Section:

Interview with Jorge Enrique Baldeón

We talk to the lead 3D artist at BOT, Jorge Enrique Baldeón about where he gets his inspiration for his creative journey.

We talk to the lead 3D artist at BOT, Jorge Enrique Baldeón about where he gets his inspiration for his creative journey.

Morgan

Meet a very talented 3D artist who shares his creative journey from traditional artist to lead artist at BOT in Ecuador.

Jorge's take on the face hugger from the Alien franchise

3dtotal: Tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you, what do you do, and where are you located?

Jorge Enrique Baldeón: I am the CG Supervisor and lead 3D artist at BOT animation studio in Guayaquil, Ecuador. We do many different things like: Character animation, product pack shots, concert visuals, integration to real plates, etc…

Gecko model, made using Mudbox, for a short animation

3dt: Tell us the story behind your artwork: What brought you into the digital art world and what software do you use?

JEB: I have always drawn a lot since I was a kid, I moved on to painting and even some sculpture here and there. I have found that 3D is the perfect medium for integrating all of those disciplines into one. I first started working with 3ds max, version R3, back in the early 2000s. Since then I have delved into Lightwave, Cinema 4D, and a couple of other programs, but I always ended up returning to 3ds Max!

Napalm Chick made using 3ds Max and Brazil Render

3dt: How did you learn to make art digitally?

JEB: Back when I first started out there weren't many places to learn. YouTube didn't exist, so I had to read the User Manual, a lot, along with some text tutorial hunting. Eventually, I moved to using forums when they became popular and many portals started posting people's works and portfolios. Places like 3dtotal (and its forums), CGTalk, and Renderosity allowed me to meet other artists and chat directly with some pros; that helped me a great deal, especially to learn faster and work more efficiently. Even now, I still like to learn on my own at places like Digital Tutors, Autodesk Area, also I still read the manual!

Angler Rat made using 3ds max and Brazil Render

OI Grandpa character made using 3ds Max and Mental Ray

3dt: How do you keep your portfolio up-to-date? Any tips?

JEB: Luckily I'm always doing something fun at work, even if it's another soda bottle to add to the collection! I always try to do something new and improve on the previous projects. Also, in my limited free time, I try to do mini projects that I know I can finish in two to five days. I plan it as a mini job project and pit myself against the deadline as if it was for a client. That way I will stay loose and learn things which will help to cut corners. Posting your work online will make you aim for better results, whatever you do you shouldn't keep personal work hidden because you will not get feedback and grow!

Mime Character, made using 3ds Max and Mental Ray

Huesitos - Sahuesitos from BOT on Vimeo.
3dt: Who are your favorite artists, traditional or digital, and can you explain why?

JEB: I find Caravaggio's work is fantastic as inspiration especially his use of light and dark, the contrast is wonderful. Rembrandt's work is very raw and dark. I look at Ingres' work when I want to do something that is ultra detailed.

I think Gottfried Helnwein is an amazing talent; his ultra realistic paintings are so inspiring. Another modern artist I respect is Chuck Close, I love his photorealistic paintings, they are even more impressive due to his disability.

Pedro Conti (has an awesome very personal 3d style)
Alessando Baldasseroni (great technique and really great versatility in different styles )

Creature model based on concept art by Ben Henry (Roundeye)

3dt: What software would you like to learn in the future to expand your portfolio and skill set, and why?

JEB: I would like to learn more about volume rendering, such as fluids in Fume Fx, also Krakatoa seems like a vital tool to learn nowadays, deep compositing in nuke seems really useful and a few new render engines are getting my attention. I think these tools could really help me give my 3D scenes more life than anything else.

Thanks to 3dtotal for noticing my work and the opportunity to tell the world a little about myself.

Mr. Pavo characters made in Mental ray

Related links

If you like Jorge's work then you should definitely head to his website; there are even more fantastic images!
Have a look at our awesome ZBrush Alien eBook to make your very own creepy creation
Check out this awesome Making of by Mahmoud Amghar

Fetching comments...

Post a comment