Charcoal Study After Mark Tennant

 

This is a recent study I did based on a charcoal drawing by Mark Tennant, an artist whose work I’ve long admired for its boldness, clarity, and emotional restraint.

Tennant’s drawings often walk a fine line between precision and suggestion. He knows exactly what to leave out, and that’s one of the reasons his work is so compelling. In doing this study, I wanted to focus less on copying and more on understanding the choices behind the marks, the way he defines form with such minimal input, and how much atmosphere he builds through restraint.

Working in charcoal always brings a different rhythm to the process. It forces you to think in masses, not lines. You shape light and shadow more than you draw outlines, and in that sense, it’s a great way to reset your thinking if you’ve been too caught up in detail.

This study wasn’t about polishing or rendering. It was about absorbing something from the language of Tennant’s drawing and letting it influence my own. A valuable exercise and one I’ll definitely come back to.

Reflecting on History and the Present: Women in Art and Concept Design

As artists, we often draw inspiration from the past, from the masters, the movements, and the milestones that shaped the way we see and create. But one aspect of art history that deserves more visibility is the profound contribution of women artists whose stories have too often been overlooked, dismissed, or buried under the names of their male counterparts.

Throughout history, women have made extraordinary contributions to the visual arts, often against immense cultural and institutional resistance. From Artemisia Gentileschi, who painted with power and boldness in the male-dominated world of Baroque painting, to Berthe Morisot, one of the founding figures of Impressionism, or even Camille Claudel and her inspiring sculptural work, women have shaped the narrative of art even when they were not always allowed to sign it.

Many women had to work under male aliases, were denied entry to academies, or had their work attributed to others. Still, they created in private studios, in quiet corners of their homes, and, when they could, on the walls of institutions that rarely recognized them. Their persistence is not only a testament to individual talent but also to the power of art to endure beyond barriers.

Reflecting on their stories invites us to look at the history of art with a fuller perspective, one that includes the nuanced, complex, and deeply human experiences of women artists throughout time. It’s also a reminder for us today: whose voices are we amplifying? Whose work are we remembering, collecting, and celebrating?

In recognizing and sharing these stories, we don’t just correct the record, we enrich the narrative of what art has been and what it can become. And as artists, educators, or simply art lovers, we have a part to play in that.

Art from Claire Wendling

Today, we are fortunate to see many extraordinary women thriving in the field of concept art, bringing unique perspectives and visual storytelling to the entertainment industry. 

Artists like Claire Hummel, known for her historical character designs, Karla Ortiz for her powerful and emotionally resonant character and narrative work, and Claire Wendling, a former comic book artist whose expressive and fluid drawing style continues to inspire artists worldwide, are just a few leading examples.

Others, such as Angela Sung, known for her distinctive approach to environment design and color, and Lauren D. Austin, whose work across games and visual development has set a high standard for mood, composition, and storytelling, continue to raise the bar for what is possible in visual development.

These women are not only pushing boundaries with their work, but they are also actively shaping the next generation of artists through mentorship, visibility, and education.

Art from Angela Sung

More posts to come, highlighting individual women artists, their journeys, and their work, both past and present.

#WomenInArt #ConceptArt #FemaleConceptArtists #ArtHistory #FemaleArtists #RepresentationMatters #ArtEducation #ArtemisiaGentileschi #BertheMorisot #ArtBlog #VisualStorytelling #HiddenVoices #ArtNarratives #ArtWorld #InspiringArtists #SimonLocheArt

Digital Landscape – Lanzarote Study with Infinite Painter

This digital landscape was painted after a trip to Lanzarote, one of the most visually striking places I’ve visited. The island’s unique volcanic terrain, muted color palette, and wide open spaces make it an inspiring subject for quick studies.

I used Infinite Painter for this piece, working on a simplified interpretation of the landscape rather than a detailed rendering. The app’s brush engine allowed me to focus on blocking in large shapes, soft transitions, and the contrast between rocky textures and open sky.

As with most of my digital studies, the goal wasn’t to recreate the scene exactly, but to capture the atmosphere and structure of the place with a limited set of tools and gestures.

This was painted in 2023, and it still reminds me how rewarding it can be to revisit locations through simplified visual notes. A good reminder that not every piece needs to be polished, sometimes, clarity comes from restraint.

Portrait - Digital Sketch - Infinite Painter

 

Quick Digital Portrait - Infinite Painter

This one was quickly made, but I like the emotion coming out of it. 

Digital Landscape - Spain - Infinite Painter

 

Digital Painting - Infinite Painter

 

Super Quick Life Drawing Sketch

 

Why Most Aspiring Concept Artists Focus on the Wrong Skills

The first challenge as an aspiring concept artist is understanding where YOU fit and what studios actually need from artists. This differs largely from your expectations, and your choices can make you irrelevant or redundant in the industry from the very start.

It’s easy to get caught up in the glamorous side of game development: the iconic characters, the epic keyframe, the cinematic moments. But if you want to position yourself effectively as a concept artist, it’s critical to take a closer look at how production really works and where the true demands lie.

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What Are the Needs in Video Games Production

It is pretty clear:

• ⬇️ Characters, while being the most visible and striking elements, make up a small fraction of the total assets.

• ⬆️ Environments and props, on the other hand, represent the majority of what gets built. These assets cover vast worlds and need to be produced in large volumes to create believable, explorable spaces.

