Concept Art for Games and Film

Introduction To Digital Painting

Develop the core skills that underpin all great visual art. In this module, you’ll learn how to truly observe — training your eye to see light, shadow, shape and colour with clarity and intention — and translate what you see into confident digital paintings.Through structured observational studies and guided practical exercises, you’ll explore line, tone, value and colour using industry-standard digital tools. Alongside building technical control, you’ll begin developing the ability to review your own work, identify areas for improvement, and track your creative progress.This module focuses on establishing strong artistic foundations, giving you the visual understanding and digital confidence needed to progress into more advanced creative practice.

Module code: GDEV30005

Foundation Art Brief

This module enables students to produce a focused portfolio project within either Games Art or Concept Art, responding to a structured or live brief.Students will develop foundational research, production, and presentation skills aligned to their chosen pathway, preparing them for progression onto Level 4 study in Games Art or Concept Art.The emphasis is on developing core technical and creative skills appropriate to Level 3, rather than achieving industry-level polish.

Module code: GDEV30003

Introduction To Life Drawing

Study the world around you with pencil and paper. Using construction methods and observational study you will create a portfolio of artwork studied from life. In this module you will cover the basics of life drawing and learn how to capture a subject in a variety of mediums! This module will also prepare you for presenting your work, as well as reflecting on it!

Module code: GDEV30006

Collaborative Game Pitch

Video games are highly interdisciplinary and require a range of specialist skills. Thus, games developers rarely work alone and most of the games that you have played will have been developed by a team of people in a variety of different creative and technical roles. In this module, you will begin your journey as a games developer in training as part of a team tasked with developing and pitching a new video game artefact. At the same time as this collaborative development, you will individually develop a deeper understanding of the specific roles and future career opportunities within the games industry and beyond.

Module code: GDEV30001

Character Concept Design

In this module, you will explore the core principles of character concept design, developing the foundational artistic and technical skills needed to create believable characters for games and film. Through a combination of structured life drawing, observational studies and digital design practice, you will build a strong understanding of anatomy, proportion, gesture and form, and how these elements inform compelling character design.You will move through the early stages of the character concept pipeline, learning how characters are researched, explored and developed from initial ideas through to resolved designs. Drawing from life is used to strengthen visual understanding and decision-making, helping you translate observation into confident character concepts using contemporary digital tools.Alongside practical skill development, the module introduces industry examples, workflows and presentation conventions, helping you understand how character concepts communicate personality, function and narrative within a wider creative pipeline. By the end of the module, you will have developed a solid foundation in both observational drawing and character concept design that supports progression into more advanced concept art modules.

Module code: GDEV40032

2D Drawing, Technical Illustration And Digital Painting

This module builds the essential 2D visual communication skills that underpin successful Concept Art practice. Through progressive technical drawing and digital painting exercises, you will develop confidence in constructing form, applying perspective, controlling value and light, and clearly communicating design ideas.Working primarily with industry-standard digital drawing and painting software, you will explore core visual principles such as proportion, spatial accuracy, composition and material readability. The module introduces professional workflows used in concept art, helping you to analyse reference, iterate ideas efficiently and translate early concepts into clear, readable visuals.You will produce a varied body of 2D work including constructed drawings, technical studies, thumbnail ideation and a small number of refined digital outcomes suitable for an early-stage portfolio. Alongside practical skill development, you will learn how to critically evaluate your work, reflect on your creative process and build strong foundations that support character design, environment art and further specialist concept art modules.

Module code: GDEV40030

3D Props And Materials

This module introduces you to the core workflows used to create 3D assets for games. You’ll learn how to model, texture and present simple game-ready props, building confidence with industry-relevant tools and real-time pipelines.Through a mix of guided tutorials and independent work, you’ll develop essential skills in 3D modelling, UVs, materials and observational accuracy, using real-world reference to inform your designs. You’ll also gain experience presenting your work in a real-time engine and reflecting on your creative and technical process.Designed for students new to 3D game art, this module lays a strong foundation for future environment art, prop creation and real-time production workflows

Module code: GDEV40031

Environment Concept Design

Environment Concept Art introduces you to the fundamental skills and workflows used to design compelling environments for games and film.You will research and develop visual ideas, explore composition and lighting, and produce environment concept designs supported by design sheets and call-out documentation that clearly communicate form, mood and visual intent. Alongside individual creative development, you will collaborate with peers on a shared environment brief, gaining early experience of working within a studio-style setting.The module places emphasis on clear visual communication, iteration through feedback and professional presentation, helping you build a strong foundation for further study in game art and concept art practice.

