Interview with Mees Middelkoop: Building a concept art portfolio
11/24/2023 - 13:29
Mees Middelkoop, a third-year Visual Arts track student specialising in concept art, joined us for a talk about his latest project.
Stories
Student work
What was the assignment for this project?
Mees: ‘It was an individual project in block A of the third year, focusing on concept art. The task was to design three characters, one of them being a creature figure. At the beginning of the block, we received a briefing outlining the characters' themes. For me the prompts were: Ottoman, father figure, Sci-Fi (science fiction), and it should be set in a space colony during the imperialistic era. One of the requirements was also that it had to be a realistic design.’
‘This was my first-time designing characters, as I usually focus on environment design. It was a portfolio-building opportunity, and working with a concept artist group of ten students provided a lot of inspiration. Each person had different prompts and their own individual project, but everyone contributed ideas.’
Can you walk us through the process of creating these characters?
Mees: ‘The process began with broad, extensive research, exploring the different prompts, and creating a massive mood board with diverse images. I looked into the time period, the specific location, and even the materials used in that region. By the end of the second week, we needed a rough sketch of our concept. Once the sketch was approved, we worked on fleshing out the ideas for each character and their associated story.’
‘My characters were a father, a child, and a mythical creature. I delved into mythology to find inspiration, particularly focusing on a mythical creature. I did all my work in Adobe Photoshop. I continued refining and showcasing my progress in weekly meetings with feedback from lecturers. By the end of week eight, everything came together.’
What stands out the most in your memory about this project?
Mees: ‘The valuable feedback from industry professionals is something I valued most. I was heavily focused on realism, but I learned that composition and storytelling are more critical than making it look like a photograph. While the environment I added wasn't necessary, it helped illuminate the characters and provide context. For example, my environment has a lot of snow, which added a unique touch to my characters.’
What are your future plans in the world of concept art?
Mees: ‘I'm leaning towards environmental concept art, finding it the most enjoyable and interesting, especially exploring how lighting works. Currently, I'm looking at work placements and networking to secure one for next year, preferably in a studio where I can focus on environmental concept art. My dream job is to work at Pixar, so that's where I'm steering my path.’
