Bonus 01
Custom Procreate Brushes
The brushes used throughout the course, ready to drop into your own library.
Value: $19
FREE
REGISTRATIONS CLOSE SOON!
SPECIAL WAITING LIST DISCOUNT: $200 OFF
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atmospheric environment concept art
Learn to design environments that carry mood, story, and intention, starting from a single feeling and ending with a finished illustration. Taught the way I actually work, on an iPad, with a process built for production.
What makes an image compelling?
I used to think it was in the details. The impressiveness of the rendering, the fidelity and its execution. But my thinking has changed. I think it’s the story, the thought behind the design, the atmosphere. At the risk of sounding reductive, it is the feeling.
It’s amazing how much we can stimulate the viewer by what we choose to omit. We can use simplification to focus the eye on a few impactful details, and leave breadcrumbs for the audience to fill in the gaps in their mind.
For me, the process has to be fun. Becoming a good artist takes a lot of time, so we must find a process which we enjoy coming back to over and over.
The process that makes you feel like a kid, drawing for yourself and no one else. For me, that’s where my passion comes from.
I'm Grady
Concept Artist · Illustrator
10+
Years experience
1.3k+
Patreon members
54k+
IG followers
89k+
YT subscribers
I'm a senior concept artist and illustrator working in games and animation, with clients like Wizards of the Coast, Blur, Paramount, Eidos, and Disney. I've been doing this professionally for over 10 years, which is still hard to believe and something I do not take for granted.
I started out in background painting for animation, but I always wanted to be a concept and visual development artist. I taught myself for a while, worked on a few indie projects, but still felt insecure about my skills, unsure if I was doing things the right way. So I spent all of my savings to go to school in Montreal and learn from artists in the industry. I learned a lot, but it was the consistency school brought which really made me a professional. I've been a working concept artist and illustrator ever since.
In school I struggled to balance what the industry needed with my actual individuality as an artist. I sometimes felt I needed to create things which I wasn’t in love with, using a process I didn’t enjoy, just to fit into this or that AAA studio. I ultimately chose to follow my instincts and follow a process I enjoy, and immerse myself in subjects which excite me, and I believe any success I have found is due to this choice.
This course will teach you my entire process. The same one I use on client work, on my personal book Black Shore, and on the pieces I share with my Patreon and YouTube community. My career is very rewarding and fulfilling, but it’s not for everyone. What I really care about is art, stories, and beautiful things made by humans. Above all I want to encourage as many people as possible to pursue their art, be it for a career or simply for the joy it brings.
Feedback on my work
Grady Frederick is a master of narrative environments; his ability to weave atmosphere into every piece provides an incredible lesson in cinematic design. We are delighted to welcome Grady back to our school; his previous classes were a massive hit with our students.
Grady is an absolute beast both in terms of producing art (obvious) but also in terms of communicating how and why he does things, as well as giving feedback. He takes time to explain his thinking and really opens your mind to different possibilities. He’s grounded at all times, with confidence but never arrogance.
I’ve been following Grady’s work for many years and with every piece he creates I feel inspired. He has such mastery of mood, light, and story. When someone asks who my inspirations are, Grady is definitely one of the first I mention.
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PAINTED BY MY STUDENTS
Student Work
AÂ workflow you'll actually use.
There is one skill to possess as an artist which will make you more versatile than any other, and you don’t need any software to do it. It’s drawing.
Drawing with an emphasis on ideas rather than technical quality, and planning your path forward will bring so much confidence and will make each step feel manageable and fully in your control.
Take the time to do each step right, and you’ll save the time you’d otherwise spend endlessly correcting an image which started without a plan.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
SIGN UP NOWWhat you'll unlock through the course
I. A Process You Actually Trust
This isn't a one-off painting tutorial. You'll learn a full workflow (idea sketching, composition, value, color, finish) that you can use in Procreate or any other painting software, so starting a new piece feels exciting instead of overwhelming.
II. Environments That Feel Alive
Atmosphere and storytelling can make very simple subjects have tremendous impact. Let the feeling guide your choices more so than academic understanding.
III. Welcoming Imperfections
Life as an artist, and in general, is a series of peaks and valleys. There is no escaping the low points, and they can be deep as hell. But it is the very acceptance of their inevitability that allows us to grow. And the depth of the pit you had to climb out of will make the peak so much more triumphant.