Module code: GDEV40035

Game Production Studio

You will work in a group consisting of peers from across the suite of games development courses, forming a multidisciplinary team that mirrors a real development studio. Together, you will plan, prototype and deliver a vertical slice of a game.The module places strong emphasis on collaboration, communication and professional conduct. You will learn how to work effectively within a team, manage workflows across different disciplines, give and receive constructive feedback, and adapt to the challenges of shared production pipelines. Alongside their technical development, you will build key soft skills such as leadership, organisation, problem solving and time management, all of which are essential for a successful career in the games industry.

Module code: GDEV50060

Vehicle And Prop Design

Step into the world of professional vehicle and prop concept design, where imagination meets function. In this module, you will explore how artists design compelling hard-surface vehicles and props that feel believable, purposeful and visually striking.Through industry-informed case studies drawn from games, film and television, you will analyse how real-world industrial design principles, scale, function and visual language shape iconic designs. You’ll experiment with ideation, iteration and visual communication techniques to develop designs that tell a story, solve problems and support a wider creative world.By the end of the module, you will have produced a polished concept artbook showcasing a vehicle and related prop, demonstrating your ability to research, develop and present hard-surface designs with clarity, creativity and professional intent; a strong portfolio piece for concept art and design-focused roles.

Module code: GDEV50082

Creature Concept Design And Sculpting

Creature Concept Design and Sculpting invites you to bring creatures to life through a blend of anatomical study, imaginative design and digital sculpting. In this module, you will explore the foundations of creature creation, analysing real-world animal anatomy and form to design visually compelling, believable creatures for games, film and related creative industries.You will develop confidence in digital sculpting, a core industry skill used across games, VFX, practical effects and product design, and learn how professional artists move seamlessly between 2D concept art and 3D form. Through guided projects, you will explore the full creature design pipeline, from early research and exploratory sketches to refined production-ready designs and sculptural studies.The module balances creative experimentation with technical understanding, helping you make informed design decisions while building fluency in industry-standard tools and workflows. By the end of the module, you will have produced a visually rich body of work that demonstrates your ability to design, develop and communicate original creature concepts, strengthening both your portfolio and your confidence as a concept artist working across 2D and 3D.

Module code: GDEV50057

Mastering Study To Concept

Mastering Study to Concept is where you level up from “I can paint that” to “I can use that.” This module builds advanced skills in observation, composition, and visual communication, helping you turn high-quality studies into original, brief-led concept work that reads clearly and tells a story. You’ll produce a wide-ranging body of studies across subjects and styles, exploring colour and light, anatomy, optical and conceptual drawing, and composition-driven storytelling. Working both traditionally and digitally, you’ll analyse professional work, create 1:1 copies to decode technique and intent, and then adapt what you’ve learned into fresh designs and concept outcomes. You’ll be encouraged to experiment with tools and workflows that suit your goals, digital painting, technical drawing, and even 3D modelling/rendering where useful, while keeping written content minimal and your visuals doing the heavy lifting.

Module code: GDEV50065

Final Year Project: Art Artefact

The visual language of modern games and digital art is constantly evolving, driven by new tools, innovative workflows, and emerging artistic practices. From concept design to real-time asset creation, artists are shaping ever more ambitious and expressive worlds. This module gives you the opportunity to engage deeply with this creative landscape through the development of an independent, high-quality artistic artefact.You will identify a self-directed artistic challenge or ‘problem’ such as a character, environment, prop, visual development sequence, or thematic concept and produce an artefact or portfolio piece that responds directly to it. Working under supervision, you will research relevant artistic influences, explore advanced visual techniques, plan and execute a substantial piece of creative work, and document your process through a professionally presented development report.This module is designed for students who want to push their artistic voice, refine their craft, and produce a portfolio-quality piece that demonstrates readiness for professional studio practice or further specialised study. It encourages ambition, experimentation, and critical reflection, enabling you to showcase your creative identity and problem-solving abilities through a polished final artefact.

