Key Art for Games and Film

You are viewing my portfolio as a Concept Artist, showcasing key art for games and films. Check out the Case Studies tab to explore my sketches, techniques, and various workflows. Discover what it's like to collaborate with me on your project.

A man holding a rifle in a car with an aggressive woman with black hair and skeletal makeup aiming at him from the passenger side.
A dark and intense scene showing three people; the central figure is a woman pointing a gun with a serious expression, barbed wire wrapped around her head and arms, holding a cigarette in her mouth. The two men in the background are blurry and appear
A black and white painting of a woman wearing sunglasses and a beret, sitting on a couch with her legs raised. She is holding a cigarette in her right hand. The woman is wearing earrings and a tank top. There is a speech bubble with the text "Really
A man in a suit and glasses standing in an elevator, looking distressed, with two spiders hanging from the ceiling above him.
Black and white illustration of a person and a large, menacing creature with sharp teeth. The person, holding a chain, faces the creature which appears aggressive.
Black and white photo of two young women seated in a car, with one playing with a water gun labeled 'SURF?' and the other holding a cigarette, both wearing sunglasses with serious expressions.
Black and white painting of a woman with short dark hair, wearing a black dress with an asymmetrical neckline, holding a gun in her right hand, standing with one hand on her hip.
A woman with a backpack and baseball cap standing in front of a large fiery explosion in black and white.
A young man with facial piercings and a leather jacket sitting against a wall, looking at his phone. Behind him is a wall with a payphone and graffiti, and a speech bubble with symbols indicating anger or frustration.
A man in formal attire using a vintage wall-mounted telephone in an elevator or lift with wooden paneling.
A woman with long dark hair holds a paintbrush near her shoulder, with bubbles around her lips. She is in a room with graffiti and photographs on the wall, and a lamp illuminating her face.
A woman with dark hair, sunglasses, and a hat holding a gun and a speech bubble that reads 'FEELS GOOD TO BE GANGSTER'; in the background, a man stands in a dimly lit hallway.
A group of people in hazmat suits and gas masks walking in a line outdoors, with power lines in the background.
Two individuals looking down at the camera from below. The person on the left is a woman with dreadlocks and sunglasses, and the person on the right is a man with facial tattoos and a partially open black jacket, exposing tattoos on his chest. The sc
A silhouette of a figure dressed as the Pope, holding a cross, standing in front of a building engulfed in flames and destruction.

Cinematic Key Art Research

My research process:
1. Look up many many films on sites like ShotDeck.
2. Sketch at least 25 thumbnails inspired by great cinematographers I look up to.

Rapid Idea Testing

3. I spend about 5-10 seconds on each sketch to get into "the flow state". (For this one, I looked to Fincher, Tarantino and Guy Ritchie for inspiration.)
4. I spend about 30 minutes to paint a black and white sketch to ensure the composition, the camera lens and the perspective works in my favor. For this one, I used a fisheye lens and a stretched vanishing point to create a sense of speed, and as if it's jumping out of the screen.
5. It took about 3-6 hours to finish the remaining details.

Efficient Art Styles

One way to make concept art efficient is by suggesting details instead of over-rendering. In this car chase, I used directional brushstrokes to mimic motion blur, and shadows to make the detail distribution better.

This took about 15-30 minutes to sketch

Using the Cinematic Rhythm

Much like black and white comic books, the viewer's mind will fill in the gaps for the missing detail if you only suggest a few elements instead of fully rendering them. This mimics how the human eye and camera lenses work: they focus on one thing, and everything else becomes a blur.

Create Better Concept Art by spending less time on details.

In this image, I applied visual design principles of rhythm and contrast to guide the viewer's eye to areas I wanted to focus on, while providing more detail in those areas and spending less time on those that weren't the focus.

“Working with Miguel on the cover art for Claustrum was a great experience. He took the atmosphere I envisioned—dark, brutalist, and full of tension—and elevated it with an awesome main creature design. His creative process was collaborative yet deeply original, allowing him to capture the exact mood of the game while adding his own signature artistry. The final piece doesn’t just serve as a cover; it tells a story and sets the tone for everything players will feel when they open the box. I can't wait to see how he expands on the art as the game develops over time.”


— Justin Gale,
Creative Director at Typhon Games