Concept Art is not just about art but also about conveying a story in a visually appealing way that sets a strong foundation for the narrative that unfolds !
Shantanu Warghade, our next pathbreaker, works as 2D Art Team lead at GameEon Studios (Mumbai), one of the leading gaming companies dedicated to creating high-quality & engaging games for players worldwide.
Shantanu talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about the fascinating field of concept art which blends character design, environment design, weapons, vehicle, props design etc to create the mood and feel of the game !
For students, especially those interested in fine arts, observe little things, observe how people think, how things work, how the world works, because those minute details are going to give you the edge you need !
Shantanu, tell us what were your early years like?
My Name is Shantanu Warghade and I am a Concept Artist and Illustrator in the gaming industry. I grew up in Nagpur, Maharashtra and completed BFA ( bachelor of fine arts ) from Nagpur, and MFA ( Master of Fine arts ) from Sir J.J. institute of applied arts from Mumbai. My parents, especially my mother, have always been a good artist. I started drawing and painting when I was 4 years old. Drawing daily objects, vehicles, people and landscapes was my childhood leisure. It caught my parents eye and they kind of got the idea that I may have good drawing and painting skills. At the age of 14 and 15, I gave ‘Elementary and Intermediate’ drawing examinations conducted by the government and I got A+ grade in both examinations. My parents always supported and motivated me with my skills and talent. In 2020, I completed a Master in Arts ( Archaeology ) from Nagpur University.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation?
After 12th, I had to look for what subjects I must go for. There were many such options and I chose a Bachelor of fine arts. Choosing a field like fine arts came with hurdles as the field was fairly new in 2009 and many of my relatives and acquaintances were skeptical about fine arts and its scope. My parents helped me with it and I completed my graduation from Nagpur in Fine arts. And just after BFA, I gave entrance exams at Sir J.J institute of applied arts which is one the most prestigious and respected colleges in Asia regarding fine arts. I passed the exam and got selected in 2014. Today however, fine arts is a much established and prestigious field. Be it a painter, a sculptor or an applied artist, there are many opportunities in the corporate world.
What were some of the influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional and cool career?
I have always been an artist since I was a kid. Drawing and painting were not just a hobby but were something I loved doing. Along with my drawing and painting skills, I am also a history, science, weaponology, costume and fashion design, aerospace, engineering and architecture fanatic. I used to make drawings and models of things such as vehicles, weapons, buildings etc. These experiences sparked an interest for concept art in me. Concept art is not just about good drawing, but is also about ‘thinking and imagining’. And it was something I had been doing since I was kid. Later on, when I started looking for jobs, I soon realized the role of concept artist and started my professional career.
I have had many influencers in my career, but my key influencer was Norman Rockwell, an American illustrator who worked for magazines and created some majestic illustration works depicting American culture. Other great early artists who influenced my art were Vincent van Gogh, J. M. W. Turner, Salvador Dali. But the main influencers in my field of concept art were John park, Ralph Mcqaurrie and Jack kirby. Movie directors such as Ves Anderson, Steven Speilberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Akira Kurosawa, Yahao Miyazaki were some of my influencers too.
My mentors were initially my parents, especially my mother who helped me with my drawings, but as i grew up and got into the studies, I was introduced to my first guru Mrs. Amruta Nilawar ma’am who was instrumental in my getting higher grades in drawing exams. So was my initial mentor and influencer in my field. In my graduation days, I was mentored by Mr. Prakash Kawle who was one of the earliest commercial artists in the Indian advertising era, who helped me understand the commercial aspect of the fine arts field.
Major events in my career were the ones that pushed me harder towards pursuing education in fine arts and starting my professional career in it. I passed drawing exams with higher grades in a single attempt. got the best installation artist award in BFA and the best artist of the year award in MFA. Meeting some of the great artist and working with them were memorable events
I have also worked with fellow IITians who helped me with the entrance exam called ‘CEED’ in which I got 13th rank all over India. But I unfortunately did not get selected in IIT, which pushed me harder to study and I got selected in Sir J.J. Institute of applied arts.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career?
Concept art is a vast field. It consists of character design, environment design, weapons, vehicle, props design etc. My initial step was to become a character designer and for that I started looking for jobs in animated movies. I got a job in a firm that created movies for children. I started working on characters as well as environments, and with that I started making my online presence with my online portfolio. My work started getting noticed by good companies, and I got my second job as Character designer in the gaming industry. From there, I started my journey as concept artist with focus on games.
