Rémy Trappier: Interview with 3D artist

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

Rémy Trappier, author of the “Paris Cyber 2167”, will answer six questions and give us a look behind the scenes of his work.

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

I have been working as a 3D designer for more than 8 years in a Parisian communication agency specializing in fashion/luxury/beauty, my work consists mainly of designing packaging or products, making interior renderings, and modeling scenographies for events. I am also a 3D freelancer during my free time, this allows me to have the chance to have other types of missions and to work in other fields such as illustration or 3D historical reconstruction for worship media and entertainment.

I had this passion for 3D because already very young I loved model making or construction games like Legos and Meccanos. 3D was for me the way to continue to reconstruct the world no longer in miniature but in digital.

Moreover, I find it a very complete job halfway between engineer and artist. Technicality at the service of beauty.

What was the workflow behind your latest challenge image? Where did the idea come from?

First of all, beyond the theme of the car which was imposed, I had to find a universe. I didn’t want to model a car just to model a car. When the competition was announced, I was already thinking about what the city of Paris could be like in the future. There were plenty of interesting lines of thought, more or less realistic. About me, I wondered how could extend a city with the geography of Paris, as being very dense and small and blocked by a historical peripheral belt. (Yes Paris remains a small surface in comparison with other world cities). So I chose the angle of dystopia which would develop Paris in a vertical way with a physical border between its suburbs and its city center while mixing its historical architectural codes and modern futuristic codes. I started with a sort of retrofuture/cyberpunk universe. The choice of the car was all found, an old French classic from the 60s for the retro and propulsive plasma wheels for the future: A Peugeot 504, a reputedly indestructible car that will easily pass the ages.

What challenges did the image creation? Did you learn something new?

It’s been a long time since I posted a personal creation. This competition was an opportunity for me to get back to it by trying to break my habits and do things that I was not used to, such as composing the image vertically and no longer horizontally. . I thought it was a good way to illustrate the verticality of Paris. I learned about the details of the urban architecture of Paris because I remodeled some typical buildings, the aerial bridge of the metro, metro stations, etc.. but in the end, we do not see much, because it is located in the background and hidden by the wall that separates the first and second plan. I also tried to have more complex lighting than usual.

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

Generally, I try to do personal creations during times when I don’t have a lot of work. Unlike at the beginning when I published regularly but less detailed, today I try to do the opposite, publish less but in a more qualitative way. I try to post at least once every 2-3 months if my workload allows it.

I would like to share with you my latest album on the theme of wildlife that I have just published.

It took me a month to finalize these 15 animal illustrations where I paid particular attention to the staging and the lighting. I hope to get good feedback on it.

What or who inspires you today? Are you a member of any art communities? Any favorite hashtags you check on a daily basis?

Each 3D artist has their own graphic touch. Some are hyper-detailed, others a rather cartoonish or refined style, some like to bring characters to life, and others represent objects in the most realistic way possible. About me, I’m always inspired by the real world, memories I’ve had, or objects I’ve had or always wanted to have. I’m not very into the fantasy/magic or sci-fi genre.

My own fantasy is found in the way I frame and I highlight my scenes from real life, even if it means exaggerating a little. 2 very important elements in my opinion to give strength to an image. I strive as much as possible to give meaning to an image.

I am also inspired a lot by the world of impressionist and classic painting and photography. It is not uncommon for me to come back from this kind of museum full of references and new inspirations.

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

1. – As stated above, never underestimate the lighting of a scene. You have to try several things and never be sure of yourself on the first try.

2. – The chamfers are a game changer, If you don’t want to touch its geometry, you can always use a Vray EdgeText in the Bump slot to fake a chamfer without touching its modeling.

3. – Add some micro chaos, in real life nothing is lined up perfectly, always rotating or moving objects in a scene a bit. (like the alignment of chairs around a table for example).

4. – For renderings of characters, animals, or even fruit or vegetables, consider the Fast SSS2 shader on Vray (but the equivalent must exist on other rendering engines). I rarely think about this shader because I hardly ever do organic rendering, but on my last album about wild animals, this shader gave me some interesting details and more realism (Like the scattering of sunlight in the ears of my 3 lions).

5. – The last but not the least, wait at least 24 hours and a good night’s sleep before publishing my project. It’s often when I detach myself from my creation for a while that I realize that my colorimetry is wrong, or that I’ve forgotten something.

As a bonus, don’t forget that if you don’t like your old works less, it’s because it’s rather positive. It’s a sign that we were able to evolve at the same time as the world of 3D.