Concept Art _
Your Education, Your Choice: Full-Time Study - On Campus or Virtual!
Length of course: 1 Year (too short? Do our 3 year BA!)
Orientation: 12 February 2026
Course Starts: 16 February 2026
Delivery: On‑Campus and Virtual – we offer dual‑delivery options and live stream every class
Resulting Qualification: Higher Certificate
Early Bird Offer: Save R10,500 on Tuition!
Apply before 15 July and pay just R82,000 (instead of R92,500) when you settle in full by 31 July 2025.
The only limit is your imagination.
The entertainment design industry is vast and has many avenues to explore as a creative. Concept Art opens the door to any number of opportunities in this industry, including game design, film, animation and illustration. Whether you choose to specialise in one field, or work in all of the above, the Academy of Digital Arts will equip you with all the conceptual and technical skills you need to develop and visualise ideas for use in any industry.
During this one-year course, you’ll learn how to use traditional and digital media to visualise your ideas, and how to enrich those ideas through narrative and world building. You’ll test your skills by creating everything from creatures, characters, props and assets like weapons and vehicles, as well as environments and high-end illustrations.
Career Opportunities_
Concept Artist /
Illustrator /
Game Graphics Developer /
Visual Effects Artist /
Comic Book Artist /
Visual Development Artist /
Industrial Designer /
Be Skilled.
Be Independent.
Be Agile.
Be Relevant.
Belong.
Concept Art for Video Games /
Concept Art for the Film Industry /
Concept Art for the Animation Industry /
Standalone Illustration Work /
Comics and Graphic Novels /
Storyboards /
Your Own Intellectual Property /
Be Skilled.
Be Exceptional.
Be Creative.
What will you learn? _
Concept art is a form of illustration commonly used in the film, video game and animation industries to create the first visualisations of ideas before they are put into production. This might be 3D modelling for games, the creation of physical props, costumes or sets in film, or the final art created for animation.
During this course, we’ll teach you the fundamentals of drawing, perspective, anatomy and digital painting, as well as basic photo manipulation and 3D software skills. You’ll learn to design and render objects ranging from simple to complex, characters, creatures and environments, as well as create high-end illustrations.
At the end of the year, you’ll get to develop your own campaign for your final project and assemble an industry-ready portfolio showcasing your unique talents.
Start with the basics. Concept art requires a solid foundation in drawing, perspective, digital painting and the use of 2D and 3D software tools to visualise ideas. Not only that, but it also requires the ability to communicate this imagery in a way that conveys the true depth of an idea. To help you achieve this, we’ll help you develop both your conceptual and technical skills, to help you bring your imagination to life.
There are many techniques concept artists use to visualise ideas, from working with line art, developing using silhouettes or using 3D tools as frameworks. We’ll introduce you to these techniques and teach you the various workflows to take a project from start to finish, designing characters, creatures, props, assets and environments.
While the skills learnt in concept art lend themselves to related disciplines like illustration, they are more commonly applied in specialised contexts. We’ll teach you how you can focus on your area of choice and how to apply your skills to imagine and develop artwork for use in game design, film, animation and other related industries.
All Academy of Digital Arts courses are designed with industry-readiness as a primary focus. On graduating from our Concept Art course, you’ll not only be familiar with the professional environment into which you’ll be heading, you’ll also have the skills, confidence, portfolio and industry contacts to dive into your new career.
Note: Upon completion of this course you will be awarded the Higher Certificate in Concept Art, NQF-level 5 (SAQA ID 112250, HEQSF-aligned, H/PR432/E005CAN, 120 Credits).
Student work_
Facts, Figures and FAQ.
Do you offer financing options?
Academy of Digital Arts has partnered with Student Hero to help our students to learn about, apply for, and compare offers from the major student finance providers — all from a single platform, and at zero cost to you.
What are the course requirements?
You must have a valid Matric certificate or NQF4 equivalent. You will also need to complete all the questions and creative pieces requested in the enrolment application form, as well as provide your personal portfolio.
Do you offer Scholarships?
If you have the goods to shine, the “Distinguished Talent Scholarship” programme is for you. One scholarship is awarded to the candidate who most impresses us and shows initiative to achieve their full potential.
Do you offer Bursaries?
Should you require financial assistance, you can apply for a B-BBEE Bursary. Fill out the form provided and we’ll do our best to connect you with potential corporate sponsors.
Geographically Challenged?
If for any reason you cannot join us on campus, you can still be part of our virtual classroom, where we stream our contact classes live online. You’ll receive the same high-quality education and qualification as our in-person students. To get the most out of your experience, a stable internet connection is required, and we recommend using a second screen for easier access to course materials and live interaction.
What are the course fees?
R92 000
R82 000
Apply by 15 July and settle in full by 31 July 2025.
with a registration fee of R500 payable upon registration.
Various payment options are available, and detailed in the application form, along with our general admin fees.
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