Strategy shift: Exploring storytelling as a precursor reshapes your approach to concept art creation
In an insightful feature in ImagineFX magazine, video game concept artist Sathish Kumar shares his unique techniques for creating captivating digital art. His approach, centred around storytelling, quick ideation, and an efficient workflow, is designed to bring out the best in both the artist and the art.
Start with a Reference and a One-Line Story
Every piece of art by Sathish begins with a reference for inspiration and a one-line story or idea that guides the concept. This narrative-driven approach helps him channel the world around him into his sketches.
Create Quick Thumbnail Sketches
Thumbnail sketches play a crucial role in Sathish's process. They allow him to experiment with different moods and lighting variations, and more importantly, avoid getting bogged down in details. These quick, loose sketches help him easily discard unsuccessful concepts and keep the process efficient.
Do Quick Color Sketches Early
Once he has settled on a composition, Sathish moves on to quick color sketches. These early experiments with mood and color palettes help him explore various possibilities before committing to a final colour scheme.
Begin with a Rough Draft on Paper
Sathish prefers ideating quickly on paper. He finds that this approach keeps the sketches simple and efficient, bypassing the computer and allowing for a more fluid, organic creative process.
Render the Final Image Digitally
With the overall feel of the artwork locked in, Sathish then moves on to rendering the final image digitally. This is where he focuses on brushwork, colour, and storytelling, aiming to create a piece that is not only visually appealing but also tells a compelling story. Sathish's illustrations often reflect the subject that caught his eye or resonated with him in some way, and his work is known for its playful, energetic style.
Sathish believes that artistry lies in the interpretation and transformation of the surrounding world into artwork. His approach encourages quick ideation and simple, efficient sketches, making it accessible to artists of all levels. He finds inspiration in a wide variety of sources, from an image of grapes for a colour palette to a simple moment in everyday life.
[1] ImagineFX magazine, Issue 142 [2] ImagineFX magazine, Issue 143
- Sathish Kumar, a video game concept artist, shares his approach for creating captivating digital art, centered around storytelling, quick ideation, and an efficient workflow, in an insightful feature in ImagineFX magazine, Issue 142.
- Every piece of art by Sathish begins with a reference for inspiration and a one-line story or idea that guides the concept, like a narrative-driven approach.
- Thumbnail sketches play a crucial role in Sathish's process, enabling him to experiment with different moods, lighting variations, and discard unsuccessful concepts efficiently.
- Once he settles on a composition, Sathish moves on to quick color sketches to explore various color palette possibilities before committing to a final color scheme.
- Sathish prefers ideating quickly on paper, stating that this approach keeps his sketches simple, fluid, organic, and more efficient, bypassing the computer.
- With the overall feel of the artwork locked in, Sathish then moves on to rendering the final image digitally, focusing on brushwork, color, and storytelling, aiming to create visually appealing pieces that tell a compelling story.
- Sathish's illustrations often reflect subjects that caught his eye or resonated with him, and his work is known for its playful, energetic style.
- Artistry for Sathish lies in the interpretation and transformation of the surrounding world into artwork, and his approach encourages quick ideation and simple, efficient sketches, making it accessible to artists of all levels.
- Sathish finds inspiration in a wide variety of sources, such as an image of grapes for a color palette or a simple moment in everyday life, learning more by following online education in education-and-self-development and taking advantage of online resources.
- Sathish's techniques are further discussed in ImagineFX magazine, Issue 143, providing users with invaluable insight into his artistic process and enabling readers to develop their skills through practical tips and examples.
