Dobri Dzhurov: Interview with 3D artist

Hi everyone! We continue series of short interviews with the best artists from 3DModels competitions.

Dobri Dzhurov, author of the “Reflections”, 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?

I am a 30 year old Bulgarian 3d artist. I studied in England and that’s where I learned 3d modeling, texturing etc. I have an art background, oil painting and traditional art, but I’ve always wanted to implement computers in the process and 3d art was the most logical thing to do.

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

The story about my work was about a friend. Last summer a friend of mine bought an old e21, his idea was to restore it and drive it as is. He was calling me often for help and during the process of taking it apart an idea came to my mind. Why not create a body kit that looks modern and carries similar philosophy to the Group 5 body kit from back in the day. The plan is to 3d print it and create that vision in real life.

That’s when the challenge came on and I saw it as a great opportunity to tell that story. It is a personal story and the idea was to put both versions of the car, scrappy old shitbox and clean concept racing car. The mirrors between them was the bridge. I just also put myself inside the scene to emphasise the personal attachment to it. “Reflections” spelled backwards was also made in that line of thinking.

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

Maya, Substance Painter, Luma, Photoshop.

The difficulty was to summarise this whole story from above in one image. Revealing enough of the old car and simultaneously making the modern version queen of the show.

Did I manage to do it? Probably not and that’s reflected by the results.

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

I try to structure my life in a way that my “passion projects” are my actual work, for the last few years I shifted my line of work taking a more entrepreneurial approach. Creating 3d concepts of my ideas and through 3d printing bringing them to life as a product.

However the work that pushed me on that road was this.

I wanted to create something completely mine without any limitations and briefs. A pure calling of the soul.

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

Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places. I am most inspired by beauty in all its forms. Nature also gives me a sense of balance and peace.

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

Work, work, work, work, look. :)