What is Video Game Concept Art: Types and Styles Overview

Concept art kick-starts video game development. It blends creativity with intricate planning to build game aspects like characters, environment, and props. The journey starts with a basic idea. This idea sets the course for the game and guides its creation.

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Yet, enjoying concept art for games isn't just about liking impressive sketches. It's about grasping the bare bones of game-making and how diverse styles mold the game's story. That's the reason we're diving deep into the numerous art styles and forms. Let's dig into concept art for computer games, dissecting its parts one by one.

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Topics:

1. What is concept art role in game development
2. Concept art styles
3. Types of concept art
4. Concept art services

What is concept art’s role in game development

What is concept art’s main gig in game development? It’s the first visual representation of a game's design vision, acting as the developmental catalyst. It lays down the foundational art concepts, turning ideas for characters, landscapes, and more into tangible visuals that guide the entire creation process.

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Setting the visual direction

When it comes to defining a game’s look, concept art takes the lead. It crafts the visual language for everything from post-apocalyptic settings to magical realms. The use of color, light, and form sets the stage and creates an atmosphere that players connect with, bringing the game's vibe to life.

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Communicating ideas and concepts

Effective communication is crucial in game development. Concept art bridges the gap between different team members, turning complex ideas into visual formats everyone can understand. This visual common ground helps keep the project aligned, ensuring everyone aims for the same visual and narrative goals.

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Guiding the art production pipeline

From the initial sketches to the final touches, video game concept art guides the production process. It ensures that all visual elements stay true to the original vision, maintaining consistency across the game's world. This guidance is key to building a cohesive and immersive experience for players, making concept art an indispensable roadmap for the art team.

Concept art styles

At its core, all concept art styles fall into two primary categories: realism and stylization. Every other style, from photorealism to casual art, fits under these broad umbrellas. Let's dive into a quick overview of both:

• Realistic: In games defined by their authentic feel, realism takes center stage. It focuses on the finer points — how time scars a post-apocalyptic wall, the roughness of untamed terrain, and the depth of human expressions. Creating realistic concept art requires meticulous attention and an observant eye for those details.

• Stylized: Going for a stylized approach kicks the game's visuals up a notch. It's all about making characters and settings that pop — think bold, imaginative, and straight out of a fairy tale. Stylized concept art takes the world as we know it and cranks up the features, injecting games with a unique vibe and plenty of personalities.

Both these categories encompass concept art in various forms, with the art's style largely influenced by the game's setting. Here's a glimpse into several genres that game concept art might fall into:

• Cartoonish: Don't be fooled by the whimsical appeal of cartoonish games — they often require the most sophisticated artwork. Bold outlines, vibrant colors, and surreal worlds come together to create a timeless and universally appealing aesthetic.

• Sci-fi and futuristic: In exploring the unknown, science fiction concept art expands the imagination. Rather than just machines and space, it's about the future as we see it. The minimalism of sleek lines and the extravagant nature of grandiose designs are both under the sci-fi umbrella.

• Fantasy: The fantasy genre opens the door for concept artists to create the unimaginable. It merges mythical beasts, ancient ruins, and stunning sceneries, crafting a world filled with magic and lore at every turn of the artist's pen.

• Steampunk: This genre blends the look of steam-powered machinery and the industrial vibe of the 19th century with touches of Victorian architecture and fashion, creating a retro-futuristic design vision. The steampunk genre is a key player in setting the visual tone of video games, attracting a specific audience and delivering a unique experience.

• Cyberpunk: This genre-defining visuals of Deus Ex and Cyberpunk 2077 are captured in cyberpunk concept art, where futuristic cityscapes are imbued with neon aesthetics and technological wonder. This style showcases how modern technology and architectural creativity converge to create a compelling future vision.

Types of concept art

Beyond the surface of artwork styles and game genres, various types of concept art play unique roles, each enhancing different aspects of game development. Let's delve into them one by one.

Character concept art

This type of artwork is pivotal in game development, serving as the blueprint for characters' visual identity and narrative depth. It focuses on aesthetics and embedding the essence of the hero's personality, history, and evolution within the game's universe. This process combines artistry with storytelling, ensuring each character can convey various emotions and backstories through their visual design.

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The creation of character concept art involves a meticulous process where every detail, from the hero's attire and accessories to their expressions and poses, is crafted to reflect their unique identity and role in the game’s story. This level of detail ensures that characters like Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher or Ezio Auditore from Assassin's Creed evolve from mere sketches to memorable figures treasured by players worldwide.

Examples:

• Overwatch: This game's concept art showcases its vibrant and diverse character roster, emphasizing each hero's unique design and backstory, contributing significantly to the game's visual and narrative variety.

• The Last of Us: The harsh, post-apocalyptic world of Joel and Ellie is vividly portrayed through concept art, highlighting the depth of their survival story and the importance of character development in the game's gritty realism.

• Final Fantasy: The Final Fantasy series is renowned for its detailed character concept art, which brings to life various characters, enriching the game's immersive world and complex storytelling.

• Half-Life: Concept art from the Half-Life series demonstrates the intricate process of blending realism with science fiction to create its iconic setting and characters, reflecting the unique design behind the game.

Creature concept art

Monstrous adversaries or loyal companions, creatures in games are the products of fears and fantasies alike. Creature concept art breathes life into these beings, showcasing form, features, and sometimes the physics behind them.

