Creating Semi-Realistic Hand-Painted 3D Character Portrait

Introduction

Hi, I'm Ruben Grigoryan. My journey into the game industry began two years ago, fueled by a desire to create unique, emotionally resonant characters and, of course, a lifelong love of gaming. But long before digital sculpting, modeling, and 3D workflow, my roots were planted in traditional art. That foundation naturally evolved into an exploration of different artistic mediums, eventually leading me to digital character creation.

From the beginning, I've tried to fuse traditional art, 3D techniques, and realism into a cohesive style, call it synthesis, fusion, alchemy, whatever works. The key for me has always been reference: finding the right visual and emotional cues helps ground the process and makes the entire workflow smoother and more intentional.

Modeling

My workflow isn't overly complex. It starts with blocking to establish the main forms, then moves into sculpting and detailing. After that, it's on to retopology, texturing, and finally rendering. I rely mainly on ZBrush and Blender. While proper anatomical structure is important, my top priority is always emotion, capturing a feeling that speaks to the viewer. Sometimes, that means bending the rules of anatomy slightly, and I'm okay with that if it brings more life to the character.

XGen, for hair work, has probably been the most challenging tool to learn but also one of the most rewarding. I actually enjoyed wrestling with it, I had also mixed XGen with Blender new hair system and this experience has definitely sharpened my skills for future projects.

Retopology was done in Blender, then unwrapping – RizomUV.

Texturing

To start, I focused on achieving realistic skin as a base, then gradually added layers to push it toward a more stylized look. I used Substance 3D Painter, applying some filters and tools, but most of the work was done by hand. For the final result, I added custom shader nodes to enhance realism while maintaining a stylized touch. Hand-painting gave the skin a more personal and approachable feel, making the character both visually engaging and emotionally relatable.

Lighting & Rendering

Lighting and rendering were all done in Blender using the Cycle engine. I used a mix of HDRI and multiple light setups, key light, rim light, soft light, and more, to enhance the overall impression and spotlight specific design choices.

Conclusion

This project actually sat on the shelf for a while. I hit a creative block and had to step back to understand what I truly wanted to express. That pause turned out to be incredibly helpful. It gave me clarity, not just about the character, but about my own artistic direction. The most enjoyable part was texturing: meticulously building up each layer to get the final look. The biggest challenge? Capturing genuine emotion and harmonizing all the different styles I'd woven into the piece.

If I could offer one piece of advice: Create whatever you imagine. Go beyond the norms, play with the rules, and break them if you must, but above all, enjoy the process. The final result is just the destination. The process? That's the real journey.

Ruben Grigoryan, 3D Character Artist

Interview conducted by Amber Rutherford