Sameer Baloch: 3D generalist interview

3D generalist Sameer Baloch talks about the inspiration behind his artwork, including his latest gallery entry, US Army Jeep, created with Maya...

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

Sameer Hyder Baloch: I am the senior CG artist and web designer at Al-Quds Art Production in Muscat, Oman. I do 3D hard-surfacing modeling, texturing, lighting, rendering and compositing. In additional I do web design using Wordpress.

Close-up clay renders

3dt: Tell us the story behind your recent gallery entry, US Army Jeep: What inspired you to create it?

SB: I always do my R&D; in my free time. I found many artworks related to Mad Max vehicles, so I decided to make my own hardcore vehicle, and I was inspired by the Mad Max Trilogy vehicles.

3dt: Did you face any difficulties when creating this image, and how did you overcome them?

SB: Yes of course, I faced many difficulties. When I first started to work on my US Army Jeep, I faced many problems, but I never gave up and it took me around one year to finish it in my free time.

JEEP close-ups

3dt: What software did you use and do you have any tips for using this software, or any other software that you use to create your art in general?

SB: I used Maya for all the modeling work, and for rendering I used Arnold and mental ray. I used ZBrush for the details, Photoshop for texturing, and for compositing I used After Effects and NUKE.

3dt: What are your artistic ambitions?

SB: I want to become a professional CG artist and visual effects artist.

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

SB: I want to learn 3ds Max, V-Ray, FumeFX and ZBrush to an advanced level, to boost my skillset. I would like to get my hands dirty with visual effects and architectural visualization.

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

SB: I work every day on my personal projects. If I get any free time, I will utilize time and try to do something new which is improve my skills and my vision. Most of the time I am doing research and development, learning new software, and trying to do my best to do some creative and attractive art. The tips which I can give you here today is to don't waste your time, utilize your time as much as you can, do research, learn new tools, make ideas, and start work on it.

3dt: Who are your favorite artists, traditional or digital, and can you explain why?

SB: My favorite 3D artist is Marek Denko and my favorite traditional 2D concept artists are Anas Riasat and Mufaddal Iqbal, because they produce very creative and inspirational artworks.

3dt: What can we expect to see from you next?

SB: I am working on my latest project, it will take some time but 3dtotal is the place where I will post first.

Related links

Head over to Sameer's website
Take a look at US Army Jeep in the gallery
Grab a copy of ZBrush Characters & Creatures
Download this month's free issue of 3dcreative magazine