Ingredients For an Efficient Brief

There are as many concept arts possible as there are briefs. In fact, there are even more because it also depends on the artist subjectivity and the client’s. A well-understandable recap text is the best start for a project. What are the ingredients for an efficient brief according to our team? 

Everything is about balance! For example, there are two kinds of artists: those who don’t mind drawing outside the given frame, and those who need constraints to start working. Several types of clients can also exist: those giving every detail about the project and a special workflow, and those who just set the scene in a few sentences and a deadline. If both parts adapt to each other their collaboration will be more efficient, let’s not forget that time is money! The best is to have a brief and then go through it together on the phone with the client. Here a list of elements that makes both parts being on the same wavelength. 

-Context: explain clearly what the art piece will be used for + what precise style it must have + storytelling must be kept straight to the point (brief) so that the artist doesn’t focus on unnecessary details and get lost 

-Balance image/text: good to set the mood mixing images from various sources and key words. 

-References: from other arts like films, TV shows, music help having a global idea. When you mix them it creates a brand-new drawing 

-Scales: setting proportions is very useful, using sentences like “1 robot is like a-3-floor-building” or “no skyscrapers, only two-floor independent houses.”

Be careful not to give too many visual references because it can push the artist to copy and not create a unique drawing. A too short brief also can be disturbing. Something not said in the beginning of a project and asked to be done in the end is risky: both artist and client may not have time and/or resources for additional corrections. Longer intelligible brief can be better than a really short one! When we write a brief, we need to make it read to somebody who has no idea about the project. If he can figure out without questions, then it’s a win! 

After answering all possible questions, the artist can start drawing without doubt. This process can make both parts save time and money because the situation is clear from the start: push away every doubt by talking is the key of success!