Concept Art (evening - online)
Concept Art (evening - online)
Course details
Location
Start date
21st July 2025
Duration
5 weeks
Contact time
Monday and Wednesday evenings: 7:00pm-10:00pm BST
Difficulty
Intermediate - requires a firm grasp of computer functionality
Fees
£950
Course overview
Craft cinematic beauty.
This course is ideal for aspiring artists who want to get into nitty-gritty details of concept art production for video games, VFX and movies. If you love drawing and painting, this course will help you take your skills to the next level while learning the thinking process behind concept artwork and illustration.
Our industry-experienced tutors will prepare you for the reality of working in a Concept Art department, through theory, industry analysis, case studies (based on popular video games and movies) and a lot of practice.
By the end of the course, you’ll have created pieces of artwork to use in a portfolio to help you land the job of your dreams.
See also MA Concept Art and Experience Design and Concept Art short courses (14/21 weeks).
Why choose this course
- Cenay Oekmen is the course leader and has three decades of experience working in VFX. He has contributed to 3 Oscar winning films (Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects) and has worked on blockbusters including Inception, The Jungle Book, The Golden Compass, Alien, Ghostbusters, Troy and the Harry Potter series.
- Fast-track your art skills - concept art is the blueprint for visual worlds. It helps define the look and feel of characters, environments, props, and moods before production begins. This course will give you the skills and tools to bring storytelling to life through visuals.
- Build your portfolio – you'll create work that can form part of your portfolio and make connections with other budding Concept Artists. Concept art is essential in, film and TV production, video game design, animation, comics and graphic novels. If you're aiming for a career in these fields, concept art is a core skill.
- Live online study – studying an evening online course allows you to learn new skills quickly, in a fast-paced online environment. Sessions are live so you can interact with your tutor and other students, while following a scheduled lesson plan.
- Flexibility – study live online and, in the evening, to fit the course around your professional and personal life.
Course modules
Week 1
Class 1 - Fundamentals of Concept Art
- Introduction to concept art principles and industry roles
- Sketching techniques (silhouettes and thumbnails)
- Ideation processes
- Understanding visual storytelling in production pipelines
- World-building through consistent visual elements
- Personal project: Initial concept development and mood boards
Class 2 - Colour Theory and Portfolio Development
- Colour psychology and emotional impact in concept art
- Colour palette creation for cohesive visual storytelling
- Digital portfolio creation and organization
- Professional presentation techniques for concept art
- Industry standards and production team integration
- Personal project: Digital creation character concept
Week 2
Class 3 - Character Design Foundations
- Anatomy fundamentals and proportions for different styles
- Character silhouette design and readability
- Exploring character archetypes and personality visualization
- Personal project: Character concept refinement with backstory
Class 4 - Environment Design
- Landscape and architectural concept art fundamentals / Isometric view concept
- Perspective techniques (1-point, 2-point, 3-point, atmospheric)
- Mood and lighting as storytelling tools
- Personal project: Environment design
Week 3
Class 5 - Creature and Vehicle Design
- Biological design principles and biomechanics
- Creature anatomy, movement, and functionality
- Vehicle and prop design for world-building
- Personal project: Creature or vehicle integration
Class 6 - ZBrush Hard Surface Modelling for Concept Artists
- ZBrush interface and basic hard surface techniques
- Creating mechanical designs and props in 3D
- Surface detailing and panel work for vehicles/Robnots and technology
- Personal project: create a prop in ZBrush
Week 4
Class 7 - ZBrush for Character Concept Artists
- ZBrush interface and digital sculpting fundamentals
- Rapid character prototyping and iteration
- Creating dynamic poses and expressive forms
- Personal project: create a 3D character sculpt based on a 2D concept
Class 8 - 3D Fundamentals with Maya
- Introduction to 3D space and Maya interface
- Basic modelling techniques for concept visualization
- 3D blocking and scene setup from 2D concepts
- Personal project: Converting a 2D concept to basic 3D form
Week 5
Class 9 - 3D Pipeline and AI Rendering Integration
- Understanding the complete 3D production pipeline
- 3D asset creation workflow (modelling, texturing, lighting basics)
- Integrating AI rendering tools with 3D assets
- Personal Project: Enhanced concept visualization with 3D and AI rendering
Class 10 - Presentation
- Final portfolio presentation with technical breakdown
More information
Entry requirements
Minimum requirements
We welcome and encourage applications from students with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
To study this short course, you must:
- Be over 18
- Have a good understanding of written and spoken English
- Have a firm grasp on computer functionality (aka. shortcuts, how a computer works, ability for minor independent trouble shooting if required and ability to adapt and learn new technology and software).
If you'd like to discuss your circumstances before applying, contact us!
Online study requirements
We can provide remote access to our workstations during teaching time. Due to availability restrictions, we highly advise you to have your own set up at home to study in your own time.
More things you’ll need:
- A strong internet connection
- Cloud storage or external hard drive to back up your work, 1TB+ recommended
- A three-button mouse or graphics tablet. Please note, the Wacom Intuos Pro range of tablets have the best support for our remote desktop software and provide the best experience.
- A computer microphone (and optionally a webcam)
- Note-taking materials.
If you have any questions about learning online or if you need help with what to buy, get in touch at hello@escapestudios.ac.uk.
How to apply
To apply complete the relevant online application form linked below:
Our Admissions Team will get in touch to take you through the next steps.
If you have any questions about your application or our entry requirements, get in touch!
As part of the application process, you will need to agree to our terms and conditions for your place on the course to be secured.
Fees and funding
Fees
Live online: £950
Payment plans
We offer payment plan options for all courses. Following an initial deposit at registration stage, your chosen payment plan will break down your remaining fees into up to three instalments, to be paid before the end of the course.
Visit our admissions page for any questions about fees, funding and payment plans.
Teaching and learning
We pack a lot into each class of our evening courses, to be able to offer a learning option that is more flexible and fits in with your personal and work life. This means that contact time with your tutors will be intense learning and hands on. To make the most of this course, we recommend that you spend at least 10 hours working on your projects or practising your new skills in your own time each week.
Software
- Adobe Photoshop
- ZBrush
- Maya
Career opportunities
Concept art is essential in, film and TV production, video game design, animation, comics and graphic novels. If you're aiming for a career in these fields, concept art is a core skill. Beyond industry work, concept art is a way to express your own ideas. Many artists use it to create personal projects or launch their own film, tv and game productions.
You’ll leave with an Escape Studios Certificate of Achievement, along with strong creative and technical skills and some great pieces of work for your portfolio. Ready to apply for jobs in the industry!
Our students have gone to work as both specialist and generalist artists in creative studios, across TV shows, films and commercials, at companies including Framestore, DNEG, MPC and Jellyfish Pictures. Read some of our Escapee success stories.
Check out our Careers Guide for more information about career opportunities and progression routes.
Why Escape Studios?
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Meet our industry-experienced tutors
They all have industry experience and are experts in their fields, including certified trainers for Unreal Engine, Autodesk and Houdini. They've worked at studios such as Walt Disney, EA and Framestore, on credits including Doctor Strange, Kingsman and Bond: Spectre.
