Another call for assistance...

[Norsehound]

Hi all.

I feel I need some coaching advice as to how to get into the concept art industry. Originally I wanted to be a "Mechanical Designer", doing the things other known mechanical designers such as Hajime Katoki, Shoji Kawamori, and Kunio Okawara seem to do for a living and get paid for. My passion is drawing machinery, starships, and other mechanical devices.

However I confess... I'm at a complete loss as to how to 'get into' the concept art industry. What would I need to do/take in order to become a concept artist/mechanical designer?

Presently I'm pursuing a bachelors in Graphic Design at CSU East Bay in California... and I was wondering where I should apply to next, and at what college. I know portfolios are very important to the concept art industry, but I feel like I should follow the right Masters program to get ahead in the game, and to have better skills in making concept art.

I was considering Industrial Design for a masters, possibly at the San Francisco Academy of Art. It's an expensive school, but If I know it will put me where I want to be, then I don't see it as being a problem. My biggest concern is that my Bachelors in Graphic Design was a wrong turn, and I've wasted about two years of study :(

Optimally I'd like to work for Relic Entertainment (inspired by their Homeworld series, in case it wasn't obvious), or Bungie studios (since I hear they have a nice working environment, and Halo was awesome).

I just want to know where I should be going next to get into the concept art industry.

Thanks very much in advance

[dguy]

I think the field that you are talking about isn't "concept art," it's Industrial Design. Things like machinery, and cars, etc., that would be produce in real life. I would look into RISD.

Concept art on the other hand, is purely imaginative. You don't go to a 'mechanical design' school to draw anime robots. You just go to a good art school that would teach you to draw and paint representationally , and learn to draw from your imagination be it robots or alien spaceships or whatever, but the important difference is they are for TV shows and video games and are NOT REAL.

Please don't confuse Industrial Design and Concept Art, they are two different discipline. Meant to do different things.

[Storyboard Dave]

However I confess... I'm at a complete loss as to how to 'get into' the concept art industry. What would I need to do/take in order to become a concept artist/mechanical designer?

Having a relevant portfolio that shows that you can do what it is concept designers do would be the first step. That and a lot of drive to constantly showing off your portfolio to industry folks would be key.

Presently I'm pursuing a bachelors in Graphic Design at CSU East Bay in California... and I was wondering where I should apply to next, and at what college. I know portfolios are very important to the concept art industry, but I feel like I should follow the right Masters program to get ahead in the game, and to have better skills in making concept art.

I was considering Industrial Design for a masters, possibly at the San Francisco Academy of Art. It's an expensive school, but If I know it will put me where I want to be, then I don't see it as being a problem. My biggest concern is that my Bachelors in Graphic Design was a wrong turn, and I've wasted about two years of study :(

Obtaining a Masters and having a relevant portfolio can be two entirely different things. If you want a portfolio to get into the concept art industry, one has to question what it is you're doing in Graphic Design. While they're both in the creative fields, they very seldom cross paths. That's not to say you can't take your graphic design skills to help you make gorgeous presentations of your concepts or do packaging for your characters, etc., but again- wrong path.

Why not take the credits you have NOW and transfer them over to a legitimate place where you can build a portfolio as opposed to spending the additional time & money on an MFA program? Take a look at the accredited schools here (http://www.aicad.org/) and see what programs might offer up what it is you're going to need to get you to becoming a concept artist.

Optimally I'd like to work for Relic Entertainment (inspired by their Homeworld series, in case it wasn't obvious), or Bungie studios (since I hear they have a nice working environment, and Halo was awesome).

So emulate these folks. You're not going to be able to join their team if you don't have the right skills. And even if you do have the right skills, you still need a way to show them you can do the job. Just talking about it and having a degree that says you can doesn't mean anything. Again, give them something relevant and something they can relate to.

[Norsehound]

I'm so close to graduating from CSU East Bay now, with a Bachelors in Graphic Design, that I felt I might as well go for it. I was wondering what my next step should be... a masters in fine arts?

I asked about industrial design because I thought skills learned in that major would help me build a portfolio with a bent towards mechanical design. That way I'd be hired for my mechanical-esque concept drawings. However, I suppose I should just look for a masters in fine art or illustration instead?

Is it true that getting hired in the world of concept art depends entirely on your portfolio work? Or would having the necessary degrees and things be equal/more important to what is in your portfolio?

[Maxine Schacker]

You don't need more degrees. You need skills and a portfolio that shows them off. Most BFA and MFA programs do not each traditional representational skills.
Be sure you do your research!