Concept Process

This time I’d like to talk about my concept art process which is a hybrid process that seems more complicated than it is. I lay that out below but I would like to say that, for the most part, concept iterations/explorations aren’t always about finding a better idea…but more about presenting options.

If you concept for people it is very likely that what you consider the best idea doesn’t land as well as one of your second or third, sometimes 30th idea. It’s mostly like art appreciation in general. Different things inspire different people… DIFFERENT, not better. There are, of course, instances when the 30th idea is better suited to their needs and possibly there’s some component of the initial idea that breaks the production process further down the pipeline so often changes are more a matter of necessity rather than aesthetic validity.

For instance, (and you’ll see a small example of this below) some ideas need to be simplified at first for many different reasons. Too much detail can overwhelm a client, especially if they’re having to consider a multitude of types of production. Animation teams don’t usually start with finished concepts but need something basic and roughly 50-70% formalized. Then, if its 3D they may create a proxy- a very simple balloon animal version to be a placeholder at the beginning stages.

I should also add that all these processes are sometimes very different depending on who you’re working with. The point is that, for me, I have to be able to give versions that range from loose sketch to absolutely rendered to finish. I’ve had clients go both directions and everything in between. My usual routine is to go to about 80% then back it down or take it up depending on the response. It is actually kind of rare that anyone needs 100% finished (unless the concept is also going to be used as an illustration as well.) Del Toro loves finished pieces but many clients don’t want or need that level of detail.

The scan/print/alter/repeat process I outline below is much the same whether I work fully traditionally or digitally (without the print part). Concepting on top of a *very* light print of my loose sketch also serves to feed my explorational nature as the light lines often work together with the darker lines to suggest new forms. It’s kind of a different way of squinting at your piece to reduce details.

The Process

 1) loose sketch 2) scan loose sketch 

 

 

 3) print loose sketch lighter 4) refine loose sketch, sometimes with more detail than necessary 5) scan refined, overly detailed sketch

 

 

 6) refine (stretch crop, copy paste, mirror etc. 7) print altered sketch lighter 8) redraw over light guidelines, simplify and strengthen shapes

 

 

 …and..

The result is usually what my clients expect as a clean readable concept with readable shapes and observable shape hierarchy.

 

From this point it either goes to a fully realized render, whether digital or traditional pencil, or iterations where details and shapes get juggled and sometimes significant changes are offered if they are good options. More often than not I will send multiple options unless the client likes the initial design as is, which also happens… less often. People like choices because… collaboration.