Eugene Filimonov: texture artist interview
Eugene Filimonov
Texture Artist
Polish texture artist Eugene Filimonov experiments with his personal work, and talks about his recent work “Smile Girl”…
3dtotal
Tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you, what do you do, and where are you located?
Eugene
Hello. My name is Eugene Filimonov, I am a texture artist. I live in Warsaw, Poland. For the last 13 years, I’ve been engaged in 3D graphics. Since my parents are artists, I have had a craving for art since I was a child. After graduating from university with a degree in PR, I decided to change my life and use my drawing skills in my work. So, in 2008, I came to a game development studio.
3dtotal
What was the workflow behind your latest gallery image? Where did the idea come from?
Eugene
On Artstation, I saw J. Hill's “Smile Girl.” It was a speedsculpt with very lively emotion. I decided that I wanted to make textures for it. I wrote to J. Hill and asked him to provide me with this sculpture. I got the answer very quickly and a few hours later I had a model. I wanted to make her look funny and a redhead. Together with my friend Roman Lovygin, we moved step by step towards the end result of this work.
3dtotal
What challenges did the image present? Did you learn something new?
Eugene
I won't say it was easy. The model was already with emotion and the standard workflow did not work here. We wanted it to have exactly a sleazy fun look and Roman worked hard on the hair to emphasize it. Well, in addition to texturing, I had to make models of the missing parts. It was exciting and interesting. I am very happy that a random dialogue led to this work.
3dtotal
Do you use any other software, either for work or personal projects?
Eugene
I use Mari and Substance Painter for texturing. Some things I can do faster in Mari, other things in Painter. I like the flexibility. If I see that I can do it faster in another program, then I have no regret doing it there. For modeling, I used Blender. But I'm still learning to work in this program. After Maya, that transition is hard for me.
3dtotal
How do you keep your portfolio up-to-date? Any tips?
Eugene
Well, I try to do some projects for my portfolio outside of my main work all the time. So I can experiment. I take my time and try new things. I believe that an artist should keep his portfolio up-to-date all the time. Our skills are improved and a new work in the portfolio is better than a thousand words.
3dtotal
Are you a member of any social media groups? Any favorite hashtags you check on a daily basis?
Eugene
Yes. I follow several groups on Facebook. So I can communicate with other artists and not miss interesting things. It is very useful to be on the wave.
3dtotal
What are your artistic ambitions?
Eugene
Make a digital portrait so good that I get scolded for posting a photo. Improve my skills. I know my weaknesses and I'm working to eliminate them.
3dtotal
Who are your favorite artists, traditional or digital, and can you explain why?
Eugene
Jama Jurabaev — he always has an innovative approach. It's not like everyone else. That's very beautiful. Justin Holt — he was my teacher on the texturing course. He helped me find my place and develop my philosophy. Slava Lisovsky – a constant search for new things. A search for solutions to do complex things with simple methods.
3dtotal
What can we expect to see from you next?
Eugene
Probably, once again, I will make a human eye. Perhaps a portrait that will be better than it is now? Don't know. We'll see soon!
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