We're updating and expanding the portfolio guides available on our website so you know exactly what we're looking for in applications. 

Our first brand new guide is ✨Graphic Design✨ with more to come soon!

🔗 See the full guide on our Resources page

Every artist and designer are unique. They bring their own individual experiences to each project. Your ways of working, and the specific things that fire up your inspiration will always be different from every other person you work with. That’s what makes being part of a large in-house team like Atomhawk’s so exciting. Everyone brings something special and the combination is brilliant. We want to give you an idea of the energy, thinking and creative background that goes into each unbelievable project here. 

Our artists and designers all have a strong work ethic, they know authenticity is key and they’ve all arrived at Atomhawk for a reason. Let’s get to know them and find out more.

Have you always wanted to work as a professional artist? What was your personal career journey leading up to Atomhawk?

Ani Larmina, Concept Artist: Yeah, I have always wanted to be an artist! Also a starship pilot, but the artist thing seemed to be more approachable, and now I can draw a pilot!  And a starship. And the whole galaxy If I have some time!!! Before I joined Atomhawk I was working in several studios developing my skills, having lots of fun creating games and hanging out with other artists.

Lewis Wagstaff, Graphic Designer: I’ve always wanted to be a graphic designer of some sort! Both my parents are graphic designers too, so it’s in my blood and had a heavy influence in my younger years. I started creating designs in my early teens and never stopped!

Markus Biegholdt, Concept Artist: Since I was a kid, I enjoyed drawing. I even drew on the furniture sometimes, to the annoyance of my parents. Back then, I thought I might be able to draw comics one day. I didn’t realise until much later that concept art existed. I remember discovering conceptart.org at some point, that is when I started to get a clearer picture of what options I have. I studied interactive entertainment at an art school, then worked on mobile and VR Games in various fields over the years. A few years ago, I doubled down on concept art before getting the job at Atomhawk!

Most artists have a specialty they’re drawn to, can you tell us more about yours? What is it that you love about it?

Lewis: Graphic design is my discipline. People don’t always think about graphic design when they play games, but there’s so much to be found in any title. I love that side of it because it has more tendencies of being art-leaning with things like icon, emblem, and logo design. There’s a lot of fun you can have with it.

Markus: I specialise in environments and hard surface design. I love creating worlds, places that don’t exist in the real world or to reimagining real places in a different time or scenario. There is a sense of exploration every time I create an environment, the difference is that I get to decide what’s waiting around the next corner. It’s very exciting.

Ani: I was a geeky kid who always had a bunch of comic books in their backpack and knew everything about Star Wars. I was obsessed with the characters. They were so beautiful, bright and adventurous to me! So I would draw them wherever I can (still do!) I just love to draw characters, new or existing. The best part for me is try and show their personality and mood through lines and shapes and colours, also clothes and style. It’s just the best!

Concept art is all about creating new ideas. Where do you find your inspiration? Do you prefer searching for references online or elsewhere?

Lewis: Influence and inspiration is 24/7, when out and about I am constantly taking in reference and generating ideas in my head. When it comes to a project, I can use these stored ideas but a lot of the time I need to go searching for specifics that line up with the brief.

Markus: There is endless inspiration no matter where you look. The shape of a random object on your desk could spark the next idea for a spaceship. I really like to go out and explore my neighbourhood and look at all the hidden details – there are so many interesting things going on all around you if you look closely. I think real life is by far the best source of inspiration no matter if its photos found online or being there in person.

Ani: Inspiration likes to hide in books, movies and fellow creative people. As an example, picture reading a book and imagining all these beautiful faces and places, you just have to put them out of your head, otherwise it’ll explode!

How has working with a large team of artists and producers changed your art-making process?

Ani: Being among a large team of people means you not only can learn from them and share your own knowledge, but also use them as models! I prefer taking pictures of my colleagues for my illustrations, rather than just looking for it online. It’s just so much fun and also a work out when it comes to some dynamic scenes.

Lewis: Working in a large creative team means that there are always fresh ideas bouncing about and everyone has the same eye for attention to detail. This motivates me to always be improving to find that extra 10% to push myself forward with my work.

Markus: Everyone benefits from a big team of great artists. Each person has their individual strengths, and there is so much knowledge everyone brings to the table. All you have to do is ask and they will help you out with whatever they can offer. Production at Atomhawk really has your back, they take care of everything you need so you can just focus on creating great art.