Examples:

• Sonic the Hedgehog: Reflecting significant shifts in game design, the evolution of Sonic and his friends showcases the role of creature concept art in character evolution, transitioning from their simple CGI origins in Sonic 1 to the more nuanced and textured personalities.

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• Dark Souls: Featuring a nightmarish bestiary that defies conventional creature design, the concept art of this game blends horror and beauty in unforgettable ways, making each encounter an integral part of the game's challenging experience.

• Bioshock: The detailed designs and backstories of aquatic antagonists in this game contribute significantly to its eerie atmosphere, telling the story of Rapture through each meticulously crafted creature.

• Doom: Displaying a gallery of demonic foes, the concept art for this computer game is crafted to instill fear and present challenges, showcasing detailed and terrifying designs.

Environment concept art

The canvas of video games — environment concept art — crafts immersive worlds that captivate players by intricately detailing setting, architecture, and ambiance. This art form establishes a profound connection between the game's spaces and the players' imaginations, transforming landscape concept art into places that resonate deeply with the audience.

Examples:

• Destiny: The cosmic journey players experience is guided by the evolution from initial sketches to fully realized worlds in the game's artwork. Destiny concept art reveals how these vistas and skylines transition from concept to reality, captivating players with their astonishing detail.

• Skyrim: The grandeur of Skyrim's landscapes, from tundras to mountains, is a testament to the vision behind the game's concept art. These environments, rooted in initial maps and sketches, showcase the expansive world players explore.

• Subnautica: This game takes players into an underwater realm of beauty and danger. Its artwork creates serene and terrifying environments, illustrating the underwater world's dual nature.

• Starfield: The vision for uncharted space territories is brought to life through Starfield concept art, illustrating the game's ambition to explore the vastness of space and what lies beyond.

• Fallout 3: This game’s concept art captures the essence of its post-apocalyptic setting, depicting desolate landscapes that form the backdrop to the game's rich narrative.

Buildings concept art

Buildings concept art shapes the architectural essence of a game's universe, turning structures into cultural and historical markers within the game world. These designs establish immersive environments that captivate players, from majestic castles to futuristic cityscapes.

Video game concept art plays a crucial role in visual storytelling, making each building a key element in a game's narrative and visual appeal.

Examples:

• Castle concept art: Seen in games like Fire Emblem and Dark Souls, castles stand as iconic symbols, representing monumental beacons of history and lore. The intricate designs of castle artwork draw players into a world where each stone seems to tell its own story, blending the grandeur of the past with the unfolding narrative of the game.

• City concept art: The vast urban landscapes in games like Assassin's Creed and GTA showcase the artistry behind city designs, highlighting the delicate balance between stunning architecture and the vibrant life that pulses through the streets. This art form captures the essence of the game's world, where every structure, from towering skyscrapers to bustling markets, contributes to creating a lively and dynamic urban environment.

Vehicles concept art

Vehicles artwork transcends futuristic aesthetics to embody the fusion of form and function within video game concept art. This art form is pivotal in crafting vehicles — from sleek spacecraft to robust tanks and agile fighter jets — that are as integral to the gaming experience as the gameplay itself.

Examples:

• Car concept art: In Need for Speed and Forza, cars become the heart of the race, with illustrations capturing their unique identities and the adrenaline rush they deliver on the digital roads.

• Spacecraft concept art: Spacecraft in sci-fi adventures, like Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen, are detailed in vehicles concept art, blending aesthetic appeal with functional design to fuel the exploration of vast galaxies.

• Tank concept art: In games such as World of Tanks, tanks are designed to convey strength and strategy, underlining their pivotal role in gameplay.

Weapons and props concept art

This type of artwork is a narrative-driven aspect of game design, where each item, be it a weapon or a prop, is meticulously crafted to tell a story and enhance immersion. It bridges design and narrative, allowing weapons to extend the characters' personalities and props to build the game world's context.

Examples:

• Futuristic weapons concept art: Games like Mass Effect and Halo bring to life an arsenal of futuristic weapons, each with its own story. The sleek designs and alien geometries found in their concept art challenge norms and showcase the blend of technology and vision.

• Fantasy weapon concept art: In fantasy realms of Spellforce and World of Warcraft, weapons like swords, staffs, and axes are not mere tools but artifacts imbued with lore. This type of artwork adds magical flourishes that transform these items into legendary objects desired by players.

• Pistol concept art: The futuristic pistol concept art in games such as Titanfall illustrates the utilitarian elegance of sidearms. These designs influence player preference, setting a standard for weapon design in gaming.

• Assault rifle concept art: In the realistic battlefields of Call of Duty and Battlefield, futuristic assault rifle concept art merges realism with speculative design. This concept art creates weapons that are both practical tools and pieces of advanced technology, enriching the combat experience.

The dialogue between the various types of concept art serves as a testament to the collaborative and layered game development process. It synthesizes individual art pieces that create a breathtaking mural together.

Concept art services

Without the right skills or resources, game concept art can seem like a daunting task to tackle. At RocketBrush Studio, our expertise in concept art stretches over seven years, covering a wide range of projects. Our portfolio is a testament to our ability to craft visually compelling and deeply immersive game worlds.

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We're poised to translate your game vision into reality, offering concept art services that cater directly to your project's needs. Contact us today to explore how we can elevate your game.