One interesting concept shows The Ancient One, who ended up being bald, with an exceedingly long ponytail, while another shows Doctor Strange riding a crystallized version of a Penrose triangle, presumably while in the Mirror Dimension.
The movie boasts tremendous effects, but much of its visual appeal comes from the minimalist magic employed by The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and her students, including Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch).
A freshly released batch of Doctor Strange concept art shows some other interesting early character designs, but they are part of more fully-realized renderings of some of its most memorable scenes.
Lang’s renderings of the magic weapons conjured by Doctor Strange and Kaecilius ended up strikingly similar to the visuals that ended up in the movie.