VISUAL DEV LAB
CONCEPT ART · VIS DEV · COMFYUI · AI WORKFLOWS
Concept Art · Visual Development · ComfyUI · Production Thinking

Not a class.
An art department.

A four-week, production-style Lab for emerging and developing artists who want direct senior-level guidance in concept art, visual development, ComfyUI or a hybrid workflow, with one project pushed far beyond their usual stopping point.

MAXIMUM 5 ARTISTS · 4 WEEKS
APPLICATION ONLY
Portfolio review · request a quotation
The idea
Sometimes you don’t need another technique. You need another pair of eyes.
Someone who can see what you’re trying to achieve, challenge the decisions that aren’t working, and help you recognize the ones worth pursuing.

This Lab is built around the way visual development actually works: brief, exploration, selection, iteration, art direction, production thinking and presentation.

Each artist develops an individual project aligned with their goals and current level. The scope adapts to what you can realistically execute, while the standards, reviews and deadlines remain ambitious. You also learn by watching other artists solve completely different problems.

Choose your focus

One Lab.
Two ways in.

01

Concept Art & Visual Development

Strengthen design thinking, composition, visual storytelling, exploration, iteration, presentation and the kind of decision-making expected in professional visual development.

02

AI + ComfyUI for Visual Development

Learn how to build controlled, production-oriented workflows for ideation, image editing, relighting, reference control, detailing and integration with 3D and Photoshop.

03

Hybrid

Combine both. Your project can move between drawing, 3D, Photoshop and ComfyUI depending on what each stage actually needs.

You do not have to decide this perfectly before applying. We can define the right balance together after looking at your work, your goals and where you are currently getting stuck.

What you get

One project.
Four intense weeks.

01

Direct guidance

Specific decisions, paintovers, demonstrations, references, visual targets and next steps. If a skill is blocking the project, we stop and work through it.

02

Your own brief

No generic school assignment. We shape a project around your portfolio, current level, strengths, weaknesses and the work you want to be hired for.

03

Production workflow

2D, 3D and AI-assisted workflows can be used when they genuinely improve speed, exploration or decision-making.

04

Live group reviews

See how different problems are solved at different levels. Other people's critiques, demonstrations and breakthroughs become part of your education.

05

Private checkpoints

Focused 1:1 moments at key stages so your project doesn't disappear inside a group format.

06

Portfolio finish

The final week is not just rendering. We edit the story, process and presentation so the project works as a professional case study.

4-week structure

From ambiguity
to a finished case study.

Week 01

Direction

  • Portfolio + skill diagnosis
  • Project brief scaled to your level
  • Research + references
  • Visual strategy
  • First exploration sprint
Week 02

Exploration

  • Shape language
  • Design alternatives
  • 2D / 3D / AI iteration
  • Selection criteria
  • Kill weak ideas early
Week 03

Development

  • Chosen direction
  • Function + believability
  • Detail hierarchy
  • Lighting / material logic
  • Production-ready thinking
Week 04

Presentation

  • Final image
  • Process selection
  • Case-study layout
  • Portfolio edit
  • Final career positioning
The difference

The objective is not to make more images.
It is to make better decisions.

Other Mentorships

  • Weekly feedback
  • General portfolio advice
  • Instructor demos
  • Everyone follows similar exercises
  • Focus on the final image

This Lab

  • Project-specific guidance + teaching when needed
  • A brief tied to your level and career target
  • Paintovers, demos and actionable next steps
  • Individual projects inside one cohort
  • Focus on process + final presentation
A WARNING

This will not
be easy.

Expect iterations. Expect deadlines. Expect direct feedback. Expect to work. No shortcuts. No precious pixels. No mercy :)

You may be asked to abandon an idea you love, redo work you thought was finished, or push an exploration much further than you normally would. The pressure has a purpose: to get the project beyond your usual stopping point.

This Lab is for passionate, ambitious artists who genuinely want to improve. You do not need to arrive with senior-level skills. If technique is blocking the work, I will demonstrate, paint over, explain and help you find a way through it. The standards stay high, but you will not be left alone with a problem you do not yet know how to solve.

Who this is for

Level is not the filter.
Commitment is.

You are junior, entry level or developing, and serious about becoming much better.
You want to move toward film, games, VFX, visual development or higher-level concept design.
You may still be building technical confidence, and you want guidance on how to solve problems rather than just hear what is wrong.
You can commit serious time for four weeks and want to finish something substantial.
You are willing to learn, ask questions, take direct feedback, iterate hard and redo work when the project needs it.
You have never made visual work before and are looking for a complete introduction to art or software from zero.
You want passive videos, easy assignments or a certificate more than a demanding project.
You want validation more than critique, or do not have enough time to work seriously between reviews.
Starting point

You do not need to be senior.
You do need to be serious.