Module code: GDEV60050

Environment Design For Production

This module is built around real-world production briefs, challenging you to design striking, believable environments that communicate story, mood, and scale at a professional level.You’ll develop high-impact environment and keyframe concepts designed to stand out in a competitive portfolio. Throughout the module, you’ll explore industry-standard workflows used across games, film, and TV, blending creativity with technical confidence.From setting up your creative toolset and building reusable 3D asset libraries, to producing cinematic 3D renders and refining them in 2D concept art packages, you’ll move through a modern hybrid pipeline used by professional concept artists. By the end of the module, you’ll have a polished body of work and a deep understanding of environment design for production, ready to showcase your ability to translate ideas into production-ready visuals.

Module code: GDEV60047

Final Year Project: Collaborative Project

Game development is an inherently collaborative discipline. Modern studios rely on teams of designers, programmers, technical artists and production specialists working together to create complex interactive systems. This module gives you the opportunity to experience this collaborative environment by working as part of a team to produce a technical artefact.You will define a shared technical challenge and work with your group to create a playable game, interactive experience or applied games technology prototype. As a team, you will investigate relevant technologies, plan your development workflow, build and refine your artefact and document your progress through shared and individual evidence.Alongside team responsibilities, each student will take ownership of a defined area of contribution and produce a development document that records their personal workflow and technical decision making. The module concludes with a viva in which you will present the collaborative artefact and demonstrate both team understanding and individual accountability.This module is designed for students who want to strengthen their technical skills while developing the collaborative and communicative abilities that are essential for professional game development and wider creative technology industries.

Module code: GDEV60051

Character Design For Production

Step into the role of a professional character concept artist and experience how characters are designed for games and film productions. In this module, you’ll respond to an industry-style brief to design two fully realised characters, developing them from early ideas through to polished, portfolio-ready concept artwork. You’ll explore how character design functions within a real production pipeline, comparing pre-production and production workflows across games and film. Through iterative design, visual research, observational studies and refinement, you’ll learn how professional artists communicate character, function and storytelling through strong visual design. The module emphasises industry expectations, visual clarity and creative problem-solving, helping you build confidence in your design process while producing artwork suitable for your ArtStation or professional portfolio. By the end of the module, you’ll have a clear understanding of how character concepts are developed collaboratively in studio environments—and a body of work that demonstrates your readiness for the next stage of your creative career.

Module code: GDEV60041

Final Year Project: Dissertation

This module allows you to investigate an emerging area of game development through an independent technical research project. Working with a supervisor, you will define a research question, explore it through academic and technical investigation, create a practical artefact, and evaluate your findings in a written dissertation. The module is ideal for students seeking to deepen their technical expertise and produce a substantial portfolio piece that supports progression into industry, postgraduate study or research and development roles.

Module code: GDEV60052

Games Art And Concepts Live Brief

This module places you in a simulated professional studio environment, working to a live-style games art brief aligned with current industry standards. You will interpret a client brief, develop and refine ideas, and produce polished concept art or game-ready assets that meet defined artistic, technical and production requirements.Alongside the practical project, you will develop essential professional communication skills. You will present your work through a structured project presentation and take part in a mock industry interview, articulating your creative decisions, workflows and problem-solving in a client-focused context.By mirroring real-world studio practices and recruitment processes, the module builds confidence, professional awareness and employability, preparing you to present your work effectively and transition into industry or related creative roles.

Module code: GDEV60056

3D Props And Materials

This module introduces you to the core workflows used to create 3D assets for games. You’ll learn how to model, texture and present simple game-ready props, building confidence with industry-relevant tools and real-time pipelines.Through a mix of guided tutorials and independent work, you’ll develop essential skills in 3D modelling, UVs, materials and observational accuracy, using real-world reference to inform your designs. You’ll also gain experience presenting your work in a real-time engine and reflecting on your creative and technical process.Designed for students new to 3D game art, this module lays a strong foundation for future environment art, prop creation and real-time production workflows

Module code: GDEV40031

Character Concept Design

In this module, you will explore the core principles of character concept design, developing the foundational artistic and technical skills needed to create believable characters for games and film. Through a combination of structured life drawing, observational studies and digital design practice, you will build a strong understanding of anatomy, proportion, gesture and form, and how these elements inform compelling character design.You will move through the early stages of the character concept pipeline, learning how characters are researched, explored and developed from initial ideas through to resolved designs. Drawing from life is used to strengthen visual understanding and decision-making, helping you translate observation into confident character concepts using contemporary digital tools.Alongside practical skill development, the module introduces industry examples, workflows and presentation conventions, helping you understand how character concepts communicate personality, function and narrative within a wider creative pipeline. By the end of the module, you will have developed a solid foundation in both observational drawing and character concept design that supports progression into more advanced concept art modules.