What’s the single piece of advice you’d give your younger self about pursuing a career in art?

Ani: Years of learning and training and long hours of practice are waiting for you but be patient and be brave. Working in an art studio with people who share your interests is a lot of joy and worth the effort.

Markus: I’m grateful for all the experiences and mistakes I made along the road, there have been some great learnings along my journey. There is no real shortcut, strong dedication and patience are the keys to success.

Lewis: The best advice I can give is to share and never shy away from your own personal progression.

The Atomhawk Art Competition has become a beloved annual event for many artists around the world to express their individual creativity. The mission is simple: take an enigmatic prompt and turn it into a piece of concept art that is both original and head-turning. This year’s theme was “Forgotten Creation”. What were the interpretations this year? We’re thrilled to announce 2022’s winners.

Submissions are judged on creative detail and the artist’s ability to tell a compelling story. With over 480 artworks entered this year, there were countless imaginative creations to choose from, spanning across a myriad of genres, all lost to time and memory. 

Alongside Atomhawk’s art leadership team, we were honoured to invite our friends, Glenn Brace and Ben Blethyn, from nDreams Studio Elevation as independent judges. As they combine Elevation’s veteran experience with exceptional new talent, blending state of the art technology with emotional and aesthetic innovation, they were the perfect addition to help us decide the final six winners who exemplified storytelling, creativity and technical acumen.

Winners will receive a selection of incredible artist goodies from Wacom, Escape Technology, Sumo Digital, 3dtotal, Proko, Photobash and ArtStation. 

GRAND WINNER: QUINTEN

We could not be happier to announce that first place goes to Quinten for this epic collosus collapsed in a subzero crevasse. “Quinten’s artwork has been executed to perfection. The seamless mix of 3D and 2D, the lighting and the level of polish all help to sell this epic moment of explorers discovering an ancient, snow-sunken guardian,” said Ben Blethyn from Elevation an nDreams Studio. Quinten has been an Art Competition regular since 2020’s “The Adventure Begins” and we were inspired to see Quinten’s growth as an artist, resulting in a deserving Grand Winner. 

From all of us at Atomhawk, we want to extend a huge congratulations to Quinten! 

Quinten is now the proud owner of an Xbox Series S courtesy of our friends at Sumo Digital, and will receive generous store credit vouchers for 3dtotal, Proko and Photobash, as well as a choice of portfolio review or paintover by an Atomhawk Lead Artist, and 1 Year of ArtStation Pro. 

Please check out more of Quinten’s work at artstation.com/hemlockz

KEY MOMENT WINNER: SERHII SEMENENKO

A new addition to the prize structure this year was the introduction of Category Winners, ensuring that all specialisations of artists had a fair chance to place as a winner. We’re delighted to announce this year’s Key Moment winner is Serhii Semenenko’s post-apocalyptic train carriage scene.  

“There’s a funkiness and confidence to Serhii’s bold markings and finish, in the way that I can recognise this as a highly successful mood-piece,” said Glenn Brace from Elevation an nDreams Studio. “It has the essence of concept art, where the artist is conveying an epic idea with just enough visual fidelity, mood and awe. Some lovely judgement on show, loose suggestive markings carrying the load, complemented with details in all the right areas. Bravo Serhii!” 

Please check out more of Serhii’s work at artstation.com/paintabler

CHARACTER WINNER: YUN HUAI HUANG

Continuing our Category winners, we’d like to extend our congratulations to Yun Huai Huang’s winning creature that left us feeling a little haunted! “Characters were a strong category this year but Yun Huai’s Living Coffin of the Saint was our winner for its beautiful design and strong sense of storytelling. I love the shape language utilised in this design and it’s a joy to get up close and personal with this piece and discover all the hidden details,” said Charlie Bowater, Atomhawk Lead Artist. 

Please check out more of Yun Huai’s work at artstation.com/yunhuaihuang

ENVIRONMENT WINNER: ANDREA STANGA

Our final category winner goes to Andrea Stanga and this atmospheric mansion discovery, giving us a powerful sense of nostalgia. The judges noted that there was a great sense of approachability to Andrea’s artwork. All aspects of the environment built on each other to tell the story of the forgotten painting, and yet there’s a mystery to it which leaves the viewer wondering and wanting more.

Please check out more of Andrea’s artwork at artstation.com/a_s_ascher

RISING STAR MENTORSHIP: CHARLOTTE KÜLGER

The Rising Star Mentorship is back for its second year, an award that has become a coveted prize for Art Competition entrants. We’re so pleased to announce that this year’s Mentorship winner is Charlotte Kügler, who was one of our Honourable Mentions from last year’s “The Return” competition.  

