Hello dear readers and members!Today we bring you our first interview!
We've had the honour of interviewing Paul Pepera aka. Eraserhead, who is a great and talented 3D Artist currently working at id Software.
Hope you enjoy the read!
Below I've attached some of his works.
First off some basic information about yourself.
Name: Paul Pepera
Age: 23
Location: Dallas, Texas
Occupation: Environment, Vehicle, and Weapon Artist
Portfolio URL: http://www.peperaart.comOther sites you want us to link to: http://www.idsoftware.com – Where I currently work
Tell us a little about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Paul Pepera and I currently work at id Software as an Environment Artist. I previously worked at TimeGate Studios and did freelance contract work for a while.
How long have you been modeling? And what made you start?I don't remember the first time I picked up a 3D app but it was sometime during high school. I didn't get serious about 3D art until after high school (I wanted to be a concept artist before). I always wanted to work on video games; at first I wanted to be a Programmer, then a Level Designer, before finally becoming a 3D Artist.
What are your tools of the trade?For modeling I use 3DS Max; when I first got into 3D I used Lightwave but switched to Max shortly after. For 3D sculpting I use Mudbox. For texturing/concepting I use Photoshop. I use Max because I really like its core modeling tools, and many studios use that software so it is a good program to be proficient in.
When did you decide you wanted to focus on Hard Surface modeling?When I first saw the Making of Doom 3 art book and realized how important high-poly hard surface modeling skills will become in this industry as the technology advances.
Could you tell us about your workflow, from concept to getting the model into an engine?While I don't focus too much on concepting for personal projects, I always start a project by doing some thumbnails or quick sketches; I also do a rather large amount of reference gathering, especially when modeling real subject matter (such as a WW2 tank). I never dive straight into modeling, but when I do get to that stage I start off making a very rough, medium poly model. I use this as a foundation for the hi-poly mesh, see if there are and fix any clipping issues if the subject matter will be animated, and ensure the silhouette stays strong from every angle. A rough poly model can also help with the low-poly stage, as it can give an early estimate of the polycount and can give you a head start on the geometry of the low-poly mesh.
When I start the actual hi-poly modeling, I always divide the different pieces/objects of the subect matter into their own layers in Max, to ensure the workspace stays neat; also with extreme polycounts it helps to hide parts you are not working on. I also attack the model as a whole and don't focus on a specific area for too long; gradually build up the detail on the entire model. Since I consider myself a modeler, not a sculptor, I try to stay inside Max as much as possible, but when needed I import the model into Mudbox or Zbrush for an extra detail pass.
Once the high-poly mesh is done, I begin the low-poly model on a separate layer. I rarely build the low-poly from scratch, I usually pull the low-poly geometry from the rough poly or rez down the high-poly geometry.
Once the low-poly is finished I do an unwrap of the model. I typically delete any mirrored parts of the low-poly mesh, but I leave a strip of geometry intact along to seams so that the smoothing will carry over when I rebuild the mirrored parts after baking the textures. I use Max's RTT to bake out my textures. Apart from a Normal map, I apply color and materials to the high-poly mesh so I can bake out a Diffuse and Spec map, I use Mental Ray's Ambient Occlusion map for the AO, and if necessary I bake out an Alpha map. I always bake out at very high resolutions with super sampling, depending how fast the computer is that I am baking on, I always try to bake out as large a render as possible, and then scale it down to the necessary size in Photoshop.
Once I get my baked textures, I compile them in Photoshop. As with the model, it's always important to keep your Photoshop files neat and organized by using layers and layer groups, and naming your layers! Since it's possible that you or other artists will need to open your files again at a later date, it's important to properly label everything.
Depending on the model and art direction, I typically do a mix of hand-painting textures and photo-sourced textures. CrazyBump is a great program that can generate nice normal maps from photos which can be overlayed the baked out normals to give extra detail, but it should only be used as a supplementary program and not a replacement for the texturing process.
If I am importing into UE3, I center my low-poly mesh at the origin and export as an .ase. If the model needs custom collision I export those along with the mesh (keep the collision geometry on separate layers in Max). Also, if the model needs a second set of UVs for lightmaps I go ahead and apply those. I import the mesh and texture targas into a package inside the engine. I either create a new material, or an instance of a material, and connect the textures to their respective material expression slots and apply the material onto the mesh.
Which part do you find the most fun, and the most boring?The best part: Seeing your hard work finished inside a game.
The most boring part: The technical modeling that comes with the territory of being a game artist, such as LODs, collision meshes, etc.
Do you draw your own concepts?Yes I draw my own concepts when necessary.
Besides 3D, have you done any real sculpting or other art forms?While not a traditional art form, I enjoy building plastic model kits. They really give you an understanding of mechanical functions,
which is very important for a hard surface modeler.
Are you self-taught, or did you go to an art school?I'm self taught.
What do you, personally, think makes a great Hard Surface modeler?Attention to detail and patience. A good modeler also needs strong traditional art skills. Since a Hard Surface modeler also makes a lot of mechanical stuff an understanding and appreciation of all things mechanical is crucial.
Do you think anyone can become a 3D Artist?No, only people that work hard, make sacrifices, and strive to achieve their goals can become successful 3D artists; slackers don't last long in this industry.
Who are your idols when it comes to CG?The entire art team at Epic Games, Pascal Blanché, Olivier Ponsonnet, Stefan Morrell, Kenneth Scott, Vitaly Bulgarov, Bobo the Seal, to name a few.
Do you play video games? Of course.
What's your favourite game(s)?Current: Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead, Fallout 3, Mirror's Edge, Sins of a Solar Empire
All Time: Tie Fighter, Dark Forces, Mechwarrior 3, Red Orchestra, Halo, Unreal Tournament, Half-Life 1 & 2, Sim City 3000, Civilization 2.
What would you like to tell the artists out there that are trying to get a job in the games industry?Even though times are tough with the economic recession and wave of studio closures, don't use that as an excuse for failure. There will always be a demand for hard working individuals that can deliver quality work. Don't wait to ride out the storm, be proactive and make sacrifices; seize the day.
