Artem Lazarev: 3D arch-viz artist interview

3D arch-viz artist and mentor at ArchiCGI in Kiev, Artem Lazarev, shares the workflow behind is warm interiors, and offers tips on keeping motivated...

3dtotal: Tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you, what do you do, and where are you located?
Artem Lazarev: Hello to everyone, my name is Artem. I am a 3D artist and mentor in ArchiCGI, and a Cgischool teacher. I live in Kiev. I have been engaged in 3D visualization for more than 10 years. I work in 3ds Max and V-Ray. I work on 3D visualization of interiors, exteriors. I also do interior design and Im interested in photography.

3dt: What was the workflow behind your latest gallery image? Where did the idea come from?
AL: The latest work in your gallery is called "Echoes of the Past." It all started with the fact that our head of marketing at ArchiCGI came up with a proposal to participate in the CGArchitect 3D Awards. We were skeptical of this proposal, since there was not much time to prepare a truly stand-up piece. As it turned out later, it happened like that. I had a lot of ideas, but not enough time. So I decided to do a typical project for our studio. After participating in the CGArchitect 3D Awards, when there was no such short deadline, I changed this project a little during my free time. And here is it.

Tell me of the rain - This work was created for the competition. I mixed classic and modern design elements that give the room a unique look. Warm light from candles destroys the dark, and the rainy atmosphere creates the necessary comfort

3dt: What challenges did the image present? Did you learn something new?
AL: For me, the biggest difficulty in this project was to fill it with life. In my past works, such as "Tell me of the rain", which did not make it to your gallery, everything was obvious. But here, everything turned out to be more complicated. It is hard to show a story that takes place in this room. The story is that it's not just a room with a glossy cover, where everything is perfect. Its about people that live in it and as soon as they leave, a photographer appeared and took pictures. Yes, there are a lot of details that could be improved and in the future projects I will definitely do it. I learned that there are different opinions and there always will be. The only question is whether they will be the factor that will force you to step back from your dreams, or they will remain just opinions. You decide.

3dt: Do you use any other software, either for work or personal projects?
AL: I used Lightroom and Photoshop in the post-production for "Tell me of the rain." This is a standard workflow, 3ds Max and V-Ray and Photoshop, which works great. With all that, the Photoshop work takes half the time to finish a project. This part is very exciting for me, which is why I spend so much time on it.

3dt: How do you keep your portfolio up-to-date? Any tips?
AL: I have no magic advice on this. I can only say if you have a wild desire to do something, then do it and let the whole world stop. Put all of you, all the energy, everything, in the project, even if it's a sketch by hand, do it. Nothing should distract you from this flow, not a dog, wife, neighbors, nothing. Absolutely do not pay attention to anything. Well, ideas are born from watching cool projects that inspires me. Therefore, you should look at and analyze the good projects, not only 3D artists, but also photographers, as well as watch good movies, read useful books and travel. All this has influence on your works.

Each work for me is better than the previous one, but not the best.
The best is ahead

3dt: Are you a member of any social media groups? Any favorite hashtags you check on a daily basis?
AL: I spend enough time on Bechance. I check my messages, and also I like to surf here. There are a lot of outstanding works that can inspire you for something new. I often subscribe to famous artists and the not-so-famous. The next thing is Pinterest. Its a limitless resource with so many images. When I do a design, I find ideas there.

3dt: How important is the recognition of your peers?
AL: In general, recognition is good. It raises your confidence, you become something significant, it leads you into a new circle of communication with new people. But there is also the other side of the coin, when success fogs the mind and you do nothing, you stop and become lazy. I think the better thing is feedback. The more feedback with good criticism you get, the more you grow as an artist. This allows you to develop, to look for something new, which will allow you to rise higher. Each work for me is better than the previous one, but not the best. The best is ahead.

3dt: What are your artistic ambitions?
AL: My mission is to educate, help and inspire people to develop creativity and become better. There is a school in our company, in which we teach people to use 3ds Max. I'm directly involved in it. Im so inspired to do my job when I see a person who does not know anything about 3D begin to do good works. If my works inspire people to create their own works, then I can say my mission is right.

3dt: Who are your favorite artists, traditional or digital, and can you explain why?
AL: Who are my favorite artists? I probably will not be original. Alex Roman a legend that even now shocks young artists. MIR they are just the ceiling of architectural visualization for me. Tresde his post-production inspires me. He is very cool. Viktor Fretyan I think he is now in the MIR. His work is always wow. Pixelflakes and Arqui9 are super cool. I want to get to their level.

3dt: What can we expect to see from you next?
AL: I'm not the one who plans. This year we have so many projects... No, its not about me. I work when I'm attracted, when something in me has awakened a new wave of creativity. Now I'm preparing several projects that you will see very soon. I hope Ill have time to finish them this year. These are my plans.

Related links

See more of Artem Lazarevs work
Follow Artem on Behance
Echoes of the Past in the gallery
Grab a copy of 3ds Max Projects