Bringing to Life a Semi-Stylized Character With Maya & Substance 3D

Introduction

I started my creative journey in 2D, but over time, it evolved into 3D. I began drawing at an early age, and once I discovered 3D, I completely shifted my focus to it. In the beginning, I worked on stylized projects, but later I became more interested in game characters.

However, I realized that the limitations of game models were also limiting my artistic potential, and I found the level of realism I was aiming for in VFX-style characters. I've been creating realistic characters for about five years now, and all of them were made for my personal portfolio.

For the past two years, I've been working as a character artist on game projects. I haven't had the opportunity to work in a VFX studio yet, but I continue to create and learn every day, and I'm confident that I'll reach that goal in the future.

French Stranger

If you want to create good work, I think the first step is always gathering a lot of references, which is how I start, too. After the reference phase, I decide what kind of character concept I can develop and move on to modeling. For the face, I use scan textures. They save a lot of time and help achieve higher quality results.

For hair, I use XGen. There are many options out there, but XGen gives me the most control. Having a dedicated base mesh for the hair before you start really helps, as it allows you to control the overall form and silhouette while grooming.

When it comes to clothing, Marvelous Designer is always the best option. After roughly blocking out the garments and seeing how they sit on the character, I move on to refining the details. Once the clothes are transferred to ZBrush, I add the fine details manually, which gives them a much more realistic look.

I always work from broad forms to fine details and never rush. This helps me avoid having to constantly go back and fix things. I first make sure the general shape works, and then I move on to the details. Whether it's clothing, hair, or sculpting, the principle is the same.

If you focus too early on one area and later realize something is off elsewhere, all the detailed work can go to waste. We all want to see results quickly, but to achieve a strong outcome, it's important to take your time and move carefully.

Retopology

For retopology, I use TopoGun 3, which makes the process both easier and more enjoyable thanks to its tools. After that, I unwrap UVs in Maya and move on to texturing in Substance 3D Painter. The last one more than meets my needs, its masking and smart tools make the process both efficient and high-quality.

The semi-stylized look in my work actually comes from the base modeling. Applying realistic textures on top gives a touch of realism while preserving a stylized foundation. Every artist has their own unique style. Mine could be described as semi-stylized, as it blends stylized shapes with realistic details.

I don't consider this project purely stylized, but rather semi-stylized. Once the sculpt is done properly, the rest becomes much easier, because if your forms are weak, no amount of texturing can save the model.

I usually enjoy using rim lights, but for this particular project, I avoided them to preserve the dark atmosphere. Instead, I went with portrait lighting to better convey the theme. Sometimes, even a single light can be enough.

Since the raw render colors didn't quite reflect the mood I wanted, I brought the image into Photoshop for some post-processing, giving it a darker and colder tone. After a few small adjustments, the final image came together nicely.

Conclusion

Throughout the process, I occasionally faced technical issues with the software, but a quick search online is usually enough to identify the problem. Every challenge has a cause and a solution, it just takes time and patience to find it. I used to be very impatient and would leave many projects unfinished, but I've grown past that.

Now, seeing a project through from start to finish is part of my personal challenge. Having my work be part of projects that reach millions of people would be a great honor, which is why I dream of working in the film industry someday. My current projects are all steps toward that goal.

For beginners, my biggest advice would be this: do what you love, and never stop chasing your dreams. In the end, you'll be the one who wins. I hope my words can inspire someone out there. Stay creative!

Emre Kaymak, Character Artist

Interview conducted by Gloria Levine