In this conversation with Neville Page, we sat down to discuss his two new Gnomon Workshop titles, Virtual Makeup Design: Volume 1 and Volume 2, and his upcoming book, What follows is more than a breakdown of tools and techniques. Our conversation became a rich exploration of process, practicality, mindset, and how artists can better align creativity with production reality.Alien virtual makeup design series by Neville Page. Learn Neville's complete design process at thegnomonworkshop.comThe Gnomon Workshop: To kick things off, could you briefly introduce yourself in your own words?Neville Page: My name is Neville Page, and I’m a concept artist in the entertainment industry, as well as a teacher. Over the past ten years, I’ve also been producing, directing, and writing.TGW: You’ve got a lot happening at the moment: two new Gnomon workshops and what looks like a very personal book on the way. What’s been fueling this creative fire lately?NP: It’s actually been burning for quite a while. When it comes to education, like these Gnomon Workshops, I’ve been involved with Gnomon for a long time. Not quite since the very beginning, but pretty close. In fact, the very first workshops I did with Alex Alvarez, the founder, were held at his house. So, yes, it was definitely a while ago, and I still had hair back then! It’s been a minute.I’ve always been passionate about teaching and education. I’ve taught formally at a number of different colleges, including Gnomon, so that interest has always been there. But the time? Not so much.The opportunity arose when the film and TV industry began to slow down, due to a combination of factors: COVID-19, strikes, wildfires, and other contemporary challenges. So with that downtime, I turned my attention to other creative pursuits. I was doing a lot of IP development, scriptwriting, and directing, and working with a company called Orbital Studios that specializes in virtual production. We’ve done a few projects together during this period.But I also thought: Now I finally have time to get back to my book, Beauty in the Beast, which I’m a little embarrassed to say I started over ten years ago. And by “started,” I mean a bunch of false starts. I’d think, I’ve got a couple of months off between films — I’d start it, and then a project would come up, and I’d be either obligated or genuinely excited to jump back in.The Gnomon Workshops — Virtual Makeup Design, Volume 1 and 2 — also came into the mix at this serendipitous moment. I had the time, and The Gnomon Workshop had an interest in doing something new. I had already begun developing chapters around the idea of virtual makeup for the book, so Alex and I talked about that as a potential workshop topic. It resonated, because even though Gnomon doesn’t offer classes in makeup specifically — and I’m not a makeup artist myself — I am a designer of creatures and characters.So, these workshops are helpful whether you’re purely interested in design or if you’re into ZBrush and want to see how it fits into a specific pipeline. And if you have an interest in virtual makeup — or at the very least in designing for virtual makeup — it’s a great fit. It’s also a pretty unique approach to design, because it’s so specific: You’re designing makeups that actually need to work on a real human, rather than just on a digital character driven by performance capture or newer tech.This whole concept really came from my experience on Star Trek Into Darkness with J.J. Abrams. That was the project where I had a kind of personal eureka moment, realizing that designing this way could genuinely help a production. So that’s the origin story behind it.Renders of Neville Page's Lizard makeup design as featured in his Gnomon Workshop tutorials, streaming now at thegnomonworkshop.comTGW: Virtual makeup design feels like something you’ve really helped define over the years. Would you say you’ve played a key role in how the industry has come to understand the process of designing makeup digitally, so that it can then be applied practically?NP: You know, I never like to plant my flag in the sand and claim ownership of something, but I was definitely there at the beginning of this movement. It’s possible that I was one of the first to start designing this way.It’s a bit like when 3D scanning first became viable for toy design. Years ago, when scanning finally reached a resolution that was useful, I was working with a company called Gentle Giant, run by Karl Meyer. Karl and I became friends because we shared similar interests — we were both working in the toy industry. Gentle Giant was creating a lot of toy sculptures, and I was also involved in that world. I was just returning to LA after teaching in Switzerland, and before that, I’d been in San Francisco — so when I came back to LA, years had passed, and I didn’t know anyone anymore. I had no social network, in the literal sense.I got offered a sculpting job, but didn’t know how to sculpt in wax. So I called a friend who was working with Mattel, and through a few connections, I was put in touch with Karl. At the time, Gentle Giant was essentially his garage, and he had a wax recipe — something like Mattel’s secret formula — and he was kind enough to share it with me. He gave me some wax, some tips, and told me what tools to use. He was incredibly generous. As a teacher myself, I think generosity is essential. You can’t “own” a technique or approach. It’s not about what kind of pencil or paper you use. It’s about sharing the wealth.That job led me to sculpting for Jakks Pacific, and I did a ton of likeness sculpts for WWF — now WWE — which was a fascinating chapter in my career. Around that time, Karl was experimenting with head scans, and I started connecting the dots. I realized I was constantly having to make revisions to wax sculpts — painfully slow revisions. The worst was when a client would ask, “Can you make this 5–10% bigger?” which is effectively an entirely new sculpt. You can’t just stretch wax.I already knew about ZBrush, scanning, and other tools, but they weren’t being used together yet. So I asked Karl if he’d share one of his head scans with me so I could play with it and present a new approach to the client. I knew that by doing this, I was essentially proposing that they shift away from traditional sculpting and toward a digital pipeline using scans, which made business sense for them, but not for me! I didn’t have a scanner or the necessary tech. Still, I explained the benefits: “You want something 5% bigger? Done. You want it taller, moved, or mirrored? Easy. Digital is much more flexible.”I explained it so well that…I lost the job! But honestly, that was okay. It made sense. I didn’t feel like I was shooting myself in the foot. I felt like I was doing the right thing. It would’ve been disingenuous to withhold something better just to protect my own position. The reason I bring all this up is to show how important it is to recognize when you’re at the front edge of something, when you can combine tools or processes in a new way. That same mindset carried over into my work years later, around Avatar and then Star Trek Into Darkness, where I realized ZBrush and digital sculpting had evolved enough to support actual production.By the time I was working on Into Darkness with J.J. Abrams, we already had a few films under our belt and a good working relationship. I felt comfortable saying, “Hey, can I show you a different approach?” — one that didn’t involve pencil drawings or clay maquettes. Although those are 100% still valuable, by the way. I still encourage artists to learn those skills. But I wanted to surprise him with something I believed had more practical value for that project.This approach actually began earlier, on Super 8. On Super 8, I had the experience of presenting a digital creature not as a gray sculpt, but as a fully painted, textured, and lit version, lensed the way it would appear in the film. I even spoke with Larry Fong, the DP, to understand how he planned to shoot it — how much smoke there would be, what kind of lighting. I replicated all those elements so that when J.J. saw the design digitally, it felt fully contextualized. That made the approval process much faster and much more aligned with production.So when we got to Into Darkness, I applied the same philosophy to makeup design, specifically for the Klingons. Instead of sculpting a generic head, I used a scan of my own head and fully resolved the design using Modo. I carefully mimicked silicone makeup materials, using subsurface scattering and other techniques. I even lit the render to match the actual set, since I had access and could take reference photos.When I presented the design to J.J., he actually asked if it was a makeup test, because it looked so realistic. That was the moment I realized this method really worked. He was able to say, “That’s exactly what I don’t want,” because he wasn’t looking at a suggestion or a sketch. He was seeing the thing itself. Furthermore, because it was on my face, and we didn’t have the actor cast yet, he could look at the render, then look at me, and evaluate how buried the actor might be in makeup, or whether their features would still be visible. And depending on the character, either outcome could be ideal.That was the moment it all clicked. This was a viable process for approvals. And yeah, it was quite a while ago — before a lot of people were doing this kind of thing. So I’ll go as far as to say: I was using it before most people. But I won’t say I invented the process. All I did was use existing tools, created by others, and combine them in a way that helped production. Like they say, necessity is the mother of invention.Neville Page as a vampire; learn how Neville designed this character's makeup in his new tutorials at thegnomonworkshop.com“I remember on Avatar, James Cameron approved a design. Later, some of us in the art department, thinking like typical artists, tried to refine and improve it. When Jim came back, he said, “What happened? Your design has drifted.” Those were his exact words. I thought, No, I just made it better! But he said, “I approved it once. That’s what I wanted. Don’t change it. It was a big lesson: Some directors, like Jim, don’t want things to evolve past their point of approval. They want exactly what they signed off on—that image you initially delivered.” Neville PageTGW: Would you say that virtual makeup design has become more common now in films that use practical makeup? Is this process used widely in pre-production?NP: It’s being used more, but I’m surprised it’s not as common as it could be. That’s partly because different departments operate in different ways. The concept art department usually doesn’t include creature designers. And when you think of a traditional film makeup department, it’s often focused on beauty makeup or aging effects, not the creature design side of things.Specialty shops handle creature work — places like Rick Baker’s old shop, Alchemy Studios, or Vincent Van Dyke Effects. There are many out there. When I worked with Joel Harlow, prosthetic makeup supervisor on Star Trek, he and I developed a strong working relationship. We both saw the value in close collaboration: Me as the designer, and Joel as the head of the creature makeup department. I learned a lot from working with him, and dare I say, he may have picked up a few things from my design approach as well.At the time, there weren’t a lot of digital sculptors in makeup. Photoshop, yes, but not much digital sculpting for practical makeups. It’s a tricky thing. You have to weigh whether it’s worth the expense for a makeup department to hire someone who can digitally sculpt in ZBrush. You also have to consider whether it’s worth it for a traditional sculptor to make the transition into digital.Over time, it’s been happening more and more. Shops like Legacy Effects — formerly Stan Winston Studios — are full of incredible digital artists. They’ve really embraced ZBrush and innovated with it. Even smaller boutique shops, like Vincent Van Dyke Effects, are incredibly forward-thinking.When Vincent and I worked together on Star Trek: Picard, designing the Borg Queen, we had an opportunity to push things even further. We weren’t just using virtual techniques to present ideas to clients — we were actually using them to fabricate elements of the makeup. What we did with the Borg Queen was new: We 3D-printed the hard pieces of her crown and even printed pieces that would later be molded and cast in silicone or latex.Today, the next evolution is happening: Instead of printing rubber parts directly, which still isn’t perfect, you can now print the molds themselves. You design digitally, print the mold, and cast the final material from that.But here’s the key: As a designer, you have to understand both the aesthetic and the technical requirements. It’s not enough to just make a cool shape — you need to ensure the piece can function practically in a makeup department. And for shops that are willing to invest in this kind of hybrid workflow, it’s a real advantage.If you stay up to date with new materials, 3D printers, and evolving techniques, you stay relevant and employable. That’s something I talk about a lot: there’s no point in hoarding knowledge. I’ve learned so much from others—whether they knew they were teaching me or not—that I feel strongly about sharing everything I know.All of this relates back to the workshops. In my Gnomon Workshops, I teach a technique that has far more potential if you keep learning, and which will help you bring your digital designs to life. And that’s incredibly powerful for clients.After all, when a client approves a traditional drawing — say, something done in graphite — they like the design, but then it goes through several hands: The sculptor, the mold-maker, the makeup artist. Each stage can reinterpret and change the design. By the time it’s glued onto an actor’s face, it may look very different from what was initially approved.Sometimes change is necessary. However, preserving the original intent can be just as critical. I remember on Avatar, James Cameron approved a design. Later, some of us in the art department, thinking like typical artists, tried to refine and improve it. When Jim came back, he said, “What happened? Your design has drifted.” Those were his exact words. I thought, No, I just made it better! But he said, “I approved it once. That’s what I wanted. Don’t change it.”It was a big lesson: Some directors, like Jim, don’t want things to evolve past their point of approval. They want exactly what they signed off on — that image you initially delivered.So if you can present a client with a final, fully realized version of a design, and they approve it, you’ve made the entire process much smoother. You protect the integrity of the original idea and help the production tremendously. The skills needed to achieve this are precisely what I focus on and share across both volumes of the workshops.“When you’re world-building in a science-fiction film … You need to define things like the air density, because that dictates the size of wings a creature needs to fly. You think about what the creatures eat to figure out their teeth. You think about the ground they walk on to determine the shape of their feet. The rules help you create something plausible.” Neville PageTGW: You’ve touched a lot on creating a final, production-ready design — but even earlier in the process, when you’re just sculpting in ZBrush, how much does real-world awareness shape your creative decisions? Knowing your designs will ultimately have to be made in latex, silicone, or other materials, do you find yourself needing to restrain your imagination? Or can you still let it run wild?NP: That’s a great question, because it touches on something I encounter a lot: The idea of restrictions, or feeling like creativity is being held back.Sometimes when you start a project — whether it’s a building, a creature makeup, or even a piece of music — you’re given parameters. And for a sensible artist, parameters aren’t limitations; they’re the definition of what you’re supposed to create.For example, if someone says, “You get to compose a piece of music,” you might immediately imagine working with the London Symphony — full orchestra, strings, brass, the works. But then the client tells you, “Actually, it’s just a quartet. It’s meant to feel very intimate.” If you’re not a mature, seasoned artist, you might think, You’re restricting me! You’re holding back my creativity! But really, those parameters are the rules of the world you’re building within. They’re what guides you.It’s the same when you’re world-building in a science-fiction film. You need to define things like the air density, because that dictates the size of wings a creature needs to fly. You think about what the creatures eat to figure out their teeth. You think about the ground they walk on to determine the shape of their feet. The rules help you create something plausible.So, when I’m told a makeup design is going to be applied to a particular actor, I study that person. And it matters. Sometimes it’s measurable, like the distance between their eyes, or sometimes it’s just perceived based on the structure of their nose and face. Some people appear to have closely set eyes. If you’re adding thickness to the nose with prosthetics, the eyes can quickly start to look cyclopean — and not in a good way. That’s not a creative “restriction,” it’s just a reality you have to design around.Personally, I like rules and boundaries. They create an artistic challenge. They also give you a starting point, because when you have no rules, no budget, no limitations, it can actually be overwhelming. That blank white sheet of paper can be the hardest thing to face.As for material choice — whether something will be made from silicone or latex — it doesn’t always impact the early design stage unless you’re creating a fully rendered, virtual makeup. In that case, material matters a lot. Light reacts differently to silicone than it does to latex. For example, if you’ve got large ears that will be backlit, silicone will create beautiful, realistic translucency with a reddish glow. Latex won’t behave that way; it absorbs light differently.Material choice also affects movement. Latex moves differently than silicone, and if there’s going to be a lot of motion — say, around the mouth or eyes — you need to factor that in, even at the design stage. You might be proposing a design solution that later becomes a technical requirement for the makeup department.And there are other factors you have to think about, too — things you only learn with experience. For instance, who’s wearing the makeup? Are they claustrophobic? Have they just had a baby and don’t want to sit for long application and removal times? Are they someone who hates heavy prosthetics? You start asking these questions, and sometimes your client is surprised, like, “Why are you asking me that?” It’s because every answer affects what you can realistically design for them.It all ties back to something I call Honest Design. If you design something that makes the client say, “That’s amazing!” but the actor later refuses to wear it, or the makeup team struggles because it’s impractical, then you haven’t designed honestly.Sometimes, concept artists will design these crazy, intricate patterns, pulling from animal references that look incredible but are basically impossible to paint and maintain every day on set. It’s easy to sell those ideas because they’re new and visually striking. But if the practical team isn’t given the time, budget, or tools to pull it off, it’s profoundly unfair. And it’s a dishonest design, because you didn’t deliver something manufacturable.Still from Neville Page's Gnomon Workshop tutorial featuring his complete design process for makeup FXTGW: Your workshops cover a lot of valuable technical skills — sculpting, lighting, rendering — but it also feels like you’re really keen to impart the mindset of a designer. That practical and emotional awareness seems just as important in what you’re teaching. Would you agree?NP: Yes. I always include this thinking in my tutorials for two reasons. First, and most importantly, I feel that those kinds of insights are so valuable that not including them would be leaving out a crucial part of the full picture.The second reason is a bit more practical: There’s a lot of downtime when you’re making these kinds of workshops. Sculpting, painting — whatever the activity is — it takes time. Even when you speed up the footage, you eventually run out of things to narrate. You can only say, “Here I am still sculpting the bicep,” or “Still painting the eye,” so many times before it gets repetitive.So, for me, the filler becomes story time. I use that space as an opportunity to share experiences and ideas. I try to keep those stories relevant to what I’m doing — sometimes directly connected to the sculpting or painting I'm working on. Other times, I’ll go on a tangent and talk about an experience I had on a film that might not directly relate to painting an iris, for instance, but will be entirely relevant to the artist who’s seeking to learn and grow. You never know who might actually want to see those small moments — someone might want to slow it down or pause and really study that subtle detail. So instead of cutting it, I fill that space with what I like to call Bonus Content. It’s not what the workshop is primarily about, but it’s an extra value for the viewer.To be continued... In Part 2 of our interview with Neville Page, we explore his deeply personal book, Beauty in the Beast, and find out how artists can stay grounded, curious, and resilient in an age of AI and uncertainty.Neville’s new workshops, Virtual Makeup Design: Volume 1 and Volume 2, are now available at Gnomon Workshop. Whether you’re looking to level up your sculpting, rendering, or presentation skills, they offer a detailed look at the professional techniques behind production-ready design.To go deeper into the mindset, resilience, and creative philosophy that have shaped Neville’s career, you can . It’s more than a collection of creatures: it’s a manifesto for staying curious, evolving with the times, and creating with intention in a changing world.

