Concept art of Lizard City, 2020
Creating a mood is vital to concept art. Without a sense of atmosphere– the tension of a dense fog or the chaos in a busy kitchen– what you have left is a technical blueprint. Concept art is what entices viewers to explore your world, but finding that mood and conveying it isn’t always easy. It takes experimentation.
Texture and shape study photo with found objects
Pen drawing of the Red from Lizard City
Broken old bridge at Kinzua Bridge State Park
That’s why concept art is such a powerful tool for conveying emotion. You don’t need to shoehorn in the idea of identifying and communicating the mood of your artwork, doing so is simply inherent to the medium. If you want to create a captivating world for others to explore, you must convey the feeling of that place or character through visuals.