Filipe Reis: Interview with 3D artist

Hi everyone! We continue series of short interviews with the best artists from Hum3D competitions.

Filipe Reis, author of the “Hope in a Dystopian Future”, will answer six questions and give us a look behind the scenes of his work.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. What do you do and how did you become a 3D artist?

My name is Filipe Reis, I’m 31 years old, I’m Brazilian, and I have a degree in Graphic Design. Ever since I was young, I’ve always enjoyed drawing everything, playing video games, and watching movies at the cinema. I remember studying art history for a year in college, and that’s what solidified the idea of working in this field involved with art. I have been working as a 3D artist for over 12 years in the Archviz sector. During this time, I worked in a renowned architecture firm in Brazil for 5 years, which was a very good phase for my career. I developed my aesthetic sense for colors, textures, and image composition. As a 3D designer, I was involved in all stages of project creation, and I fell in love with this field. I became a 3D artist after a conversation I had with a 2D professor in college. My initial plan was to study Maya for the video game sector, but the opportunities that came up led me in a different direction, and I ended up studying 3D Max for Arc hviz. Currently, at my studio, Filipe Reis 3D, I work with several clothing brands in Brazil, creating store designs and new brand launches. Whenever I have some time between projects, I work on personal projects, which I mostly see as a new challenge to study a new technique or software.

Where did you find the inspiration for your latest challenge entry? What’s the story behind its creation?

I have always enjoyed series like “Black Mirror” and “Love, Death & Robots” (Netflix), and I thought about merging these two series into a single image. The story behind my creation would be set in a dystopian future where highly advanced AI technologies decide to wage war against the human race, resulting in the extinction of humanity and turning Earth into a dark place. However, after centuries of experimentation, the AI finally manages to develop a technology capable of recreating human life.

What software and plug-ins did you use to create this image? Did you face any difficulties, and how did you overcome them?

Software I used: 3D Max 2023 / Chaos Corona / Photoshop – My biggest challenge was modeling and achieving a harmonious distribution of objects in the scene. I also conducted several lighting tests until I achieved the desired result.

How often do you do personal projects and keep your portfolio up-to-date? Which one is your favorite?

Whenever possible, I work on personal projects to update my knowledge. Currently, I have three personal projects that I dedicated a lot of time to (find more works in my Behance):

“The Alley of the Mist” – This project expresses my fascination with complementary colors and ambiguous environments. I tried to express myself by creating a damp alley with dense fog and contrasting warm spots.

“Food Colors Textures” – When I did this project, I was immersed in the world of 3D photogrammetry. I decided to create various fruits for this project and studied how studio lighting behaves. I also delved into rendering for product visualization.

“Adidas – Forum Mid” – I’m passionate about sneakers and the sneakerhead culture, so in this project, I challenged myself to create an ultra-detailed model of a sneaker that I own. After completing the modeling, I created several models with new colors and some collaborations with other brands.

Who or what has inspired or delighted you recently? Maybe it was a book, a movie, or an artist.

I have a great passion for Brazilian art, and these are some artists and artworks that move and inspire me.

Book – O xangô de baker street – (Jô Soares)
Film – Estômago – (Marcos Jorge)
Painter – Os Azulejos – (Adriana Varejão)
Music – Açaí – (Djavan)

Please tell us your five short tips for creating 3D art.

1. – References for models, materials, lighting, and composition.

2. – Having an organized workflow, usually using Trello or Miro for that.

3. – Studying new technologies.

4. – Maintaining a healthy routine with exercise, nutrition, and a good night’s sleep.

5. – Learning something new outside the 3D field, having a hobby.