Module code: GDEV40032

2D Drawing, Technical Illustration And Digital Painting

This module builds the essential 2D visual communication skills that underpin successful Concept Art practice. Through progressive technical drawing and digital painting exercises, you will develop confidence in constructing form, applying perspective, controlling value and light, and clearly communicating design ideas.Working primarily with industry-standard digital drawing and painting software, you will explore core visual principles such as proportion, spatial accuracy, composition and material readability. The module introduces professional workflows used in concept art, helping you to analyse reference, iterate ideas efficiently and translate early concepts into clear, readable visuals.You will produce a varied body of 2D work including constructed drawings, technical studies, thumbnail ideation and a small number of refined digital outcomes suitable for an early-stage portfolio. Alongside practical skill development, you will learn how to critically evaluate your work, reflect on your creative process and build strong foundations that support character design, environment art and further specialist concept art modules.

Module code: GDEV40030

Environment Concept Design

Environment Concept Art introduces you to the fundamental skills and workflows used to design compelling environments for games and film.You will research and develop visual ideas, explore composition and lighting, and produce environment concept designs supported by design sheets and call-out documentation that clearly communicate form, mood and visual intent. Alongside individual creative development, you will collaborate with peers on a shared environment brief, gaining early experience of working within a studio-style setting.The module places emphasis on clear visual communication, iteration through feedback and professional presentation, helping you build a strong foundation for further study in game art and concept art practice.

Module code: GDEV40035

Creature Concept Design And Sculpting

Creature Concept Design and Sculpting invites you to bring creatures to life through a blend of anatomical study, imaginative design and digital sculpting. In this module, you will explore the foundations of creature creation, analysing real-world animal anatomy and form to design visually compelling, believable creatures for games, film and related creative industries.You will develop confidence in digital sculpting, a core industry skill used across games, VFX, practical effects and product design, and learn how professional artists move seamlessly between 2D concept art and 3D form. Through guided projects, you will explore the full creature design pipeline, from early research and exploratory sketches to refined production-ready designs and sculptural studies.The module balances creative experimentation with technical understanding, helping you make informed design decisions while building fluency in industry-standard tools and workflows. By the end of the module, you will have produced a visually rich body of work that demonstrates your ability to design, develop and communicate original creature concepts, strengthening both your portfolio and your confidence as a concept artist working across 2D and 3D.

Module code: GDEV50057

Game Production Studio

You will work in a group consisting of peers from across the suite of games development courses, forming a multidisciplinary team that mirrors a real development studio. Together, you will plan, prototype and deliver a vertical slice of a game.The module places strong emphasis on collaboration, communication and professional conduct. You will learn how to work effectively within a team, manage workflows across different disciplines, give and receive constructive feedback, and adapt to the challenges of shared production pipelines. Alongside their technical development, you will build key soft skills such as leadership, organisation, problem solving and time management, all of which are essential for a successful career in the games industry.

Module code: GDEV50060

Mastering Study To Concept

Mastering Study to Concept is where you level up from “I can paint that” to “I can use that.” This module builds advanced skills in observation, composition, and visual communication, helping you turn high-quality studies into original, brief-led concept work that reads clearly and tells a story. You’ll produce a wide-ranging body of studies across subjects and styles, exploring colour and light, anatomy, optical and conceptual drawing, and composition-driven storytelling. Working both traditionally and digitally, you’ll analyse professional work, create 1:1 copies to decode technique and intent, and then adapt what you’ve learned into fresh designs and concept outcomes. You’ll be encouraged to experiment with tools and workflows that suit your goals, digital painting, technical drawing, and even 3D modelling/rendering where useful, while keeping written content minimal and your visuals doing the heavy lifting.

Module code: GDEV50065

Vehicle And Prop Design

Step into the world of professional vehicle and prop concept design, where imagination meets function. In this module, you will explore how artists design compelling hard-surface vehicles and props that feel believable, purposeful and visually striking.Through industry-informed case studies drawn from games, film and television, you will analyse how real-world industrial design principles, scale, function and visual language shape iconic designs. You’ll experiment with ideation, iteration and visual communication techniques to develop designs that tell a story, solve problems and support a wider creative world.By the end of the module, you will have produced a polished concept artbook showcasing a vehicle and related prop, demonstrating your ability to research, develop and present hard-surface designs with clarity, creativity and professional intent; a strong portfolio piece for concept art and design-focused roles.

