3d art

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What was the pivotal moment when you
knew that character modelling was your
thing? How did it all start?
AH: At the first studio I worked at many
years ago I was the texture specialist, then I
gradually found out that modelling was my
most useful skill, having been doing it as a
hobby since my late teens. I enjoyed
modelling characters much more than
environments or props, and I gradually
improved to go on to be a character
specialist at everywhere I have worked
since. I’ve always admired aspects of
character design – ever since I watched
cartoons as a kid.
What software have you mastered in your
career so far as a character modeller, and why
have they been your tools of choice?
AH: 3ds Max, pretty much. I’ve used Maya,
Softimage and LightWave in various
capacities during my many years at
different studios, but I’ve been
using Max the longest, and I can’t
really imagine using anything else
at the moment. It’s nicely laid out,
quick, easy to understand and has
some great modelling tools –
especially the new graphite modelling
tools in Max 10.
You’ve also recently started using ZBrush
and V-Ray. How’s that going and what
kind of new possibilities are they bringing
to your work?
AH: It took me a while to get used to
ZBrush’s unusual interface and I have only
learnt the basic tools so far, but it’s certainly
a powerful program. It’s all too tempting to
go nuts and ramp up the detail, creating a
clichéd dragon monster or old man, but I’m
going to strive to keep my simplistic style
Once I have started and got past the
difficult “Is it going to work?” part, I get swept
away and won’t stop until it’s finished!
and take advantage of ZBrush’s mesh
manipulation and refining tools, rather
than going down the realistic route.
Sculptris is a good alternative to ZBrush,
and it’s free. V-Ray is great – especially for
lighting – although I’m still pretty new to it
right now.
Your pinup characters are possibly what
the 3D community know and love you most
for. Would you be happy to tell us a bit
about your workflow when creating a 3D
character illustration?
AH: My predominantly pinup-themed
personal work is mostly an outlet for
inspirations that gather in my head, and for
when I want to create something easy on
the eye and different to most of the work I
get paid to do. If I see some artwork that I
admire, or if I see things in real life that
inspire me, I try to create an illustration or