C
ONCEPT MAG Issue 02, May 2015
Your portfolio: Versatile or Confusing?
+ Insider tips for scoring a portfolio review
THE MAGAZINE FOR CONCEPT ARTISTS & THOSE AIMING TO BREAK IN
Learn to paint like
a pre-Raphaelite
... Digitally!
Exclusive interview with
Kei Acedera
from Imaginism
...and more inside! 1
May 2015 Editorial ...So far so good Welcome to the May 2015 issue of Concept Mag! This is officially the second issue, and we’re going strong with lots of jam-packed artistic inspiration to offer you. This month we continue our journey through the world of concept art professions with a fascinating interview with Kei Acedera, character designer for Imaginism. We also focus on getting the first concept art job, or a new one, by learning how to rearrange that portfolio in order to represent your vision the best possible way. Digital art is the primary media in the industry, and that’s why we’ve included painting tutorials to give you tips and tricks. Lastly, the ever important industry news will keep you up to date on all the delicious artwork being produced for films, video games, and television. Happy art’ing! Kelsey Shelton, Editor in Chief
CONCEPT MAG // 2
12
Contents 4 Interview
4
Spotlight profession: Character Designer Kei Acedera
8 Special report Is Your Portfolio Versatile or Just Confusing?
12 Tutorial How to paint like a Pre-Raphaelite... digitally
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18 Industry News Mortal Kombat X and Destiny exclusive art
18 cover art by Jon Foster // Jonfoster.com
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SPOTLIGHT PROFESSION
Kei Acedera
Character Designer, Visual Developer
Tell me a little bit about yourself, about your life? Where did you go to school, and what classes did you study? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today? I was born and raised in the Philippines and came to Toronto, Canada when I was 12. I started my career at about 16, when I was hired to help paint huge murals for private homes (most were the size of mansions!) and casinos. That experience really helped me develop my painting skills. Then two years later, thanks to Chuck Gammage, I got my first break in animation doing in-betweening and clean-up. It was a great opportunity for me to really learn more about the animation industry. In terms of formal training, I went to Sheridan College for Animation, where I met some terrific, gifted people who helped me become the artist that I am today. Perhaps the most influential of these individuals was Bobby Chiu. He saw potential in my art and invited me to come work with him at a little company he’d just started called Imaginism Studios.
INTERVIEW
How do you go about designing a character, and what goes through your mind, from start to end? I believe that our personalities, our work, our history, etc. all translate into how we look. Therefore, when I go about designing a character, I always start by trying to fully realize who the character is, what their personality is like, and what are they going through? Then I try to visualize them in a variety of situations, and really picture them moving around and living lives. Then I draw variations of the character, while still keeping in mind the kind of emotion I want to convey. I experiment with everything--shapes, shadows, lines--to find what look and design best suits the character. If at this stage I’m still trying to figure out what the character looks like, I draw light and loose. If I already have a strong, clear idea in mind, I draw faster and with more sure, solid lines. What is a typical day for you? I start with morning drawing warm-ups with the gang in the studio. These are random sgo
"We believe if you start drawing first thing in the morning, you’ll have a good drawing day. It’s just like working out." CONCEPT MAG // 4
ketches from life, from memory and from photos or films. We all do this because we believe if you start drawing first thing in the morning, you’ll have a good drawing day. If we’re not on a tight schedule, we might then to the gym (in which case, our studio meeting might take placein the Jacuzzi!). Then for the rest of the day, we work on our projects until whenever we feel we should stop. (Typically, that means around 1:00 a.m.) It’s a really great environment; Bobby even encourages us to take power naps to keep ourselves refreshed and energized, which is vital to maintaining our effectiveness throughout the day. What are some of the things that you have worked on? We’ve been publishing our own “Sketches” series of books for two years now. We just released the eighth book, “Dragon Sketches”. I’ve worked recently on a couple of TV shows but they are presently in the middle of production so I can’t say which ones right now. I also recently designed the Marshmallow and Holly mascots for Borders Bookstores’ holiday campaign, which you can see at any Borders store in the US. No big movies yet for me although I’d love to work on one someday. Is there a character design you have done that you are most proud of? Hmmmn…There are some that I do like such as my kids and women characters, but still, I feel like I’m constantly growing and learning, and there are always things that I’d want to change! Ask me again when I’m 80.
