Imagine you’re walking along a street in a big, busy city.

Despite all the noise and movement, something shiny catches your eye.

It’s a key.

You pick it up and realize it’s the most unusual and ornate key you’ve ever seen.

You take it home, toss it in a drawer and forget about it.

…or maybe you display it, so you can share it with others. After all, the key is a beautiful work of art in and of itself.

Now imagine, one day, a good friend comes over for coffee.

They notice this beautiful key you have displayed and they say to you: “I think I know where to find the lock. It’s on a door just down the street. Wanna go see what’s inside?”

A single piece of Concept Art is a key.

Some aspiring Concept Artists spend all their time collecting keys but never bother to unlock any doors.

They scroll the Internet, collecting single pieces of Concept Art and toss it all into a hoard file on their hard drive.

Sometimes they’ll share it on Social Media but, either way, they’re not learning anything about what it really means to be a professional Concept Artist.

Your random collection of keys won’t unlock anything on their own. You have to find out what’s behind the doors and why.

I know it can be overwhelming to research the history of Concept Art and stay relevant in such an innovative industry…

…but this list of The Best New Concept Art Books will help you do both.

EPISODE LINKS ::

If you liked this post, check out my original blog series on my Top 10 Essential Concept Art Books (Part 1) and (Part 2), my series about Visual Development Portfolios and learn more about the power of shape language in Good Character Design Goes Deep!

Our Theme Music was composed by Seth Earnest, produced by Seth Earnest and Chris Oatley and performed by Seth Earnest with guitar work by Storybook Steve.

Our Album Art was designed by Maike Oatley with Chris Oatley.

Until next time, my friends, remember: Books are meant to be read. …not just decorate your shelves.