Instead of just busting Seth's chops...

[Ilaekae]

...let's show him and some others here the right way to approach a subject on a forum that consists of mostly Concept Artists, Illustrators and Designers (to a small degree).

Seth', this would be a legitimate question that would probably get some decent and interesting feedback, and it falls sort of into what you're trying to do.

Question:

Are there specific areas of the fine arts (or illustration) that you feel influence/contribute to the field of concept art more than others? Is anything fair game? Or are some areas just plain unusable or counter-productive to the field? Any opinions/discussion?

[arttorney]

Collage I can use. Found object assemblage art, not so much (unless I am doing non-representational). I'd say there is a boundary in there somewhere.

[DavePalumbo]

painterly brush strokes seem to be a huge influence to concept artists, particularly in environments. in my opinion :shrug:

[Ilaekae]

Actually, I'm thinking found objects might be useful in some way. Not just as ref, either... Let me think about this for a couple of hours--it's one of my "areas."

[Elwell]

Collage I can use. Found object assemblage art, not so much (unless I am doing non-representational).
Most "kitbusted" vehicle and hardware design in the pre-digital days was nothing but cleverly disguised found-object assemblage.

[DavePalumbo]

Most "kitbusted" vehicle and hardware design in the pre-digital days was nothing but cleverly disguised found-object assemblage.

oh snap, look who's thinking outside the box!

[Ilaekae]

I think...DAMN...gimme a second. I'm getting a phaser-speed message from Scotty on my salt shaker...

[Flake]

Most "kitbusted" vehicle and hardware design in the pre-digital days was nothing but cleverly disguised found-object assemblage.

Most of "Star Wars" and "Battlestar Galactica" owes a lot to Airfix model kits.

[Musselfarmstudios]

I always liked the way that the writers of James Bond movies would find a lot of there concepts by skimming through a Popular Mechanics Magazine and trying to play off of what they find.

[Blue]

Well, after seeing Dan Dos Santos's Demo I'm pretty surprised how much 'Frankensteining' is actually put forth. He was working on a painting during the class for a book cover I believe, and every element of the character he created he used reference photos, basically changing everything from the eyes, lips, helmet, ornaments.. the works.. to create his final look for his painting. He must have had at least 50 layers in that photoshop file, and the final painting was brilliant!

maybe not 'concept art' but holy cow, taking bits and pieces from the world is a huge factor for some pieces.

[arttorney]

Now we got a conversation.

I admit I was going to try the Sacred Grove of the Machinae with dowel rods and some effed up CDs, but I didn't have time.

I'm pretty proud of my cheese, lard, and Reese's cup rendition of Morgan La Fey's castle, though.

You guys are right. I'm going to have to look somewhere else for irrelevancy. (wonder where it will be?)

[Ilaekae]

Ever get one of those straws that have that thin paper around them, and you kind of push it down the straw and it wrinkles up? I did this once with a couple of wrapped layers of thin rice paper, some newsprint, or some aluminum foil to different degrees of "squishiness" around a length of 3" and 6" plastic pipe.

If you open it out horizontally without opening the squishiness too much, you get a great pattern of random linear strata that could pass for folded skin or actual rocky strata, or even weathered stone if you open it up a bit. Light it from different angles and photo it, and you have a great set of patterns to use in PS when you're doing environmental pieces or even "lizard" skin where it really folds up.

I've also opened the aluminum version up to various degrees and carefully supported the underside with styro peanuts and tissues and poured plaster into it as if it were a mold. When it sets up, you get some amazing chunks of linear strata or hard-edged stoney patterns for 3D pieces.

[J Wilson]

I'm not sure there's much in the realm of art that wouldn't have some application to concept artists and illustrators. Anything that sparks an idea becomes valuable. It could be Ousider art or Naïve art, both of which are pretty far from most commercial art in my opinion, but if it gives you a new way to look at things it's going to be useful.

About the ONLY thing that I would call counter productive is limiting yourself to just one art approach, or only viewing one style of art. If you want to be a concept artist, the LAST thing you want to do is just flood yourself with only concept art! People who isolate themselves to only learning from one source (many beginner comicbooks artists or anime artists as good examples) or dooming themselves to failure.