ARTIST PORTFOLIO: PETER POPKEN

The concept artists tells Gary Evans how a long and varied apprenticeship led to success in the film business

- Gary Evans

Concept artists typically work with two types of client, Peter Popken explains. First, there’s the client who knows exactly what they want. They’ve done a lot of preparation, they’ve got the concept in their head and they just need the concept artist to put it on the page. Then you’ve got the second type of client…

Peter has over two decades of experience working on big-budget films such as the Marvel and Star Wars series of movies, and Blade Runner 2049 and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Veteran concept artists like him secretly call this second type “shoppers.” These are the clients who prefer to wait and see where the process leads them; shoppers go with the flow. Both of types of client have their downsides.

With the first client, the concept on the page will never live up to the idea in their head. In contrast, the shopper has no idea, and will usually put off making a decision for as long as possible. Perhaps unsurprisingly, both clients expect things done quickly, so Peter usually gets half a day for a rough sketch, then a day to finish it. “This,” the German artist says, “is accompanied by extensive changes and adjustments. Very often we don’t get the time to do a proper illustration, just enough time to deliver the message.”