Breakdown: 3D Fantasy Priestess Character With East Asian Aesthetics

Introduction

Hello! I'm Donghyun Lee, a 3D Character Artist. I began my journey in the industry at PUBG, and I'm currently working at AFUN Interactive, where I specialize in real-time 3D content production.

During my time in university, I transitioned from 2D design to 3D character modeling after being deeply fascinated by how light, texture, and spatial composition can bring a sense of realism. What started as curiosity quickly became a passion, and over time, I turned 3D art into my main creative language.

Through persistent effort, I was able to move beyond early technical limitations and gradually achieve the level of visual fidelity I aimed for. Currently, I'm expanding my skills with the goal of creating high-quality, realistic 3D characters for games and cinematic content.

The Princess Project

Princess is a real-time character inspired by the concept of a sacred priestess in a fantasy universe. This piece combines Western historical costume silhouettes with East Asian facial aesthetics to express a harmony that transcends cultural boundaries.

While I referenced a 2D concept illustration for initial inspiration, I intentionally reinterpreted the material, modifying both facial and body proportions, along with costume design and fabric choice, to better suit a stylized 3D workflow. Through the use of a metallic crown, translucent lace, and layered mixed materials, my goal was to embody divinity, grace, and dignified femininity in a single unified design.

Goals

This project was driven by four key goals:

• Aesthetic Identity: I wanted to design a character with distinctly East Asian facial features and body proportions, departing from the commonly seen Western stylizations. My aim was to capture a calm and refined impression through soft lines and balanced shapes.
• Hair Card Pipeline: I focused on developing a full hair card workflow. I experimented with Maya's GS Curve Tool in combination with FiberShop to efficiently create and refine multiple hair layers.
• Cloth Simulation: Using Marvelous Designer, I tested cloth simulations in various poses to achieve natural draping and silhouette flow.
• Turntable Presentation: I created a turntable that integrates lighting, materials, and camera work to best showcase the character in a visually immersive way.

My intent was not only to create a visually appealing model, but also to validate a pipeline suitable for real-time and cinematic environments.

Head & Body

I believe the head and body are the most critical elements in establishing a character's identity. Rather than following existing facial targets, I started sculpting the head from a sphere to explore how my personal aesthetic would resonate with viewers.

Key East Asian characteristics were reflected in soft forehead curves, a smaller jawline, subtle nasal structure, and a calm, introspective expression. For the body, I emphasized the silhouette of the back, chest, and hips to support the form of a Western-style dress. Once the basic forms were established, the next focus was on skin detailing. Instead of using scan data as-is, I extracted displacement maps and used ZWrap's Texture Transfer to match them to the character's UV layout. ZBrush Layers were then used to blend and refine the details, allowing me to maintain a balance between realism and artistic intent.

Hair

For this project, I designed a variety of hairstyles: long straight hair, a bun, braids, and spiral curls, all integrated into one character. My goal was to gain as much practical experience as possible in a single project.

I began with a blockout to define the overall shape, categorizing the hair into four density-based layers, from thick base textures to fine flyaways. These textures were created and exported using FiberShop. Hair cards were constructed in Maya using the GS Curve Tool, which provided strong control and flexibility. To further enhance quality, I refined textures by repeatedly exporting updated versions from FiberShop.

Additionally, I customized some spline functionality by converting 3ds Max scripts into Maya equivalents using ChatGPT, which significantly sped up my workflow.

Cloth

Since the outfit was primarily fabric-based, simulation was a core consideration. I began by creating the base pattern in Marvelous Designer, then brought it into ZBrush for additional sculpting. While it would be ideal for the simulated mesh to serve as the final model, I found it necessary to modify details in ZBrush to achieve my intended level of fidelity.

To avoid issues during animation or simulation, I kept only the major folds in the modeling stage and left finer fabric details for the texturing phase. For accessories, I first designed them in high-poly and then recreated them as alpha planes to optimize for performance while preserving their intricate look.

Texturing

I began with color blocking to establish the base palette, then layered shading and surface properties to build up depth. Areas like skin and metallic elements were carefully tuned to emphasize contrast and surface realism. I used Marmoset Toolbag for frequent test renders, adjusting material-light interactions to match my visual goals.

For me, texturing is about balancing technical accuracy with artistic sensitivity. One specific challenge I encountered involved designing a gold foil texture around the eyes. I wanted to evoke a tear-like expression without using actual fluid simulation. By carefully layering metallic roughness and manually painting streaks that resembled dried gold, I was able to simulate an emotional, reflective surface that reinforced the character's mood and backstory. Although it's a digital process, it often requires intuitive judgment, similar to painting, especially when refining tones and color distribution. My aim was not just material definition, but emotional expression. I constantly tweaked color and brightness to ensure the surface conveyed the character's atmosphere and subtle narrative.

Simulation

Cloth simulation was handled in Marvelous Designer, which I consider one of the most intuitive and powerful tools for fabric behavior. I started by animating the prop and character in 3ds Max, then exported the motion as an Alembic (.abc) file. After importing it into Marvelous Designer along with the simulation mesh (as .obj), I pinned the garment to the body and began the simulation. In this project, I focused on how the dress would react to the character sitting down, paying special attention to fabric weight, fold formation, and collision response. Once satisfied, I exported the final simulated mesh and moved into the rendering phase.

Composition

The most important aspect I wanted to highlight in this portfolio was the turntable composition and overall scene direction. Rather than simply showcasing a character, I aimed to deliver a full emotional message through the harmony of background, lighting, and color.

The scene I envisioned was of a graceful woman beneath moonlight, her silhouette reflected on still water. To prevent the character from feeling detached from the environment, I carefully adjusted lighting and tone to unify the entire scene.

I used the ACES color profile to achieve rich tones and better dynamic range, and added Depth of Field to increase realism. Since emissive materials weren't usable on the water surface, I placed multiple lights beneath the water plane to simulate upward glow. This resulted in a soft, radiant effect that enveloped the character, enhancing the dreamlike, serene atmosphere and subtly reinforcing the emotional narrative of the scene.

To strengthen this ambiance, I placed a soft key light from the upper left to gently highlight the character's face and upper body, guiding the viewer's eye. A subtle rim light from the back right helped accentuate the edges of the crown and dress, defining the silhouette. Several low-intensity fill lights were added around the scene to maintain balance in the shadows. Beneath the water surface, I arranged soft-colored lights to create diffused reflections and upward glow, which contributed significantly to the mystical, moonlit mood.

Conclusion

Each time I start a new project, I prioritize not just the final outcome, but the opportunity to refine and evolve my pipeline, a mindset that has helped me grow from a technical contributor into a more strategic and forward-thinking 3D artist. This approach allows me to identify inefficiencies, experiment with new tools, and elevate the overall quality of each project.

Technology changes, but consistent self-improvement and problem-solving define a strong artist. In this project, I challenged myself to combine varied hairstyles, East-West aesthetic balance, and emotional storytelling within a real-time-optimized workflow. While working on personal projects after full-time hours can be tiring, the daily progress brings me deep fulfillment. I believe mistakes are not setbacks but honest steps forward.

To beginners, I offer this humble advice: even now, I feel there's so much to learn, but compared to my past self, I know I've grown. And for me, consistency is the most powerful tool. If you keep going, you'll be surprised at how far you've come.

Donghyun Lee, 3D Character Artist

Interview conducted by Gloria Levine