning practice.
You learn by a combination of lectures, e-learning material, and support.

You are introduced to the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) at Teesside University, exploring e-learning material and reading lists, and student support and learning resources.

Your assessment is a portfolio based on set tasks, including research into set problems.

Visual Narratives

You gain confidence in comic and narrative creation through short, well-defined creation briefs to encourage experimentation and an openness to new techniques, tools, and methods.

Through practice-based briefs and seminars, you are introduced to the key tools and techniques of both comic and artistic media.

You experiment with different styles of drawing for pre-defined narrative purposes; to different ways of generating or structuring a story. You also produce images that communicate a narrative, short comics, and other visual narratives.

You work with the tutor and other students to discuss work in response to the briefs You explore the fundamental formal elements of narrative creation, such as the use of the panel, the cover, page design, speech bubbles, thought bubbles, and captions, through workshops, briefs and challenges.

Your assessment is 100% ICA, a visual portfolio that covers a range of narrative-based or comic-specific storytelling techniques.

Year 1 core modules

You develop your abilities to design and create 3D Models, focusing on hard-surface modeling. You consider creative design and development processes for complex objects before evaluating the practicality and deployability of your designs within appropriate 3D scenarios.

You develop the skills to create your designs effectively and efficiently, considering their fitness for purpose as props, animated objects, or supports for other activities such as matte painting. This consideration includes the topology, polygon resolution, and the object’s general aesthetic.

Concept Art Pre-Production

This module develops your understanding of the role of the concept artist. You are guided through a wide range of concept art tasks and encouraged to develop an effective working practice. The unique challenges faced by a concept artist are identified and explored.

The module focuses on the generation of original ideas and develops skills in thumbnailing, iteration, and presentation.

Drawing For Games And Animation 1

This module develops your visual perception and drawing skills – these are essential for a productive artist to communicate ideas effectively, swiftly, and efficiently.

You are guided through a range of drawing exercises including figure drawing, environment drawing, and still life, enabling you to work through a variety of approaches to drawing. These exercises develop your observational and imaginative drawing abilities, and build on your artistic skills and range of techniques, using traditional tools.

History of Illustration

You research the industry of visual arts. You learn through a series of lectures and seminars. You explore examples of case studies that reflect your research expectations.

You focus on historical elements and in-depth research of artists and art styles. You select from these artists and art styles that have been covered in lectures to conduct closer research that supports your assessment submission.

Introduction to Digital Images Techniques

You are introduced to relevant digital software packages, such as Adobe Photoshop, enabling you to investigate the creative potential of digital painting. You look at initial approaches and techniques used to create concept art especially in the context of digital image-making.

Narrative Art

This module focuses on the production aspect of concept art, looking at effective drawing techniques and visual storytelling skills.

You develop your existing pre-production work or use existing examples of pre-production work from elsewhere, to produce polished final images which fall into the following areas: key moments, character and environment concept art, and other marketing artwork such as poster art.

This is artwork suitable to be presented to a client as a pitch presentation.

Career opportunities

Professional concept artists collaborate with other artists and designers to create artwork and complete projects. You develop the skills employers look for including artistic flair, computer skills, interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and communication skills.

Our graduates have started careers as freelance artists or gone on to work for studios such as Atomhawk, Sumo Digital, and Jagex.

Our ExpoSeries of events are an opportunity for you to interact with employers. Each event is open to the public and industry guests, allowing you to showcase your work and skills to peers and potential future placements or employers.