Five Ways to Improve Your Concept Art Skills Through Gaming

Gaming can be an incredible source of inspiration and a surprisingly effective tool for honing your concept art skills.

Think about it: video games blend storytelling, world-building, and artistic techniques into an immersive experience that grabs your attention and holds it. Why not turn that experience into a creative advantage?

Whether you’re a budding concept artist or a seasoned pro looking for new tricks, here are five ways you can level up your skills by diving into your favorite games.

1. Observe environments with a critical eye

Games transport you into detailed worlds, from bustling cities to quiet mountain villages, and each one offers a lesson in environmental design. Instead of speeding through these spaces to get to the next quest, slow down and study them. 

How do the designers use light and shadow to create mood? What materials are they using for buildings, terrain, and skies? For instance, games like The Witcher 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2 showcase impressive landscapes and environments, each crafted with careful thought to build an atmosphere.

When you play, notice the little things. Are there patterns in the vegetation or buildings? Do they serve a function, or are they purely decorative? To make the most of these observations, consider pairing your game-inspired practice with specific drawing tutorials that focus on environmental art or architectural details.

Following tutorials while analyzing game environments can help you develop a sharper eye for creating depth, texture, and scale.

If you’re feeling ambitious, sketch them on the spot or jot down quick notes to capture the vibe. Playing games with a critical eye can turn your screen time into an education in creating environments that look and feel real.

2. Analyze character design choices

Characters breathe life into a story, and the best games feature characters you remember long after putting down the controller. Notice how a character’s clothing, posture, and even scars tell their story. 

Think about God of War: every design choice of Kratos communicates something about his background and personality. Even smaller details, like the cuts in his armor or the intensity in his eyes, contribute to his image.

To improve your character design skills, observe these choices and ask why they work. Then, try redesigning characters in your sketchbook based on what you saw in the game. Give them new outfits or props that fit their personalities. Games give you an endless supply of characters to reimagine, and each experiment boosts your design skills.

3. Experiment with lighting and mood

Lighting in games can make or break an atmosphere. It’s the difference between a cheerful, welcoming village and a shadowy, eerie forest. In concept art, lighting sets the tone, evokes emotion, and guides the viewer’s eye. 

Pay attention to how games use lighting in different scenes and environments. Dark areas and high-contrast lighting might hint at danger or mystery, while soft, even lighting in open areas could evoke calm or peace.

For practice, take screenshots of scenes with different lighting and try recreating them in your style. Or, use photo-editing software to tweak game screenshots to see how changes in brightness, color, and contrast can shift the mood. 

It’s a bit like having your own light studio. Once you understand how to manipulate light, you’ll start crafting your artwork with the same emotional depth.

4. Reimagine game worlds in your style

Every game has a unique visual style, from the cartoonish feel of Fortnite to the hyper-realistic approach in Horizon Zero Dawn. By reinterpreting these styles in your own way, you can learn a lot about versatility and adaptability in your art.

Choose a game, break down its visual elements, and then create your version of its world or characters. Think about what details you’d keep and what you’d change.

This exercise lets you explore different aesthetics, helping you figure out your strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps you find out you’re a natural at gritty, dark settings but need more practice with bright and whimsical designs. 

As a bonus, it’s a fun way to get into fan art, which can be a great addition to your portfolio. Just remember to add your own twist so it showcases your creativity, not just your copying skills.

5. Study game storytelling and apply it to your art

Great concept art isn’t just about making pretty pictures; it’s about creating images that tell stories. The best games know this. They use every visual detail to pull you into their narratives. 

Think about games with deep storytelling, like The Last of Us or Cyberpunk 2077. These games don’t just rely on dialogue; they build stories through background details, character designs, and setting choices.

To improve your narrative skills, try sketching scenes from your favorite games and adding your spin. Imagine a “before” and “after” to the game’s scenes. What would that character’s environment look like before the apocalypse? 

Or, what would happen if a peaceful city scene suddenly became a battlefield? This creative exercise pushes you to think about story arcs, character evolution, and world-building in ways that go beyond visuals.

Bonus tips for leveling up your concept art skills through gaming

Here are a few more ways to use gaming to elevate your concept art and gain valuable skills!

1. Bring your art into games

If you’re serious about concept art, consider experimenting with games that feature character or world creation tools. Think The Sims, Minecraft, or even Dreams on PlayStation. 

These platforms offer a fantastic playground for creating worlds and characters with your designs, and some even allow you to modify the environment in real-time. Imagine building a fantasy city in Minecraft, complete with custom lighting and atmosphere.

Testing your ideas in a game environment lets you see how they work in a three-dimensional, interactive space. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to share your creativity with others who love games as much as you do.

2. Participate in fan art challenges

Many games have strong fan communities that run regular fan art challenges, often focusing on particular themes or characters. Participating in these challenges allows you to practice your concept art in a fun, low-pressure setting. 

You’ll also get exposure to other artists’ takes on the same characters, which can inspire you to explore different approaches and experiment with unique styles.

Fan art challenges push you to produce work on a schedule and offer a chance to receive feedback from a passionate community. Plus, you never know, your fan art might even catch the eye of the game developers.

3. Try your hand at game mods

Game mods let you experiment with new concepts in a game’s actual environment, offering an exciting way to explore storytelling, design, and character creation.

Games like Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and Fallout 4 have modding communities that allow you to change character appearances, build new locations, or even create new quests.

Creating mods can help you develop practical skills in character design, environmental storytelling, and even game mechanics. It also provides insight into how the game’s artistic style and visual choices contribute to its world, helping you better understand how to apply these techniques in your own work.

Wrap up

Improving your concept art skills doesn’t have to be a grind of tutorials and practice sketches. Gaming offers a more interactive, enjoyable way to expand your skills while having fun. 

From analyzing environments to reimagining characters and experimenting with lighting, each game you play holds a new artistic lesson. So, grab your controller, dive in, and remember: every second you spend exploring these digital worlds brings you closer to creating your own.