In Part 1 of our conversation, concept designer Neville Page walked us through his Virtual Makeup Design workshops and his decades-long commitment to education, technical growth, and honest design.In this second part, we shift focus to his upcoming book, Beauty in the Beast — a manifesto for navigating the emotional, philosophical, and practical challenges of working in entertainment.The Gnomon Workshop: Let’s discuss your upcoming book, Beauty in the Beast. The book very much explores these themes of mindset, collaboration, and resilience. Do you think that, to thrive in this industry today, creatives need both the technical craft and the mindset to navigate the emotional and practical realities of the work and industry today?Neville Page: Absolutely. Without question. It’s a bit like being in school, whether you’re studying medicine, business, or art. You’re usually taught the craft — how to be a good doctor, chef, or accountant — but you’re not often taught the realities of those careers. You occasionally get that one instructor who comes in and tells it like it is, and by the end of the day, you’re questioning your life choices! Is it really that hard to be a chef? That hard to be a designer?And honestly, most work is hard. I’ve had a lot of different jobs in my life, and I can barely think of one that felt like a cakewalk. Even working at Del Taco, making burritos, burgers, and fries, was really hard work. There are even moments, working as a designer on a film, where I think: This doesn’t even compare to how tough that job was.Whatever you’re doing, you still want to enjoy the creative part — the reason you got into it in the first place — but you also have to function within a team, with other people. Very few jobs exist in total isolation. So, part of what I try to share in the book is based on my own experiences: Navigating work environments, understanding people, and maintaining your creativity and self-worth.The book isn’t a biography, exactly. But I do share personal stories and lessons in the hope that, if something resonates, the reader can see how it might apply to their journey. There are some universal themes that apply across all creative disciplines — whether you’re into poetry, painting, performance, or design. Everyone knows what burnout feels like.I’ve been teaching for 20 years and working in the industry for nearly 30, so I’ve seen burnout firsthand — not just in myself, but in others as well. And being a bit of an empath, I try to really listen to what people are going through. If asked, I share what I’ve learned. That’s where I think the book's real value lies. YouTube is packed with tutorials on how to draw or design a creature. But there’s far less out there that talks about burnout, impostor syndrome, self-doubt, and how to move through those experiences.Neville Page's Beauty in the Beast book is available to back on Kickstarter now“Some people are sensitive to any kind of criticism. And if you’re working professionally, especially for money, you have to be able to hear feedback, at the very least, so you don’t get fired. But more importantly, so you don’t come out of it feeling depleted or broken.” Neville PageTGW: Do you feel like those emotional challenges — burnout, self-doubt, imposter syndrome — are talked about enough in creative education? Or is that still a gap you’re hoping this book can help fill?NP: I’m not projecting my experience onto anyone. I just hope people read the book as my story, my take on how I overcame things. I don’t want to tell people how to be—I want to offer a perspective. For example, how do you critique your own work, or someone else’s? And how do you receive criticism in a way that keeps you balanced?Some people are sensitive to any kind of criticism. And if you’re working professionally, especially for money, you have to be able to hear feedback, at the very least, so you don’t get fired. But more importantly, so you don’t come out of it feeling depleted or broken.There’s a part of the book where I share little “demos” — not literal drawing demos, but things I’ve found helpful. Like, if you’re stuck in a rut: Put the pencil down, go outside, take a deep breath, listen to some music. That might work for you, or not — but I offer it as a seed of an idea. In the same way, I might show someone how to draw a cube: Draw a horizon line, two vanishing points, and connect the lines. You give someone some rules — some structure — and that can lead to creative freedom. That same idea applies to mindset.And then there’s this romantic idea of what it means to be an artist. We’ve all seen it in movies — the grungy loft in Paris, the struggling painter, freezing in winter with a space heater and a threadbare sweater, chain-smoking. It’s cinematic. But in real life, that sucks. People want to be warm. They want to eat. They want to feel safe. Movies romanticize suffering, and we start believing that’s what an artist should be. Over time, I realized: That’s not what I want. I’m not saying I was lied to, but I did buy into something that doesn’t actually serve me. And I think a lot of people go through that.What’s fascinating to me now is how deeply our design practice connects to our personal lives. The way I design creatures, the way I approach a “beast” — it mirrors how I try to understand and interact with other people. That’s why the book is called Beauty in the Beast. It’s not just about showing that a crab or grotesque creature can be beautiful, though that’s part of it. It’s about confronting the real beasts in our lives.The beast could be Hollywood. It could be your inner critic. It could be burnout, insecurity, a toxic relationship, or self-doubt. But when you stop and really observe what scares you, when you remove the ignorance and fill it with knowledge, you realize that the beast isn’t so scary anymore. You see the beauty in it.If someone finishes this book with a little more empathy — for themselves, for others, for the unknown — then I’ve succeeded. If they also learn how to draw a cube or design a creature, great. But you can find that anywhere. What I’m trying to offer is something more profound. And I want to do it with humor, elegance, and grace.After 30 years in the industry and a lifetime of consuming entertainment, I’ve reached a point where I just don’t want to create anything that doesn’t have value. If I’m going to write or work on a movie, I want it to have some meaning — something that contributes to humanity in a positive way. That’s not me being anti-horror or anti-entertainment. I love action, violence, sex, drugs, rock and roll — bring it on. But I believe we can craft those stories in a way that’s more emotionally nutritious. There’s room for work that’s exciting and healthy. Stuff that leaves you saying, “That sword fight was awesome,” but also feeling something deeper. That’s what this book is about.“Whether you’re designing a car, a ballet, a dish, or a creature, you need to know who you’re trying to reach. And if you’re trying to say something meaningful — if you’re trying to message something deeper — then you’re either targeting a new audience or aiming for a broader one. But that comes with the risk of watering down your message.” Neville PageTGW: What’s the one message you hope really stays with readers after they’ve put the book down? I know you touched on it a little already, but is there something you’d say really sums it up?NP: I want someone to come away from this book not just satisfied, but surprised — like they got dessert, and it turned out to be good for them. You know, no calories, no guilt, but still incredibly satisfying. A dopamine hit that also happens to nourish you. I know that sounds odd — food analogies come up a lot for me, even I find it strange! But it works as a metaphor.One of my core philosophies, which I explore in the book, is that you have to understand your audience. Whether you’re designing a car, a ballet, a dish, or a creature, you need to know who you’re trying to reach. And if you’re trying to say something meaningful — if you’re trying to message something deeper — then you’re either targeting a new audience or aiming for a broader one. But that comes with the risk of watering down your message.So, I use the Big Mac as an example. Sure, not everyone loves Big Macs, but the reason McDonald’s is so successful isn’t just marketing; it’s because the flavor is designed to be universally satisfying. It’s salty, fatty, flavorful (assuming you’re not vegan, of course). Millions of people respond to that.Now imagine this: You make something that looks, smells, and tastes like a Big Mac. People come in with that expectation, and they get exactly what they thought they were ordering. But then, after they’ve eaten it, you tell them: “By the way, the buns were made locally, the patty’s actually vegan, the lettuce was sustainably grown nearby, and it’s a third of the calories of what you’d expect.” That is what I want this book to be.You can only achieve that if you put in the effort on both sides. You have to deliver the experience people came for, and you have to make it genuinely good for them. Otherwise, you’re just creating French cuisine; personal, beautiful, but limited in reach. You won’t connect with a large audience.So yes, the book will give you what it promises. But my hope is that there are layers to appreciate. One person might connect with the chapter on self-deprecation. Someone else might not relate to that at all, but they’ll find value in the sections on creative block or impostor syndrome.I’m not claiming the book has all the answers — it’s just my experience. But I can say, with some confidence, it’s a lot more than just a creature portfolio or a how-to-draw guide.TGW: We’ve talked a lot about mindset already — and I know you even have a chapter about it in the book — but I wanted to end on a forward-looking note. As you mentioned earlier, the industry is in a strange place right now, and AI is a hot topic. What kind of mindset shift do you think the next generation of artists will need as they continue creating in this new environment?NP: That’s the most challenging question to answer, and it’s one I’m actively trying to explore in the book. I’ve also tried to answer it on panels and in public discussions. I can speak to it not in the abstract, but from personal experience, because I’m in it. I’m not retired and speculating from the sidelines. I’m dealing with this shift right now.And the first thing I’d say is: We need to examine what we actually feel threatened by.Most questions about AI come from a place of fear. It’s not like someone’s saying, “Hey, now that we’ve solved shelter and food, what do you think comes next?” No — it’s more like, “This thing could take everything away from you.” So, the first vital step is understanding what exactly feels threatening. I see many people reacting to AI without having the right information. I won’t even say “enough” information, because even I don’t have that, but I try to have appropriate information.Just like anything in life, you have to vet your sources. And right now, we’ve entered a kind of cultural paradigm shift into ignorance. People read a headline and run with it as if it were gospel. That’s all they need to know. And this is slightly off-topic, but bear with me: I’ve written a script called The Coalescence. It’s a World War I sci-fi drama that, like the Big Mac analogy, ticks the boxes for entertainment. But beneath that, it’s deeply philosophical. It explores how we choose a belief system — such as nationalism, religion, or leadership — and how we live by that choice.While writing it, I had one of those moments where the idea starts simple — like, “I’m going to spin this pottery wheel and make a teapot” — but then you realize: Where does the spout go? How do you keep the handle cool? How do you pour without the lid falling off? Suddenly, it’s not just spinning a pot anymore, it’s designing something functional. That’s what writing this script became. And it made me think a lot about indoctrination and how we often inherit ideas without questioning them.Religion is a great example. I’m not criticizing any particular belief system here—what I’m saying is, many people are born into it. You’re born into a family, a state, a country. It’s logistical. You didn’t choose to be in that gang or on that team; your mom just happened to give birth to you in that zip code. That doesn’t make it inherently wrong or right, but what happens next matters: Do you ever question it?A lot of the fear around AI comes from that same place — an unexamined fear. “I’ve learned my tools. I know how to draw. I know how to sculpt. And now this thing is coming to take my job.” But we often don’t stop to ask: What is it really? What is it actually doing?I’ve played with AI tools. I did it because I wanted to know what it could do to me. And I proved to myself, very quickly, that a version of “Neville” using AI could outdo the current version of me without it. And that was terrifying. I had to face the question: Do I try to beat AI…or do I figure out how to work with it?I still don’t know the answer. But what I do know is this: Ignoring it won’t help. And embracing it blindly without understanding it is just as dangerous.AI is going to take jobs. It’s going to change how hiring works. That’s happening whether we like it or not. We can complain all we want, but people in positions of power — those with the money — will still decide how to scale back departments like ours. We can’t stop that. But we can educate ourselves. We must educate ourselves.Putting an anti-AI logo online and saying, “If you use AI, you’re dead to me” — that’s not helpful. That’s the kind of reactionary behavior that cancel culture thrives on. Instead, we need to learn together. We might conclude AI is a net negative. Or we might find some value in it. But until we’re properly informed, we’re just guessing and reacting from fear.If your chosen “religion” is Photoshop, and a new tool comes along that challenges your sense of mastery, you’re naturally going to resist it. But I say: Be open. This goes back to the core idea behind Beauty in the Beast. When you teach a kid not to step on an ant, not because it’s sacred or divine, but because it’s a living thing with a task, you’re planting the seed of empathy. And that seed can grow into a way of seeing the world. It starts with an ant and extends to people, to ideas, to the unknown.If we can approach AI with that kind of awareness — intellectually and ethically — we may be able to guide it, shape it, and even build a community with it. I’m still deeply concerned, of course. About the dilution of artistic voices. About the decline in critical, personal thinking. About how we measure creativity moving forward. But the reality is: AI is a hammer. It’s here. We need to figure out how to wield it.As for Beauty in the Beast and writing about AI in a book? That’s a real challenge. The technology is changing so quickly. If the Kickstarter is funded, the book goes to print, and it comes back six months later, we’ll already be a year out from today. And with AI, a week can make something obsolete.So, what I’ve decided is that the AI chapter won’t be static. It’ll be a QR code that links to a living, ongoing conversation where I can share my latest thoughts and observations as things evolve. Not just the facts — because those change — but my personal reflections on how AI is shaping our world and our industry.Some parts of the book will always be universal. But others, like AI, will need to stay fluid. And I want to respect that by giving readers a way to keep that conversation going. Because this industry — this community — is all about conversation, collaboration, and working together.Neville’s new workshops, Virtual Makeup Design: Volume 1 and Volume 2, are now available at Gnomon Workshop. Whether you’re looking to level up your sculpting, rendering, or presentation skills, they offer a detailed look at the professional techniques behind production-ready design.To go deeper into the mindset, resilience, and creative philosophy that have shaped Neville’s career, you can . It’s more than a collection of creatures: it’s a manifesto for staying curious, evolving with the times, and creating with intention in a changing world.

