What You Need in a Concept Art Portfolio with Nacho Yagüe and Tim Warnock
Summary
TLDRThe video script features a Spanish concept artist, now living in Canada, who has spent 14 years in the video game industry and co-founded Northmen Studio in 2014. He emphasizes the importance of design thinking and problem-solving in portfolio building, advocating for a curated and consistent showcase of one's abilities. The artist discusses his varied process, including 3D modeling and Photoshop painting, and stresses the value of simplicity and strong compositions in concept art. He also shares insights on avoiding common mistakes in portfolio presentation and the importance of understanding material choices and scale in design.
Takeaways
- 🌍 The speaker is a concept artist from Spain, currently living in Canada and working in the video game industry for nearly 14 years.
- 🎨 He is transitioning from being a concept artist to a director and co-founded Northmen studio in 2014, which works in film, television, and video games.
- 🛠️ The studio values design and the ability to think and create new concepts, not just the ability to produce beautiful images.
- 📚 Building a portfolio should be curated based on the individual's goals and should be consistent, showcasing the best and most representative work.
- 🔍 It's important to show the ability to think, design, and solve problems through a portfolio, including sketches and the process of reaching an idea.
- 🛑 The speaker emphasizes the need to change techniques and approaches for different projects to learn and grow as an artist.
- 🖼️ The creative process involves thumbnails, sketches, research, and sometimes 3D builds for reference, depending on the project's requirements.
- 🎨 Tools like Photoshop and ZBrush are used for the finished painting, with a focus on photo-realism and attention to detail like lens flare.
- 🔑 The speaker advises simplicity in composition and color, suggesting that less can be more effective in concept art.
- 🚀 He encourages artists to explore different sources of inspiration to avoid replicating the same styles as everyone else.
- 💡 For beginners, the speaker points out common mistakes such as a lack of clear idea, overemphasis on final results, and misuse of photobashing without understanding materials and scale.
- 📈 The importance of having a concise portfolio of no more than ten images to effectively showcase one's capabilities and style.
Q & A
Who is the speaker in the video transcript?
-The speaker is a concept artist from Spain who has been living in Canada for five years and has worked in the video game industry for almost 14 years.
What is the speaker's current role in the industry?
-The speaker is transitioning from being a concept artist to a direction role in the video game industry.
What studio did the speaker co-found in 2014?
-The speaker co-founded Northmen Studio in 2014 with Ryan Denee.
What type of work does Northmen Studio do?
-Northmen Studio works in the fields of film, television, and video games, focusing on design and concept art.
What does the speaker emphasize when hiring for their studio?
-The speaker emphasizes the importance of hiring people who can think and design new things, rather than just being illustrators.
What advice does the speaker give for building a portfolio for a studio?
-The speaker advises to curate the portfolio according to one's strengths and the studio's needs, showing consistency and the best images that represent who you are and what you offer.
How does the speaker approach different projects?
-The speaker changes their technique for each project, doing research, sketches, and sometimes 3D builds to understand the requirements and find a unique approach.
What software does the speaker use in their work?
-The speaker uses software like Photoshop, ZBrush, and 3D modeling tools for their work.
What is the speaker's approach to achieving photo-realism in their work?
-The speaker focuses on studying reference material, analyzing photographs and film frames, and paying attention to subtle details like lens flare to achieve photo-realism.
What mistake does the speaker see in portfolios of new artists?
-The speaker sees that new artists often lack a clear idea of what they want to show, focusing too much on the final result without understanding the 'why' behind their choices.
What advice does the speaker give for artists starting their career?
-The speaker advises new artists to not rush into big studios, but to start in smaller ones to gain experience, learn to work with teams, and develop communication skills.
What is the speaker's view on the evolution of concept art?
-The speaker believes that concept art is in a constant state of evolution, becoming faster and better, but also emphasizes the importance of thinking simple and focusing on strong compositions and colors.
What is the speaker's opinion on the use of digital tools in art?
-The speaker appreciates digital tools for quick iterations and exploration but warns against losing sight of the basics and relying too much on layer modes and effects without a solid foundation.
What project is the speaker particularly proud of?
-The speaker is proud of working on 'The Expanse' and with Riot Games, mentioning the creative freedom and high standards that pushed them to excel.
What is the speaker's personal site and its significance?
-The speaker's personal site represents a pinnacle of their career and a passion for traditional art, combining European culture and a love for the saga.
What is the speaker's advice on portfolio size?
-The speaker suggests keeping the portfolio to around ten images, as it is enough to show who you are and what you can do without overwhelming the viewer.
