Concept Art: Designing and Drawing Props

Explore concept art prop design from sketch to final render

The world of arts and entertainment is constantly evolving. Now it’s more important than ever to gain the upper hand in design.

On this six-week course, explore the complete creative process of designing props for concept art. Whether you aspire to work in film, animation, games, or comics, you’ll be guided through the fundamental techniques for developing believable and visually engaging prop designs.

Discover tools and references to inspire your prop design

On this course, you’ll explore the materials commonly used in concept art and how real-world objects serve as powerful reference points for grounding your creative ideas.

Through videos and guided tasks, you’ll gain hands-on experience sourcing inspiration and setting up your drawing space effectively.

Develop sketching skills through iteration and analysis

You’ll have the opportunity to practice the core phases of prop development: from rough sketches and value studies to linework and colour.

You’ll be introduced to techniques that help break down complex forms, iteratively refine ideas, and analyse your work to improve believability and functionality.

Week by week, your drawing skills will grow, with opportunities for reflection and peer feedback.

Transform 2D concepts into polished 3D renderings

As you transition to 3D sketching and rendering, you’ll learn how to add depth, shadow, and light to give your props a sense of volume and realism.

With a final focus on tone, line weight, and highlights, your concepts will evolve into presentation-ready artworks suitable for portfolios or further creative development.

This course is designed for aspiring concept artists, creatives exploring careers in games, film or comics, or anyone looking to strengthen their drawing and design skills through a focused, project-led journey.

This course is designed for aspiring concept artists, creatives exploring careers in games, film or comics, or anyone looking to strengthen their drawing and design skills through a focused, project-led journey.

• Identify features of real-world objects to inform conceptual prop design
• Explore an iterative design process to create concept art props
• Apply appropriate values and colour to conceptual prop design
• Practice the use of line work to define conceptual details and communicate design intent
• Develop a 2D prop concept in to 3D using a grid
• Practice the appropriate use of highlights when rendering a 3D conceptual prop