Menu
Workshop

Environmental Storytelling

A Workshop
by Eddie Bennun

Composition and Shape Language with Eddie Bennun

intermediate
2h 46m 36s
10 Lessons
A Workshop
by Eddie Bennun
Get Started
Subscribe
In this title, Art Director Eddie Bennun shares his workflow for designing a credible game environment that portrays a clear story. Using Google SketchUp and Adobe Photoshop, Eddie explores the importance of shape language and its crucial role in creating a narrative composition. As the image evolves from big shapes and silhouettes to small storytelling details, a variety of tools, techniques and strategies are explained to assist the student's understanding of Eddie's professional process. Topics include how to keep consistency between foreground and background, creating a sense of depth and distance, choosing proper camera angles, photo textures and credibility, and attracting the viewer's curiosity. For those developing their environment design skills, this title provides a valuable lesson on how to take the efficiency of 3D layout into presentation ready illustration using 2D paintover techniques.

10 Lessons

01IntroductionFree

Eddie Bennun's masterclass offers insights from a seasoned industry professional who has successfully navigated 15 years in AAA game development. Eddie's emphasis on passion as the foundation for career longevity, combined with systematic approaches to composition, storytelling, and production techniques, provides a comprehensive framework for aspiring game artists. The lessons will deliver practical knowledge derived from real-world experience on major franchise titles, focusing on the principles and workflows that create memorable, immersive game universes.

Duration: 6m 51s

Introduction
02Shape LanguageFree

Understanding shape language is fundamental to effective concept art and game design. Eddie explains how intentionally manipulating basic shapes and their combinations can guide player emotions and communicate narrative elements without words. The key takeaway for artists is to build credible designs on real-world foundations and strategically use shape psychology to reinforce the intended atmosphere, difficulty progression, or character identity within the game world.

Duration: 8m 28s

Shape Language
03Composition

Eddie explains why effective composition is a fundamental storytelling tool in concept art and game design, and how it extends beyond aesthetic appeal. By understanding how different compositional structures evoke specific emotional responses and managing visual information across foreground, middleground, and background planes, artists can create more engaging, readable, and narratively compelling environments. The key is balancing variety and contrast while maintaining clarity and ensuring that compositional choices actively support the scene's intended mood and story.

Duration: 10m 32s

Composition
Unlock lesson
04Environment Storytelling

By balancing artistic creativity with logical credibility and filling spaces with purposeful details that tell micro stories, environment artists can create worlds that feel genuinely alive and leave lasting impressions on players. The goal is not historical accuracy or realism for its own sake, but creating entertaining, believable spaces that enhance the overall gaming experience. Eddie explains why exceptional game environment design goes beyond pure aesthetics, considering how every visual element, from color choices to the placement of a coffee cup, supports the narrative and enhances player immersion.

Duration: 9m 43s

Environment Storytelling
Unlock lesson
05Different Approaches to the Production Concept Art

In this lesson, Eddie emphasizes that production concept art is fundamentally a communication tool, not fine art. Eddie explains why success as a concept artist lies in balancing artistic fundamentals with modern efficiency, maintaining the right mindset, and fundamentally understanding how to help other team members build the game world. The ability to adapt approaches, work quickly under deadlines, and provide clear visual information is more important than creating gallery-worthy pieces.

Duration: 11m 21s

Different Approaches to the Production Concept Art
Unlock lesson
06Demo part 1 - Establishing the Scene

This lesson examines a professional workflow for creating compelling game concept art that balances artistic vision with practical development needs. By combining 3D blocking tools with traditional digital painting techniques and carefully maintaining atmospheric consistency, Eddie creates a highly detailed 10 to 12-hour concept piece that effectively communicates a complete vision for a game location. This organized approach, from research and 3D preparation through layered painting with consistent lighting and color, results in production-ready concept art that can guide entire development teams.

Duration: 18m 9s

Demo part 1 - Establishing the Scene
Unlock lesson
07Demo part 2 - Photo Textures and Credibility

This lesson focuses on a professional digital painting workflow that combines painted elements with photographic textures to create an atmospheric, historically inspired vintage aviation scene. Eddie emphasizes compositional flow, atmospheric perspective, and the strategic use of color temperature to guide the viewer's attention while maintaining authenticity through carefully chosen reference materials. Eddie's technique demonstrates that textures serve as the foundation for material quality rather than final details, with subsequent painting passes unifying all elements into a cohesive piece.