Outlines
🎨 Concept Art and Design Philosophy
The speaker, a concept artist with 14 years of experience in the video game industry, discusses his transition from Spain to Canada and his role in co-founding Northmen studio. He emphasizes the importance of design and the ability to think and create new concepts over mere illustration. The speaker advises on building a portfolio that showcases consistency and the best work, including process sketches to demonstrate problem-solving and design capabilities. He also talks about adapting his process and techniques to different projects, using tools like 3D builds and Photoshop for finished paintings, and the significance of studying reference materials for photo-realism.
🌟 Embracing Simplicity in Concept Art
In this paragraph, the artist focuses on the evolution of concept art and the importance of simplicity in design. He advises against overloading images with too many elements and instead promotes strong compositions with impactful colors and brushstrokes. The speaker stresses the value of diverse inspiration, avoiding the same sources as others to maintain originality. He also discusses common mistakes made by beginners, such as neglecting fundamental aspects like values and color, and the misuse of digital tools. He encourages a return to basics, like strong value structures and thoughtful color choices, and the importance of understanding the reasoning behind every element added to a design.
🚀 Learning and Growth in the Industry
The final paragraph touches on the importance of learning and not rushing into the industry. The speaker shares insights from his work on 'The Expanse' and 'Riot Games', highlighting the creative freedom and high standards that come with such projects. He advises new artists to start in smaller studios to gain experience, emphasizing the need to learn how to work with teams and accept critiques. The speaker concludes with a personal anecdote about working on a beloved game, reflecting on the balance between creativity and traditional art.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Concept Artist
💡Direction
💡Northmen Studio
💡Design
💡Portfolio
💡Illustration
💡3D Build
💡Photoshop
💡Photo-Realism
💡Composition
💡Inspiration
💡Fundamentals
💡Mistakes
💡Client
💡Concept Art Evolution
Highlights
The speaker has been working in the video game industry for almost 14 years as a concept artist and is now moving into direction.
He co-founded Northmen studio in 2014, which works in film, television, and video games.
Design is emphasized as a crucial aspect of their work, with a focus on hiring people who can think and design rather than just illustrate.
Building a portfolio should be curated according to the individual's goals and should be consistent in what they want to show.
It's important to show the ability to think, design, and solve problems in a portfolio, not just polished images.
The speaker discusses the importance of changing the creative process for different projects to learn new techniques.
The use of 3D builds as reference or to paint on top of is mentioned as part of the creative process.
Photoshop is used for finished paintings, alongside other tools like ZBrush and 3D modeling software.
The speaker has a background in matte painting, which influences their focus on photo-realism and attention to detail.
Studying from photographs and film frames is part of the process to achieve a realistic feel in artwork.
The speaker advocates for simplicity in concept art, suggesting that less can be more effective in design.
A diverse range of inspiration is recommended to avoid falling into the same patterns as others.
Fundamentals like values and color are emphasized over digital tools and layer modes that can lead to experimentation without purpose.
The speaker observes common mistakes in portfolio building, such as lack of a clear idea and focusing too much on the final result.
Portfolios should be concise, with no more than ten images to effectively showcase one's capabilities.
Northmen studio has worked with clients like Riot Games and has had a significant creative influence on projects.
The speaker shares personal advice on career growth, suggesting patience and learning over rushing to join big studios.
Transcripts
[Music]
hello I'm naturally aware I'm a guy from
Spain
I now live in Canada for five years I've
been working in the video game industry
for almost 14 years as a concept artist
and now I'm moving into our direction
I am tomorrow knock and I'm a concept
artist a co-founded Northmen studio in
2014 with Ryan Denee and we do work for
film television and video games
[Music]
for us design is a big deal we really
want to have people that they can really
think and design things and we do we
obviously we want to have people that
can also render it produced beautiful
images that we're always looking
primarily at can this person really
think and design new things as opposed
to just being an illustrator well you
need to if you want to build your
portfolio to a studio you really need to
know they projects um you need to turn a
curate your portfolio depending on who
you are who you want you to apply so but
mostly be very consistent in what do you
want to show don't show everything I
mean no one is gonna is gonna look to
all your portfolio if you show ten
images find the best images that you
have or they want to portray what who
you are or what had you offer to the
studio always show like a lot of Ferrari
variety and a lot of production work as
well because I find that sometimes
people get lost and they just like show
very beautiful polished images and it's
very good to show like like sketches or
process of or how did you reach to that
idea I think always always show that you
are capable to think you are capable to
show design and you are capable to solve
problems
usually I change my process I usually
need to I I sometimes to spell like a
man trying to figure out what are the
requirements of the other period what
was it tonal for youth as well and
depending of if it's are very realistic
or it's like a more cartoony or what do
they want from me I try to find a
different approach in different projects
also because personally I find myself I
really want to learn every time that I
doing my my job so I always try to
approach prayer in a different way that
will allow me to learn new techniques or
new ways of painting as well so every