Animating Game Creatures Using Maya with Christian BrierleyDive into the world of creature animation with this immersive workshop designed for aspiring animators and game developers, taught by Animation Lead, Christian Brierley. Whether you’re a beginner eager to explore the art of creature animation, or an experienced animator looking to refine your skills, this detailed workshop will equip you with the tools and techniques needed to create compelling, lifelike animations for video game creatures.Over the course of 7.5 hours, you'll embark on a journey through the principles of creature animation, from proper reference collecting, motion studies, blocking out your key poses, and through to the final presentation. Christian will guide you through hands-on exercises and examples, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of how to breathe life into your 3D game characters.This workshop uses the Runner Creature rig by Truong CG Artist with modeling and texture work done by Koushik Routh.WATCH NOW!

Maya & Marmoset Toolbag Workflow with Madhav ShyamLearn the complete process of building a simplified FACS-based facial rig system using Maya and discover how to constrain motion-capture data shot with the iPhone ARKit system. Madhav Shyam, Creature Supervisor at Ghost VFX, kicks off the 10-hour workshop with the theory behind the key factors that contribute to making believable character performances. From there, Madhav jumps into building an intuitive rig system that drives the FACS shapes, while also demonstrating the process of constraining mocap data. Artists will learn how to render a range of motion animation using Maya and Marmoset Toolbag, and will complete the process by transferring both the animation and the rig system over to different types of characters. This workshop is designed for intermediate-level artists who are looking to dive into the world of realistic facial performances. Project files are provided with this workshop, including the shapes required to build the rig system. For additional resources, artists can download the Free 3D Model Scan from 3dscanstore.com; additionally, 3dscanstore’s Gorilla Écorché 3d model is available for a small fee from their website. By completing this workshop, artists will have a robust understanding of facial performance and a strong foundation from which to start building character rigs.WATCH NOW!

