By Cansu Peker

Chong Liu is a New York-based concept artist and digital illustrator originally from China. His journey into concept art was fueled by a lifelong passion for painting and a fascination with Japanese anime. Originally aspiring to be an animator, he discovered his true calling in entertainment design — a field that allows him to merge creativity with structured problem-solving.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts before continuing his studies at the School of Visual Arts in New York, where he specialized in digital art and 3D animation. With a strong foundation in digital painting and concept design, Chong has collaborated with various design teams, publishers, and game studios, working with clients such as Google, Media Monk, Digital Domain, Serenity Forge, and Coed Studios.

We asked Chong about his art, creative process, and inspirations.

Can you tell us about your background as a digital artist? How did you get started in this field?

I’ve been into art and painting since childhood, and over time, it naturally turned into my career. Growing up, I was a huge fan of Japanese anime and originally wanted to be an animator. But while studying art, I realized I was more drawn to concept art and entertainment design. These fields let me blend creativity with a structured design process, which felt like the perfect fit.

I still remember a college class where our professor showed us a video about the making of Blizzard’s Diablo trailer. It was the first time I saw concept artists in action, bringing incredible characters and worlds to life. That moment really stuck with me. Inspired by the idea of turning imagination into reality, I set my sights on becoming a concept artist. After years of learning and improving, I landed my first concept artist role in 2020.

How has your cross-cultural experience influenced your artistic approach?

These days, anyone with internet access has the potential to become culturally aware, but actually living in different regions and experiencing various cultures firsthand can have a much deeper and more lasting impact. I grew up in China and moved to the U.S. in my early 20s, which gave me the opportunity to work and create alongside people from diverse backgrounds. This experience really broadened my perspective, allowing me to absorb aesthetics and ideas from both Eastern and Western cultures.

In the game industry, my cross-cultural background gives me a wider understanding of design preferences and trends, helping me recognize the differences between what appeals to Chinese and Western players.

Having worked as both a freelance artist and now as a full-time concept artist at Ubisoft SFO, how do these experiences compare?

There are generally two ways to work in the entertainment industry: as a full-time employee at a studio or as a freelance artist who moves between projects and studios. Right now, I’m working as a freelance concept artist on a video game project, building on my previous freelance experience. In my experience, freelancing comes with more challenges compared to a full-time position.

Freelancing means communicating directly with clients or agencies, which requires strong communication and time management skills. A significant portion of your work time goes into discussions, receiving feedback, and providing revisions. In contrast, full-time employees don’t have to worry as much about these aspects — producers or team coordinators usually handle non-art-related tasks, allowing artists to focus solely on their work. Freelancing also demands a broader and more versatile skill set. You need to ensure that your work aligns with the client’s vision, and in many cases, you might be the only artist handling an entire project from start to finish, managing the full production pipeline.

While freelancing can sound a bit stressful, it also has its advantages. The experience pushes you to grow as an artist, strengthening both your artistic and communication skills. In fact, some of the best digital artists I know are freelancers.

How does your approach to concept art differ when working on game design versus other digital media projects?

In the game industry, working on concept art might sound exciting, but it's important to remember that it’s a key part of the production pipeline. This means we have to follow the briefs provided by art directors, ensuring that our work serves a specific purpose or solves a particular problem.

The process starts with carefully reading and understanding the design brief. It’s crucial to grasp the director’s vision, be aware of any constraints, and, most importantly, know the deadline. Once that's clear, we move on to gathering references — often compiling and presenting them to the team to ensure everyone is on the same page before moving forward. Creating concept images is a highly collaborative effort. We regularly check in with the team, produce multiple design iterations, and rely on the director to determine which concept moves forward. In the end, what makes concept art different from other forms of art is its strong production focus and the teamwork involved.

On the other hand, creating personal digital art is a completely different experience — it offers much more freedom. The process is usually shorter, with less back-and-forth. It’s more about asking myself questions: What themes do I want to explore? Which art style best conveys the message I want to express? Is there something special in the piece that will resonate with the audience? I keep these questions in mind while creating, and there’s a real sense of joy and satisfaction when I see those answers reflected in my final work.

You recently started exploring oil painting and illustration — do you find that working with traditional materials has changed the way you think about digital painting?

Yeah, definitely! Exploring oil painting and illustration has given me a fresh perspective on digital painting. Traditional materials force me to slow down and think more carefully about each brushstroke since there’s no undo button. It’s also made me more aware of color mixing, texture, and the physicality of paint, which has influenced how I approach lighting and brushwork digitally. In a way, working traditionally has helped me be more intentional and confident in my digital process.

What advice would you give to aspiring concept artists looking to break into the industry?

Some of the biggest VFX studios shutting down and causing massive layoffs. I recently came across a post from a VFX art director in film post-production suggesting that animation and VFX schools should hold town halls for students to make them fully aware of the current state of their dream industry.

I completely agree. Similarly, the game industry—where most aspiring concept artists are trying to break in—has been struggling since 2022. The field is oversaturated, and competition is tougher than ever. These days, juniors often find themselves competing with artists who have 5-10 years of experience, since many seasoned concept artists have also been laid off and are actively job hunting. To make things even worse, AI-driven art production has already eliminated many entry-level positions that once served as stepping stones for junior artists.

So, if you’re an aspiring concept artist with little experience, it’s important to ask yourself some tough questions: What if you spend years trying to land a job and still can’t find one? Do you have the financial support to sustain yourself through a long period of training and improvement? And if you do break into the industry, will the actual job meet your expectations, or could you end up realizing it’s not as fun as you thought?

For educational institutions, my advice is this: Instead of just encouraging students to chase their dreams blindly, be upfront about the real state of the game and entertainment industries. Help students prepare for the realities of the job market so they can make informed decisions about their careers.

What is a dream project you’d like to make one day?

During my time at Ubisoft working on a AAA game project, I really enjoyed seeing how people appreciated the design and work we developers put into the game. My dream project would be working on big AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Red Dead Redemption—games that reach millions of players and designers. I’d love for my contributions as an artist to be something that players not only enjoy but also remember.

What else fills your time when you’re not creating art?

I’m usually pretty busy with work and creating my personal art, so I don’t have much spare time. But when I do get some free time, I like to go hiking with my wife or hang out with my artist friends. We usually grab a cup of coffee, sit down, and do some live sketches together in the city.