Learn the art the studio ships
Astel Games is a working game art outsourcing studio — and we teach what we ship every day. A full-time 24-week course covering fundamentals, character design, scene concepts, game UI and AIGC workflows, in classes of at most 15, with every homework marked and referral channels into nearly a thousand companies.
An outsourcing studio, not a training factory.
A working outsourcing studio, real project practice
We are a game art outsourcing studio - what we teach is what we ship every day. Students practise on real briefs and graduate with commercial pieces.
Nearly a thousand companies, direct referrals
Referral channels into nearly a thousand studios and publishers. On graduation we recommend you directly instead of leaving you to apply into the void.
Shenyang local, small 2D-focused classes
No all-you-can-eat pipeline: we focus on 2D concept art. At most 15 students per class, every homework marked one by one, and the teachers know you by name.
Honest promises, no hype
Portfolio polishing, resume help, mock interviews and referrals - but no guaranteed-employment promise. We teach you to ship work, and the job follows.
24 weeks, five stages, from zero to a graduation portfolio.
Foundations & character design (weeks 1-12)
| 1-2 | Photoshop basics, line art, perspective, human proportions |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | Colour theory, light and shadow, materials, still life and plaster studies |
| 5-6 | Head construction, features and expression, hair design |
| 7-8 | Body dynamics, drapery, character busts |
| 9-10 | Character full-body design flow, turnaround sheets, multi-variant exploration |
| 11-12 | Colour and material polish, stylised character work (anime / realistic / chibi) |
Scene, game UI & graduation (weeks 13-24)
| 13-15 | Light and colour, scene perspective, atmosphere, concept scene practice |
|---|---|
| 16-18 | Game UI design, icon drawing, AIGC-assisted painting workflow and reference building |
| 19-21 | Graduation project: topic, design, full illustration and polish |
| 22-24 | Portfolio layout, mock interviews, job coaching and company referrals |
Full-time, 24 weeks (6 months) · small classes · 8 hours a day · concept art is the foundation for modelling and VFX later.
Tools & career directions
- Photoshop is the core tool — line art, colour and light, materials, character and scene design, key art.
- AI-assisted tools for ideation, references and iteration — fundamentals first, then AI as an assistant.
- Graduates work as game concept artists, film concept designers, illustrators, game UI designers, animation artists or freelance artists.
Why concept art first
- Concept art is the design source of game art — modelling, VFX and animation all build on the concept sheet.
- Lower barrier: a computer and a tablet are enough to start.
- Wider options: games, film, animation, illustration and UI.
- Easier pivots: with art fundamentals, 3D and VFX come much faster.
From the front line of game studios.
Sun Jiajun
12 years as a game producer
Producer at Chuangmeng (Shenzhen) and Shanda Games (Shanghai); shipped the mobile series of Cross Gate, Dragon Nest and Legend of Mir 3, and ran art outsourcing for 100+ titles including Justice and Diablo IV.
Fu Xue
20 years of AAA-adjacent 2D art
Art-director-level 2D artist; formerly at Giant Network, Guangyu and Shanda; designed for titles grossing over ten million RMB a month, including Xuanwuba and Identity V.
Liu Xinlei
8 years of commercial illustration
Graduate of Liaoning Communication University; freelance illustrator turned designer; handled visual design for Victoria's Secret in Shanghai; specialises in commercial key art and illustration.
A learn, practise, mark, revise loop.
01 · In person
Onsite and online teaching, demonstrations and Q&A on the spot.
02 · Small classes
At most 15 students per class — every name and every homework known.
03 · Marked homework
Every homework marked one by one, with fixes demonstrated.
04 · Real projects
Students work on real outsourcing briefs and graduate with commercial pieces.
05 · Referrals
Direct referrals into nearly a thousand studios and publishers.
06 · Q&A + refreshers
Teacher Q&A after class, and free refresher training after graduation.
Graduates hired by the studios you know.
王*涵
15K / month
Tencent Games · concept artist
李*琪
16K / month
miHoYo · character concept artist
张*
14K / month
NetEase Games · scene concept artist
刘*然
13K / month
37 Interactive · scene concept artist
陈*
12K / month
Perfect World · concept designer
刘*鸣
13.5K / month
Seasun Games · concept designer
赵*
10K / month
Hypergryph · scene concept artist
孙*
9K / month
Kuro Games · illustrator
周*文
9.5K / month
Sunborn Network · concept artist assistant
Selected graduate placements; salaries vary by skill, city and role and are not a promise of employment.
From zero? How long? How much?
1 · Can I learn game concept art from zero? How long does it take?
Yes. The course starts from software basics, perspective and anatomy and builds up step by step. It is a full-time, 24-week (6-month) programme with classes of at most 15 students and per-homework feedback, so complete beginners keep up.
2 · What does the course cover?
Five stages across 24 weeks: art fundamentals (weeks 1-6), character design (weeks 7-12), scene concept design (weeks 13-15), game UI and AIGC workflows (weeks 16-18), and a graduation portfolio with interview coaching and job referrals (weeks 19-24).
3 · Which software and hardware do I need?
Photoshop is the core tool, with AI-assisted tools integrated for ideation, reference gathering and iteration. Hardware needs are modest: a computer and a drawing tablet are enough to start.
4 · What jobs can I get after graduating, and at what salary?
Graduates work as game concept artists (character/scene), game UI designers, marketing-art illustrators and commercial illustrators. Reference salaries for 3-5 years of experience at larger studios range from 12K to 30K RMB per month; our alumni have joined Tencent, miHoYo, NetEase and other studios.
5 · How do I learn game UI design?
Game UI is a dedicated stage of the course (weeks 16-18): interface layout, icon drawing and interaction-visual basics, taught by an active outsourcing studio that ships UI for real projects.
6 · Are you a training school or an outsourcing studio?
Both, and that is the point: Astel Games is a working game art outsourcing studio. Students practise on real project requirements, so they graduate with commercial-quality portfolio pieces instead of classroom exercises.
7 · How much is the tuition and how do I sign up?
Tuition depends on the intake; call or add the same number on WeChat: 13130206013. You can also visit the campus at Pengruili Tower 50F10, 18 Pangjiang Street, Dadong District, Shenyang, and book a free trial class.
8 · Do you offer online classes?
Classes are small and face-to-face, with online support: teaching happens in person with same-day Q&A, and homework review plus teacher Q&A continue online after class. Graduates may return for free refresher training.
Start your concept art journey
Book a free trial class, see the studio, and talk through your direction with the teachers. Places are limited.