“There was a unanimous agreement that Charlotte deserved the Rising Star Mentorship for 2022,” said Drew Whitmore, Atomhawk Art Director. “An incredible amount of effort and love was poured into this piece; there are bits of story and detail in every corner and crevice you look at. Charlotte is in a great place to be able to take full advantage of mentorship from one of the artists at Atomhawk.” 

Charlotte has won an exclusive mentorship with an Atomhawk Senior Artist and a Wacom Cintiq 22, courtesy of Wacom and Escape Technology. Other prizes include store credit from 3dtotal and Proko. 

Please check out more of Charlotte’s artwork at artstation.com/charlotte_kuegler

HAWK'S CHOICE AWARD: MAXIME SCHILDE

Finally, The Hawk’s Choice Award is decided by the entire Atomhawk team, who vote for their favourite artworks which they believe nail the “Forgotten Creation” brief. From all the Hawks, we extend a huge congratulations to Maxime Schilde, this year’s winner!

Please check out more of Maxime’s work at artstation.com/maximeschilde 

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

We were floored to receive so many great and thought-provoking entries for this year’s competition. The impressive ideas presented were so great, it was almost impossible to narrow it down to simply six winners! Therefore, we’d like to extend congratulations to our honourable mentions: Verena Lehner-Dittenberger, Ivelin Trifonov, Fergus Russell, Nick Iorfino, François Arnaud and Samantha Shieh (below).

Thank you to the 487 people who entered our art competition this year. We were humbled by your enthusiasm, creativity and ingenuity and we hope you will join us again for next year’s competition in July 2023! 

Please check out more entries with the hashtag #atomhawkcreation on ArtStation, Instagram and Twitter.

Whether you were rejoining us or getting involved for the first time, THANK YOU for entering the Atomhawk Art Competition 2022: Forgotten Creation. 

We received a whopping 487 submissions this year! Visit the competition page for the winners announcement on Tuesday, 23rd August 🏆🔥

What did you learn with your artwork this year?

📝 New Resource added! What is the future of digital art? Nader explores this question in State of the Art: Current and Future Art Development Trends from #SDC2022

Check out our full directory of career resources at atomhawk.com/resources

Test your creative talents with the return of the Atomhawk Art Competition. Show us what 'Forgotten Creation' means to you and be in with a chance to win incredible art prizes!

Details ➡ atomhawk.com/creation
 Share WIPs 🎨 #atomhawkcreation

✨13 years of Atomhawk, 13 years of unbelievable ✨

Check out our brand new website full of helpful resources, info on all things Atomhawk and even some opportunities to join our all-star team!

➡️ https://bit.ly/3QVTDwu

We're hitting the road once more for the Twin Town Challenge, raising money for SpecialEffect! 🚗💛

A huge team of hawks will be driving from the UK to France and back in our little beetle bringing you tons of updates, antics and fun. We're hoping to raise £2000 this year, so please consider donating at our Just Giving page and join us on the adventure!

Donate here!

Dennis van Kessel's Awesome Image from his Atomhawk Internship.

At Atomhawk, we’ve identified lots of brilliant juniors over the years and worked with them to build the skills, mindset and experience they need to grow as standout artists. Here, we’re giving you a taste of what it’s like to be a concept art intern at Atomhawk, as we nurture your talent and set you out on the journey to become an established concept artist.

The lines around what an internship entails have become blurred in recent years, with some unscrupulous creative organisations exploiting eager, young talent hoping for a foot in the door. The core purpose of an internship is to build a bridge between self-taught skills or tertiary education and professional industry work. The metamorphosis from enthusiastic young artist to industry-ready professional requires a mental shift that encompasses new ways of thinking about creativity, a new work discipline, and new processes.  An internship should provide an environment in which you can develop all three. 

So, what can you expect as an intern at Atomhawk? Our interns never contribute to active projects, and nor should they. However, you can expect to either assist artists on small tasks or to shadow, where you observe someone in their role to better understand how they do their job. As an Atomhawk intern, the first task you’ll be assigned is the ‘Awesome Image’ project. This involves writing your own brief to create any image you want to. This gives you an opportunity to share your personality, who you are as an artist, and your specific strengths, but also to push yourself. By writing your own brief, you can make sure your capabilities are both showcased and stretched. You’ll work closely with a more senior artist who will monitor your progress, providing feedback three or four times a day.