Intermediate Environment Workflow using World Creator & Blender with Koke NunezTake your 3D environment skills to the next level with this comprehensive workshop on creating photorealistic landscapes using World Creator and Blender. Designed for intermediate to advanced artists, this workshop by Koke Nunez digs into the professional techniques and tricks used in the industry to produce impressive, realistic terrains. The 3-hour workshop begins by exploring World Creator’s powerful procedural tools to shape and refine detailed terrains. From there, Koke demonstrates how to take those landscapes into Blender, where he details how to work with node-based materials, perfect your lighting, and create atmospheric effects that add depth and realism. Essential techniques like placement mapping, advanced shader setups, and rendering with Cycles are covered in detail. Koke also shares insider tips for optimizing your workflow and making your projects look professional and run efficiently. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have a finished landscape ready to showcase in your portfolio, with the added confidence to create your own photorealistic environments from scratch.The project files provided with this workshop include Koke’s custom terrain maps, textures, and complete Blender scenes. Whether following along step by step or using them as a base for your projects, these resources are yours to keep and build on.WATCH NOW

Mari, Maya & Gaffer Workflow with Michal ZsigmundVFX Artist Michal Zsigmund guides artists through the process of using Mari and Gaffer to create stunning, production-ready hero assets for film and TV. Beginning with an exploration of Mari, Michal discusses how to leverage Mari and its Extension Pack to craft high-quality detailed textures, including how to utilize the Smart Mask system that comes with the pack. He then walks through how to export a mesh from Maya using Alembic before diving into Maris new Bakery System, introduced in the latest version, which is helpful for baking essential utilities that fuel the Smart Mask system.From there, Michal focuses on creating the essential diffuse, roughness, and bump maps, sharing the specific techniques that he uses in production to generate professional maps. Artists will also learn how to transfer masks to create secondary high-frequency bump details. Once the texturing phase is complete, Michal exports the textures and transitions into building out the scene usingGaffer. He breaks down each node within Gaffer the open-source, node-based lighting and look-dev tool developed by Image Engine (similar to Katana) and explains how each function fits into the studio pipeline.This workshop is designed for intermediate to advanced users with a foundational understanding of texturing and shading workflows.WATCH NOW

Advanced Animation Techniques with Stephen CunnaneLearn how to navigate the complex art of animating creature fights, as demonstrated by animator Stephen Cunnane. In this 5-hour workshop, Stephen walks through three shots of a fight sequence between two different species of creatures. From gathering references to coordinating each punch, he breaks down, step by step, what artists need to know before creating intense fight scenes using Maya.Starting from staging the fight choreography, artists will discover how to use references and storyboarding techniques to plan out how a fight unfolds in a sequence. Then, moving into Maya, he demonstrates how to prepare and block in the fight. Using key tools and creature rigs, Stephen shows how to leverage specific techniques for a more accurate and effective combat scene.Throughout the workshop, Stephen demonstrates a professional balance of art with technical knowledge, following animation principles for expressive performance with creatures, and getting creative with Maya's tools. By completing this workshop, artists will understand how to approach challenging animation shots professionally.This workshop utilizes theKing Kong rigandBen Dragonrig by Truong Cg Artist.WATCH NOW

Designing Characters in ZBrush with Neville PageFilm and TV creature and concept designer Neville Page shares his complete workflow for designing characters for practical makeup FX. In this comprehensive 3.5-hour workshop, Neville discusses and demonstrates a process that he has termed Virtual Makeup Design, showcasing exactly how he designs makeup for films includingStar Trek, as well as the TV seriesStar Trek: Discovery,Picard, andStrange New Worlds.In this insightful workshop that teaches how to create virtual designs that will be turned into practical makeup, Neville begins with the skin: a head scan of himself. Using this head scan data, he demonstrates how to work on top of it in ZBrush, just as he would if he were working with a physical life cast; only, rather than working with real clay, hes using digital clay to build up the design. Artists can follow along as he designs and builds a character from the ground up, ensuring anatomical believability, practical feasibility, and a strong design foundation while also seeing how he tackles mistakes and happy accidents along the way.The goal with Virtual Makeup Design is to be able to present to clients i.e. a film/TV director what a character will look like, so as well as exploring the design itself, Neville also considers the materials a makeup artist may use, such as latex or silicone. This workshop discusses all of these considerations as he progresses through the design process. InVolume 2, Neville will focus on the presentation of the final design, including a focus on color, materials, lighting, and rendering. The goal will be for a director to see the final presentation and fully understand how the character will look on set.This workshop is invaluable for any artist looking to create characters that not only look compelling in concept but can also be realized in a real-world makeup application. Artists looking to develop their digital sculpting skills, in general, will also benefit from Nevilles professional workflow and industry experience using ZBrush.WATCH NOW

Lighting & Rendering using KeyShot & Photoshop with Neville PageCharacter design is only part of the equation; presentation is what sells an idea. In this second volume on Virtual Makeup Design, Film and TV creature and concept designer Neville Page focuses on how to present character designs in a way that ensures clarity, realism, and approval from decision-makers.InVolume 1, Neville presented how to create designs that can be turned into practical makeup, working from head scan data to demonstrate how to work on top of it in ZBrush, the same as if you were working with a physical life cast. In this second volume, Neville takes the two character designs created in Vol. 1 and, using digital tools, he demonstrates how to apply color, texture, and materials that accurately represent not only the final look of a character but also the real-world materials that would be used in practical makeup effects, such as foam latex, silicone, and paint.By showcasing multiple character designs, Neville illustrates his key professional techniques for making digital concepts feel tangible and production-ready, empowering artists to present their work professionally and precisely. The methods taught follow the same workflow that Neville uses when designing for sci-fi movies and TV series.WATCH NOW

Houdini & Nuke Production Workflow with Jon PerezThis introduction to lighting and compositing by Jon Perez provides insight into a professional workflow used at studios for cinematic production. The goal is to provide the necessary knowledge to help artists improve the quality of their environments, assets, and animations using industry-trusted lighting and compositing techniques.After gathering and reviewing relevant references using PureRef, Jon walks through the setup of his production software. He then demonstrates how to develop the chosen scenes using Houdini before moving into the final compositing work in Nuke. Artists can follow Jons workflow to see and experience the strength of a professional pipeline and understand how to utilize Houdinis tools and extensive configuration possibilities, from Bundles and Operators to AOV settings. Jon also provides helpful Nuke tips and tricks for effective image treatment.This 4.5-hour workshop is oriented to those looking to specialize in lighting and compositing and develop their understanding of studio workflows; it provides the knowledge and tools needed to create work according to industry standards. Additionally, an environment is provided with the workshop to help artists develop their own lighting scenarios and create create successful portfolio pieces.This workshop utilizesCiro Cardosos Environment ArtandBig Medium Smalls asset Water Village collection.WATCH NOW

Professional Houdini Workflow with Salah HusseinLearn how to create complex material simulations using a tried-and-tested production workflow. This step-by-step character FX workshop is taught by Salah Hussein, a senior FX and CFX artist with over 8 years of production experience. Salahs 4-hour workshop guides artists through his professional workflow using the Houdini Vellum Solver to simulate 3D materials.Using Salahs unique and innovative techniques, he breaks down the entire process to show how to take character assets and animations including multiple layers of cloth and different types of objects and convert them into proxy geometry that works efficiently for a simulation. He also details how to build a constraints network to help artists fine-tune and debug simulations quickly while also advising how to address fixes with professional tips and tricks. To conclude the workflow, Salah demonstrates how to keep all the essential point deforms and the original geometry with a clean export without changing or damaging any attributes or topology.By completing this workshop, artists will be confident in creating clothing assets for characters and understand how to make them dynamic using realistic cloth simulation in Houdini. Salahs helpful Alembic and Houdini (Indie) files are provided as a downloadable resource for subscribers.WATCH NOW