Could you talk about your process in coloring your art, as well as the types of tools or media that you use? I’ve used almost everything, but lately I’ve been working primarily in Photoshop and Painter, plus some inks and gouache for traditional work. But any regular pencil or paper is fine with me too. I love traditional media just as much as digital; I think maintaining my traditional roots help my digital painting a great deal.
I usually start off with loose drawings, trying to feel out that idea in my head. Sometimes it comes out more vividly and I’ll have a tighter, more solid drawing. Then I’ll paint it traditionally, digitally, or a combination of the two, depending on what kind of look I’m going for.
What part of designing is most fun and easy, and what is most hard? Drawing and designing is fun and easy; the hardest part is getting approval from either the client or in most cases, from yourself. What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative? I do a lot of different things to keep myself creative. The first thing I do is try to surround myself with creative people because, believe it or not, creativity rubs off. I like to listen to other people’s ideas and learn how they think. I also like to immerse myself in books, magazines, and films, for ideas and inspiration. I love looking through really old books and pictures--the best are from my own family or from second-hand bookstores! But I think the best thing to do to stimulate the creative process is traveling because imagining new places is nothing compared to actually GOING to new places! Through traveling, I’ve seen things that I could never have come up with on my own. What are some of your favorite character designs which you have seen? I love Erich Sokol and Chris Sanders’ characters! Sokol has a «rawness» in his style, which I love —his lines, his strokes are just sheer genius! And Sanders has this cute, round softness in his designs that is just irresistible!
This spread: images from imaginism.com
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INTERVIEW // KEI ACEDERA
What is your most favorite subject to draw? And why? I enjoy drawing just about any kind of character as long as I can breathe some life into the design. I love to draw cute little kids and animals because they carry an innocence in their expressions and postures that is very honest and instantly endearing. What inspired you to become an Artist? Oh, too many things! Every illustrated book I picked up as a little girl—from DaVinci to Sargent to Sasek—inspired me to become an artist. Art is an incredible way to express yourself and share yourself with the world. I dreamed that one day, a little girl somewhere would pick up a book with MY drawings in it and become an artist too when she grows up. Creativity begets creativity and from those art books, I knew early on that I wanted to be a part of that process. I was also very lucky to have parents who supported me in anything I wanted to do. Growing up, my mom made sure I always had a sketch pad and pencils with me wherever I went. What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen? There is no such thing as talent; there IS, however, such a thing as passion and hard work. If you really want it, you can get it.
CONCEPT MAG // 6
What wisdom could you give us, about being an Artist? Do you have any tips you could give? The thing I’ve discovered over the past years is that there’s a big difference between being able to draw and being an artist. Drawing is just an ability to do something, whereas being an artist is a definition of self. If you want to truly be an artist, you must be obsessive and passionate about art. Being able to draw is just the beginning. If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted? You can contact me through my studio site: www.imaginismstudios.com or my email: kei@imaginismstudios.com
If you want to truly be an artist... Finally, do you have any of your art work for sale (Books, sketchbook, prints, or anything) for people that like your work can know where and when to buy it? Prints of my work and our “Sketches” series of books are available at our studio website, www. imaginismstudios.com. We also tour conventions in the northeast and Midwest USA and California in the summer, in addition to shows in our hometown of Toronto so if you’re in the neighborhood, drop by and say hi!
Artist Profile
K
ei Acedera was born in the Philippines, and currently resides in Toronto. She is a character design and concept artist for fantasy films, as well as a children’s book illustrator. Her works have appeared in numerous publications and films.
All images copyright Imaginism studios // imaginism.com
you must be obsessive and passionate about art. Being able to draw is just the beginning.
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Special report
PORTFOLIO RENOVATION
SPECIAL REPORT
Keep it simple, stupid
Is Your Portfolio Versatile or Just
Confusing?