Duration: 22m 35s

Demo part 2 - Photo Textures and Credibility
Unlock lesson
08Demo part 3 - Into the Details

This painting process demonstrates how to tell a story through environmental details. The snow-free aircraft suggest operational readiness, while careful attention to light, composition, and the hierarchy of detail creates depth and atmosphere. Eddie balances technical precision with artistic restraint, knowing when to add detail and when to leave elements as suggestive silhouettes to enhance the scene's mysterious, atmospheric quality.

Duration: 19m 20s

Demo part 3 - Into the Details
Unlock lesson
09Demo part 4 - Storytelling and Personalisation

This lesson showcases the iterative process of digital concept art for a video game environment. Eddie emphasizes creating an immersive, explorable space through thoughtful details such as personalized aircraft markings and environmental storytelling elements. By focusing on atmospheric effects, historical accuracy, and compositional balance while using relatively simple tools, Eddie transforms a 3D base into a rich, believable military airport that invites player exploration and interaction.

Duration: 32m 44s

Demo part 4 - Storytelling and Personalisation
Unlock lesson
10Demo part 5 - Keeping the Consistency

This final lesson emphasizes that successful digital illustration requires constant evaluation and refinement throughout the creative process. Eddie shows how balancing technical details with storytelling elements, avoiding symmetry, and knowing when to stop are essential skills. Rather than aiming for absolute perfection, Eddie's goal is to create a cohesive, believable scene that guides the viewer's eye while maintaining visual interest and narrative depth.

Duration: 26m 53s

Demo part 5 - Keeping the Consistency
Unlock lesson

Primary tools

For this workshop you’ll need:

SketchUp
Photoshop

* Note that these programs and materials will not be supplied with the course.

Skills Covered

Who’s this Workshop for?

This workshop is perfect for intermediate to advanced environment artists, concept artists, and game developers who want to enhance storytelling through visual design. If you already have a foundation in 3D modeling and digital painting, Eddie Bennun's professional workflow will teach you how to create narrative-driven game environments that captivate and engage players.


Aspiring concept artists working from traditional illustration to game development will benefit significantly from learning how to combine 3D layout efficiency with 2D presentation techniques. The workshop provides artists with essential skills to craft believable, story-rich worlds that elevate gameplay and immerse your audience.

Learning Outcomes

By completing this workshop, artists will gain a professional workflow that blends 3D layout tools with 2D paintover methods to create story-focused environments.


Key skills include:

  • How to use shape language effectively to communicate clear story elements in environment designs.
  • How to keep visual consistency between foreground and background elements throughout the composition process.
  • How to create convincing depth and distance using professional layering and atmospheric perspective techniques.
  • How to choose optimal camera angles that enhance narrative impact and viewer engagement.
  • How to use photo textures seamlessly while maintaining artistic credibility and visual coherence.
  • How to guide viewer attention strategically through compositional choices that support environmental storytelling.
  • How to efficiently transition from 3D blockouts to presentation-ready illustrations using paintover methods.
Get Started
Subscribe
Workshop
Environmental Storytelling
Composition and Shape Language with Eddie Bennun
A Workshop by Eddie BennunSenior Art Director & Concept Artist
intermediate
2h 46m
10 Lessons
Instructor Eddie BennunSenior Art Director & Concept Artist

Eddie Bennun is a Senior Art Director with over twenty years of experience in the video game industry. He has contributed to major projects such as Assassin's Creed Origins and Assassin's Creed Valhalla, among many others.


Early in his career, Eddie taught art classes and worked as a 2D animator, illustrator, and painter. Over the past two decades, he has held roles as an Art Director, Concept Artist, and Illustrator, bringing a combination of artistic skill, creative vision, and leadership to every project he undertakes.

View profile
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about the Gnomon Workshop
All subscriptions gain you unlimited access to our entire training library of 350+ tutorials with 1000+ hours of training. Watch as many as you like - there are no limits.
A Team License is suitable for any team of 2 or more artists working for a company or attending an educational institution. Licenses can be scaled to accommodate hundreds, or even thousands, of artists or students across multiple groups, teams, or departments.

Learn more about our plans available for Studios here.

Learn more about our School plan options here.
Yes! Whether you’re looking to gift 1 month of The Gnomon Workshop, or would like to gift 3, 6, or 12 months, we’ve got you covered. Just head to https://thegnomonworkshop.com/gift, select your preferred quantity, and your recipient will receive an email notification with their gift card and instructions for how to claim their gift. You’ll also receive a receipt for your purchase by email.
If you have questions, please contact us.
The best way to contact us is via our Contact Form, Emails are responded to on a daily basis, Monday-Friday.
Watch this workshop and hundreds more
Unlimited access to every workshop
Taught by industry leaders & working professionals(1500+ hours of professional training)
Project files available for selected titles
Learn at your own pace
Get Started
Subscribe