Guilherme (Gui) Rambelli, Lead Artist at Treyarch, and an instructor for The Gnomon Workshop, talks about finding joy in his work, how observation can be a driving force, and offers insights into his experiences working on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.Our conversation begins with Gui describing how he came to work on the game Call of Duty, and he recalls, Ive been a fan of the franchise since I first started playing PC games back in the 2000s, so Call of Duty has always been among my top favorites. I always wanted to work in games. When I started working in 3D, photogrammetry was the skill that I knew could take me into 3D in games. It was almost like I had the tool but not the job yet. So it showed me that I could work in different places: commercials, working on shots for movies, and doing some projects with NASA & Harvard Medical School (STRATUS) where we were doing digital capture of a set so that when they were going to training for the Artemis mission, theyd have the environment in VR and see how things would happen.Gui then zeroes in on a period in his career in 2019, explaining that, Just before I had resigned from DICE LA for a new job at The New York Times R&D team, a friend had introduced me to Activision, and arranged a dinner so I could meet the Art Leadership from Treyarch and learn more about their interests. Treyarch was very open to starting something new and kind of introducing from the ground-up photogrammetry, lidar, and reality-capturing techniques into the game. When I saw that opportunity, it was about getting to know the team, and getting to work with them to introduce new things, but also not disrupt or break anything thats working. But overall, it was a very good experience: a lot of growth in different areas. It was also the first place where I got to work officially as a leader on a team, to help found a new team in the art department in 2021, focusing on photogrammetry and reality capturing techniques, to contribute to our pursuit to elevate the visual fidelity of our games.As a Lead Artist, my responsibilities are split between making sure our photogrammetry team members are supported and unblocked to provide scanned content and example kits to be used in our maps, and on working with the Art leadership team aligning how our scanned content needs align with our partner studios and schedule Gui Rambelli, Lead Artist at TreyarchThe Work of a Lead Artist at TreyarchGui then focuses the conversation on his reflections about his work and duties as a Lead Artist. He begins by noting that as a Lead Artist, my responsibilities are split between making sure our photogrammetry team members are supported and unblocked to provide scanned content and example kits to be used in our maps, and on working with the Art leadership team aligning how our scanned content needs align with our partner studios and schedule, to ensure that our scanning field trips and best practices in content creation processes are being followed across internal and external teams. That was a great growth opportunity.I always saw myself as a craft leader wholl always be involved in approaches and techniques and working more toward that and less on the management side. But there has been a lot of opportunity to learn how to build an effective team by bringing these two things together. There is always something to learn and everybody brings something to the table. Its been good: I get to learn and find joy in seeing the team evolve and develop and in seeing the things I wanted to do but knew werent possible with only myself. Its very fulfilling. I think that, organically, Ive always ended up finding people that have a similar mentality to me: getting their hands dirty and doing things. From time to time, I have a chance to jump into individual tasks and help create benchmark content to keep pushing the envelope.Photogrammetry quality benchmark asset supervised by PG team member Matthew Rodriguez, and scanned by Joseph Oliver.Gameplay always has specific needs for the game, and in order to address these topics, our team is constantly trying to improve their ability to preserve the photogrammetry aesthetics of our content, while authoring the content to attend to gameplay dimensions and needs Gui Rambelli, Lead Artist at TreyarchThe Photogrammetry ProcessCommenting on his experience of working in the disciplines of photogrammetry and lidar (Light Detection and Ranging), Gui unpacks some of the challenges and processes involved, explaining that, Photogrammetry is a very focused subject-matter and it becomes a flexible tool like any other tool in 3D. Photogrammetry is a method to capture reality and bring it into whatever medium that wants to use 3D as a base or for a photoreal environment. In itself, photogrammetry can be quite flexible to work with, but, at first, its normally perceived as something rigid that can mostly work only when an exact reality replica is the goal. Deconstructing that concept and working with different teams so that they can experience on their own how photogrammetry can be used just like any other content creation technique is a major focus area for me, with the biggest benefit being the ability to skip a lot of guesswork on what believable and real looks like, and focus on more gameplay-related aspects of the maps.With that said, gameplay always has specific needs for the game, and to address these topics, our team is constantly trying to improve their ability to preserve the photogrammetry aesthetics of our content while authoring the content to attend to gameplay dimensions and needs.On location: Reference gathering for look development.Normally, Reality Capture, Maya, ZBrush, Houdini, Substance Designer, and Substance Painter are at the center of my workflow when creating 3D assets, kits, and materials, and Global Mapper & GIS lidar websites to source terrain data for a believable foundation Gui Rambelli, Lead Artist at TreyarchThe Photogrammetry ToolkitGui offers an overview of the software he typically works with: Since photogrammetry and real-world data, in general, is the foundation of most of the work I do, I believe my skills are divided between hardware and software. One tool that is always present [in photogrammetry] would be Reality Capture: it allows photogrammetry to scale our production environment.Today, I feel like Photoshop is OG, and thats where I can get things done quickly. Even if its not the final quality, I can work out the intent. Im not a concept artist, but I can photo-bash a couple of things, or I can work really quickly and match several textures to give the intent from there.For capturing, Gui continues, I often use a cross-polarized mirrorless camera, a lidar ground station, and a variety of drones for aerial captures (lidar and PG), and off-the-shelf or more involved material-measurement devices to assist in replicating material properties in 3D later. And for digital, I tend to jump around quite often and not feel obligated to take one route or the other. Instead, I always try to find the path of least resistance between what I have to do and how to get there.Normally, Reality Capture, Maya, ZBrush, Houdini, Substance Designer, and Substance Painter are at the center of my workflow when creating 3D assets, kits, and materials, and Global Mapper & GIS lidar websites to source terrain data for a believable foundation.Addressing the need to stay current with new iterations of software and apps, Gui observes that Obviously, tools are updating and changing every year, and by working with other people, you experience how different people approach different problems or tasks.Warzone ResurgenceMap Area 99, in-game renders, developed by Treyarch and Co-studios.Achieving BelievabilityOf his process, Gui explains how he typically responds to a given brief or problem-solving project: For most of the time in the projects that Ive worked on, believability is a cornerstone. I tend to always ask first for a real photo that represents and encapsulates what we are trying to achieve. Because a lot of the process is based on reality, photogrammetry is the process of scouting places, getting permission, taking references, sand canning the place. The best way to capture data and information is with good photography: It will have the composition, and if its a landscape, for example, it will show how things are layering and the geology.For me, whenever someone says, Oh, we need to do a certain place in this country, I will say, We have to get photographs. For anything that is heavily grounded in reality, my go-to reference is, We need a photo: a key visual target. The next step is to deconstruct that photo and define its elements. Although its not always possible due to the intent being a mix of part real part fantastical idea, I truly believe that the more you can show as a visual target with the least amount of references possible, it will always translate to a clearer and more unified interpretation across the art team. This way, they can focus on executing on a single vision, rather than slightly different ones based on so many variables.Seeing the world through a camera as a filter of what matters and what doesnt for me, can be even more impactful than just trying to recreate reality one-to-one. There is something I get when seeing things through a camera lens that I consider a crucial contributor to what I perceive as quality. Gui Rambelli, Lead Artist at Treyarch Gui Rambelli on locationArtist InfluencesLike all creatives, Gui has any number of reference points and influences that shape his sensibility. He observes, I tend to look at movies and photography as aesthetic influences for my work since photorealism and believability are often desired when using photogrammetry and other reality-capturing techniques. Lately, I have rewatched movies by directors Sam Mendes (James Bond and 1917) and Christopher Nolan (Interstellar, Tenet, Dunkirk, and The Dark Knight Trilogy). I believe all of them share this feeling of seeing the world through a camera as a filter of what matters and what doesnt, which, for me, can be even more impactful than just trying to recreate reality one-to-one. There is something I get when seeing things through a camera lens that I consider a crucial contributor to what I perceive as quality.Instructing with The Gnomon WorkshopOur conversation then turns its focus to Guis work as an instructor with The Gnomon Workshop, and he observes, I think teaching is very interesting. I get to learn a lot firsthand from other people: From time to time, whenever I have an opportunity to do a school talk or a workshop, I always try to do that. Ive done two workshops with The Gnomon Workshop and a Gnomon School talk about Battlefield V in 2019. I want to do more teaching.Gui highlights the appeal of teaching for The Gnomon Workshop, saying, What I like the most about The Gnomon Workshop is the chance the platform gives instructors to share their learnings and techniques that are used in real production environments and projects and help save several cycles of trial and error for the viewer. And from a student perspective, I appreciate how I can learn from experts in those subject matters, fast-tracking my skills to a more refined technique, which would take longer if I were to learn anything on my own.Location shoot for Warzone referencesI believe that investing countless hours and nights working on multiple personal projects is a great way to learn your own way, and experimenting with different things can help you develop your own likes and dislikes Gui Rambelli, Lead Artist at TreyarchAdvice for Aspiring ArtistsAs our conversation concludes, Gui is keen to share advice for aspiring artists and artists at the start of their careers who are interested in visual development and game production. He observes, I believe that investing countless hours and nights working on multiple personal projects is a great way to learn your own way, and experimenting with different things can help you develop your own likes and dislikes.During my beginning, I remember always being competitive and comparing my work with the very games I wanted to work on one day, like Battlefield, Halo, and Call of Duty, and I took the differences and gaps as an inspiration, and North Star of an area I still need to learn more about. I always tried to reality-check myself and remind myself that, even though I was invested in learning and had big aspirations, it was just the beginning.I believe that learning mentality is fundamental if you intend to have a long-lasting career in our always-evolving industry. I try to cultivate that mentality anytime I can: It can be a good reality check throughout your career. Being humble and ready to learn when you come across other professionals with more experience can be a great source of growth as well.Gui ends our conversation on a very affirmative note, encouraging a spirit of boldness: Its OK to expose your ideas and defend what you believe in. Stay hungry!

Story Development & Creative Workflow with Tiago SousaLearn how to create an entire world foundation using a straightforward creative process. In this two-hour workshop by Tiago Sousa, he presents his entire workflow, from the conception of a simple story through to the final environment. The idea is that youll end up with not just one final scene but, most importantly, a strong base you can continue developing. The world you create will be a course of never-ending inspiration, even when you feel less inspired.Throughout the workshop, Tiago provides tips on writing down the main elements of a story, as well as how to find and organize essential references. He then moves on to sketching and demonstrates how to test the initial ideas using basic tools in Blender. He discusses the importance of camera angles and lighting and how to generate several renders to envision your world as it comes to life. For the final steps, Tiago moves into Photoshop, where he shares his techniques for painting, photo-bashing, and polishing a chosen scene.This workshop is recommended for junior and intermediate-level artists. By completing this workshop, youll have developed a world base with enough material to produce several renders that will give a rich, cohesive look to your portfolio and show your ability to think creatively.Tiago shares his Blender file with all assets and cameras created and the layered Photoshop file with adjustments included for subscribers to examine.WATCH NOW

Creating a Desert Car Scene with Alvaro J. SeguraDiscover how to create a cinematic desert scene with sand and vehicle interactions. This complex yet rewarding simulation is demonstrated using Houdini Indie by Senior FX Artist Alvaro Segura.This 3-hour workshop begins by delving into the use of Vellum grains and combining them with Pyro simulations to create a variety of sand textures, ranging from fine, dust-like particles to denser clumped sand. Alvaro details the crucial attributes of both Vellum and Pyro, empowering artists with the confidence to tweak these parameters for the desired effects in their own sand simulations.Alvaro demonstrates techniques for creating clumped textures and achieving a granular, detailed look while also discussing the behavior of fine, realistic dust. Additionally, artists will learn how to optimize collisions and design custom velocity fields for enhanced simulation realism. Alvaro also walks through how to set up multiple containers and leverage TOP networks for wedging to facilitate heavy simulations and segment them into separate containers for an efficient yet powerful mix. In the final leg of the workshop, Alvaro details how to combine these containers back into a single volume as velocity and density VDBs for lighter, optimized volume handling.By completing this workshop, artists will have practical workflows and the technical expertise to elevate their sand simulations to a professional standard.This workshop utilizesan SUV car model from Turbosquid.WATCH NOW

Character Animation & Interactive Gameplay Workflow with Bill BuckleyThis 3-hour UE5 workshop guides artists through the process of seamlessly integrating character animation with interactive gameplay using Unreal Engine 5. Focusing on key tools and techniques, the workshop demonstrates how to use trigger planes, animation montages, level sequencers, and Unreal Engine's new Control Rig animation feature to craft gameplay experiences that tell a compelling story.Instructed by Bill Buckley, the workshop begins with a look at how to implement trigger planes, which act as interactive zones within the game world, activating animations or events when the player enters or interacts with them. From there, he explores level sequencers to create cinematic sequences that can be triggered in response to player actions, enhancing the storytelling experience further. The tutorial also covers animation montages, allowing artists to synchronize complex character animations with gameplay actions. Bill also dives into Unreal Engines new Control Rig, a powerful tool that allows students to author animations directly within Unreal Engine; this technique dramatically speeds up iteration time and enhances the workflow for developing character content, allowing artists to adjust animations and quickly see results in real-time.By completing the workshop, artists will have gained practical skills in combining animation and gameplay mechanics, enabling them to create interactive, narrative-driven experiences. This knowledge will be valuable for developing dynamic game worlds, where character movements and story elements are tightly integrated into the player's actions and decisions.WATCH NOW

