What jobs can a concept artist do? (2023)

Is concept art a career?

Concept artists are employed by advertising companies, video game designers, animation studios, and businesses. Employers seek out concept artists with skills like creativity, computer, attention to detail, interpersonal, and communication skills.

Salary Ranges for Concept Artists

The salaries of Concept Artists in the US range from $14,263 to $379,980 , with a median salary of $69,119 . The middle 57% of Concept Artists makes between $69,119 and $172,706, with the top 86% making $379,980.

Concept art is repetitive, it's labour-intensive. It is hard to get good at and harder to get a job in. In fact, you could even argue concept art isn't really art. But it's also a pretty incredible job, and plenty of people want to get into it.

Concept artists make $85,713 per year on average, or $41.21 per hour, in the United States. Concept artists on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $56,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $130,000. Location impacts how much a concept artist can expect to make.

Concept artists work in animation studios, film and video production companies, gaming companies, advertising agencies, graphic design firms, print publications, web design firms, interior design or decorating firms, and even architecture firms.

The education needed to be a concept artist is normally a bachelor's degree. Concept artists usually study graphic design, animation or fine arts. 75% of concept artists hold a bachelor's degree and 13% hold a associate degree.

From a creative perspective, one of the biggest downsides to being a concept artist is that you don't have final say. If you really love a design that you created but the art director doesn't then you'll have to change it.

How much does an Entry Level Concept Artist make? As of Jan 7, 2023, the average annual pay for an Entry Level Concept Artist in the United States is $59,967 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $28.83 an hour.

How much does a Concept Artist make at The Walt Disney Company in San Diego? Average The Walt Disney Company Concept Artist yearly pay in San Diego is approximately $98,512, which is 25% above the national average.

Do you have to know 3D to be a concept artist?

“If you're working in the entertainment industry however, a basic knowledge of 3D is almost expected and working digitally is mandatory,” the concept artist and illustrator explains. “Even basic knowledge of 3D tools can be helpful.

As a remote concept artist, you work from home using visualization techniques to come up with ideas and create drawings. You may create storyboards, images, and artwork for video games, television productions, animation projects, advertising campaigns, interior design projects, or websites.

The chart shows total cash compensation for the PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS Story Artist in the United States, which includes base, and annual incentives can vary anywhere from $60,897 to $79,764 with an average total cash compensation of $70,331.

If you're like me and have asked yourself if it's possible to become a professional concept artist without attending any school that could teach you all the techniques and what you need to do in that job, the answer is: Yes.

In films, cartoons or any other animated video, the result of painstaking work by an artist can take no more than a dozen frames. Time frames. Usually, it takes 50-80 hours to create a detailed concept (but again, depending on many conditions – complexity, level of detail, etc.)

"You don't need to be an incredible painter to be an excellent concept artist. The most important part of concept art remains good design skills. As long as you draw (or photobash) well enough for people to understand your design and transcribe it in 3D or in a final 2D work, then you're doing your job."

Concept Artist Requirements:

Degree in graphic design or fine art preferred. A portfolio of work demonstrating strong artistic and storytelling ability. Minimum of 2 years experience as a concept artist or graphic designer preferred.

Photoshop is the holy grail of concept art. It's essentially industry standard, though there are several other products you can use that are perfectly good.

What are five careers in art?

Creative skills are in demand in many different industries, such as advertising, fashion, architecture, music and more. Companies are looking for talented individuals who can fit into positions such as design, photography, copywriting, editing, illustration, etc. and some may eventually move into management roles.

Do You Need A Degree To Get Into Concept Art? The short answer is no. Most game and film studios care more about your experience and your portfolio. However, a lot of working artists in the field have a degree in a relevant field like fine arts, illustration, graphic design, or film.

Concept artists bring ideas to life

The concept artist brings the idea into the world, while the illustrator works with finalized concepts and briefs to create illustrations. Concept art may often take a director or design's vision and showcase how a final scene for a movie or game may look.

The salaries of 3d Character Artists in the US range from $46,904 to $82,500 , with a median salary of $46,904 . The middle 50% of 3d Character Artists makes $46,904, with the top 75% making $99,000.

The average Concept Artist salary is $63,217 as of December 27, 2022, but the salary range typically falls between $56,475 and $72,884. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.

It's a very hard process — the board artists need to be able to write dialogue, know story, draw, stage, act, and more. Basically they need to be incredibly talented.

Landing a job at Pixar is hard because it only employs the most talented professionals which makes the job hunt very competitive. It's important to earn work experience elsewhere first, especially if you are making a career transition to the animation industry.

How do I sell my idea to Pixar?

All of Pixar's ideas and stories are developed internally and it is our policy not to view any external submissions. For legal reasons we automatically return all creative material (scripts, synopses, sketches, etc.) unopened and unread. So, please do not send any kind of creative submission to Pixar.

The education needed to be a concept artist is normally a bachelor's degree. Concept artists usually study graphic design, animation or fine arts. 75% of concept artists hold a bachelor's degree and 13% hold a associate degree.

Concept Artist Requirements:

Degree in graphic design or fine art preferred. A portfolio of work demonstrating strong artistic and storytelling ability. Minimum of 2 years experience as a concept artist or graphic designer preferred. Excellent sketching abilities for rough conceptualization.

Do You Need A Degree To Get Into Concept Art? The short answer is no. Most game and film studios care more about your experience and your portfolio. However, a lot of working artists in the field have a degree in a relevant field like fine arts, illustration, graphic design, or film.

Though some employers may hire you based on your portfolio alone, the vast majority of employers require you to have a minimum of an undergraduate degree. This degree, such as a BA, needs to be in a relevant subject, such as art, graphic design, animation, illustration or computer-aided design.

As a remote concept artist, you work from home using visualization techniques to come up with ideas and create drawings. You may create storyboards, images, and artwork for video games, television productions, animation projects, advertising campaigns, interior design projects, or websites.

As a concept artist, you may not need a degree if you have enough talent as an artist and an impressive portfolio of work. However, if you decide to complete a formal education program, get a bachelor's degree in art, animation, drafting and design, graphic design, computer-aided design or a similar field.

"You don't need to be an incredible painter to be an excellent concept artist. The most important part of concept art remains good design skills. As long as you draw (or photobash) well enough for people to understand your design and transcribe it in 3D or in a final 2D work, then you're doing your job."

Corel Painter is the absolute best digital art software when it comes to top of the line tools and workflow for concept art: Hundreds of brushes and tons of paper textures. Custom workspace layout specifically for Concept Art. Compatibility with drawing tablets and multi-touch.

How fast do concept artists work?

In films, cartoons or any other animated video, the result of painstaking work by an artist can take no more than a dozen frames. Time frames. Usually, it takes 50-80 hours to create a detailed concept (but again, depending on many conditions – complexity, level of detail, etc.)