Characters require a significant investment of time and resources; they are complex, central to the player’s experience, and heavily polished. But in sheer numbers, environment and prop assets dominate any large production pipeline.

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Competition Between Artists & Most Crowded Fields

When reviewing Resumes and Portfolios over the past few years it is obvious that a majority of concept artists are competing in the same areas of expertise.

• Character design portfolios is the most crowded field, with nearly three up to four times more participants than environment design, and more than four times as many as prop design.

• VFX and prop design, despite being critical to game development, are significantly less saturated.

This shows that while many artists aim to work on characters, there is much higher competition for a relatively smaller number of opportunities.

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Finding the Right Place for Your Skills

Honestly, this isn’t about discouraging anyone from pursuing what they love. But if your goal is to build a sustainable career in the video game industry, it’s important to think strategically.

Ask yourself:

• What do I genuinely enjoy drawing?

• Where do my strengths lie?

• And foremost: Where is there real demand for what I can offer?

In my own experience reviewing portfolios, I often see talented artists struggling to find opportunities simply because they only focus on character work. Yet, studios are constantly looking for strong environment and prop artists, areas where it’s possible to specialize, stand out, and build a professional-quality portfolio faster.

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Final Thoughts

Understanding the production needs behind the scenes helps you not just improve your skills but also position yourself smartly in an evolving, highly competitive industry.

There’s room for passion, of course, but there’s also wisdom in adapting your focus to where opportunities exist.

In future posts, I’ll dive deeper into each major area, characters, environments, props, and VFX, to give a better understanding of how they fit into real-world production pipelines.

If you’ve got thoughts or experiences on finding your path as a concept artist, I’d love to hear them.

Let’s keep the conversation going.

Related Article: Video Games Industry: How to Get Hired as a Concept Artist

#ConceptArt #CareerAdvice #VideoGameIndustry #PortfolioBuilding #GameArt #SimonLocheArt

Game Art Challenges: Can You Draw Under Pressure?

A Zen Approach to Speed, Focus, and Simplicity

In the practice of concept art, just as in the discipline of Zen, true mastery lies not in rushing or forcing results but in acting with clarity and purpose under pressure.

Deadlines will come. Revisions will test you. Expectations will shift without warning.

A clear mind and steady hand will always be stronger than hurried work.

Every professional game artist must embrace the discipline of learning to create quickly and efficiently without fear, hesitation, or distraction.

It is not about perfection. It is about readability, intention, and flow.

In large and complex projects, clear communication is critical. Concept art serves as a shared visual language across development teams, helping different departments align with the game’s creative vision. Through visual guidelines established early in production, concept art directs how various game elements should be designed and realized.

Everyone involved in the pipeline—from 3D modelers to animators and programmers—relies on concept art to maintain consistency across disciplines. It acts as a bridge between artistic intent and technical execution, ensuring that designs remain both creative and feasible.

By providing detailed visual references, concept art helps reduce misunderstandings and keeps development moving efficiently.

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The 30-Minute Concept Sprint – A Zen Art Challenge

Approach this exercise not as a race, but as a meditation on focus and simplicity.

The Practice:

• Select a random subject (examples: “Desert Soldier,” “Cyberpunk Alley,” “Underwater Robot”).

• Set a timer for 30 minutes.

• Begin sketching a full concept, seeking clarity over polish. Trust your first instincts.

While working:

• Focus on silhouette, visual hierarchy, and clarity.

• Add callouts as you go:

  • Materials (“Worn leather,” “Brushed steel”)

  • Textures (“Rusted metal,” “Cracked concrete”)

  • Design notes (“Simplify armor for easy rigging”, “Cloth needs to flow naturally”)

• Sketch as if you are guiding another artist who must build your vision without further words.

• Think of your drawing as a bridge: it must connect your mind to the mind of the 3D artist or art director.

Important:

• No undoing.

• No overthinking.

• No chasing perfection.

• Every stroke is a decision. Every mark carries intention.

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Bonus Reflection

When the timer ends, spend five additional minutes writing a few sentences explaining your concept:

• What is the function of your design?

• What is the mood it carries?

• What design choices shape its identity?

These simple reflections will sharpen your understanding and solidify your practice.

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Final Words

The purpose of this exercise is not to create a flawless painting.

It is to train your mind to work with clarity under time pressure, just as a Zen practitioner cultivates calm in the midst of chaos.

Production art demands speed and precision, but it rewards presence of mind.

Each sketch, each callout, each choice should flow naturally, without panic or hesitation.

Master this, and your hand will be steady even on the busiest day.

Your ideas will find the page with strength and simplicity.

The path is clear. Pick up your brush, set your timer, and begin.

➽ My Own Take on the Challenge

To bring this idea into something more concrete, here’s an example from a project I worked on back in 2018. The two concepts shown were created under real production pressure, with speed and clarity as the main priorities.

The first was a quick sketch, meant to help the 3D modeler set up the scene and establish key structures. The second and third one were a paintover of the 3D blockout, refining the style, mood, and color direction to guide the next stages of production.

Both were done quickly but with a clear intention: to give the team what they needed to move forward without hesitation or confusion.

You can also see more concept I made for another project here: 
https://simonloche.blogspot.com/2020/01/talking-tom-sky-run-concept-art-and.html

#ConceptArt #ZenArt #GameArtChallenge #ProductionArt #SimonLocheArt #FocusedDrawing