From Concept to Final Sculpt using ZBrush, Maya & Marvelous Designer with Omid MoradiThis comprehensive workshop covers the entire process of sculpting a 3D game character from scratch using industry-trusted techniques. Omid Moradi, a lead character and creature artist/sculptor, presents his tried-and-tested workflow for crafting AAA game characters using industry-standard software, ZBrush, Maya and Marvelous Designer. This 4.5-hour workshop is designed for mid-level and senior character artists who are already familiar with 3D character creation but want to deepen their understanding and elevate their skills.Omid discusses why paying close attention to each step of the game character creation pipeline is essential. He demonstrates how to sculpt the face and body of a character from scratch, rather than relying on preexisting assets, and shows how to efficiently block out a character while being mindful of the forthcoming steps. The creation process of various materials, including fabric, leather and metal, is also covered. Omid also offers professional insights into anticipating potential issues and preventing them from occurring while following industry practices.By completing this workshop, artists will have a deep understanding of how to break down complex designs into smaller, manageable parts and prioritize each step of the pipeline to create any intricate design in 3D successfully. The techniques learned will be helpful for artists to turn to time and again.Assets utilized by Omid in this workshop include3D Scanstores Animation Ready Body Scan (Male 02)for the hands and feet andTexturing XYZs Tsoy Face 58 for the face.WatchCreating a Character for Games: Vol. 2to continue your game-character creation journey with Omid Moradi.WATCH NOW

Making a Fully Textured, Game-Ready Character with Omid MoradiFollowing on from Creating a Character for Games: Vol. 1, this second volume walks through the entire process of transforming the final ZBrush sculpt into a fully textured, game-ready character using ZBrush, Maya, Substance Painter, Marmoset Toolbag, and Photoshop. Created for mid-level and senior character artists with prior experience in 3D character creation, this 8-hour workshop aims to advance artists expertise and refine their overall approach.With an emphasis on the importance of carefully executed steps of the character pipeline, Omid demonstrates how to retopologize a ZBrush sculpt to create a game-resolution version. He details how to unwrap UVs, bake maps, texture the model, and render it for the final presentation. Omid covers in detail how to texture various materials and set up shaders to render characters effectively. Additionally, he explores techniques that will help artists anticipate and prevent common issues using industry-standard practices.By completing this workshop, artists will have insights into breaking down complex sculpts into manageable components for efficient retopology while maintaining high-quality standards.Assets utilized by Omid in this workshop include3D Scanstores Animation Ready Body Scan (Male 02)for the hands and feet andTexturing XYZs Tsoy Face 58 for the face.Be sure to watchCreating a Character for Games: Vol. 1by Omid Moradi to get started with your game-character creation journey.WATCH NOW

Clothing & Cloth Sims with Erika LochsMarvelous Designer is quickly becoming an industry-standard software for creating character clothing and cloth simulation in environment art. Erika Lochs is a principal character artist who uses Marvelous Designer heavily in her professional career and strongly focuses on anything fabric-related.This introductory workshop is for artists who have never used Marvelous Designer or are relatively new to the software. Erikas complete introduction covers the essential features in the 3D and 2D windows and details everything you need to know to get started, including how to navigate Marvelous Designer and how to use avatars.With all the basics covered, Erika then demonstrates how to create a basic denim jacket, working with a pattern provided. Artists can follow along with the workflow from start to finish. Additionally, Erika provides a bonus tutorial tailored for environment artists, focusing on creating a mediaeval tent.Erika utilizes abase mesh by Hamza Ben Salahin this workshop. Project files provided with this workshop include Erikas Marvelous Designer material sheet, her favorite Shortcuts sheet, the Marvelous Designer file for the jacket and tent, and her references and props.WATCH NOW

Procedural FX shot techniques with David SilberbauerDiscover how to use Houdini to create a swamp monster emerging from an environment and dripping with mud. This 5-hour workshop by VFX Artist David Silberbauer is intended to be beginner-friendly but is also valuable for intermediate-level artists.This workshop demonstrates how to manipulate attributes, discusses HeightField and MPM solver basics, explains how to use VDB processes to create sources, and covers the FLIP fluids basics, as well as HeightField scattering, Fluid Meshing, and how to use the MPM workflow. Davids guidance is particularly beneficial for artists wanting to dive into various techniques achievable within Houdini.In this tutorial, David provides a wide range of workflows that benefit FX artists and those wanting an in-depth look at creating a full CG environment with animation, effects, and lighting/compositing, from start to finish. Artists can follow along to make a procedural setup entirely in Houdini no other software is required. The process begins by setting up an animation and then describes how to modify it using simple and efficient methods and tools, such as the Point Deform and TimeShift tools.Learn how a semi-procedural setup can simulate mud flowing down the monster and discover how to optimize the flow speed on the fly. David also details how the new MPM Solver can be best used to achieve the required results without getting stuck in iteration loops or hitting roadblocks. Since MPM can be very resource-expensive, David discusses the importance of what MPM is best for and what its not.David demonstrates efficient workflows for building environments using height fields and shows how to scatter vegetation and process those elements using USD. Finally, he walks through the final scene assembly in USD and demonstrates helpful lighting and rendering techniques to create a polished CG shot worthy of your portfolio.This workshop includes the Houdini file with the mud_monster setup as a downloadable project file.WATCH NOW

Fundamental Animation Principles with Erik A. CastilloIn this intermediate-level workshop, following on fromIntroduction to Maya for Animators, Erik Castillo explores the core principles that bring animated characters to life. Using Maya, Erik focuses on understanding and applying fundamental animation concepts like squash and stretch, anticipation, timing, balance, and follow-through to create realistic and expressive movements.Designed for those familiar with Maya, this workshop aims to help animators elevate their understanding of how body mechanics affect a characters movement and overall performance. Through practical, hands-on exercises, artists will explore the process of creating believable actions such as lifting objects, standing, walking cycles, and more.The workshop includes an analysis of famous animation sequences to see how professionals tackle complex body mechanics. By the end, students will clearly grasp how to make characters move naturally and with intent, using the principles discussed to refine and polish their animation sequences.Whether youre looking to solidify your fundamentals or gain new insight into body mechanics, this workshop offers the essential building blocks to improve your animation skills and deepen your understanding of character movement in CG.The demonstrations in the workshop utilizeProRigs.WATCH NOW

Workflow Tips & Tricks using Maya, Redshift & Photoshop with Josh DochertyIf you want to push your models to the industry gold standard, this workshop will show you how professional modelers working in film and TV create world-class production-quality vehicles.When modeling assets in the visual effects industry, artists are often supplied with scans or photogrammetry of the subject to retopologize and match the references. However, there are frequently times when this isnt the case, and in those instances, its essential to know what to do and how to tackle these scenarios working from limited references only which is expected of every modeler working on complex shows and often under very quick turnarounds.In this 3-hour workshop, Josh Docherty takes you through the process of modeling a high-resolution vehicle without a scan, relying on the use of camera lineups and using his tips, tricks, and industry knowledge to create the same high-quality, pipeline-ready asset in a limited amount of time.This tutorial teaches how to create a clean, robust model for downstream use by other departments, including Texturing/Lookdev, Rigging, Animation, FX, and Lighting. Different departments often have many requirements and needs that modelers are responsible for ensuring are considered and fulfilled to the best of their abilities. This helps the entire pipeline perform efficiently for all things model-related.Josh demonstrates many of the best practices and actions artists can take to ensure assets function at their best, using native Maya tools to achieve the same results at home all while adhering to the same rules as the largest pipelines in the industry. This workshop is best suited for junior-level modelers and above.The references used for this workshop are fromBring a Trailer, and the HDRI featured is fromPolyHaven. Josh uses PureRef, Maya, Arnold, Redshift (optional), Lightroom & Photoshop as his tools of choice, though the techniques demonstrated can be applied to other software.WATCH NOW

Photoshop, Fusion, Maya & Substance Painter Workflow with Kris TurveyIn this 3-hour workshop, concept artist Kris Turvey demonstrates his complete workflow for designing and modeling a sci-fi prop for production. Beginning with his mind-mapping process to generate ideas, he explains how to develop concepts quickly with quick sketching in Photoshop. He then demonstrates how simple techniques using the Airbrush and Selection tools can take your ideas to a more advanced presentation stage.Moving on from Photoshop, Kris takes a selected design into Fusion, showcasing the various parametric 3D modeling techniques he uses to create fabrication-ready 3D models. To complete the workflow, he then demonstrates how to take your final Fusion model into Substance Painter to apply materials and generate final presentation renders efficiently.Throughout the workshop, Kris shares an in-depth look at his key design principles for designing objects that quickly and effectively communicate their functionality to an audience. By the end of the tutorial, artists will have developed a sound understanding of the professional techniques needed to underpin strong designs and will understand how to develop a solid pipeline for future concept design projects.Kriss final Fusion file is included as a downloadable project file with this workshop.WATCH NOW

