Researching How to Create Prop Concepts

Before creating my own concepts for props, I wanted to get an understanding about how artists create this kind of concept art. While it is still within the same type of work, as the subject is different I wanted to see what changes in the concepting process.

Below are notes I made through watching the videos listed below, they gave a lot of insight and I feel like I learned a lot from these artists explaining their processes.

ANALYZING THE DESIGN OF HOB, SHAPE LANGUAGE, AND SCI FI DESIGNS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crCZEQEgFZ0&ab_channel=moderndayjames

@ModernDayJames - 8 Feb 2018

This video begins with the artist (@moderndayjames) dissecting shapes of props within the environment of the game ‘Hob’. He explains that there are a lot of circles within the props, there is consistency in the shape language throughout.

James then begins to explore shapes to fit a sci-fi theme, beginning with a general shape sketch and “extruding out” to create a 3D shape. When choosing the shapes to use, he mentions with each large, medium and small detail, trying to keep a shape for each section. E.g. for medium details, using rectangular joints, small details circular bolts and holes etc.

James explains that with sci-fi designs in particular, it is important to make the props look detailed and mechanical - while also striking a balance and not getting overly carried away with the details, making the prop look cluttered. It is important to make sure the general shapes of the prop are not hidden, finding this balance, James explains practice and repetition is the best way to improve designs. I think this sentiment is true with a lot of concept art from what I have seen other artists describe.

James mentions that it is important not to underestimate the importance of observational studies, as these give us the textures, shapes and ideas to work into our own concepts. Rushing into a design without proper research will be frustrating and difficult.

Moving on, James takes what he explored so far within the video, and begins to try to design a sci-fi platform. He starts by creating thumbnails and sketching over the top, as this is a useful way to get ideas and quickly explore them. This is definitely something I want to work into my process more as it seems really useful.

He explains facing your fears head on will help you improve as an artist, and as a person. I definitely struggle with being afraid to start sketching something new, or explore something I haven’t before. So this is something I am definitely also working on.

Finalising the video, James explains that setting a tangible goal for your work and actually sharing with other artists for feedback is how to improve. He explains once he started doing this his work improved dramatically, he even set himself a task to do 4 observational drawings per week and upload them online. He mentions you can’t wait for inspiration to come, you have to make it.

Overall, this video was really useful in getting some insight into another concept artists process. It seems that shape language is a crucial element in designing prop and environment concepts, as well as just consistency in design overall.

How to design props for games - Crash 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYOzrGvm4IY&ab_channel=FlorianCoudray

@florian.coudray - 9 Feb 2022

Next I watched a video by Florian Coudray who worked on Crash Bandicoot 4, I wanted to see how someone in the games industry concepted props so this video definitely seemed like it would be worth a watch.

Florian explains that a colleague of his (Didier Nguyen) mentioned that it would be interesting to bring Mad Max into Crash, the art team loved this idea, so they worked this style into the Crash universe.

The first thing I noticed was how messy Florian’s way of working is (in a good way), it seems like he is able to explore ideas really quickly like this, and doesn’t waste time on making linework look good when he is just in the initial sketching phases.

His thought process for the prop he designed in the video was stacking things on top of each other, like the inhabitants of the area are trying to maximise space. He also explains Crash has a very wonky, Loony Toons inspired environment design, almost as though everything is almost falling apart.

After a rough sketch layer and a second sketch layer, he moves on to adding some flat colours, he then adds a layer over the top with shadow and erases within this to show the base colours underneath. He then adds in some lighting to help show the 3D modeller how the prop would be lit. He then brings back a sketch layer to guide him in rendering and adding a few extra details. He then hides the sketch layers one again, and the concept is complete.

I really love how Florian brought this concept together, and I think it looks really impressive. He seemed to work so quickly, and I think avoiding shapes looking “perfect” helped him to do this.

Concept Art Inspiration: Techniques to Boost Your Creativity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk4KCCk3vME&ab_channel=HardyFowler-DigitalPaintingStudio

@fowlerillus - 17 Nov 2022

Next I wanted to get some insight into the initial stages of concepting, while I have already made my own concept art, I definitely struggle in the initial inspiration and idea generation stages, I think I get easily intimidated at this stage and moving into props I think this will be tricky. So I watched a video by Hardy Fowler, an artist I already really love the work of, he goes into some techniques to help get inspired.

Hardy explains that it can be useful to do things to get your mind clear and in the zone, creating a playlist that feels calming and listening to it whenever working is an example he gives. He also explains for art block that sometimes just putting pen to canvas and drawing random gestures or shapes without much conscious thought can be useful - this can also then sometimes lead to other ideas. But Hardy sees this exercise as again sort of a “getting in the zone” exercise, letting your hand get started for you then before long you’re all set.

In the next section he discusses some ideas for what to do when you are overwhelmed with inspiration, but in the moment are struggling to use it. The first thing he mentions is organising your thoughts, using the notes app (or something similar) on your phone to jot down whenever an idea comes. The next step would be to put a date on when to do the sketch of the idea, removing the weight of all the ideas over time as you get through them.

He explains that it is really useful to dismantle ideas that inspire you, so figuring out what about something makes you like it. Is it the shapes? Colours? Emotions? Understanding this can help add to an artists own mental library of inspiration to pull from.

He finishes the video by going over his thought process for the art he worked on through the video, before finalising the piece.

Looking Through ArtStation

Next I had a look through ArtStation, and I saved any prop or environment concepts that I thought were executed well, I have included some screenshots below of some of the work I found as well as a link to the ArtStation folder.

https://www.artstation.com/cosynoodle/collections/2719980