2022 was jam-packed with new ArtStation Learning course and series releases. In this recap article we’re taking a look back at these lessons created for 2D and 3D artists. You can use the table of contents below to quickly jump to your topic of interest, or scroll through to see the full 2022 catalogue. We look forward to seeing you again soon for more learning in 2023!
Artist Talks
Character Art
Comic Art
Concept Art
Environment Art
Hard Surface Art
Lighting and Rendering
ARTIST TALKS
A Career In Character Design, Set Design, & Storyboarding With John Nevarez
by Playgrounds TV
John Nevarez has been an artist in the animation industry for over 20 years. He is known for his work on films likeCars 2, Inside Out, Coco, The Angry Birds Movie, The Secret Life of Pets,and many more.In this Playgrounds TV discussion, he offers a look at his character design, set design, and storyboarding project highlights. John also talks about the challenges of working in each of these fields, describes his working system, and gives behind-the-scenes insights for finding inspiration
Being a Middle Eastern Artist in a Western Dominated Industry With Faraz Shanyar, Danar Worya, and Amir Zand
by Playgrounds TV
This Playgrounds TV panel discusses some of the challenges Iranian artists face on a regular basis. The Iranian-born artists in this panel have faced pressures to constantly produce top-level work, harsh competition for opportunities, fiscal and bureaucratic challenges when trying to work for international companies, among others—while still managing to thrive. Host Danar Worya is joined by Faraz Shanyar, a Senior Concept Artist at Machine Games with extensive experience in the film and gaming industry. Also in the panel is Amir Zand, an illustrator who made a transition to concept art and is now working at Quantic Dream.
Following Your Dreams (at Any Age) With Jeremy Hoffman
by Playgrounds TV
Jeremy Hoffman’s journey to a career in character design started later than most, when in his late thirties he decided to change his path. In this talk with Playgrounds Director Leon van Rooij, Jeremy talks about how he came to make this decision, what it means to make such a big shift at a later time in your artistic career, and why you should not give up on things that make you happy. He also discusses how character design plays a significant role in his life; not just as a way to make a living, but also for recording certain moments and memories.
Making Award-Winning Animation: A Conversation With Mikey Please
by Playgrounds TV
Go in an in-depth creative journey with BAFTA-award-winning animation director and writer Mikey Please. This video conversation goes behind the scenes of the Christmas animation hitRobin, Robin!, from the earliest concept stages, all the way to the final animation, visual effects, and sound design. Together with Playgrounds director Leon van Rooij, Mikey also discusses some of his other work includingThe Eagleman Stag, the promo forThe Great British Bake-Off, and his upcoming projectsAlan the Infiniteand the graphic novelDeadrock.
The Mind Behind The Illustration Magic: A Conversation With Beatrice Blue
by Playgrounds TV
Beatrice Blue is an illustrator and visual development artist in love with magic, forests, colors, and potions. She works on animation movies and illustrates books and has collaborated with Dreamworks TV, Hasbro, Harper Collins, Nickelodeon, Square-Enix, Lonely Planet, and Procreate among others. In this in-depth interview conducted by Playgrounds Director Leon van Rooij, we get to find out more about the process behind Beatrice’s picture books. She also discusses the ways in which she is trying to engage both children and parents through her works.
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CHARACTER ART
Character Art Test
by Dekogon Studios
In this three-part series with instructor Jared Chavez, you’ll learn what it takes to complete a character art test at a AAA-level. Jared shares what he looks for in candidates’ submissions; breaks down art test formats and briefs; and, provides practical demonstrations for creating a test character efficiently.
Character Production
by Dekogon Studios
Follow along with Senior 3D Character Artist Daniel S. Rodrigues as he demonstrates a real-world character art production scenario for games. Throughout the five videos in this series, you’ll learn key skills like blockouts, high poly workflows, game resolutions, baking and texturing techniques, and more. By the end of the series, you’ll be ready to finish, pose, and render your game-ready character.