What's inside
This course is broken down into 40+ video lessons across 9 hours of content, walking you through a full environment from a blank canvas to a finished, atmospheric piece.Â
No prior experience needed, you don't need to already have a 'process,' that's the entire point of this course.Â
We start with low-pressure idea sketching, not worrying about quality, then build forward through composition, values, and color, all the way to a polished final image. It's one continuous project, so you see exactly how each decision connects to the next, not isolated tips floating on their own.
40+ video lessons
9 hours of content
11 modules
1 finished painting
The course structure
3 lessons
Module 1: Introduction
We start with where you're at right now. No assumptions about what you already know, just a clear look at what this process actually is and why it works, so you're not guessing what's coming next.
3 lessons
Module 2: Tools and Setup
You don't need a fancy setup for this. I'll show you how I have things set up, shortcuts and how to make the tool as comfy as possible to work with. That's it. 20 minutes and you're not thinking about it again.
4 lessons
Module 3: Brief and Design Pillars
The environment can start to take shape before you even sketch. Here you'll learn how I turn a loose idea into a real brief with design pillars that guide every decision after, so your painting has direction instead of drifting.
4 lessons
Module 4: Starting to Sketch
It will get ugly, and it’s meant to. Don't worry about drawing anything good yet. Some of my worst first sketches turn into my favorite pieces later, and you never know which one until you've got a few down on the page.
3 lessons
Module 5: Refining Chosen Designs
Once we've got options on the page, we can spend some time clarifying our favorites. You'll see exactly how I turn my napkin sketches into proper presentable ideas.
4 lessons
Module 6: Composition
A lot of environments lack appeal simply because the eye doesn't know where to go. This module breaks down how I build compositions in a brutally simple way, to give as much impact to my subjects as possible.
5 lessons
Module 7: Values
I tend to get overwhelmed and overthink stuff. Working in black and white for the time being helps us focus on the shapes and main lighting of our environments without simultaneously mixing, adjusting and correcting colors.
4 lessons
Module 8: Colors
Color is very tough, admittedly. But there are many ways to make it simple without sacrificing depth. I'll walk you through how I actually pick a palette, how I avoid blurry and muddy colors, and how to create harmony.
5 lessons
Module 9: Refining
Our eyeballs don’t see everything clearly so we don’t need to paint everything clearly. I'll show you how I decide what's actually worth pushing further and what to just leave alone. It took me a long time to learn that more detail isn't the same as more finished.
6 lessons
Module 10: Finalizing
Knowing when a piece is done is hard for beginners, but it’s not arbitrary. I'll show you how I make a final checklist, last-minute major changes, and how I decide it's finished instead of just tired of looking at it.
1 lesson
Module 11: Conclusion
Congratulations, next steps (industry vs. hobby), your certificate and bonuses.
A quick look at the platform
This is the platform itself, so you know what you're actually signing up for. It's simple on purpose. Lessons are laid out in order, everything's easy to find, and you can jump back to any module whenever you need a refresher.
Also included:
i.
Lifetime access
Revisit every lesson whenever you need, no expiration, no rush to finish it all at once.
ii.
Self-paced program
No prior experience required, just follow the 40+ lessons at your own speed.
iii.
Private Discord Community
The same Discord community I hang out in myself - it's honestly one of my favorite parts of doing this. Share your work, get real eyes on it, see what other people are wrestling with.
iv.
Direct support and feedback from Grady
Get real feedback on your work, straight from me, not a generic forum reply.
A few extras, for free
All included with your enrollment.
Bonus 02
Full Artwork PSD File
A complete layered file from a finished piece, so you can open it up and see exactly how the depth and mood came together, layer by layer, instead of reverse-engineering it from a flat image.
Value: $19
FREE
Bonus 03
Summary Guide
A condensed rundown of the entire process, perfect for keeping beside you when you're painting and don't want to scrub back through video to remember a step.
Value: $19
FREE
REGISTRATIONS ARE CLOSING SOON!
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atmospheric environment concept art
Here you will find two options that differ only in how you prefer to pay. The first option is a one-time payment and the second is a monthly plan with three payments. Prices are shown in US dollars, but you can complete your purchase using any currency.
 Since you joined the waiting list, you get a $200 discount as a thank-you for your early support!Â
14
days
14 day money back guarantee
Your chance to try it out for 14 days. I still throw work away all the time - that's normal, not a sign you're doing something wrong. Give it a few days, follow along, and if it's genuinely not clicking, I'll refund you, no hard feelings.
