Interview with Piotr Glabinski

Velociraptor for Method - © 2013 |  Piotr Glabinski - All right reserved.
Could you give a brief introduction of who you are and what you create?

     Hi, my name is Piotr Glabinski. I am a modeler of characters, props and environments.

How did you get into 3D Modeling/Animation? And how long have you been doing it?

     I have been working in 3d for eight years now.  I started as an intern and soon I got my first freelance gig. 

Did you acquire your skills through a formal education such as a college/university, and/or are you self taught? 

      I graduated from Jagielonian University in Poland,  but I didn’t study 3D there. I taught myself Maya, and during breaks between projects I have been taking a few courses in human anatomy, Mental Ray etc. 

What software(s) do you use? Which is your favorite one and why? 

     I use Maya for modeling and Zbrush for sculpting. Most companies use these programs in production.

What type of modeling do you prefer and why? 

Spiky -- © 2012  |  Piotr Glabinski - All right reserved.

     I love organic modeling, such as characters, because you can use your imagination, and you have more freedom than with hard surface modeling where you usually need to strictly follow reference photos.

What do you like most about your job and why?

      I love my work because it doesn't feel like a regular office job; it's more like playing.

What process do you go through for your personal modeling/animation projects? 

     Finding great concept art is very important.

What was your first major project?And how did you feel about it? 

     My first big project, at RhinoFX, was for Radio City Music Hall's 75th Christmas show.  We built half of New York city, which was projected on a screen behind the Rockettes.

Is there any certain model that you have created that has been your favorite?Why?

 Alien -- © 2012 |  Piotr Glabinski - All right reserved.

     I don’t think I have a  favorite. I like the whole modeling process- adding extra details, skin, wrinkles etc. is fun.

What is/was the most challenging part of modeling/Animation for you?

      Usually it's the time pressure.  Often you have a cool concept to work with but there is not enough time to model it they way you'd like, so you need to decide how many details you can include, and plan your work to avoid mistakes.

What are some important lessons you have learned through your experience? And what are some typical mistakes to avoid while producing a good 3D Model?

     You always need to plan your model well, starting with good topology.

Keep your scene clean and organized.

What inspires you? And/or who inspires you? 

     I like to go to the Metropolitan Museum. Checking out the art there can give you lots of new ideas and inspiration.

If you had the chance, what company or artist would you like to work with on a project?

     There are a lot of great artists I would be honored to work with, the guys from ILM or Blur for example.

How do you stay motivated/focused?

     I love to check online galleries like CG HUB or Zbrush Central.   Most of the artists on these sites are amazing.

What advice do you have for people who want to get into Modeling/Animation? 

     Be positive, keep working hard, practice and don’t give up your dreams.

Do you have any other hobbies besides 3D Modeling/Animation that affects your style?

     I like playing sports and doing traditional sculpting.

Is there anything else about Modeling that would be helpful for beginners to know? 

      Good topology is important. When you are working in production, remember that models for animation need to be very clean, and try to avoid triangles.

male ecorche study - © 2012 |  Piotr Glabinski - All right reserved.

What can we expect to see from you in the future? 

     I am moving to LA very soon, so I hope I will work on some creature and monsters projects; that would be fun.

Alien for Capri Sun spot at MPC -- © 2012  |  Piotr Glabinski - All right reserved.

Thank you to Piotr Glabinski for taking the time to do an interview with me. I hope to see more from you soon.

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO PIOTR GLABINKSI!!

Resources

Glabinski, Piotr. "Screamer." Screamer. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. <http://screamerfx.blogspot.com/>

Merging of Two Worlds | alucinarae

alucinarae is a 2D artist that works with Photoshop quite often and does a lot of digital painting. He also likes to discuss the less popular branded creative soft-wares and bring them to others attention as to what they can do. Please visit his blog if you are interested in his work or learning about other creative works.

There are many uses for 3D models in the creative industry. Most of the time, the world of three-dimensional modeling and rendering are considered separate from the realm of two-dimensional graphic design and illustration. But as the creative industry continues advancing with new developments to the tools and technology available in digital creative software, the boundaries that separate 3D and 2D work are slowly becoming irrelevant.

Most modelers are familiar with the concept of “texturing”, which is effectively the process of wrapping a specialized 2D image around a 3D model to complete the final product. 3D models by themselves are usually quite plain, a monotonous assemblage of uniform, muted gray constructions that appear to have been all carved out of the same material.

"plain, monotonous" 3D model

It is the textures of a model that usually lends to the complete look of any construction; the details and colors that work together with lighting lend to the believability of the created concept. To best understand what texturing is, the idea is similar to painting the colors onto the surface of a colorless sculpture in real life. In 3D rendering, the textures are much more detailed than just color; you also have other options such as normal maps that interact with lighting to simulate wrinkles in cloth, scars on flesh, or intricate engravings on smooth surfaces. Most texture maps are done in a 2D environment, such as Photoshop, and later applied onto the model itself. The result is a finished construction that, if done well enough, looks lifelike and believable.