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COMIC ART
Making Comics in Clip Studio Paint: Tools, Tips, and Tricks
by Jacob Herschler
In collaboration withClip Studio Paint, artist Jacob Herschler (AKA JakeHercyDraws) shares in-depth knowledge on useful tools, tips and tricks when making comics. This course covers the following topics: vectors for inking, lettering, 3D, perspective, screentones, comic spreads in CSP EX and Pro, and print and web publishing.
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CONCEPT ART
Secrets to Successful Concept Art
by Mighty Canvas Inc.
Wondering what it takes to sustain a career as a professional concept artist? Join Mighty Canvas artists Kev Chu, Min Guen, Greg Danton, and Bill Zhang for this exclusive tutorial series intended to help artists be more responsible concept designers. Discover the critical thinking processes that professional concept artists use, and learn about the need for efficiency when making production-quality work. Find out how different concept artists work together to make a unified vision and story for a game or film.
StudioQuest
by Atomhawk
StudioQuest is a 6-part episodic journey designed by the award-winning Atomhawk studio to give you a realistic look at what it’s like to be a studio concept artist. From initial client briefings and collaboration with teammates, through feedback loops and final delivery, this series touches on a wide range of topics at all stages of the visual development pipeline.Each of the six lessons will cover a specific part of the game development process, allowing you to build your own world with the support and guidance of the Atomhawk Senior Art Team.
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ENVIRONMENT ART
Advanced Environment Art
by Dekogon Studios
Learn what it takes to succeed in a real-world production scenario as an environment artist! Watch along as talented games industry veterans Dylan Abernethy, Sadie Boyd, Clinton Crumpler, Hannah Watts, Geoffroy Calis, and Greg Smith show how a full environment is built. With this series as a guide, viewers will better understand the different components of creating an environment in a working studio.
Environment Art Test
by Dekogon Studios
The following three courses cover tips and tricks for approaching an environment art test. Instructor Dylan Abernethy shares insights on his creative process, and reviews key points that he looks for in candidates when he sends out these tests.
Environment Design Workflow Using 3D and VR
by Leon Tukker
Over this two-part series, you’ll learn how to make a 3D architecture kitbash set for use in a 2D concept design. The 3D and VR workflow presented in the series uses Gravity Sketch and Cinema 4D.
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HARD SURFACE ART
Vehicle Production in Blender
by Dekogon Studios
In this three-part series, you’ll learn how to create a sci-fi motorcycle with Blender with help from game industry veteran Andrew Semyonov. The series covers the entire pipeline from start to finish, including reference collection, blockout, high poly modeling, low poly modeling, baking, texturing, rendering, and post-processing.
Weapon Development in Blender
by Dekogon Studios
Join games industry veteran Alex Medina for a Blender-focused weapon art workflow tutorial. Over three lessons, you’ll learn how to fully realize an Enfield No. 2 Mk. I revolver using a realistic production pipeline. This Dekology learning series was created and produced by Dekogon Studios exclusively for ArtStation Learning.
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LIGHTING AND RENDERING
Lighting Art Test
by Dekogon Studios
If you’re facing your first art test as a lighting artist, have no fear! You’ll learn everything you need to succeed with help from series instructor Rob Ritchie. From breaking down a brief to creating your final composition in Unreal Engine, you’ll come away with practical tips and tricks that you can use when applying to a AAA studio.
Ray Tracing in Unreal Engine for ArchViz
by Wessel Huizenga
Join experienced archviz artist Wessel Huizenga as he demonstrates the techniques needed to create a realistic interior lighting setup from start to finish.
RenderMan Fundamentals Part 3: MaterialX Lama and Part 4: RenderMan 24 Overview
by Eugene Riecansky
Learn how to get the best out of Pixar’s RenderMan and take your VFX, animation, and motion graphics projects to the next level in this series of Official RenderMan lessons.