Every good concept art portfolio showcases the artist’s versatility. But many artists think they are demonstrating versatility when they are actually demonstrating a lack of focus. It’s good ol’ fashioned fear-of-commitment. Artistic specialization can drastically benefit your career as a concept artist (whether you’re a character designer, layout artist, environment painter or some other type of conceptual illustrator).
So, today, I’m going to challenge you to reconsider the way you’re pursuing your creative dreams as I debunk The Myth Of Versatility…
A Strong Concept Art Portfolio Is About TRUE Versatility. True versatility is ALWAYS a good thing. My own versatility has been a major plus for my career.
CONCEPT MAG // 8
To work in animation and video games etc. you have to be versatile. But true artistic versatility just means that you have a few areas of specialization. That’s true versatility.
What’s The Job? My friend just applied for a job as a story artist at Disney. When I looked at his work I saw page after page of beautiful, appealing character designs, some logo designs, a couple of full illustrations… …and zero storyboards. The work in the portfolio was great but almost completely inappropriate for a story position.
BY CHRIS OATLEY
If he had a portfolio full of great storyboards would it be appropriate to add a few pages of character designs to demonstrate his true versatility? Sure. Versatility is appealing when it doesn’t muddy the message of the portfolio and confuse portfolio reviewers. In this case the message should have been: “I am a talented, consistent, experienced story artist! Oh, you liked my boards?! Well, I also do great character designs! Check out these last two pages that showcase my five best character designs!” Don’t put the burden of the decision on the recruiter or editor who might hire you.
Maybe
The kind of work in your portfolio should be the kind of work you’re pursuing. In short, you get what you give.
Specialization & Your Big Break: The term “pipeline” refers to the ordered process of making animation for film & TV, mainstream comics, video games etc… The “pipeline” is also known as the “production schedule.” You will find a pipeline anywhere there are a bunch of artists working together to create a much larger final product (like a movie). The people in charge of running the pipeline efficiently – producers, editors – are looking for artists who can fit within that pipeline and keep it running smoothly with as little drama and disruption as possible. Specialization = Dependability = Hire-ability. Your portfolio MUST showcase great drawing and painting, but it also has to communicate how you could fit into a production pipeline. Your portfolio must convince the recruiter or editor that you could very well be the best choice for the available position.
Left page: Yunior Guerra // artoffenris.carbonmade.com This page: Jon Foster // jonfoster.com
you just need a little focus 9
SPECIAL REPORT // PORTFOLIO RENOVATION
A Note To Freelance Illustrators: Freelance illustration isn’t what I think of as a “pipeline” job like animation, video games or even most mainstream comics. Sure, you have an Art Director and you pass the work off to the layout department but the final piece of art is pretty much the work of one artist. There are some illustrators out there who are working steadily and they have multiple styles and they do lots of different things like logo design, web design etc… But if you’re sending your kids book to a company that does snowboard graphics you’re probably lacking in focus and the message of your portfolio is probably very unclear. And, really, the illustration rock stars are known for a personal, signature style – which brings us back to specialization.
Maybe It’s Time To Focus? …and maybe you’ll get better jobs by demonstrating one (or a few, if you insist) areas of specialization. Check out my resource page for Concept Artist Jobs if you want to learn more about how to have a successful career as a concept artist (or, for that matter, any other kind of creative career). How about YOUR Concept Art Portfolio? Does it showcase TRUE versatility or is it just confusing? If your portfolio is confusing, what could you do to focus? Sketchbooks, portfolios, websites, social media, follow-up, skill-building, student loans, “networking” (whatever the heck that is), shyness, professional experience, specialization, versatility, finding your style, adapting to different styles… Overwhelming. But there is simpler way. Simplify Your Dream: I’ve been working in the animation and games industries since 2006. In that time, I’ve witnessed the effects of the 2 Secrets To Success In Animation (and games, and illustration etc.) in my own career and in the careers of the hundreds of talented people I work with. These two goals have VERY little to do with most of what worries us. Every investment of time, money and energy that you make as a professional artist should be in service of one or both of these goals. So the next time you start to get overwhelmed or depressed, just ask yourself: Is this (time, energy, emotional, financial) investment helping me to focus on one of the two principles for success in the industry?
