From Hobby to Mastery: Juhee Kim, a game character modeler, shares her journey into 3D art and the challenges of creating dynamic characters.

Interview with Juhee Kim | Bone whip woman | Game character modeler

We would like to know more about you, Juhee. Please briefly introduce yourself and explain how you started working in 3D.

Hello, I am Juhee Kim, a game character modeler. Since childhood, I have been fascinated by unique character art and have developed a deep interest in art by appreciating various works. I had a hobby of making things by folding, cutting, and pasting by hand, and through this process, I naturally became interested in creating 3D characters.

Currently, I enjoy bringing captivating concept art to life in 3D. I focus on enhancing the individuality and details of each character to increase immersion.

Could you please explain in detail about your recent project, 'Bone Whip Woman'?

This character is a strong and weighty warrior, contrasting with the cute and pretty images I have previously created. This project focused on battle and wandering, emphasizing the delicate depiction of the character's torn and tattered cape, clothing, and equipment.

A lot of leather material was used, requiring the expression of various textures, and working with bone details, which are not commonly seen, was challenging but very enjoyable.

Lastly, I concentrated on conveying a sense of loneliness while emphasizing the dynamic movement of the hair and cape.

Your work using Marvelous Designer is impressive. Do you have any advice or tips for Marvelous Designer users based on your experience with this project?

I believe Marvelous Designer is a very useful tool for shaping the basic form of clothing. It allows for much more efficient and realistic creation compared to imagining and manually creating folds. Instead of obsessing over detailed folds, I recommend shaping the basic form of the folds first and then gradually sculpting them in ZBrush.

For the cape around the neck, I divided it into several parts, used pins to shape it, and managed each part individually using the freeze function. If I had made it as a single long piece of fabric, it would have been much harder to control.

Additionally, the cape needed to appear as if it was blowing in the wind. Using Marvelous Designer's wind simulation feature, I could easily create the desired shape. The most challenging part was adjusting the values of various options until I achieved the desired look. It requires patience and persistence to keep adjusting until a natural form is achieved, so it's important not to give up.

Could you provide a brief overview of the various tools used in the pipeline?

Using Marvelous Designer, I created the basic forms of not only the clothing but also detailed elements like gloves. For necessary parts, I utilized the retopology feature built into Marvelous Designer to create UVs in advance.

After that, I performed basic modeling and hair/fur work in 3ds Max, and high-polygon work in ZBrush. The baking process was done using Marmoset Toolbag, and texture painting was completed in Substance Painter.

Finally, I set up the background and lighting in Marmoset Toolbag to complete the final rendering.

When working on a project, there must be parts you enjoy the most and parts that are challenging. What was the most enjoyable part of the process for you?

I enjoy refining the base mesh created in Marvelous Designer in ZBrush. I find great satisfaction in cleaning up unclear boundaries and considering cross-sections and seams while sculpting details.

Creating the face was also interesting. Although it was the most challenging task, I enjoyed both the sculpting and texturing processes. I particularly remember trying to depict realistic makeup in Substance Painter.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while working on the project?

There were many unique considerations, such as creating fur and simulating wind-blown effects, which made it difficult to get a feel for each stage of the process. Among these, creating the hair was particularly challenging because it needed to have a dynamic, wind-blown shape rather than a static one. I went through a lot of trial and error to get the silhouette right.

However, once I started to get a feel for it and the silhouette began to match my envisioned image, things started to fall into place. At that moment, my mindset shifted to one of enjoyment. It seems like this is a process I have to go through every time.

Lastly, do you have any advice for those starting in 3D art? This could be career advice or tips on mindset when creating artwork.

I believe it is very important to seek help and advice from others. As I am still learning, I constantly question my work and strive to improve it.

Additionally, I think it is crucial to view as many works as possible and collect references. Referring to various materials is essential for enhancing the quality of your work.

I also find it meaningful to take screenshots or keep simple records at each process stage. This not only helps track the progress of your work but also serves as useful reference material for future projects.

Lastly, don't strive for perfection too much. I encourage you, as a fellow artist, to enjoy the process and see it through to the end. Thank you.

Link to Artstation