Before a video game becomes a playable world filled with characters, landscapes, and adventures, it all begins with concept art. Concept art is the first visual stage in the creation process, setting the look and feel of the game. It’s the creative blueprint that guides everything else, from character design to environment layout. Outsourcing concept art has become increasingly popular, with companies like Polydin Studio stepping in to help studios develop their ideas into visual realities.
What is Video Game Concept Art?
Video game concept art is a series of illustrations created at the early stages of game development. It includes rough sketches and polished visuals that help communicate the overall mood, style, and world of the game. Concept art doesn’t necessarily look like the final product, but it captures the essence of what the game will feel like.
Concept artists typically create visuals for characters, environments, props, and other essential elements. These illustrations serve as a visual reference throughout development, ensuring the entire team has a shared understanding of the game’s aesthetic direction.
Outsourcing companies like Polydin Studio offer dedicated teams of concept artists focused on delivering world-class concept art tailored to the vision of game developers. These studios are ideal for companies seeking high-quality artwork without the time or resources to build and train an in-house team.
Importance of Concept Art for Video Games
Concept art plays an essential role in shaping the visual style and experience of a video game. Here’s why it matters:
1- Setting the Tone
The look of a game can tell a player what kind of world they’re entering, whether it’s dark and mysterious, bright and adventurous, or somewhere in between. Concept art helps set this tone from the start. By creating sketches and color studies, concept artists establish the overall vibe, which guides all future visual decisions. Polydin Studio places a special emphasis on crafting exceptional artwork in the horror genre and setting a dark tone, driven by the passion and interest of its team members in this genre and this kind of atmosphere.
2- Reference Points
Concept art provides a valuable point of reference for designers, developers, and artists involved in production. It shows them what colors, shapes, and styles to use, making sure that everyone is on the same page. This is especially helpful in large teams where multiple people might be working on different parts of the game.
3- Maintaining Consistency
In games, consistency is key. Players expect the world, characters, and objects to feel like they belong together. Concept art is crucial for maintaining a cohesive style across the game. It ensures that every new character, location, or object matches the established look, keeping the game visually unified.
4- Presenting to Stakeholders
Concept art is also a valuable tool for presenting ideas to stakeholders, whether that’s investors, studio heads, or marketing teams. These early visuals provide a concrete representation of the game’s potential, helping stakeholders understand the creative vision. Good concept art can make it easier to secure support and funding.
Main Concept Art Styles for Video Games
Concept art comes in a variety of styles, each with its own unique look and purpose. Here are the main styles often used in video games:
- Abstract: Abstract concept art focuses on shapes, colors, and movement without getting into too much detail. This style is ideal for early brainstorming and experimenting with different ideas. It’s more about conveying a mood than a specific visual.
- Stylized: Stylized art takes a more exaggerated approach, with unique shapes, vibrant colors, and whimsical details. It’s common in games that aren’t aiming for realism, like fantasy or cartoon-based games. Stylized concept art is designed to stand out and create a distinct look.
- Realistic: Realistic concept art aims to reflect life as closely as possible, with detailed textures, accurate lighting, and life-like proportions. It’s often used in action, adventure, and simulation games. This style requires a lot of detail and precision, as it’s meant to immerse players in a believable world.
Polydin Studio is known for its versatility, but its strength lies in crafting realistic art with meticulous attention to the underlying logic of design, even when working on fantastical concepts.
Types of Video Game Concept Art
There are several types of concept art commonly created in game development. Each type focuses on a different part of the game world:
- Character Concept Art: This is where the look of characters is established. Character concept art defines things like clothing, facial expressions, and body types, helping to give life to the game’s heroes, villains, and supporting cast.
- Environment Concept Art: Environments are crucial for creating a believable game world. Environment concept art includes landscapes, cities, forests, and any other setting players might explore. It sets the stage for where the game’s story will unfold.
- Prop Concept Art: Props are the small items that fill a game world, like furniture, tools, and decorations. Concept art for props ensures that even the smallest details match the game’s overall style, adding depth and realism to the environment.
- Equipment Art: Equipment art includes weapons, armor, gadgets, and other gear that characters might use. This type of concept art is especially common in action and role-playing games, where items play a big role in gameplay.
Polydin Studio has experience in all of these categories and takes pride in delivering exceptional work across every type of concept art.
How Polydin Studio Provides Concept Art Services for the Video Game Industry
Polydin Studio has one mission in mind: to build the visual backbone of a game. Creating gorgeous concept art is just the means to that end. Every project is approached with care, ensuring the artwork doesn’t just look good but resonates with the game’s story, style, and mood.
The studio excels in a wide range of visual styles, from gritty realism to weird monster design you’d only find in Lovecraft’s imagination. Polydin’s expertise goes beyond traditional concept art, offering storyboarding, comic art, and character design, ensuring every visual element of the project is cohesive and impactful.
What sets Polydin apart is how they work hand-in-hand with developers. Their team thrives on turning vague concepts into fully realized visuals that drive the entire creative process forward, no matter how the developers communicate their vision. Polydin cares about having an excellent working relation with its clients, because that’s part of the joy of game-making.
While Polydin Studio is happy to work with both indie and AA studios, it provides an edge for indie studios. Their affordable, high-quality services make it possible to achieve big-studio results without the overhead.
Conclusion
Concept art serves as the visual foundation of any video game, shaping its tone, style, and overall direction. From designing compelling characters to crafting immersive environments, it plays a vital role in creating a cohesive and unforgettable game world. For Game art outsourcing studios aiming to take their games to the next level, partnering with specialists like Polydin Studio offers a streamlined and impactful way to bring creative visions to life.