Tell us about your career path
My first job was as an intern in a merchandising company which made T-shirt designs. Later on after graduation, I got my first full-on job as a character designer for animated movies, creating movie characters, props and key art. My second job started my career in gaming where I worked on mobile games. But I soon realized that I wanted to work in PC games. During the early days of 2015, PC games in India were not that much established, and so I started working as a freelance artist for 5 years where I worked on numerous projects and got a lot of knowledge and wisdom about my career path. In 2022, I got my dream job at GameEon Studios were I am working on the much anticipated game of India, ‘Mumbai Gullies’.
My approach has always been progressive. I have been a perfectionist from the early days. I have not only studied arts but also studied numerous other subjects which have helped me create a library in my brain. Concept art is a field which requires knowledge of all subjects such as science, architecture, biology, aerospace and engineering.
How did you get your first break?
My first job is my first break, got selected for my work, learned so much under industry professionals.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
Challenge 1 : The fine arts field in India is looked at by people as a field of hobbyists and weaker students. And it was a challenge for me as I came from a middle class family. But the support from my family, and researching and meeting professionals changed my perspective towards it as a great profession
Challenge 2: Second challenge was getting a relevant job, 2013 was fairly new to internet, and so finding jobs wasn’t easy. I had to rely on contacts, and visiting offices was my approach.
Challenge 3: The Indian gaming industry, for much of its history, has always been a mobile game industry. Indigenous PC-games or console games in India were non-existent. But I kept learning and looking for it and finally got it with the game ‘Mumbai Gullies’.
Where do you work now? Tell us about your current role
I work as 2D Art Team lead at GameEon Studios situated in Mumbai. They are one of the leading game companies who are determined to create India’s first AAA game called ‘Mumbai Gullies’. ( AAA games are the games which are created with big teams, has higher budgets and are mostly PC and console games, GTA, Far cry, battlefield, call of duty to name a few )
What problems do you solve?
My role is to create concept art for the game such as character design, environments, weapons, building etc. I create the mood and feel of the game.
Concept art is different from regular art. It is conceptual in nature, which means it demands a certain thought process and research into whatever media ( characters, environment, vehicles, weapons etc.) the game needs. Below are some examples of my work .
For example, if I get a written description about a character as follow :
1) Female elf warrior who is a young warrior with silver skin, brown hair and a shiny armor
2) She worships moon god – Selune
3) She is an excellent fighter and finishes battles quickly
4) Her face is calm and she doesn’t talk much.
5) Color scheme should be blue and silver or colors of night.
According to the above description, the character below is made by me.
Some other works by me which are various types of concept art.
What are the skills required for your role? How did you acquire the skills?
The most basic skill one needs for this job is good drawing skills. But imagination, innovation, and knowledge different fields is also important. Drawing is innate to me, but knowledge of different fields comes from reading books. Later, when the internet came, it gave unrestricted access to an ocean of knowledge.
What’s a typical day like?
Just drawing and sketching stuff. Meeting with other team leads and assigning tasks to team mates. Solving day to day problems and helping other artists with their work.
What is it you love about this job?
The utter satisfaction. I love my job because it gives me happiness and satisfaction when I make something that I am proud of. Not many people in the world have jobs which require making drawings and getting paid for it. I am never under stress and my work helps me in my mental health too.
How does your work benefit society?
Gaming in India is fairly new and unfortunately started with mundane mobile games. The initial mobile gaming industry of India mainly focused on downloads and commercialization. They lacked innovation, imagination and originality. With the modern Indian gaming scene, we are seeing some good games popping up in the market, such as RAJI, ‘Mumbai gullies’, ‘ Mayanagri’ etc. As an artist, I think my work will become a base for upcoming artists, and will push them to pursue this field.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
My first drawing of a cycle-rickshaw is the most memorable artwork I did when I was 4 years old. After graduation, I did numerous projects which were memorable.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
Always pursue what you like and love. Always learn new things out of your syllabus. Observe little things, observe how people think, how things work, how the world works. Take advice from your parents and teachers, but also be clear about your future plans. And the most important advice is get up early, start your day early and you will see the difference.
Future Plans?
To become an art director and create my own game. To give a chance to talented people and inspire young artists. To give them opportunities and mentor them. Create a mark in the world gaming industry that Indians can also make great games.