Texturing seems to be the most well-known method of using both two-dimensional and three-dimensional workspaces; the process is basically applying 2D resources to enhance a 3D artwork. However, there are processes in which the workflow is reversed; using 3D resources to enhance 2D artwork. The concept isn’t as foreign as some might think it to be; it’s actually quite a common application that is sometimes not as recognized or respected due to the particular stigma of “using shortcuts” in the 2D creative industry community.

Same plain model after being textured

The negative opinion I’m referring to is not a universal opinion, so perhaps I need to explain.

In the 2D creative industry—especially in the painting and illustration community, which I am a part of—many individuals take great pride in the “do everything by hand” mentality; all concepts and artwork should be done entirely by the artist alone, and any non-traditional use of resources or aids are heavily discouraged, sometimes even being labeled as “cheating”. I personally find this kind of thinking to be limited and unconstructive, as it is counter-productive to the opportunities and potential innovations our industry could benefit from by bringing 2D and 3D work styles together.

Many graphic designers already implement 3D-rendered images into their 2D arrangements. In illustration, the same principle can be applied to help cut down the time spent doing tedious or time-consuming steps of composing an image, or just be used as an aid to further enhance a piece. One of the most classic examples are how some of the recent comics graphic novels use three-dimensional rendering to composite a background setting, saving artists from redrawing a background repeatedly over multiple panels and keeping the intricate details of the setting consistent.

A popular Korean webtoon, Noblesse, uses this method extensively. The artist, Lee Gwang Su, draws his characters in a clean and refined style. According to the Noblesse blog run by the webtoon’s author, he utilizes GoogleSketchUp to build a believable and consistent 3D environment, then takes screenshots from different angles as backgrounds for different panels. After the backgrounds are established from the 3D environment renderings, he draws the characters in separately; the result is a smooth blend of both 2D and 3D elements that create a completed scene which helps Lee Gwang Su tell his stories cleanly and efficiently.

Example of the Noblesse webcomic

Another artist noted for using such a method is Wenqing Yan, better known as Yuumei. Her most recent storytelling endeavor, Fisheye Placebo, is also a webtoon-styled graphic story set in a highly-detailed, meticulously-constructed world. In order to capture the feeling of the story she was aiming for, Yuumei adopted and practiced the methodology of constructing artistic, yet intricate and precise backgrounds using a combination of various 3D modeling software and 2D graphics software. In fact, Yuumei provided a quick tutorial on her deviantART account which overviewed her preferred methods when it came to constructing such 3D-based backgrounds for illustrations. Yuumei often uses SketchUp to build her scene, similar to Lee Gwang Su’s technique, but goes further in using V-Ray to flesh out the scene with high-quality rendering and effects. Other programs she has made use of include 3DSMax and ghostTown (for generating random cityscapes), so her array of resources is quite large. After building and rendering the 3D background, she takes the images and subjects them to further post-processing in 2D software, namely Photoshop and SAI. The entire process results in an image that blends almost seamlessly with organic art; working together to create a uniform illustration that has depth, yet did not require tedious work that consumed a lengthy amount of time.

A gif created by Yuumei to show off a 3D modeled background blended with 2D illustration.

Yuumei has answered to criticism from other illustrators and comic artists for employing this methodology of using 3D software to “speed up” her process, or using it as a “crutch”. This is the stigma of the graphic design and illustration community I mentioned earlier; some individuals condemn this strategy, considering it even worse than tracing. Yuumei herself has addressed these criticisms on her own blog, stating her reasoning and justification for employing this technique.

Whether this technique is loved or hated, it cannot be denied that the usage of three-dimensional imaging to supplement traditional two-dimensional illustrations is becoming increasingly common. The artists who wish to remain traditional may be adamant about using only self-made art, but the ever-growing creative industry itself has provided the means for progress through innovation, even if it is at the cost of traditional methods.

Either way, the bridges between the two worlds of our creative industry do exist; the distance between 3D modeling and 2D illustration is not quite as far as it used to be anymore.

Resources:

• Łyczkowski, P (2009) Artblog. Plyczkowski.com. Retrieved from http://plyczkowski.com/wp/
• 손제호 / 이광수 (2010) “everywhen blog”. Naver.com. Retrieved from http://blog.naver.com/everywhen/150089993668
• 손제호 / 이광수 (2007) Noblesse. Naver.com. Retrieved from http://comic.naver.com/webtoon/list.nhn?titleId=25455
• Yuumei (2012) “Work progress gif for ‘Leave it Broken’”. Maid-en-china. Retrieved from http://maid-en-china.tumblr.com/post/33149233247
• Yuumei (2012) 3D background Tutorial (sic). deviantART.com. Retrieved from http://fav.me/d58fpqc