Working on a training artwork as part of Atomhawk's Training and Development program.

Méabh Deloughry, a former intern who now has a role as a Junior Concept Artist describes the experience of completing the ‘Awesome Image’ brief:

“The brief proved invaluable to me as I learnt how to work with constructive criticism, translating it into artwork amends. There is a work efficiency here that you pick up very quickly, which makes everyone gel, constantly strengthening teamwork skills, and making us all work like a well-oiled machine.”

The challenges at Atomhawk vary from project to project. Some require a lot of stylisation and some demand more realistic results, which is great for learning different ways to approach projects. Our artists need to be versatile and use the full extent of their skills, sometimes pivoting from one skillset to another in an instant.

Dennis van Kessel, a former Atomhawk intern who also now works with us as an Intermediate Concept Artist, says:

“Receiving constructive feedback was incredibly valuable to help improve my illustration and fundamental skills, for example, for colour iterations, and to improve my approach when going from greyscale to colour.”

We’ve had the privilege to invite many interns through our doors during ten plus years of Atomhawk, and have gone on to hire many in full-time roles. Sharing our collective knowledge with future concept artists and providing a space where potential can be fulfilled is central to who we are as a studio.

Read Part 2 ->

Ready to join Atomhawk? Check out our job openings here.

To level up your skills and get you industry ready, we recommend our free e-learning course, StudioQuest, exclusively on ArtStation.

Artwork by Quentin Castel.

Stepping up to become a Senior Artist is significant. You’re thrust into teamwork, communicating with producers, digesting client feedback and witnessing the creation of games from the inside. Some parts of the job may surprise you and, if you’re from a freelance, tertiary education or self-taught background, you may not have a grounding in the realities of working in a professional studio. 

In the niche field of concept art, Atomhawk is unusual in that so many people of the same discipline operate under one roof, each with their own unique life experiences and skills. There’s always the opportunity to grow, both through the projects you’re assigned, and by sharing creative influence and practical skills.

Developing talent is a core value at Atomhawk. Our Artist Matrix provides a clear roadmap of how our artists can progress their careers. Twice yearly appraisals open up opportunities for leads and directors to discuss individual goals and create clear plans of how to achieve them. Quentin Castel is a Senior Artist who joined Atomhawk in 2017 as a junior. He says:

“I graduated from an art school in France. After that, I spent a year doing freelance gigs. While searching for an in-house job, the opportunity at Atomhawk UK came up. I was happy to move abroad as I knew it would be a very good personal experience.”

Discussing career pathways with the Atomhawk Artist Matrix.

The Artist Matrix is a growing and iterative development system which adapts to the people in our team and their needs. Currently, it is split into four key areas: Expertise & Experience, Problem Solving, Influence & Impact, and Communication. An intermediate artist is required to have more initiative than a junior, an intimate understanding of the workflow and to be able to communicate their decision-making process effectively.

Having established himself in a more junior position within Atomhawk, Quentin was asked to step up on a project as a deputy, someone who can assist the project leads to ensure the team continues to function well if a colleague is away or challenges arise. He had previously worked on this particular project for several months and taking on the additional responsibility helped him gain team management experience, something Senior Artists must have.

Senior Artists are highly reliable team members who have at least one area of expertise, and who can deliver feedback on projects when required. Additionally, they are able to navigate project documentation, represent the project to the client and identify areas of innovation and training within their teams. At this stage, Seniors can progress down a specialist art route, or they will take on more leadership duties within their team, which in turn helps them to develop the skills and experience required to move into the managerial roles of Principal, Lead and Director.

Markus Biegholdt, Senior Concept Artist, optimises his workflow by using photogrammetry and VR!

Quentin believes that even as you move up into the Senior level, it’s a good idea to continue to invest in your core art skills:

 “It’s about always getting better at the fundamentals,” he says, “And to become faster too. I had to learn how to find interest in any part of the job. I think the key is to be positive about each part of the projects you work on. I really struggled with that, for a long time.”

His advice to Juniors coming through the ranks now is clear: “I would practice character drawing way more than what I was doing back then!”

<-Back to Part 1 | Read Part 3 ->

Ready to join Atomhawk? Check out our job openings here.

To level up your skills and get you industry ready, we recommend our free e-learning course, StudioQuest, exclusively on ArtStation.