The Creative Spirit of the WorkWhere aesthetics and real-world decision-making meet is where vehicle concept design thrives and brings into view a creation.UK-based vehicle concept designer Chris Beatty has been working in the industry for 25 years and, as such, has brought significant experience to bear on his tutorial for The Gnomon Workshop.Our conversation begins with Chris reflecting on his creative practice and professional profile, explaining that he works predominantly around Vehicle styling and a lot of work around motorsport. Thats always been my passion. Im a designer and a 3D artist, so there are two elements to that: One is the design itself, which led me to The Gnomon Workshop. In my work, I get involved with companies like Indycar in America and design for the Indy500. For my work with Indycar, I was responsible for steering the aesthetic of that vehicle and that was really about repurposing an old car, giving it a new body and making it look more grand.0:00 /0:24Chris Beatty's 'Race Vehicle Concept Design' Workshop shows his complete Blender, Photoshop, Illustrator & After Effects workflow. Creating a Gnomon Workshop TutorialIn his recent collaboration with The Gnomon Workshop, delivering a race vehicle concept-design tutorial, Chris recalls: My involvement came out of nowhere. Dan Hale at Gnomon Workshop reached out to me and said, Ive seen your stuff on social media, and with the work youve done on the racing side of things, we want to do a workshop on vehicle design. What can we come up with for that? And so, we talked about various ideas. First, we looked at doing a racing car and then decided on doing a flying vehicle. The Gnomon Workshop wanted a road-going thing, so we came up with the idea of a race bike and what we could do to make that more unique. The idea was that it would be canopied, that it would work with gyros, and that it would have some Tron-like wheels. That element of uniqueness would differentiate it from what was out there on the track in reality. We wanted something from 20 years ahead.Exploring Creative IterationsChris is keen to emphasize that the creative process and its demands, opportunities, and iterations were at the heart of his tutorial for The Gnomon Workshop. I was given a blank sheet of paper to develop the design and take students through my process, warts and all. There are some screw-ups in there, and I talk about what was wrong with them and how wed either do them again in the future or how wed fix them. I really wanted to give the students that view on it. My session for The Gnomon Workshop was effectively live and was focused on me trying to figure out what this thing was going to look like. For instance, we did the frame in one session, but it just didnt look good enough so I cut and I just said, Ive done a new frame. Heres what Ive done. I explained that a key part of the design process is making mistakes, improving on them, and progressing; its not about having a perfect run-through to the end it just doesnt work like that. I wanted to engage the students in a mindset where its okay to experiment and not get it right the first time.0:00 /0:05Watch how Chris Beatty designed this futuristic-yet-realistic machine in his 'Race Vehicle Concept Design' Workshop available now at thegnomonworkshop.com.Chris further discusses how his tutorial for The Gnomon Workshop was about embracing revisions to a piece of work to find its best version. Chris says, I come back to some of the stuff thats available online: I get the impression that its very linear: Its very much a start to finish with no mistakes approach. I wanted the takeaway from my class to be that in the real world, thats not how it works. Something will throw a spanner in the works, so you have to innovate to overcome that rather than prescribe something. I didnt want to go into software specifics as I wanted it to be more about the process. When you look at software specifics, youre narrowing down who can get anything from this. Ill be using Blender, and someone else will use Maya, for example. It was more about This is my process of how I create and how I get to this end result, and its not always pretty the whole way through. It doesnt have to be. It doesnt have to be about amazing presentation-renders at different stages. Its about getting from here to here with the minimal amount of kerfuffle, but there will always be bits in there that you have to untie and untangle. I talk a lot about what the client will bring back to you in terms of their feedback and criticism and how to steer that. Its a team effort and a collaboration. Chris BeattyEngaging with FeedbackIn discussing his career and its day-to-day requirements and how that relates to his Gnomon Workshop tutorial Chris notes how he wanted the session to acknowledge the importance of feedback in a creative collaboration: I talk a lot about what the client will bring back to you in terms of their feedback and criticism and how to steer that. Its a team effort and a collaboration. With The Gnomon Workshop tutorial, I had to provide that assessment of where it was going and in the conclusion to my session, I said that it had made me look at where I could improve. Because you dont often record yourself and commentate over the top of it and analyze what youre doing, it was fascinating to do that with The Gnomon Workshop. This is the first tutorial Ive ever done, so for me, it was a learning experience. If people like it, maybe theres scope to do more.'Velocity' concept design by Chris Beatty showing the canopy removed.Theory & Practice in Motion: Learning from TeachingChris turns his observations to the creative scope that his Gnomon Workshop tutorial offered him, explaining that: When I did the project for The Gnomon Workshop, it gave me a bit more free rein than I normally would have on this sort of thing: I could inject a little bit of sci-fi into it, and that was interesting because Im usually working with something thats already in existence in terms of the engineering side of it. Usually, its already been worked out, and everything has to fit on this chassis, that wheelbase, or whatever it happens to be. The Gnomon Workshop was good fun from that standpoint, and I tried to bring some real-world experience into that tutorial in terms of the way that the bike was made up. It had a chassis that would probably work, but an engineer would probably look at it and ask, What the hell are you doing ? But, from a laymans standpoint, it was a feasible frame. You then get to that point where youve worked out the volume, and what Ill tend to do is bring it into drawing software and just draw over the top of it and draw in the little details and see what is going to work and what isnt going to work. Ill then pull them into 3D and model them in detail because you can render a rough form and smooth it off. Its a bit rough and ready, but, again, you can put stuff in front of a client and say, Is this what youre thinking? without taking it too far and committing too early on.Striking a balance between whats practically feasible and what the imagination suggests is a fundamental dynamic in Chriss work, and he observes that I tend to take a less-is-more approach to what Im doing and not to overcomplicate or over-style things. Youve got to get that underlying form right before you put anything else on it. You look at any classic car design: its simple.'Velocity' vehicle design render by Chris Beatty.Everything that I design especially a racing car or a sci-fi project, like the bike project for my Gnomon Workshop tutorial has got to be a balance of elegance and aggression. Chris BeattyReality & FantasyWhile work in vehicle concept design is Chriss professional focus, he notes that he has long been interested in movies, explaining that: The movie side has always intrigued me. Ive always been a bit of a Star Wars nut. When Ive got some downtime, and I do a project just for myself, with a learning element to it, the main part of that was very much about the lived-in, weathered, Star Wars aesthetic.Chriss observation then brings him full circle, and he reconnects his aesthetic notes with his Gnomon Workshop tutorial: Whenever youre designing anything, youve got to design it so it could actually work or function; even if its sci-fi like making the bike work for The Gnomon Workshop.Vehicle concept designs by Chris Beatty.Chris brings our conversation to a close by restating his fundamental creative aspiration: Everything that I design especially a racing car or a sci-fi project, like the bike project for my Gnomon Workshop tutorial has got to be a balance of elegance and aggression.From left to right: John Norton, Andrea Toso, Chris Beatty (designer), Will Power (driver), Pat Wildermann, with the Wills Borg-Warner Trophy Pictured at the Indy500 2018.Chris Beatty's 'Race Vehicle Concept Design' Workshop is streaming now at thegnomonworkshop.com.

Efficient Techniques using Maya & ZBrush with Joo VictorLearn how to build a complete character for animation with clean topology. Being a modeler in the animation industry puts you in a flexible position but also demands a lot of you, both artistically and technically. In this 2-hour workshop by Joo Victor, who has contributed to movies including Pixars Inside Out 2, he demonstrates the technical side of character modeling for animation, including the very important topological solutions needed to ensure clean models that correctly deform when animated.This comprehensive workshop begins with the basics and works through to more advanced techniques using Maya and ZBrush. For Joo, topological tasks are like challenging games; artists need to create unique solutions for different characters to create meshes that are as efficient as possible. The work done by modelers is critical for the success of characters as they move through the animation pipeline to be used by various departments. Joo not only discusses the important topology concepts that professional modeling teams consider when preparing meshes for other departments in a studio environment but also provides professional tips and tricks for you to take with you into your personal and studio projects alike.WATCH NOW

Grooming Techniques for Film VFX with Sohrab EsfehaniDiscover the entire process of creating a fantasy creature groom in Houdini for film-quality visual effects, with professional techniques and insights from Sohrab Esfehani. Youll begin with the fundamental principles of grooming and learn the importance of gathering and analyzing reference materials to ensure your groom is both creative and grounded in reality. From there, youll move on to creating a solid template to build the groom upon, ensuring that your scene is structured in a way that makes sense for a production environment.Sohrab explains how to manage your Houdini workflow efficiently, allowing you to create a groom with a wide variety of details, from fine strands of hair to more complex patterns and textures that bring the creature to life. He will also share the same workflows and techniques that he has personally used on several blockbuster films, providing you with an insiders perspective into the process of making a realistic, hero-level Hollywood VFX creature.By completing this workshop, you'll have a sound understanding of the knowledge and skills needed to apply these techniques to any creature or project.WATCH NOW

ZBrush, Maya, Marvelous Designer, Substance 3D Painter & Marmoset Toolbag Workflow with Colleen LarsonLeveraging all of the skills learned throughout her career, Colleen Larson, a Senior Character Artist at Naughty Dog, takes you through her entire process of bringing a character to life in 3D. The workflow showcased is a modified version of the game art pipeline she follows daily in her professional role.This workshop is intended for anyone who would like to gain a holistic view of how a character is created from initial ideation and reference gathering through to the final render. Foundational knowledge of ZBrush, Maya, Substance Painter, and Marmoset Toolbag is recommended, but this workshop will provide a brief overview of each software used for those interested.Throughout this 3-hour tutorial, Colleen shares her approach to preparing for a 3D character project, demonstrates head and likeness sculpting in ZBrush, instructs how to create realistic clothing using Marvelous Designer, shows how to create impressive hair using XGen, and explains how to texture the character using Substance Painter. She then walks through the process of rendering the bust in Marmoset Toolbag to create the final images and videos to showcase in a portfolio.In addition to sharing her professional techniques, Colleen discusses her philosophies for staying creative throughout the process. If you are passionate about character art and want to know how to push it to the next level, or simply curious and want to learn more about how its done, this tutorial will provide essential insights to help you level up your 3D characters.The3D Scan Store Free Base Meshand the3D Scan Store HD Male Head 23are utilized in this workshop. A .txt file containing links to the other resources that Colleen found helpful with her project is also provided as a project file.WATCH NOW

Prop Design using Photoshop, Blender, Octane & ZBrush with Olivier DubardMaster the art of prop design and create a Sorrow End Sword with Lead Concept Artist, Olivier Dubard. This 1.5-hour workshop unlocks the secrets of Oliviers workflow and provides a deep dive into his creative process behind designing visually stunning and story-driven fantasy props for the entertainment industry.Olivier has worked on several major franchises, and is experienced in concepting for both film and games. This detailed guide aims to help artists through every step of the design and illustration process, from crafting a compelling backstory for the prop to translating it into unique visual elements. You'll learn the complete process, from how to create striking thumbnails, refine your designs, sculpt in 3D using ZBrush, through to professionally rendering your prop using Octane Render.Whether youre an established concept artist or an aspiring industry professional in film or games, this workshop will help you to enhance your skills and elevate your portfolio using practical insights and techniques used by industry professionals.WATCH NOW

Blender & Photoshop Techniques with Isaac Yeram KimLearn simple yet powerful techniques to help you create high-quality concept art using Blender and Photoshop. Sucker Punch Productions Concept Artist Isaac Yeram Kim aims to equip artists of all skill levels with efficient methods that will help encourage the exploration of new ways to keep art-making fun.Over the last 8 years, Isaac has narrowed down his workflow to only the tools that are absolutely essential to his craft. His chosen software and add-ons can be easily picked up with a slight learning curve, so in this 2-hour tutorial, Isaac shares his process for making a cinematic image from start to finish and discusses what he believes are the most efficient techniques applicable for each step of the process.The primary software used in this tutorial are Blender and Photoshop. Isaac details how he likes to keep his creative process experimental and enjoyable without getting lost in software menus. Using some of the most basic features in Blender, such as the Grease Pencil, he begins by blocking out and planning the image. From there, effective Blender add-ons, like Scatter and One Click Damage, are introduced and demonstrated with easy-to-learn techniques to help you immediately implement the methods into your creative practice.The final stage of the workshop focuses on refining in Photoshop. Isaac shares his thoughts on photobashing and how to ensure the image quality remains consistent as new details are added. He instructs how to adjust the base 3D render and demonstrates his digital painting workflow, as well as how to tackle color grading to bring the image to finished quality. His final Photoshop working file and Blender files are provided as a helpful resource for subscribers.WATCH NOW

