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Concept Art: Designing and Drawing Props

Master the essential skills of concept art by learning to design, sketch, and render believable props.

Concept Art: Designing and Drawing Props

  • 4 weeks

  • 3 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

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.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Introduction and Concepts

    • Welcome to the Course

      Learn more about this course, your course creator, what you'll be doing, and a little about Leeds Arts University.

    • Materials and References

      An introduction to materials for design drawing, and how you can be inspired by observing everyday objects.

    • Iterative Design

      This activity introduces the start of iterative design; a valuable process that helps you to reflect and build on your design ideas. You'll use this to start generating initial concepts.

    • End of Week 1

      A quick look back at this week plus a peek at the week ahead.

  • Week 2

    Sketch Development

    • Welcome to Week 2

      A brief overview of the week ahead and what you'll be doing.

    • Sketch Development

      In this activity we take time to analyse the successes of our ideas from week 1 and then carry them forward to three refined concepts.

    • End of Week 2

      A quick look back at this week and a peek at the week ahead.

  • Week 3

    Transitioning to 3D

    • Welcome to Week 3

      A brief overview of the week ahead and what you'll be doing.

    • Transitioning to 3D

      In this activity I show you how to take your 2D sketches and make them 3D.

    • End of Week 3

      A recap on what we covered this week, plus a quick peek at the final week.

  • Week 4

    3D Rendering

    • Welcome to Week 4

      A brief overview of the final week and what you'll be doing.

    • Final Render

      In this final activity we render our 3D design, giving consideration to highlight and shadow.

    • End of the Course

      A look back at what you've learned over the course, and an opportunity to celebrate your learning.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • 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

Who is the course for?

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.

Who will you learn with?

Who developed the course?

Leeds Arts University

Leeds Arts University is the only specialist arts university in the North of England.

  • Established

    1846
  • Location

    Leeds

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Buy this course

$79/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Subscribe & save

$349.99 for one year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Start learning today

Free

Try this course - with limits

  • Limited to 4 weeks

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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