{"id":25952402,"date":"2025-11-05T10:28:34","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T18:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/?p=25952402"},"modified":"2025-11-05T10:28:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T18:28:40","slug":"kelly-daley-webinar-interview-concept-art-how-to-get-hired","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/kelly-daley-webinar-interview-concept-art-how-to-get-hired\/","title":{"rendered":"Concept artist Kelly Daley on how to get hired in the video games industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Kelley Daley<\/a> is a video game concept artist passionate about helping early-stage artists get a foothold into the industry. A BFA graduate from the Academy of Art University, she's contributed to titles and campaigns with Hidden Leaf Games, Manticore Games, Wild Blue Studios, Lenovo Legion, and Intel. Online, she shares tons of tutorials and industry insights. She now thrives as a full-time Senior Concept Artist at Easy Games, and is an adjunct teacher at Brainstorm school<\/a> where she teaches Stylized Character Design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She's presenting a webinar<\/a> on November 12th, 12:00pm Pacific Time, in collaboration with Wacom and the International Game Developers Association<\/a>, about how to get hired as a game concept artist.<\/strong> It will be chock-full of tips and tricks for young artists, art school students, and recent graduates who are attempting to break into concept art about how to build their portfolios, the importance of networking, and much more. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Don't miss your spot: click here to register for the webinar now!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We spoke to her about her own journey to become a video game concept artist, her experience in art school, why she uses Wacom products for her artwork, and what interested people can expect from the upcoming webinar. Note: the following interview has been edited for clarity and length. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You create a lot of content about your journey to becoming a video game concept artist and giving advice to young or otherwise aspiring artists about how they can pursue the career as well. Why is this important to you?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I was a student, I wanted someone to demystify the job, tell me what actually gets you hired, and roast my bad habits so I could level up faster. Sharing my process and mistakes compresses time for younger artists. It also keeps me honest: if I can\u2019t explain my decisions clearly, I probably don\u2019t understand them deeply enough. Teaching sharpens my craft and builds the learning community I wish I had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you always know you wanted to go into video games, or had you considered other artistic career paths as well?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pretty much, yes! Games were a huge part of my childhood. I told my mom from a young age that I would be an artist for games, but I just didn't know how. I explored adjacent lanes such as illustration and visual development. I still wear those hats, but game concept art provided me with the perfect blend of design, storytelling, and problem-solving. I enjoy creating ideas that withstand interaction with a live pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example character design from Kelly's portfolio<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve talked about how art school was the right choice for you, but might not be for everyone. Can you explain a bit more? For whom might it be a good fit?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

School worked for me because I thrive with deadlines, critique culture, and structure. It gave me peers, pressure, and a scoreboard! School also forced me to go through 2-3 years of fundamentals, something that young artists often skip over too quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a good fit if you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n