project is different yeah I always
change my technique I usually will do
certain thumbnails and sketches do a
bunch of research to try to get our
heads around where we're headed with
something and then once we kind of feel
good about where we're going with the
sketches then we'll usually launch into
some kind of a 3d build to use as a
reference or paint on top of it depends
on what it is like sometimes a rough
sketch is enough to communicate what the
client needs and other times it needs to
be taken to a fairly high rendered
finished piece and so we utilize three
paramount to do that we typically work
at moto we also use ZBrush but then from
there we'll work in Photoshop to do the
finished painting
[Music]
[Music]
spent too much time on it I don't know I
I mean I worked as a matte painter for
ten years so I'm I tend to be
comfortable in that kind of
photo-realistic realm so I guess I'm
using a lot of those tricks like I think
yeah taking I mean I obviously spent a
lot of time looking at reference
material really studying from
photographs and film frames and
analyzing them to like to get that
Pappas fear and subtle things like lens
you know junk and stuff like that just
think they gives it that very real feel
but then other than that it's really you
know focusing on like paying attention
to looking at the masters and studying
lighting and basic yeah that kind of
fundamental stuff is you just spend a
lot of time learning that and it's very
hard lately uh I've always feel that uh
we're living this constant evolution of
concept art and now everything is like a
faster and better but lately and I'm
trying to do this approach of like
thinking simple I think the simple works
way better we tend to overload or our
images with a lot of like characters a
lot of things in the screen lady I'm
trying to find like a protagonist stick
to that and think about like a very
strong simple composition very strong
colors or very strong brushstrokes and
usually it always gives this kind of
different flavor try to not you follow
the same source of inspiration as well
so I think it's very important to go
through classics check all movies
everything that can can inspire you but
not go to the same source of inspiration
because you are gonna in doing what
everyone is doing at the same time
[Music]
when you're getting started it's
neglecting things like values and you're
still trying to figure out color and so
it yeah it can be a bit of all over the
shop that way but yeah I mean again that
stuff comes back to you just really
studying attention I'm trying to get it
yourself I think with digital tools
especially it's easy to get into this
experimental Montgomery's rifling
through layer modes and trying to get
stuff for free and and forgetting about
like fundamentalism what what you would
be thinking of it all you had was a
pencil sketch book and really focusing
on building your image of having strong
values paying attention to making
choices about color as opposed to having
just throwing things in the soup and
hoping that you end up with something
awesome which sometimes it's great like
for exploration trying to break out of
you know the things you've kind of
naturally reach for digital tools are
awesome for really quick iterations
exploring stuff but yeah it's easy to
kind of lose sight of just the basics
because you have every option available
to you I see tons of mistakes the first
one I think is that they don't have like
a clear idea what do they want to show
they always show like a very cool images
sometimes but when I asked them where
what is what they want to portray there
they always are lost they don't know
exciting whether they're like focusing
too much on the on the final result
instead of like thinking like why are
they doing that or why are they putting
that I see a lot of mistakes when they
use photo Bosh for example with the
scale or taking the low say somebody
don't use the right material or they
don't put like a thought what are they
doing so I always told them that they
should whatever you put on the screen
you need to think about it why are you
adding this castle what is the material
why do you pick on material and not
another one who lives there if you start
thinking about those things everything
is gonna be more cohesive in Mutoh story
and will be more like it will have more
credibility as well so that's the
biggest mistake second one also that
their portfolios to to be so that's a
stick to ten images eighty minutes no
more it's enough to show who you are and
what you are capable to do yeah we've
we've been working we're in we're gonna
season three of expense right now and
that they've been a really great client
for us we yeah we get to do everything
we design spaceship to do the
environments we do props we do weapons
and for season two we worked on power
soups and for the Martians have so did
we get a lot of creative you put into
that show we have a close relationship
with the client so it's something that
we're really proud of it field we have a
lot of influence on the look up we also
work with the people that riot and their
music client and get to do some really
awesome super inspiring stuff with them
and and their their bar is really high
so we get wish to go further on things
that we probably would on any other
client so that's that's really awesome
my personal site I think was great it
was like at the pinnacle of my career
I've always been a huge fan of the of
the saga so for me being able to really
work on one of my favorite games like
one of the best things that I did almost
is because it's very creative it's like
it very much is with my culture like a
European culture I really love a
traditional art so I found a great plan
between atoms apart and quality no media
well words of wisdom yeah probably
one is like a garage and some very very
cheesy van I feel that everyone is like
trying to get in too fast or in the
biggest studio too too early it's okay
you you can start like any small studios
get a lot of experience because it's not
just about painting it's about like
working big companies for working with
the
big teams so you need to learn also how
to develop those feels like a
communicating will accept critiques as
well so take your time and try to learn
and don't rush because at the end it
won't be good for you
[Music]
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