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GLBHeather Courage on Character Art, Concept Translation, and Community
0Article by Filip Radivojevic
We had the opportunity to speak with Heather Courage, a 3D character artist whose portfolio highlights both creativity and technical skill. From interpreting concept art to building detailed characters and sharing her knowledge with the community, Heather offers insight into the artistic journey that has shaped her career.
Introduction
Can you introduce yourself to our readers and share a bit about your journey into 3D art? What initially drew you to digital sculpting and character animation?
During the pandemic, I picked up a part-time job as a QA tester for a startup studio, working evenings. That eventually grew into a full-time role managing QA and customer support. While working there, I met some incredible developers and artists who encouraged me to explore my own interests.
At first, I dabbled in coding but quickly realized it wasn't for me. I've always gravitated toward the artistic side of things, and once I discovered 3D art, I was hooked. The VFX and 3D team introduced me to Maya, and from that first lesson I knew this was the path I wanted to take.
I spent a lot of time teaching myself until I eventually joined CG Spectrum, where I had an amazing mentor (Anna Beganskaya) who guided me through Maya, ZBrush, rendering, and more. Over two years, I earned top grades, became a technical assistant helping new students, and fell completely in love with character art.
I originally thought I'd work in environments since it seemed more practical, but once I discovered characters, I couldn't go back. Everyone told me I'd love ZBrush, and they were right. Once I got past the initial fear, it became my favorite tool, and it still is today.
Behind the Artworks
You contributed to outfit modeling and look development to The Legacy of Adam. How did you approach creating garments that were both historically grounded and visually striking for a modern audience?
On The Legacy of Adam, I was fortunate to work with a very skilled art director who put a lot of effort into the concepts before handing them to us. That took much of the guesswork out of the process. He was also open to collaboration, so we could discuss what was working, what wasn't, and what fabrics or materials would make sense.
The result was some of the most detailed texturing I've done in my career. We balanced historical influence with relatability for the intended audience, a rural African demographic with limited resources. That meant incorporating familiar, repurposed materials into the designs: bottle caps as shoulder pads or clips, tire tread as rubber elements, tin cans reimagined as armor. Those touches grounded the fantasy design in something authentic and accessible.
Dungeon Master started as a 2D concept before you brought it into 3D. What is your process for interpreting someone else's design while adding depth and detail to make it work in a 3D space?
When I choose a concept, I pick something I naturally gravitate toward. If I'm going to spend weeks with it, I want it to hold my interest. For The Dungeon Master, I spent a lot of time analyzing the shape language in the original design. Sharp points can emphasize villainy, while rounded forms make a character feel friendlier. His sharp details across his weapons, clothing, and even his facial features helped me preserve that villainous aura.
The main challenge is that 2D concepts usually show one angle, and as a 3D artist you need to interpret the rest. The key is staying true to the silhouette while imagining how the character would look from every perspective. It's about respecting the intent while making the design functional in three dimensions.
Witch of the Moon is a highly detailed project based on Wu Shen Yu's concept art. What were the biggest challenges in translating this 2D design into 3D, especially when it came to details like hair, clothing and materials? How do you decide where to stay faithful to the concept and where adjustments were necessary for a 3D outcome?
This was definitely one of my most ambitious projects. The level of detail was huge, the corset alone had so many tiny edges and designs that I sculpted manually. At one point, I had around 170 subtools just for her clothing. Staying organized and naming everything properly was absolutely essential.
Her silhouette was another challenge, especially the flow of her hair and fabric. The concept only showed the front, so I had to decide how the hair would flow from the back without disrupting the overall silhouette.
For the texturing, I wanted her to feel game-ready, so I looked at Overwatch for inspiration. Instead of changing colors, I used subtle variations in reflectivity, metalness, and roughness to embed patterns into fabrics. That added visual interest while keeping true to the original concept, which didn't include those details.
Tools and workflow
What tools do you rely on most in your character creation process and could you walk us through how you decide which tool to use at each stage to keep your workflow efficient?
I stick to a pretty standard game-art pipeline. Everything starts in ZBrush, where I sculpt both the organic and hard-surface parts. I really enjoy the ZModeler tool for crisp hard edges, and I use masking and extrusion to build meshes directly from the base body sculpt.
Once sculpting is finished, I decimate and move into Maya for retopology with Quad Draw, keeping it game-ready. After that, RizomUV helps me create clean, straight UVs. Organization here saves time during texturing.
Substance Painter is where I handle textures, whether fully PBR like on The Witch of the Moon or a hybrid with hand-painted touches like on The Dungeon Master. For rendering, I prefer Marmoset Toolbag. It's simple, fast, and produces high-quality results without the heavy setup of Arnold or Unreal.
Adapting concepts into 3D
Since much of your work is based on existing concept art, what do you find most challenging about translating a flat 2D design into a functional 3D model? Do you ever need to make creative adjustments to ensure believability from all sides?
Most of the time in production, you're given a concept and asked to make it real. If you're lucky, you get turnarounds from multiple angles. If not, you're working from a single splash art or illustration, and then you need to figure out everything the concept doesn't show.
That's where references come in, looking at real-world fabric, folds, or hair flow from all sides so you can make informed decisions. And yes, creative adjustments are often necessary. Some things that look amazing in 2D simply don't translate into 3D.
One word of warning: AI-generated concepts. They're notorious for impossible details like straps that vanish or shapes that don't connect. A concept from an actual artist has thought behind it, which makes it a much stronger foundation to work from.
Community contributions
Beyond your own projects, you have served as a teaching assistant, hosted streams, and even co-founded a 3D printing initiative. How has teaching and community involvement shaped your growth as an artist?
When I started, I had so many generous people helping me. My mentor, Anna Bergenskaya, and others gave up their time to guide me, and I know I wouldn't be here without them. That's why I've always wanted to give back.
Working as a TA at CG Spectrum was an honor, it meant being trusted to help others while reinforcing my own skills. From there, I started streaming, first on Twitch and later through Firestorm Studio, the community-focused studio I founded. I've also recently joined Maxon's ZBrush Live team, which I'm really excited about.
I run a Discord community too, which began during my early streams and has grown into a space where artists share, support, and showcase their work. For me, teaching and community aren't just about helping others, they inspire me and keep me learning as well.
Recognition and awards
You've received recognition from the Rookies Awards and CG Spectrum. How have these achievements influenced your career path and confidence as a 3D artist?
I've always been very goal-oriented. On my very first day as a student at CG Spectrum, I set myself the goal of becoming a TA, even though I knew nothing about 3D. It gave me something to aim for, and eventually I achieved it.
When I discovered the Rookies Awards, that became my next challenge. In 2024, I earned a Draft Selection and an Excellence Award, and in 2025 I reached the A-rank I'd been working toward. Each milestone gave me motivation and direction when I needed it most.
More recently, my goals were to become a ZBrush Live streamer and a Women in Games Ambassador. I've achieved both, so now it's time to set new ones and keep pushing forward.
Future goals
Looking ahead, what type of projects or roles do you see yourself pursuing in the future? Are there particular studios, IPs, or artistic directions you're aiming towards?
I think most artists dream of working with studios like Blizzard or Riot Games. Their projects are incredible and would be amazing learning experiences.
For now, though, I'm focusing on building Firestorm Studios, the outsourcing studio I founded. A lot of my energy goes into creating a supportive space for my team and building strong client relationships. I've also been giving talks at CG Spectrum about confidence, networking, and soft skills, which has been incredibly rewarding.
And for the long term? Well, I plan to take over the world 
Follow Heather Courage on ArtStation, Instagram, Twitch and Vimeo to see more of her incredible work.
