Location
Montpellier
Duration
3 years of training
Certification
Titre RNCP40590 – Dessinateur illustrateur, Level 6 (Bac+3/4), registered on the répertoire national des certifications professionnelles, by decision of 30/04/2025.
Prerequisites
Bac +1 (such as Prépa Design or Entertainment) or equivalent level 4 qualification in the applied arts
- Examination of academic record
- Entry test
- Motivational interview
- Portfolio assessment
Internship
1 to 2 courses
Become an expert in Concept Art Illustration
3 years to turn your passion into a profession, your style into a signature
Immerse yourself in the world of visual creation with our professional Illustration Concept Art course at ESMA. This intensive 3-year course prepares you for artistic careers in the creative industries: publishing, visual communication and audiovisual production.
As you progress through the course, you will develop a solid command of drawing, composition, colour, character design, environment design and the digital tools used in the sector. Supervised by experienced artists and professionals, you will learn to create strong visual universes that convey meaning and emotion. You will gradually develop your independence, assert your visual universe and be ready to take up creative positions in the visual industries.
At the end of the three years, you’ll have solid, targeted experience that reflects your artistic uniqueness and your ability to meet the expectations of studios, agencies and publishers in France and abroad.
Why choose the Concept Art Illustration course?
training objectives
Acquire versatility and expertise across the entire creative pipeline.
- Acquire a culture of images and artistic references.
- Develop a personal graphic style.
- Master the creative process and tools.
- Adopt traditional drawing techniques.
General teaching
Concept Art
Visual research, creation of worlds and atmospheres, character and creature design, objects and environments.
Applied graphic design
Visual composition, typography, layout, posters, visual identity, graphic design, vector work.
Traditional illustration
Pencil sketches, inking, mixed media, hand rendering, sketchbook, graphic experiments.
Painting techniques
Professional software, digital painting, textures and lighting, complex illustrations, covers, retouching.
Narration and Semiotics of the Image
Visual narrative, narrative rhythm, symbolism, framing and editing, graphic storytelling, storyboard.
Drawing
Observational drawing, morphology, perspective, composition, sketching, stylistic exploration.
Professional integration
Portfolio, demo tape, coaching workshops, job search assistance.
Languages
Business English.
Training validated by professional certification
Titre RNCP40590 – Dessinateur illustrateur, Level 6 (Bac+3/4), registered on the répertoire national des certifications professionnelles, by decision of the Director General of France Compétences dated 30/04/2025.
Certificateurs : Ecoles Créatives Montpellier.
Assessments take place within the framework of visual creation projects developed in conditions close to the professional environment. Students design complete graphic universes that give rise to concrete deliverables and presentations that are assessed by a jury made up of professionals from the image sector.
Professional certification is obtained by validating 3 blocks of skills:
- Designing a graphic creation project.
- Producing illustrations (Illustration option) OR Producing a Concept Art project (Concept Art option)
- Promoting your work as an illustrator
The qualification can also be obtained by VAE.
The teaching and assessment methods can be adapted to compensate for any disability, in accordance with the RNCP reference framework.
Bring your ideas to life, pave the way for your future
success rate
in certification
Overall employment rate
at 6 months
Certification exam attendance rate
2024
Bringing tomorrow’s visual worlds to life
Immersed in the heart of the creative industries, Illustration concept art students are trained in the realities of the field: creating graphic worlds, character design, visual storytelling, traditional and digital techniques. On completion of the course, they join a variety of organisations: studios, agencies, publishing houses, or set up their own business.
They move on to jobs where creativity and graphic skills are at the heart of visual production, including :
- In the field of illustration and publishing: Illustrator-rice, Youth illustrator, Comic book author, Comic book illustrator-draughtsman, Comic book draughtsman, Colourist, 2D illustrator.
- In visual design for audiovisuals and video games: Concept artist, Concept artist graphiste, Character designer, Props & Chara designer, Environment artist, Background artist, Visual development artist.
- In specialised graphic expression professions: Fresco artist, line decorator, tattoo artist, drawing teacher.
Each of them builds a unique artistic profile, capable of adapting to the demands of the market while expressing their creativity to the full. Some go their own way, while others join creative teams or go on to become artistic directors, teachers or studio designers.
An excellent training environment in Montpellier
A campus at the heart of visual creativity
Located in one of the most dynamic cultural centres in the south of France, ESMA’s Montpellier campus offers an ideal learning environment for future talent in the creative industries. This site, exclusively dedicated to certain high-level artistic training courses, boasts state-of-the-art professional infrastructure: creative studios, computer rooms equipped with the best software in the sector, and modular spaces that encourage collaboration and artistic experimentation.
But more than just a place of learning, the Montpellier campus is a veritable crossroads of inspiration. Close to festivals, exhibitions, and animation and design studios, it puts students close to the artistic effervescence.
Rates
Find out the tuition fees for the Illustration concept art course at ESMA, corresponding to the 3 years of the professional cycle.
Years 1 to 5
For one year
6 180€
Administrative registration fees
200 per year
3 good reasons to choose ESMA’s Illustration concept art course
A recognised diploma for rapid integration into the sector
The course leads to a state-recognised RNCP qualification (Level 6, equivalent to 3/4 years’ higher education), a guarantee of quality and professionalism. The course meets the specific needs of studios, publishers, agencies and creative structures. It prepares you to enter the job market with an assertive and immediately operational artistic profile.
A teaching approach based on creativity and projects
Throughout the three years, you will progress through practical projects, supervised workshops and work placements. You’ll design complete worlds, develop your graphic style and build a solid, targeted portfolio, a real passport to the image professions. In the third year, you complete your final project, which is presented and defended in front of a panel of professionals.
A school of illustration and concept art connected to the professional world
ESMA enjoys national and international recognition in the fields of image, visual narrative and graphic design. Thanks to its network of publishing and communications professionals, it offers training that is in tune with the realities of the field and changes in the sector.
