Discover concept art legend Iain McCaig’s creative process
The Gnomon Workshop has released Creativity: Story & Character Development and Creativity: Creature & World Design: a two-part guide to the creative process of leading concept artist and illustrator Iain McCaig
Volume 1, which comprises three hours of video training, covers McCaig’s approach to character and story development, in traditional media and Photoshop. Volume 2 covers creature and world design.
As well as McCaig’s working methods, both workshops explore wider themes like the nature of creativity, where to get ideas and how to develop them, and what to do if inspiration “simply refuses to show up”.
Part One: discover Iain McCaig’s workflow for story and character design
In the two workshops, McCaig documents the process of creating an entire creative IP from scratch, beginning the first video with “absolutely nothing prepared beforehand”.
The result is an “original last-man-on-Earth Frankenstein love story that Iain has named ‘PYG’.”
The first volume focuses on the creation of the story through storybeat sketches and keyframes, then details the concept design process for the two lead characters: Pyg himself, and his long-lost wife.
Part Two: discover processes for creature and environment design
In the second volume, McCaig details the creation of two creatures – Pyg’s robot wife and a mysterious alien – and of Pyg’s world: a strange art studio-laboratory environment.
A bonus chapter features a reading of the complete story, accompanied by an animatic montage of the keyframes and concept designs created during the workshop, with a soundtrack featuring the music that originally inspired the project.
About the artist
Iain McCaig has worked in the entertainment industry for over 40 years. His creations include the cover for Jethro Tull’s The Broadsword and the Beast and designs for Star Wars’ Queen Amidala and Darth Maul.
His credits include Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Jungle Book, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers, as well as the ongoing Star Wars franchise of movies, graphic novels and theme parks.
Pricing and availability
Both parts of the workshop are available via an online subscription to The Gnomon Workshop. Subscriptions cost $49/month or $490/year, and provide over 300 tutorials. Free trials are available.
Read more about Creativity: Story & Character Development on The Gnomon Workshop’s website
Read more about Creativity: Creature & World Design on The Gnomon Workshop’s website
Full disclosure: CG Channel is owned by Gnomon.