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GLBStylized Character Art with Francois Boquet
0Article by Filip Radivojevic
Francois Boquet is a talented 3D character artist known for his clean stylized sculptures, expressive posing, and strong sense of shape language. His journey spans multiple countries, studios, and artistic influences, each contributing to the unique visual identity present in his work today. In this interview, Francois shares insights into his creative process, his professional growth, and the lessons that shaped his career.
How did you first get into 3D character art, and what inspired you to pursue it as a career?
At first, I wanted to be a 3D animator, but it was too difficult for me. I wanted to animate characters like in the Disney movies and create emotion. So I tried 3D modeling and started creating environments for mobile games, but it wasn't really what I enjoyed. I bought video tutorials from Matt Thorup on Gumroad and began learning character sculpting. It took me a few years before I got a job as a 3D character artist. Creating a character in a pose with an expression reminds me of what I wanted to become when I first started in 3D.
You have an international background. Has moving between countries influenced your artistic development?
Yes, moving between studios and countries has definitely influenced my artistic development. Meeting new people and working on projects with art styles different from your own can greatly help you grow as an artist. I always believed that studios made the artists, but I eventually realised that it's the artists who make the studio.
Your characters have a very distinctive stylized look. How would you describe your artistic style?
When I began creating characters, my initial goal was to work at Disney. I started sculpting characters in the Disney style with the hope of one day joining the studio. Over the years, I discovered many artists whose styles I admired, and their work has inspired me in my own character design process.
From all the characters you have created, which project stands out the most to you and why?
I'd say the elf project. I learned an enormous amount from it thanks to Dylan Ekren, who offered to give me feedback on my sculpt when I first started working on her. His critiques helped me gain a much clearer understanding of shapes, both in terms of posing and anatomy.
How does your creative process change when working in a professional studio compared to personal projects?
When I work in a studio, I have to follow the given direction and translate it as accurately as possible into 3D. Then other departments take over my work to rig and animate it. The deadlines are also very short.
When I work on personal projects, I'm free to experiment without production pressure. It allows me to practice character anatomy, design, and test new software. With each new project, I aim to learn something new while continuing to apply what I learned from the previous one.
What part of the character creation pipeline do you enjoy the most, and what part challenges you the most?
Sculpting is my favorite part of the process. It's where you really see your character come to life, step by step. I especially enjoy working on the shapes, the pose, and the expression. Texturing and shading remain a challenge for me, as I always try to recreate the materials as accurately as possible.
What software and tools are essential in your daily workflow as a character artist?
ZBrush is the software I use the most. It's the best tool when you want to start something very quickly. PureRef is great when you need a board to organize your references. I use Marmoset to make quick renders of my sculpts, it's really fast when you need to make a presentation of your character.
Do you have any specific techniques or habits that help you maintain strong stylized shapes and clean readability?
Working in low poly with simple primitive shapes is essential. If your model reads well in low resolution, it will hold up in the final version. It's exactly the same method for 2D artists when they work with silhouettes.
What advice would you give to emerging 3D character artists who want to refine their style and break into the industry?
The first thing I can say it's to learn from other artists. Ask yourself the important questions: What makes this character appealing, charismatic, or engaging? What defines this artistic style? the textures, shapes, proportions, etc...? Stay curious! Watch different TV series and try playing games you might not have considered before. New experiences can be intimidating, but they can also be a source of inspiration.
Follow Francois Boquet on ArtStation, Instagram and LinkedIn to see more of his incredible work.