Module code: GDEV50082

Dtib Industrial Placement

Module code: PLAC00002

Games Art And Concepts Live Brief

This module places you in a simulated professional studio environment, working to a live-style games art brief aligned with current industry standards. You will interpret a client brief, develop and refine ideas, and produce polished concept art or game-ready assets that meet defined artistic, technical and production requirements.Alongside the practical project, you will develop essential professional communication skills. You will present your work through a structured project presentation and take part in a mock industry interview, articulating your creative decisions, workflows and problem-solving in a client-focused context.By mirroring real-world studio practices and recruitment processes, the module builds confidence, professional awareness and employability, preparing you to present your work effectively and transition into industry or related creative roles.

Module code: GDEV60056

Final Year Project: Dissertation

This module allows you to investigate an emerging area of game development through an independent technical research project. Working with a supervisor, you will define a research question, explore it through academic and technical investigation, create a practical artefact, and evaluate your findings in a written dissertation. The module is ideal for students seeking to deepen their technical expertise and produce a substantial portfolio piece that supports progression into industry, postgraduate study or research and development roles.

Module code: GDEV60052

Character Design For Production

Step into the role of a professional character concept artist and experience how characters are designed for games and film productions. In this module, you’ll respond to an industry-style brief to design two fully realised characters, developing them from early ideas through to polished, portfolio-ready concept artwork. You’ll explore how character design functions within a real production pipeline, comparing pre-production and production workflows across games and film. Through iterative design, visual research, observational studies and refinement, you’ll learn how professional artists communicate character, function and storytelling through strong visual design. The module emphasises industry expectations, visual clarity and creative problem-solving, helping you build confidence in your design process while producing artwork suitable for your ArtStation or professional portfolio. By the end of the module, you’ll have a clear understanding of how character concepts are developed collaboratively in studio environments—and a body of work that demonstrates your readiness for the next stage of your creative career.

Module code: GDEV60041

Final Year Project: Art Artefact

The visual language of modern games and digital art is constantly evolving, driven by new tools, innovative workflows, and emerging artistic practices. From concept design to real-time asset creation, artists are shaping ever more ambitious and expressive worlds. This module gives you the opportunity to engage deeply with this creative landscape through the development of an independent, high-quality artistic artefact.You will identify a self-directed artistic challenge or ‘problem’ such as a character, environment, prop, visual development sequence, or thematic concept and produce an artefact or portfolio piece that responds directly to it. Working under supervision, you will research relevant artistic influences, explore advanced visual techniques, plan and execute a substantial piece of creative work, and document your process through a professionally presented development report.This module is designed for students who want to push their artistic voice, refine their craft, and produce a portfolio-quality piece that demonstrates readiness for professional studio practice or further specialised study. It encourages ambition, experimentation, and critical reflection, enabling you to showcase your creative identity and problem-solving abilities through a polished final artefact.

Module code: GDEV60050

Environment Design For Production

This module is built around real-world production briefs, challenging you to design striking, believable environments that communicate story, mood, and scale at a professional level.You’ll develop high-impact environment and keyframe concepts designed to stand out in a competitive portfolio. Throughout the module, you’ll explore industry-standard workflows used across games, film, and TV, blending creativity with technical confidence.From setting up your creative toolset and building reusable 3D asset libraries, to producing cinematic 3D renders and refining them in 2D concept art packages, you’ll move through a modern hybrid pipeline used by professional concept artists. By the end of the module, you’ll have a polished body of work and a deep understanding of environment design for production, ready to showcase your ability to translate ideas into production-ready visuals.

Module code: GDEV60047

Final Year Project: Collaborative Project

Game development is an inherently collaborative discipline. Modern studios rely on teams of designers, programmers, technical artists and production specialists working together to create complex interactive systems. This module gives you the opportunity to experience this collaborative environment by working as part of a team to produce a technical artefact.You will define a shared technical challenge and work with your group to create a playable game, interactive experience or applied games technology prototype. As a team, you will investigate relevant technologies, plan your development workflow, build and refine your artefact and document your progress through shared and individual evidence.Alongside team responsibilities, each student will take ownership of a defined area of contribution and produce a development document that records their personal workflow and technical decision making. The module concludes with a viva in which you will present the collaborative artefact and demonstrate both team understanding and individual accountability.This module is designed for students who want to strengthen their technical skills while developing the collaborative and communicative abilities that are essential for professional game development and wider creative technology industries.

Module code: GDEV60051