Mickael Vermosen and the Great Challenge of Penetrating the 3D Industry
Mr. Mickael Vermosen, 27 years of age, has been in the industry for 7 years. And that does not come as a surprise with the works that he is able to produce.
While Mr. Vermosen had been educated at an institution such as ESMI in Bordeaux, France, this amazing artist knows how hard it is penetrating the 3D industry. Even with his evident talent, dedication, and pursuit to keep getting better at what he does, he recognizes that being in the craft is a continuous practice. Mr. Vermosen knows that reaching a certain level of mastery will never prove to be enough, especially with the kind of technology available to digital artists these days.
So let us get to know Mr. Vermosen in this feature and see how his journey as an artist brought him to where he is now.
Xeno Creatives (XC): ZBrush technology brought a lot to the industry. What processes did you have to learn to be skilled in it?
Mickael Vermosen (MV): Indeed ZBrush brought a lot to the industry because it works in a completely different way than 3Ds Max or Maya. When I started ZBrush, I was a student back in school so I was learning anatomy during my drawing classes which is one of the most important skill you need when doing character art. The process is different than any other app because you have less limitation in terms of polybudget to work. As this is the case, you have to learn how to be efficient first. Because ZBrush can be a real mess with wireframe and stuff, you have to learn how to do clean retop so you can use your mesh after. I had to learn how to export a displacement map correctly so I can use it in Arnold for example.
XC: As a dedicated artist how did ZBrush help you further your art?
MV: ZBrush has been a part of my journey since the beginning to be honest 🙂 I’ve started using ZBrush back in my first year of learning 3D and since then I had never stopped using it. At the beginning, it was mostly for environment stuff so there was a different workflow and different way to approach it. I can’t see myself doing character art and even sculpting rocks and stuff without ZBrush. I never spend a day without spending at least an hour in it.
XC: Was your craft really a passion to begin with, a hobby, or a mere job?
MV: This is an excellent question and I believe as a lot of us out there it started as a passion really. I’ve started to be interested in 3D and game art when I was 12. The When I decided that I wanted to work in this industry, I never gave up and tried everything possible to be able to do that 🙂
XC: Given your experience in the industry, what do you think is your edge as a 3D artist?
MV: I would say that I’m good at doing clean topology and UV 🙂 Ahahaha! But seriously, I don’t really think I have an edge; I still have a lot to learn from more experienced people and also from the younger generation. If I had to choose I would say texturing is one of my strongest skills.
XC: Whom do you do you consider your influence(s)?
MV: Like a lot of artists, (and not only 3D artists) I have influences from the old masters 🙂 Right now some of the people I really follow are Marlon R. Nuñez , Bruno Camara, Rafael Grasseti of course and my former boss, Joseph Harford.
XC: So far, what were the challenges that you had encountered working in the 3D industry?
MV: This industry may look big from the outside, but the truth is, there is a very few amount of openings compared to the number of people who are looking for a job. Hence, the biggest challenge I’ve faced is finding a job as a full-time artist or even as a freelance. In terms of doing 3D art, having clean UV and topo are a true challenge sometime and I find it really inspiring because it will help make justice to the sculpt. Another big challenge that I had to face is being to be able to find my way and my place inside this big industry surrounded by all of those talented guys.
XC: What is your most exciting project to date?
MV: On a professional level, I’m afraid, I can’t tell you 🙂 On a personal level, I’m currently finishing the entry I did for the beneath the wave challenge and after that I have another project that I really want to finish because I’ve started it like 9 months ago. It’s a demonic dude and the original plan was to render it with Marmoset Toolbag. However, I’ve decided to switch to Arnold and try some new stuff 🙂
XC: Do you have any advice to aspiring artists?
MV: This may sound like an old dude saying the same stuff over and over again: Never give up your dream. The path to what I would call success which is working in the industry is hard and long, so never let anyone bring you down and work hard. There is no easy way of doing things and there is no easy way to find the perfect job for you it takes times and a lot of dedication. Don’t hesitate to ask the other for advice and feedback on your work because it will help you growing as an artist as a team member and as a person.
Thanks a lot for giving me the opportunity to talk about my path in this industry 🙂
Want to see more of Mr. Mickael Vermosen’s awesome works? Click here!
