PLANET OF THE APES - THE MINIATURES BOARDGAME

I created all the miniatures, including the apes and soldiers, for this game, as well as many of the 2D graphics. The project is still in production and is expected to hit shelves in June 2025. All the characters were designed based on my observations from repeatedly binge-watching the movies, as well as the references provided to me by 20th Century Fox. The turntables created by Weta Digital were especially helpful in supporting my 3D conception and adaptation of the film characters into small tabletop game pieces.

Although the game has not been released yet, at the time 20th Century Fox was acquired by Disney, all the work I completed had been validated and copyrighted by the company. I am pleased to have the right to share it, at least partially, in my portfolio. Here are some of the miniatures that have been painted and displayed at game conventions since the beginning of this production around 2018.

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Flash Light 1950

Here is a flashlight I created from scratch, based on the reference picture shown at the bottom of this page. I enjoy creating low-poly assets and making them look realistic in terms of shape, texture, and overall appearance. I wanted to explore some techniques in Substance 3D, such as the anchor point functions and others. I designed the seahorse graphic and used it in the height channel to stay close to the reference while creating a different logo. For all the modeling, I primarily used ZBrush, specifically the ZModeler brush, along with Substance 3D.

Mitch Pigs Demo

Here is a short demo I created from scratch to explore the new update of Unreal Engine 5. My goal was to push the boundaries of my technical knowledge by utilizing Lumen for lighting, along with many other software tools I generally use for video games and real-time rendering. I sculpted the pigs based on a concept art piece I discovered while watching the Instagram artist Mitch Leeuwe. I really enjoy his overall cartoon style, which reminds me of the Preston Blair animation books that I’m particularly fond of. This inspiration led me to create a 3D version of this cute little pig.

Mario is definitely one of my lifelong favorite characters, and I'm excited to present my work on him here. This includes high-definition sculpting and low-definition retopology using ZBrush. The blue and orange version shown is the HD model exported from ZBrush, which I rendered in KeyShot. The low-definition retopology is presented here as the final rendering, textured in Substance 3D and rendered in Iray.

I created the miniatures for this released game based on the specifications I was provided.

I designed the central piece of the game, the metal-cast medallion, based on the specifications I received and my own concept art. I utilized 3D sculpting and printing technologies, along with my traditional art and molding skills. Additionally, I designed the back of the cards and the token illustrations to match the medallion.

I created this short demo from scratch, using the software I generally use for video games and real-time rendering. I set up a composition with lighting and cameras, and then used the sequencer in Unreal Engine 5 to create a cinematic rendering with path tracing.

I sculpted this version of Link from Link's Awakening in ZBrush, using a collectible as my reference. As an art and 3D teacher, I create numerous tutorials and courses, and this is one example. I always choose subjects or characters that I think will engage my students, as I believe it's important for them to enjoy the learning process in my classes. I chose Link because he has a simple overall shape while also allowing for a mix of organic sculpting and hard surface modeling, making it an excellent way to introduce ZModeler techniques. During classes, I clearly explain and demonstrate the following key steps in the 3D character creation process using a video projector: model sheet creation, sculpting, retopology, UV unwrapping, texturing, setup, and animation (for simplicity, I used Mixamo) as well as 3D rendering.

Here are some miniatures I created based on my concept art for the board game Battle Zone. I sculpted them in ZBrush, using the same techniques employed by Avalanche Software for the creation of the Disney Infinity figures, which have always been a great inspiration for me in terms of design and game concepts. I also used KeyShot for the 3D rendering. Additionally, I designed some trading cards for the game, as shown.

I created this gramophone using Houdini SideFX, as I wanted to explore Houdini's techniques for low poly modeling with nodes, in contrast to the 3D polygon modeling in Blender or Maya that I typically use. This was during my time learning procedural techniques in Houdini. I then proceeded with unwrapping the UVs, also in Houdini, and used Substance 3D for baking the input maps, such as normal maps, curvature, ambient occlusion, etc., and for texturing. Finally, I utilized Marmoset Toolbag for real-time rendering and MViewer, which I should embed here, as well as Adobe Premiere Pro for the Ken Burns presentation and turntable. I chose the delightful "Petite Fleur" music by the soloist and composer Sidney Bechet.

I have a strong affinity for buggy cars, so I created this buggy from scratch using various reference pictures of this type of vehicle. I used Blender for all the polygon modeling and UV mapping processes, and I utilized Substance 3D for baking the input maps and texturing. Additionally, I used ZBrush to sculpt parts with higher levels of detail to incorporate into the normal map. I created the number plate graphics in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. I also experimented with some HDR environment maps and performed 3D rendering using Iray. My goal was to replicate the sparkling blue paint of the reference cars I used.

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