Beyond the brief: how our partnership with New3dge helps shape the next generation of creative talent

Each year, the New3dge course leaders develop a project brief designed to replicate the realities of professional concept development. The brief evolves annually, introducing new themes, objectives and creative challenges while maintaining clear benchmarks for success.

The New3dge team are exceptional at defining the right balance of structure and creative freedom. Students are given enough direction to understand expectations while still having the space to explore bold ideas and discover their own solutions.

Before the project begins, Atomhawk works with the course leaders to review the brief and identify areas where additional industry insight, feedback opportunities or creative direction could help maximise value for both the students and our mentors.

The engagement begins with an in-person visit to the university, where members of the Atomhawk team introduce the brief, explain the objectives and provide guidance around initial ideation and research.

From there, the project follows a structured concept art pipeline, mirroring the development process used within professional studios.

Key Stages

•  Exploration
•  Rough Sketches
•  Refined Sketches
•  Rough Colour
•  Refined Colour
•  Final Render
•  Final Presentation

Throughout the project, we host two review sessions per week, providing students with regular feedback at every milestone.

These sessions become a collaborative environment where students can test ideas, receive direction, ask questions and gain first-hand insight into how creative work is reviewed within the industry.

The evolution of the work is often remarkable. Initial mood boards and exploratory sketches gradually transform into fully realised concepts, supported by increasingly sophisticated visual language, storytelling and design thinking.

As Henry Lynch, Senior Character Artist, reflected: “Working with the students at New3dge was an intense and rewarding experience. It was fantastic to see their work evolve from early sketches into strong final concepts, and I’d encourage any aspiring artist to put themselves through a challenge like this.“

One of the most rewarding aspects of the partnership is seeing how students respond to professional critique.

Creative feedback can be challenging, particularly when working under tight deadlines and balancing multiple viewpoints. Yet year after year, the students demonstrate resilience, adaptability and an impressive willingness to refine their work.

As the project progresses, students learn to embrace critique as part of the creative process.

“The students consistently embraced feedback and adapted quickly throughout the project. Watching them overcome communication challenges and ultimately deliver confident, character-driven work was a real highlight,” said Callum Boyd, Animator.

The collaborative nature of the reviews also encourages discussions around everything from shape language and composition to visual storytelling and presentation skills, areas that are just as important as technical execution when working in a professional environment.

The success of the partnership is driven by a shared belief that emerging artists benefit most when education and industry work together closely. As New3dge Course Director Aymeric Thévenot explains:

“The joint project undertaken in partnership with Atomhawk represents a valuable milestone in our students’ curriculum. Atomhawk’s professionalism and experience create a solid, rewarding environment for our students to learn the ins and outs of the Concept Artist profession.

The exceptional dedication shown by the Atomhawk team is a tremendous asset; it is always a pleasure to develop projects in partnership with them, as—beyond the structured framework they provide—their advice and feedback are consistently constructive and insightful.

This partnership further reinforces our shared commitment to training capable, competent professionals ready for the industry; indeed, this experience and the resulting exchange of ideas are highlights of the student learning journey at New3dge. Once again, thank you to the entire Atomhawk team for their professionalism and supportive approach!”

— Aymeric Thévenot, Concept Art Supervisor, New3dge

The project culminates in a final presentation where students showcase the complete journey of their work, from initial exploration through to finished concepts.

Every year, the quality of the submissions impresses us. The strongest pieces demonstrate not only technical excellence, but also clear thinking, originality and an understanding of how creative ideas evolve through feedback and iteration.

For mentors, seeing ideas develop into polished final outcomes is one of the most rewarding aspects of the programme.

Jenny Hitchman, Character Artist, said, “I loved seeing how passionate the students were about their ideas. Helping them refine those concepts into clear, cohesive designs was incredibly rewarding, and I learned a lot from the collaborative review process as well.”

The partnership doesn’t end when the final presentations are complete.

Attending the New3dge Graduation Show gives us the opportunity to see how students continue to develop beyond the partnership project and provides valuable insight into the future talent entering the industry.

The event celebrates the dedication, growth and ambition of the graduating artists while creating opportunities for them to connect directly with studios and professionals.

For members of the Atomhawk team who attended this year’s Graduation Show, the quality of work on display reinforced why the partnership continues to be such a valuable investment in emerging talent.

“I had the pleasure of visiting the New3dge University graduation show in Paris and was extremely impressed by both the quality of the student work and the overall event experience. The showcase was exceptionally well organised, with a great atmosphere that celebrated the students’ achievements,” said Markus Biegholdt, Environment Discipline Deputy.

“The standard of work on display was outstanding, setting a new benchmark for emerging talent entering the industry. I had the opportunity to speak with many students about their portfolios and was consistently impressed by their skill level, professionalism and potential. There is clearly a strong pool of talent coming through, with many candidates who would be great additions to professional studios.

In particular, the concept art work demonstrated a level of quality that meets industry expectations across the board. Everyone I met appeared well prepared for the demands of working in large-scale studios and production environments.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I was delighted to meet such talented students and see firsthand the impressive standard that New3dge is helping to cultivate.”

Markus’ experience reflects something we’ve consistently observed throughout our relationship with New3dge: a commitment to nurturing artists who combine strong creative ability with the professionalism, adaptability and collaborative mindset required to succeed in modern production environments. Experiences like these remind us why partnerships with institutions such as New3dge matter. They help students develop industry-ready skills, provide valuable leadership opportunities for our artists, and strengthen the connection between education and professional practice.

For students, projects like these provide a rare opportunity to experience professional expectations, workflows and critique before entering the industry.

For Atomhawk, they offer something equally valuable: the chance to contribute to the development of future talent while allowing our own artists to grow as mentors, communicators and creative leaders.

As technology evolves and creative disciplines continue to change, the importance of nurturing emerging talent remains constant.

Our partnership with New3Dge reminds us every year that the future of the industry is in very capable hands—and we look forward to seeing where these artists go next.