Hi there—I’m Michael Concannon Digital Artist, Designer, and Animation Professor.

I create industry leading detailed environments, painted backgrounds, designs, and help clients, teams, and students—turn ideas into compelling visual stories.

Recent Work

Rare Americans - Skids (2025)

Created and oversaw the creation of the Backgrounds, as both a Supervisor and Artist, used in this 2D/3D hybrid animated film, which was done in Unreal Engine for the Rare Americans band.

Charlotte (2021)

Functioning as an Art Direction: oversaw the Production Pipeline Design, Material Design, 3D modelling, Shot & Layout Compositions, Lighting & Rendering as Supervisor of a small team of talented artists on the backrounds for this 2D/3D hybrid animate short film for HBO Max

Kimotiwin: The Act of Stealing (2023)

Worked as a Designer, creating custom artwork and designs, layouts & painted backgrounds, and working with Charlotte Salomon’s original artwork, modifying/layering it for specific FX animations required in this animate film.

Portfolio Highlight:

LOCATION DESIGN

These are my Location Designs, work that I have done for various Animation Productions over the years. To see more of my work, take a look here in My Portfolio.

If you’re looking for following services:

  • Production Support – from designing, painting backgrounds to animating in both 2D and 3D.

  • Workshops & Training – practical industry courses rooted in current studio practices & productions.

  • Advanced Consulting – integrating new tools like VR, Gravity Sketch and Unreal Engine into project pipelines.

…you’re in the right place! I bring 20+ years of studio experience, a college professor’s clarity, and a reputation for delivering high-quality, in-demand, and on-time work.

Have a project in mind or just exploring possibilities? Reach out anytime—I’m always happy to discuss how we can make your next story or project look its best.

  • Looking for well seasoned expert help on any 2D or 3D Animation production or project type, I can help out with the following roles:

    • Art Director

    • Supervisor/Lead

    • Background Painting

    • Location Design

    • Layout

    • Animation

    • Training

  • Learn the skills necessary to advance your own artistic career. From beginner to expert, I have courses to help develop in-demand industry expertise, and integrating new practices and technologies into your current workflows. Take a look for more information here: My Courses (coming soon!)

  • If you ever require expert feedback, I can offer my time & expertise helping you out with consulting on the following:

    • VR Tools Pipeline Integration Support

    • Unreal Engine Production Pipeline Support

    • Animation Industry Portfolio Support

    • College/University Portfolio Support

    • Mentoring/Tutoring Support

    Please contact me here.

Free [online] Consultation

Curious how I can help your project, or your team, move forward? Email me to book a 30-minute video call, free of charge. We’ll discuss your project, goals, and review any reference material you’d like to share (with signed NDA’s welcome and encouraged), and we can outline practical next steps you can act on immediately.

This session blends two perspectives you don’t often get in one place: a production artist’s eye for deadlines and deliverables, and an educator’s knack for breaking complex workflows into clear, teachable actions. Whether you need background-paint support, VR-pipeline advice, or fresh course content, the conversation is tailored to your needs and wrapped up with a concise recap you can keep.

No hard sell, no obligation—just professional insight and a roadmap to help you decide what comes next. Click Schedule a Call and let’s start turning your ideas into frames.

About Me

A Toronto-based background painter, layout artist, and professor who splits time between studio work, VR-pipeline consulting, and teaching digital painting. After years on Emmy-winning shows, I now help teams and students turn ideas into vivid worlds, recently proving in my Master’s research that VR speeds pre-production by letting artists create inside their scenes. Whether you need visuals, workflow advice, or a workshop, I bring an artist’s eye, an educator’s clarity, and a track record of on-time, drama-free delivery.

Have a project in mind or just exploring possibilities? Reach out anytime—I’m always happy to discuss how we can make your next story look its best. Learn even more about me Here!