IntroductionHello, my name is Hyunjung Im, and I’m a 3D Character Artist.
First, I became interested in 3D art because I wanted to expand my background in traditional painting into the 3D realm. I found it fascinating to translate the sense of volume, structure, and texture that I used to express in 2D into a three-dimensional form.So far, I’ve been learning through a mix of resources, including classes at a training institute, YouTube tutorials, and various online searches. I also frequently look at inspiring works by other artists on ArtStation, which has been a great source of reference and motivation.I haven’t had the chance to participate in any projects yet, but I’m currently continuing to study and actively looking for opportunities in the field.Inspiration & ReferencesThe Medieval Knight project was inspired by a concept artwork that blended traditional medieval attire with fantasy elements. I was drawn to the idea of bringing that concept to life in 3D. What particularly stood out to me was the design of the chest plate – it had a unique and elegant form that I found very compelling. I also saw this project as an opportunity to explore and showcase a variety of material expressions.For references, I gathered a wide range of visual materials using search engines and platforms like Pinterest. These included historical armor, film stills, and game art. I organized them using PureRef to create a clear visual guide throughout the process. When creating the sword, which was not included in the original concept art, I required even more detailed references to ensure it was both believable and stylistically fitting.One of my main goals with this character was to convey a distinct personality, allowing viewers to get a sense of who this person might be. Additionally, the character wears an embroidered garment, and I focused on rendering the embroidery in a way that felt both natural and refined, enhancing the overall sense of quality and realism.ModelingFor the hair, I used the Hair Card Tool in 3ds Max. One tip I found helpful for saving time is to first block out the general shape of the hair using a low-resolution sculpt or game mesh. Then, I draw splines over it and convert them into hair cards. This method allows for a much faster and more accurate approach to achieving the desired silhouette. That said, hair creation is inherently time-consuming, and I believe it’s a part of the process that requires patience regardless of the technique.As for the eyes, I created separate meshes for the iris and the cornea, and added an additional outer mesh to represent the shading layer, resulting in a total of three overlapping objects. The iris mesh was sculpted to have a concave shape, while the cornea mesh was enhanced with a normal map to create a subtle bulge around the iris, mimicking the natural form of the eye. While I don’t have any particular time-saving tips for this part, it wasn’t a particularly time-intensive process compared to others.For the costume, I used Marvelous Designer to create the base for the coat and blouse sleeves. I then brought the garment into ZBrush for additional sculpting and refinement. Once I achieved a natural look for the fabric folds in Marvelous – through multiple simulation iterations – the sculpting phase became much more efficient and intuitive.Retopology & UnwrappingFor the retopology process, I primarily used 3ds Max, although in some cases I also utilized 3D Coat depending on the complexity of the model and the level of control I needed. UV unwrapping was also done in 3ds Max, as it provided the tools and flexibility I required to efficiently manage the UV layout
TexturingTexturing was primarily done in Substance 3D Painter. For the skin, I combined scan-based textures with hand-painted layers to achieve a natural color tone and detailed surface quality. I selectively enhanced or toned down areas of the scan data to better integrate them with the makeup, ensuring a balanced and lifelike appearance.The most challenging part of the texturing process was the armor. The costume incorporated a variety of materials, including metal, leather, and fabric, so it was important to capture the unique qualities of each material while maintaining an overall sense of cohesion. I paid particular attention to the Roughness Map – adding edge wear, subtle dust, and scratch details to give the armor a sense of age and realism.Lighting & Post-ProductionLighting was set up in Marmoset Toolbag. I primarily used a traditional three-point lighting setup, with rim lighting to highlight the character’s silhouette and emphasize key outlines. To add a more natural atmosphere, I also incorporated HDRI lighting for subtle environmental reflections and ambient light.In the post-processing stage, I used Photoshop to make final adjustments, such as fine-tuning exposure, cropping, and layering in bokeh effects where appropriate. My goal was to establish a strong composition and lighting directly within the render, while using post-processing to gently enhance the overall mood without overreliance on editing.ConclusionThe entire project took approximately five months to complete. The most challenging aspect was achieving material diversity without losing visual harmony. For example, with the coat, I worked carefully within a single color range – subtly adjusting brightness, saturation, roughness, and metallic values to keep the surface visually interesting while maintaining cohesion.One of the biggest lessons I learned from this project was the importance of overall harmony. The consistency of scale, form, and material across various elements plays a crucial role in establishing the mood of the piece. I realized how essential it is to step back and look at the entire character throughout the process in order to stay grounded and maintain a clear direction.To beginner artists, I would emphasize the importance of building a strong foundation. A solid understanding of anatomy, form, and material behavior will support you regardless of the style you pursue. Also, try to observe the world around you more attentively – there’s a lot to learn from everyday details. And this is something I constantly remind myself as well: even when things feel overwhelming, don’t give up. Keep going. If you stay consistent and keep creating, you’ll eventually look back and see how far you’ve come.Hyunjung Im, 3D Character ArtistInterview conducted by Gloria Levine