What adapts

  • Project scope
  • Technical complexity
  • Amount of teaching and demonstration
  • Tools used
  • Final deliverables

What does not

  • Commitment
  • Deadlines
  • Honest feedback
  • Iteration
  • The expectation that you push beyond your current level

I meet you where you are. I do not leave you there.

A junior artist may finish one excellent environment and a strong process case study. A more advanced artist may take on a broader design package. The ambition is personal, not identical.

How the cohort works

1 artist works.
5 artists work better.

The Lab does not depend on filling every seat. The program runs around your individual project.

With one artist, the experience becomes highly personal. With two or three, you gain shared critiques. With four or five, it starts to feel like a small visual-development room.

The maximum is five because beyond that, direct art direction becomes diluted. The point is access, not scale.

1–5 artistsIndividual projectsShared reviewsSmall cohort
ComfyUI pathway

ComfyUI is a tool.
Control is the skill.

This is not a “download my workflow and press Queue” course. If you choose the AI + ComfyUI pathway, the goal is to understand how to build workflows around a real visual-development problem.

We can work on controlled generation, reference and composition control, depth and structure, image-to-image iteration, relighting, materials, detail, photographic finishing, and the integration of Blender, Photoshop and ComfyUI. Just as important, we will also identify when AI is the wrong tool and a traditional solution is stronger.

01

Controlled exploration

Move beyond random prompting. Build repeatable ways to explore shape, mood, composition and visual direction while preserving intent.

02

Workflow thinking

Understand why a graph is structured a certain way, how stages connect, where control enters the pipeline and how to modify it for a different problem.

03

Production integration

Connect AI with 3D blockouts, Photoshop, paintovers, relighting, detailing and presentation instead of treating generated images as an isolated endpoint.

Tools

Use what serves
the design.

Photoshop, Blender, ZBrush, Octane, ComfyUI, generative AI, paintover, photobashing or traditional drawing can all belong in the workflow. The Lab is tool-agnostic at its core. The criterion is whether the tool gives you more control, speed or visual certainty.

PhotoshopBlenderZBrushComfyUIAI-assisted workflowsPaintover3D blockoutPhotobashing
Portfolio

Some recent work.

A small selection of concept art and visual development work across film, games and original projects — full body of work on ArtStation.

View full portfolio on ArtStation →
The offer

Four weeks.
Maximum five.

A concentrated professional Lab designed to produce one meaningful jump in the quality of your work, process and portfolio.

ADMISSION
BY APPLICATION
Duration4 weeks
Group sizeMaximum 5
Core formatLive reviews + 1:1 checkpoints
ProjectIndividual professional brief
Outcome1 finished portfolio case study
EntryApplication / portfolio review
FeeQuotation on request
Request a quotation
FAQ

Questions.

Do five artists need to enroll?

No. Five is the maximum, not the minimum. The structure works with a single artist and becomes increasingly collaborative as the cohort grows.

Will everyone work on the same project?

No. Each artist develops an individual project. Everyone follows the same production milestones and participates in shared reviews.

Is this an AI Lab?

It can be. You can focus on Concept Art & Visual Development, AI + ComfyUI for Visual Development, or build a hybrid project that combines both. The project is shaped around what you actually want to improve.

Do I need to choose Concept Art or ComfyUI before applying?

No. Tell me what interests you and where you feel blocked. We can decide the most useful balance after reviewing your work and goals.

Is this suitable for junior or entry-level artists?

Yes. You do not need a polished professional portfolio to apply. What matters most is that you already make visual work, are serious about improving, and can commit to the workload. Your project scope will be adapted to your current level.

Can I choose characters, environments, props or vehicles?

Yes, within the areas where meaningful professional guidance can be provided. The project is chosen strategically from your portfolio and career target.

What if I do not know how to execute the feedback?

Then that becomes part of the Lab. I can demonstrate, paint over, break down the problem, suggest a simpler route or help you choose the right tool. No mercy does not mean no help.

How much time should I expect to work?

This is designed as an intensive. A serious project will require meaningful work between reviews, not just attendance at live sessions.

Applications opening soon

Bring one project.
Leave with a stronger way of working.

Maximum five artists. Portfolio review required. Fees are provided by quotation after reviewing your application and project goals.

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Or write directly to visdevlab@protonmail.com or rubenalbaarias@gmail.com