Tutorial: Using Blender For Backgrounds In Concept Art

Backgrounds can intimidate many 2D artists, and that's completely okay. Fortunately, there are ways to make drawing them easier with helpful 3D "crutches," and it's useful in concept art, where creating environments and backgrounds is an essential part of the job. Incorporating 3D into your 2D workflow not just helps you work more efficiently, but also improves your understanding of perspective and spatial relationships.

Blender is an obvious choice for this because it's free and backed by a huge community with tutorials covering just about everything: even if you've never touched 3D before, you won't have to figure everything out on your own. However, many beginners find Blender overwhelming at first, especially when faced with its interface and seemingly endless list of keyboard shortcuts.

In the video above, Concept Artist Ullaiin covers Blender basics and walks you through her entire workflow, from modeling a Western-inspired environment blockout to painting it and turning it into a finished 2D piece.

Eugenia Chernova also has a great video where she breaks down her process for creating a fantasy village environment by combining 2D and 3D:

If you're looking for more breakdowns, insights, and tips from artists working across different fields, we highly recommend checking out our interview section.

For more examples of how Blender can be used in concept art, take a look at these articles by Nikita Gritsun, Edouard Noisette, and Khairizal Rahmat. You might also find Yaroslav Hahalev's approach to 3D sketching interesting.