With over 20 years of experience working in illustration and animation, Amy Ash has repeatedly shown herself to be at the forefront of the industry. Having spent five years at art college working in natural media, Amy realized in her final years that she needed to pivot to working digitally. This led her to learn 3D modeling before gaining more knowledge and skills as time and project demands allowed.Amy's big jump came when she decided to focus on character modeling, which eventually took her to Axis Studios. There, she led the character team on projects, including the Love, Death + Robots episode The Tall Grass for Netflix. She has additionally worked for Passion Pictures and Aardman Studios and for four years as an animator for children's TV.This year, Amy joined The Gnomon Workshop as an instructor with her comprehensive workshop, Character Asset Creation for Cinematics: Volume 1. Her detailed insights and practical demonstrations provide a clear and concise guide to crafting high-quality assets for cinematics.In this interview, we catch up with Amy to learn more about her career so far, find out exactly what its like to work as the Head of Characters at a busy animation studio, and discover her opinions on AI. Read on to find out more.The Artful Dodger speed sculpt by The Gnomon Workshop Instructor, Amy AshThe Gnomon Workshop: You've worked in advertising, television, and game cinematics. Which has been your favorite industry to date?Amy Ash: I love game cinematics and adult animation like Love, Death + Robots. Game cinematics allow us to create such an incredible range of characters in so many different styles, so there are constantly new challenges and opportunities to push creativity and quality. I absolutely love that variety where you can be working on a hyperreal science-fiction trailer for two months, then spend the next three developing and executing a look for a stylized fantasy project.It's difficult to get bored in such an industry, although it obviously comes with a fair bit of pressure, with the next deadline never too far away. As a gamer myself, theres just the simple fact that Im often a huge fan of the IPs and studios we are working with. The creativity in games and animation often astounds me. I love seeing the result of a great team coming together to dream up new worlds, and being a part of that in any way is a huge thrill for me.Even when the aim is just to create a cool-looking character for a portfolio piece, the best artists will be imagining who that character is, how they interact with the world, and what impact the world they live in has had on them. Amy AshClicker ZBrush speed sculpt by The Gnomon Workshop Instructor, Amy AshTGW: When creating and posing a portrait image of a character, what things are you considering to make sure the character's personality shines through?AA: Story is always the most important element of any character. You need to understand who you are sculpting and then make decisions based on that. Even when the aim is just to create a cool-looking character for a portfolio piece, the best artists will be imagining who that character is, how they interact with the world, and what impact the world they live in has had on them.In cinematics, we work in neutral A poses and rarely pose characters, so the challenge becomes investing personality into a character that has no expression or performance attached to them. Here again, though, we need to let the story drive the decisions we make across the characters. I talk about this quite a bit in my Gnomon Workshop tutorial.When working on concept sculpts, there is the opportunity to give the character a lot more life through the pose and the expression, but its still all about the story. The pose of a warrior going into battle is going to be very different from one in the midst of the fight and different again as they are leaving the battlefield. You need to consider the emotions and motivations of the character at that moment and layer that on top of who the character is, their body type, and how they might move as a result of all of those things.With portraits alone, there is a level of subtlety involved. Facial expressions can be very similar, yet they communicate very different emotions, so a level of research is needed. You should start any project with reference collection, and expressions are no different. Imperfection and asymmetry are also hugely important, as faces are a lot wonkier than you might think, and I find the stage where I can start bringing that into a face is when the character really starts to come alive.Theres a real buzz from being involved in something like Love, Death + Robots. When each series comes out, all the artists are sharing their work online, and leaving comments on each other's posts, and it feels like you are part of this small but global community full of immense talent. Amy AshTGW: Out of all the projects you've worked on over the years, which has been your favorite?AA: The episode we did for season two of Love, Death + Robots, The Tall Grass, is one that has specific importance for me. It wasnt an easy project to work on as we had a lot to figure out in a short amount of time but it was very important for my own personal growth, and its also one of the projects that resonates with people the most. Often, when Im at industry events, its the one that everyone wants to talk about, so its helped me meet a lot of people that I otherwise might not have.On that project, we had a small team, a tight deadline, and a fairly open brief. We not only had to figure out how it would look but also how we could creatively and technically execute that over ten minutes of animation. It called on so many of my existing skills, including character modeling, but also my training in natural media illustration. Considering we were so few, I feel like we achieved quite a lot before the wider production team came on board and shot work started. I think the skills I learned on that project have helped me numerous times since.On top of all of that, theres a real buzz from being involved in something like Love, Death + Robots. When each series comes out, all the artists are sharing their work online, and leaving comments on each other's posts, and it feels like you are part of this small but global community full of immense talent. It was nice to work on a project that felt like a celebration of adult animation.Ephraim Winslow ZBrush sculpt by The Gnomon Workshop Instructor, Amy AshTGW: Aardman is much loved for being the creator of Wallace and Gromit. What role did you play at Aardman?AA: I was at Aardman for a couple of months as a character modeler and I was just happy to soak up the experience of being there at a company Ive admired for so long. Its a wonderful studio full of great people; the atmosphere is lovely there, and Bristol is an incredible city. I have nothing but very happy memories of my brief time there.TGW: Give us a flavor of a typical working day when you worked as Head of Characters at Axis Animation.AA: The answer here is that there was no typical day! I learned quite quickly that I needed to be prepared for anything and be able to pivot quickly from one topic to another. There were a lot of meetings, for sure, but also a lot of incredible moments.Generally, the day could be any combination of planning for upcoming projects, helping solve problems on existing ones, supporting the artists in the character team, and looking for new artists when we needed to scale up.Generally, Id start my day by looking over my calendar and trying to organize my time, answering urgent messages or emails, and then jumping into morning meetings. Id have regular calls with the crew coordinators to go over resource requests from projects, and plan out how we might crew future projects.From there, if I were on a project directly, Id jump into a call with the artists, make sure they were all happy and on track, and give any quick feedback or direction needed. If any artists needed extra help or support, wed have a quick one-on-one call, and then wed have Creative Dailies with the project core team, where Id present the work the team had done to the CG Supervisor and Art Director.In the afternoons, I might get some time to do some feedback paintovers, in-between regular one-on-one calls with artists and any calls with production that might be required. On the occasions when I could get into some modeling work, it would usually be in the afternoon; however, it was usually the second half of the day when more unexpected things might crop up that would need my attention.One thing that made my life a lot easier at Axis was the group I managed. It felt like we were always working together as a team towards a common goal, and they always stepped up and took ownership of issues, looking for solutions and helping each other. An amazing group of artists who were a pleasure to work with!I found myself spending more time in ZBrush, to the point now where all of my modeling work starts there, and Maya has become a smaller part of that process. Amy AshAlodia character model created for The Gnomon WorkshopTGW: Out of all the software you've used over the years, which has transformed your work and workflow the most?AA: Without a doubt, it's ZBrush. Now and then, a program comes along that creates a shift in the industry and enables huge leaps in what can be achieved, and ZBrush was exactly that. Before then, we were so bound to polygons and a workflow that, by its nature, was limiting.Then, ZBrush came along, and we could suddenly sculpt directly into the shapes. Suddenly, we started seeing all these incredible high-definition models appearing, and a whole new community grew. It opened modeling up to a lot of people and expanded the range of things we could create within a given time.Over the years, its become a bigger and bigger part of my process. In the early days, when ZBrush wasnt so good at creating new models, Id use it just to detail meshes Id created in 3ds Max or Maya, but as Pixologic kept adding more features, I found myself spending more time in ZBrush, to the point now where all of my modeling work starts there, and Maya has become a smaller part of that process. Its rare for a program to come along and so radically change the way you work I think only Substance Painter is comparable for the impact its had on asset creation.Building a character asset or any creative endeavor involves thousands of decisions, both big and small, from a team of people. A good artist has already made a lot of these decisions by the time an asset reaches review, and if they receive changes or feedback, they will know a lot more about how to execute those changes. All that decision-making is built on years of specialized experience and knowledge, and removing that will only lower standards. Amy Ash TGW: Do you see AI playing any role in your workflow either now or in the future?AA: It will do, Im sure, but what I want to see is ethical AI tools built for artists that automate tasks that take time away from the more creative parts of the work. What seems to be the goal right now is generative AI that bypasses and replaces the artist altogether while using our work to do so.For example, Id love a tool that quickly and accurately does the UV Unwrap and layout for a character so I can spend more time sculpting and trying to push the asset creatively or something that gives us better quality assurance checks or scene debugging. As long as its created ethically without stealing peoples work, I think most artists would be on board with those tools. To be honest, weve been learning new tools constantly for years, and its only recently that every new thing that comes out is branded as AI, whether it truly merits that definition or not.The thing that concerns me the most is that I feel standards are being lowered to meet the output in a rush to claim that the tech is ready to take over. I think we are in danger of a huge amount of skill and knowledge being put aside in the name of efficiency and profit, and its at least partially based on a somewhat misguided notion that decision-making lies solely at the top of the chain, or among a chosen few.In reality, building a character asset or any creative endeavour involves thousands of decisions, both big and small, from a team of people. A good artist has already made a lot of these decisions by the time an asset reaches review, and if they receive changes or feedback, they will know a lot more in how to execute those changes. All of that decision-making is built on years of specialized experience and knowledge, and removing that is only going to lower standards.Wasteland Wanderer ZBrush speed sculpt by The Gnomon Workshop Instructor, Amy AshTGW: After so many years of character creation and animation, how do you continue to stay fresh and inspired?AA: Its the people I work with and the things we can create together that keep me inspired. For me, theres no greater feeling than working with a team of amazing artists and creating something better than any one of us alone could do. Everyone has their own passions and interests and its one of those industries where you really can bring those into your work, and its wonderful to see people doing that.Additionally, I just really love creating characters and the whole process behind it. I love seeing other artists' work and feeling inspired to learn a new workflow. Theres also a bit of healthy competition when you see some modeling work someone has done, and you dont know how youd do it yourself. I love seeing the decisions people have made, the way theyve treated certain elements, and the little touches of an artists personality that shine through in their work.Going back to AI, I think this is why a lot of the push towards generative AI leaves me feeling a bit numb inside. Removing the teams and the process from the work takes away so much of what I love about my job.Ready to learn how Amy Ash creates incredible characters for cinematics? Get started with Volume 1 of her workshop today!

Animating Characters Using Master Control with Kevin NguyenOne of the best things you can do to improve your animation workflow in Maya is to learn how to animate with the Master Control. While the Master Control is generally used for the placement of 3D characters, it can also be used to make the animation process a lot simpler providing that you use it correctly.This method taught in this 4-hour workshop by Senior Animator Kevin Nguyen can be implemented by animators of all levels, and can be used in both personal projects or professional production shots. It eliminates a lot of the technical hurdles in posing when animating a shot that requires a lot of movements, especially very complex character mechanics.Kevins method will not only simplify the process of animation in Maya, but should ultimately save the animator a lot of time, which is a precious commodity in production. This workshop will help animators to work more freely and focus more on the artistic side of the animation process, rather than being held back by the technical side. This workshop also offers useful workflow tips and tricks to help improve the overall efficiency of any existing animation workflow.This workshop utilizes thePeinto Anim Rig by Kiel Figgins.WATCH NOW