Right page: Yunior Guerra // artoffenris.carbonmade.com This page: Jon Foster // jonfoster.com
CONCEPT MAG // 10
When your answer is yes, take the one next step toward that goal and don’t worry about the next two or three or twenty…
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WAYS TO GET A PORTFOLIO REVIEW FROM A PROFESSIONAL WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT
Show up at artist events, comic conventions, etc.
help people who may not be able to do anything for Offer to
you. (What goes around, co-
mes around, and this attitude may come in handy when you need a professional opinion but don’t have much to offer the other person.)
Be open, interested in others, and when you talk to people about your work.
let your passion show
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DIGITAL ART Painting in Photoshop
TUTORIAL
How to paint like a
PRE-RAPHAELITE Digital artist Corrado Vanelli reinterprets an iconic painting, focusing on strong composition and colour.
W
hen Concept Mag commissioned me to create a new piece inspired by Pre-Raphaelite art, it was John William Waterhouse’s famous painting The Lady of Shalott that came immediately to mind. I like this painting and I’m a fan of Waterhouse’s style. I think this is the perfect piece for a modern reinterpretation of the original subject, but my intention is to avoid a slavish reproduction of the painting; I want to imagine a new girl, with a new face, in a new pose.
2. CHARCOAL, CONTE & SMUDGE TOOLS
These tools are interesting because they use the texture and grain of the canvas. They’re capable of creating interesting and natural effects. My technique is simple: I start with fast brush strokes of the Square Conte brush, which defines the main shape. Then I use the Smudge tool to spread out and merge the colours. There’s no need for details at this early stage.
3. USE OILS TO DEFINE DETAILS The Bristle Oil and Real Round Bristle brushes are perfect for this stage. My technique is simple. I trace some strokes on my initial shapes using the colours that I want to add.
1. INITIAL CONSIDERATIONS
I choose to paint on the standard paper with a Coarse Cotton Canvas texture. This will help avoid the typically clean, sleek look of digital art – something that’s not suitable for the subject matter. I’ll be using the Charcoal, Smudge and oil brushes. Charcoal and Smudge are ideal for depicting the main shapes because they’ll enable me to combine colours and develop textures on the various surfaces in the illustration. Oil brushes help me to define precise details and add interesting brush strokes on areas that risk looking flat. CONCEPT MAG // 12
It’s important to use a range of colours under different lighting effects – this will add visual interest. I then use the Smudge and Soft Blender Stump brushes to refine the result.
4. DEFINING THE LINK WITH THE ORIGINAL
Before starting my painting I analysed the original painting. I was keen to identify Waterhouse’s elements that I wanted to keep, and those that I’m happy to modify. I decide to recreate the original dress of the lady, the drapery on the boat, the lamp and some elements of the boat. Now that these ideas are clear in my mind, I can start to define the first sketch.
5. COLORED PAPER
7. PAINTING THE LIGHTING
The original image features a lot of red, so I start with a desaturated brown/red paper (red, 105; green, 84; blue: 73). I decide to work at the final resolution (3,800x5,076 pixels), and set the paper texture to Coarse Cotton Canvas. I intend to use only two layers: one for the background and one for the foreground elements.
6. WORKING ON THE SHADOWS My typical working process starts with a sketch with the light and shadow nuances. The paper is the midtone level. I choose two colours for shadows: black and a clear red/brown. With these two colours I can define the darkest shadows with black and lighter shadows with brown. I use only the Square Conte and Smudge tools, working on the foreground layer.
I now turn my attention to the lighting. I use the Square Conte and Smudge tools, but this time with white. This stage quickly gives the initial image more depth. When I’m satisfied with the result I can move on to defining the background. I work on the Canvas layer using the Square Conte and Smudge tools, and just three colours: white, black and brown.
