A concept artist creates initial design sketches and concepts that will be further developed and finalized for animated films or other creative works. They are responsible for designing characters, backgrounds, and other visual elements within the overall scope or brief provided by the client or company. While the concept artist's designs may be altered, the role provides an opportunity for artists interested in character and background design to contribute ideas early in the creative process and help shape the visual style, even if the final work is not fully attributed to them individually.