Silhouettes

Silhouettes are becoming more integral in an a concept artists process because they generate original ideas quickly. They allow the artist to ignore detail and focus on a strong cohesion of shapes to represent the subject. Even if an artist does not create silhouettes as part of their process they still have to consider the strength of the shape they have created which is much harder to consider when sketching for example because the artists focus is drawn to line weight, proportions and value. 

Creating silhouettes allows the designer to produce distinctive shapes that stand out from others. When considering game design this is key because often a player will need to make a decision whether the character is a threat or not. In games such as Gears of War the enemies have iconic body shapes so there is no confusion for the player. 

'The Skilful Huntsman' is an art book created to show a concept artists process from start to finish. The pages below focus on how the artist creates several quick silhouettes to represent a basic idea quickly. 

Sketches that create a distinctive silhouette that inspire the artist will be developed further, evident in the image below.