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TUTORIAL // PRE-RAPHAELITE DIGITAL PAINTING
8. ADD COLORS TO THE SCENE
I create two layers: a background colour layer that’s placed over the canvas layer, and a foreground colour that sits on top of my foreground layer. I set both layers to Colorize and using the Cover Pencil tool I start to add colour. The pencil picks up less of the paper’s grain than the charcoal tool. I then merge each layer with its colour layer, so that I still have my two layers.
9. INTRODUCING MORE ELEMENTS I notice that the background is too simple, and the foreground also needs some additional elements. So I create new layers on the background and foreground, and loosely paint in some trees and river weeds using the Charcoal and Oil brushes. My detailing is saved for the focal points of the image.
CONCEPT MAG // 14
10. FLIP AND DEFINE THE SHAPES I use a combination of Smudge, Soft Blender Stump and oil brushes to smooth the strokes created in the previous step.
By reducing the pressure of my hand on the tablet during the painting process, I can create very soft effects using the Real Round Bristle brush. I then flip the image, just to check that I’ve not made any mistakes.
11. THE FACE IS TOO BIG! I notice that the lady’s face is too big in relation to her body. So using the Lasso Selection tool I select the face area and copy and paste it on a new layer, then adjust the face with the Free Transform tool. I use the Eraser tool to remove the borderline areas of the new face, merge the new layer with the Foreground layer and paint until the new face matches the existing art.
12. ACTING ON FEEDBACK After sending the WIP to the ImagineFX team, we decide to modify the lady’s pose to generate a more dynamic effect and to better integrate the image with the cover shape and elements. I have to change the position of the right arm, add a chain, reduce the drapery on the boat and alter the shape of the boat’s hull.
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TUTORIAL // PRE-RAPHAELITE DIGITAL PAINTING
13. FOREGROUND AND BACKGROUND DETAILS I refine the dress, the drapery and the boat’s wooden hull by refining and smoothing the painting. In contrast, the background mustn’t be too defined because it risks diverting the viewer’s attention away from the focal point. I’m happy leaving the background as a series of rough tree shapes. This also gives more depth to the painting, ensuring that it doesn’t look too flat.
AND MAS PIEC
14. FINISHING UP Here’s the final version of the painting after a few more minor corrections, and below is how it looked as the ImagineFX cover. I hope you’ve found my workshop and painting process interesting.
CONCEPT MAG // 16
D THE STERCE...
WORDS AND IMAGES BY CANELLO VARELLI (CREATIVEBLOQ.COM)
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INDUSTRY NEWS Exclusive ‘Mortal Kombat X’ Concept Art by Marco Nelor Concept Artist Marco Nelor has released art he created for NetherRealm Studios’ Mortal Kombat X, the tenth installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise, which came out Apr. 14. Nelor worked on many of the character designs and said his favorites were Cassie Cage and D’vorah. For this project, Nelor was able to create many original character designs, something he said would allow him “to permanently make my place in MK history.” Which character design is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
‘The Leviathan’ teaser trailer out!
Top left and right images: conceptartworld.com || Bottom right image: Ruairirobinson. com
CONCEPT MAG // 18
Director Ruairí Robinson has release the first teaser trailer for his short film, The Leviathan. Some of the creative people behind this project include Creature Designer Jordu Schell, Concept Artist Jim Murray, Concept Artist Ben Mauro, Character Artist Colin Thomas, Character Artist Maxence Fleuret and 3D Artist Daniel Rath.
This page: cargocollective. com/josephcross || background image: kotaku.com
‘Destiny’ Concept Art by Joseph Cross Say what you will about Destiny as a game - it can be as brilliant as it is disappointing - but one thing I’ve never wavered on is how pretty it all is, something that’s been a constant since before we’d even seen the game itself. [Update: Now with waaay more art] In addition to its own fantastic team of in-house artists, including guys like Joseph Cross, Ryan DeMita and Isaac Hannaford, Bungie also managed to rope in some of the best in the business for help on Destiny, such as superstars like Jaime Jones and Kekai Kotaki. 19
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FROM A FORMER VISUAL DEVELOPMENT ARTIST AT DISNEY STUDIOS LEARN FROM PROFESSIONALS, JOIN THE COMMUNITY, IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS
log on at ChrisOatley.com