Concept art of fantasy characters

What the talk is about

Sviatoslav Kholod explains how to create concept art for fantasy characters. He advises working from the world down to the hero: first answer questions about geography, technology level, magic and politics, then design the character so its attributes fit the setting. He shows how to start from silhouettes and tension lines, build a mood board from references, and walks through classic archetypes: warrior, paladin, barbarian, mercenary, mage, necromancer, rogue, ranger and cleric. He also covers stylization for the target audience, ergonomics and anatomy of different races, consistent design for factions and weapons, historical armor types and the use of an accent color. He closes with a warning against illogical details, such as pauldrons that block movement. Useful for beginner concept artists and game designers.