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OPTIMISE YOUR WORKFLOW FOR PERSONAL PROJECTS
Practical tips and tutorials from pro artists to improve your CG skills
Learn some handy time-saving tips to help you work more efficiently on your personal projects
GNOME WITH HIS PET SNAIL A 3D render inspired by the work of concept artist Jens Claessens
Piotr Majkutewicz
3D character artist based in Warsaw. Over eight years of experience in the advertising and gaming industry. Former employee of CD Projekt RED. Works at Mass Creation. www.artstation.com/mpeter
There comes a time in the lives of many 3D artists when they need to startbeing especially resourceful and clever about their pipelines. Earlier this year I became a dad and fell madly in love with my little son Mikołaj. At the same time I realised that there was no such thing as free evenings anymore! I desperately wanted to create a new project because this is my best way of demonstrating my feelings. I had to quickly think through my 3D pipeline and develop a few tricks in order to find a way to finish the project in this century! Let me share some of them with you; I also hope you can see the love that I put into this little gnome character, dedicated to my son.
In this tutorial, I will demonstrate my process for creating this character, from initial inspiration to final render, with some handy time-saving tips along the way.
DOWNLOAD YOUR RESOURCES
For all the assets you need go to
https://bit.ly/3D-world-gnome
Focus on the visible details
From the very beginning, focus on what you want to achieve and get rid of any unnecessary parts of the pipeline. Certain elements of your model don’t need to be as polished as the others (e.g. any sides of the character that you are sure won’t be visible). Don’t try to make everything perfect. Focus on what’s visible in the final frame.
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MOMENT OF INSPIRATION
Whether you decide to base your 3D model on someone else’s concept or use your own original idea, there is always something that inspires you. In my case it's often a movie, TV series or comic book character. This time inspiration came straight from Jens Claessens – an artist I follow on Instagram and I love his drawing style. His sketch (left) of a gnome with a big snail on his back amazed me right away and I knew I wanted to create a 3D version of this little fella. I strongly feel that the spark which pushes you to start a new project should follow you throughout the whole process. The aim is to see that spark in your finished work and be happy with the result.