Creating Detailed Gritty 3D Survivor Girl For Post-Apocalypse World

Introduction

Hello, my name is Park Hyunsoo, and I'm a 3D Artist based in Korea. I started studying 3D in my mid-20s after being inspired by the works created by studios like Wētā, Sony, and Pixar. Seeing those incredible projects made me want to be a part of that world.

I began with a short training period through classes and tutoring, but most of my learning has been self-taught, studying high-quality works from other artists and analyzing various resources. I believe the most important quality for improving my skills is persistence and a constant desire to grow. With each portfolio I create, I set a goal to show noticeable improvement from the last one, and I believe my current work reflects that progress.

So far, I've mainly worked as a modeler in advertising and animation studios, and I'm currently building a new portfolio as I prepare to join a new company.

The Post Apocalypse Girl Project

I found the original reference for Post Apocalypse Girl while browsing Pinterest. I was drawn to the overall silhouette, the outfit, and the concept, so I decided to start working on it. The original reference was actually a figure, so I had to supplement the missing details by searching for additional references on Google and Pinterest.

For example, the character had a bag, but the image quality was too low to see the details clearly. In that case, I looked for a similar bag that wouldn't feel out of place and used that as a replacement.

Recently, I've been studying Marvelous Designer, hair creation, and anatomy quite a lot, and I wanted to showcase what I've learned and achieved through this piece. Since this character is someone who survives alone in a post-apocalyptic world, I added worn and damaged elements to her design to help tell her story visually.

Modeling

For this character, I used actress Jessica Alba as a facial reference. I decided on her after watching Trigger Warning, one of her recent works, and felt that her look fit the concept well.

I actively used Marvelous Designer and ZBrush for the outfit. Marvelous was used to block out the overall shape and structure, while ZBrush helped add details like stiffened fabric and worn frayed edges.

In terms of topology, I focused on keeping the polygon count as low as possible at Subdivision level 1. This allowed me to gradually refine the shape and details as I increased the subdivision levels.

The gas mask and weapon were first blocked out with a very low poly count to establish their position. I then moved them to a separate scene and adjusted them carefully from various angles to match the reference as closely as possible. For the gas mask, I was especially careful about the fit since an ill-fitting mask can make the head appear too large or look unrealistic. I made sure the mask sat close to the face, minimizing any gaps to reflect how it would realistically seal out air.

As with other parts of the model, I built them up gradually, from proxy to low poly, then mid-poly, and finally to high poly, focusing on refining shapes and adding detail step by step.

The main tools I use are Maya, ZBrush, and Substance 3D Painter. I tend to do a lot of shape refinement directly in Maya using vertex manipulation, and I turn to ZBrush for high-frequency details. This workflow helps reduce the need to switch between tools, making the process more efficient constantly, and I think that's one of my key time-saving techniques.

Texturing

For the textures of the skin, clothing, and weapons, I tried my best to match the feeling of the references I had gathered. Rather than relying on imagination, I focused on checking real-life references for each element before working on them.

For fabrics and leather, I referred to tutorials on YouTube and also created materials by mixing and adjusting smart materials. One of the things I paid the most attention to was understanding why a certain texture belonged in a specific area and what story or logic it conveyed.

In my early days of learning 3D, I was particularly curious about how to express dirt on glass. I eventually achieved a satisfying result by using an aiMixShader, which allowed me to blend materials effectively. For the torn parts of the pants, I experimented with a few ideas. In the end, I used an opacity map to create the holes and added a sense of thickness to the edges using a displacement map.

The most challenging part of texturing was definitely the skin. Skin behaves irregularly depending on lighting, and the way subsurface scattering (SSS) responds to light intensity and angle can vary greatly. So, I chose a main light source first, then tested with different lighting setups to fine-tune the look of the skin.

Lighting

While working on this project, I tested various HDRIs and lighting setups, and I ultimately found that simple lighting, like a three-point light setup with minimal color, gave the best results.

While browsing ArtStation, I came across a great studio lighting setup specifically designed for character presentation, and I used that for the turntable render.

I used Arnold Renderer for the final renders, and for post-processing, I made only minimal adjustments, mainly tweaking the contrast slightly in Photoshop for a few asset images.

Conclusion

The entire project took a little over a month and a half to complete. Recreating Jessica Alba turned out to be more challenging than I expected. A person's face changes with age and even a slight difference in facial features can make it look like a completely different person. Because of this, I had to constantly test the model under different angles and lighting conditions, which made the process quite difficult.

Through this project, I had the opportunity to test and apply many of the things I've studied so far. That experience helped me gain confidence in various areas of my workflow.

Honestly, I still feel I'm not yet at the level to give advice to others. But looking back at my journey, I'd say that having confidence in my direction and staying consistent, even when things don't go well, is really important. I hope this project will lead to great opportunities, just like this interview.

Hyunsoo Park, 3D Artist

Interview conducted by Emma Collins