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GLBThe Creative Journey of Emma Nosengo in 3D Character Art and Design
0Article by Filip Radivojevic
RenderHub sat down with Emma Nosengo, a 3D Character Artist known for her ability to balance stylized charm with lifelike realism. She opens up about her path from traditional art roots to professional game production, revealing the methods, influences, and creative philosophies that continue to shape her craft.
Introduction
Can you tell us a bit about your background and what first inspired you to pursue a career in 3D character art?
I started drawing from a very early age; art in general was very present in my household. Both my grandmothers were artists, one for passion and one for profession. I usually doodled and copied drawings from my Disney books when I was at home, and drew a lot during school hours. Because of this strong connection to art, after middle school I decided to start my journey at a High School of Art called Pinot Gallizio.
During that time, I learned how to sculpt and paint, and after three years, I chose to continue with the graphic side of art. Unfortunately, it was more about advertising and graphic design, but our teachers were fond of classical techniques, so each poster or logo that we had to make needed a painted counterpart. I learned a lot of compositing rules during that time that I still use today.
During my last year of high school, I was uncertain about which field to enter. One day, one of my classmates asked me if I loved video games and said that she was interested in visiting a digital art school dedicated to game development. Together we went to the first open day, and I was thrilled. Seeing and hearing about this kind of artistic path was captivating, and I realized that I really wanted to do this with my life.
And so I began my journey at Event Horizon School. In this school, I got the chance to make a lot of friends and connections, and learned how to be a generalist 3D artist. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to be a Character Artist, so I tried my best to make as many characters as possible, both during normal assignments and during game production with my colleagues.
Before that, I never really asked myself about 3D art. I just knew that I really wanted to make video games and create something similar to one of my very first games, Bioshock. If I think about what made me fall in love with 3D, I believe that the answer is Alice: Madness Returns. I loved Alice, all of her outfits, the music, and the environment. My dream was to make something as cool as hers. I think that Alice and Delta, the Big Daddy, were the true inspiration for this path.
During my school years, I started working for an automotive VR company and with a miniature artist. After that, with my schoolmates, I collaborated on opening our company named Dramatic Iceberg, with which we released our first game, Garden In!
In the meantime, I worked with different companies and private clients, contributing to various projects with different targets.
Artistic Journey
Your portfolio showcases a wide range of styles, from stylized to semi-realistic characters. How did your artistic style evolve over time, and what influences shaped it the most?
My true obsession is making realistic portraits; however, stylized comes naturally to me (maybe because I drew a lot of cartoons when I was a kid). I want to show myself that I can evolve and make realistic characters too.
To get better at 3D and hand-painted work (and vice versa, really), I try to draw and paint whenever I can. When I paint, I always try to match the portrait, and I always end up with it being fully stylized with very blended brush strokes. It took me a long time to achieve the painted look because even if my eyes loved the singular and precise brush strokes, my hand kept blending all of them. After different studies and a lot of trial and error, I was finally able to achieve something that I like. It's not perfect yet, but I can see the improvement in each one of them.
To learn how to make something closer to the realistic path, I joined different masterclasses over the years. The first one was with Andrew Ariza. During those months, I got closer to the true and artistic side of 3D. I decided to make my own concept since it was one of the skill sets that I wanted to develop, but it ended up being very complicated. I tend to change my mind about what I make, so naturally, if the concept is not clear, the production becomes confused.
I did hit a wall, but in the end, my own character came to life - Leuthia, my muse. It was trivial, hard, and difficult. I don't feel that she is complete, but I think nevertheless that she is a milestone in my portfolio, my true and first approach to something more realistic. Thanks to Ariza, I learned how to study a concept and bring it to life.
After some time, I participated in the Character Masterclass of JHill. This time, I decided to search for concept art simple enough so that I could follow the live lessons and participate in the feedback sessions. This masterclass helped me become more critical about the detailing side - how to distribute pores and wrinkles around a face, how to study realistic materials, and how to approach a perfect render in Unreal.
Inside the Creative Process
When starting a new character, how do you approach the creative phase? What guides your decisions in defining the concept, mood, and personality of your characters?
Most of my works are based on original concepts created by my favorite concept artists. I have a huge folder on my Pinterest full of very cool concepts, and I wish I had the time to sculpt them all.
The selection of a concept is complicated. Most of the time, a song enters my headspace and doesn't leave. The only way to get it out is to match that song to one of the concepts in my folder. Other times, I want to make something similar to what inspires me in that moment, what I play or read. Maybe I want to match a song to an awesome concept, or maybe a little bit of both.
For example, my last project was born because a friend of mine started playing Marvel Rivals, and at the same time, I was repeatedly listening to It's Hell Again by IronMouse. I wanted to match these two feelings, and the Doki-Doki Heartbreak concept was the perfect match in my eyes. She reflected the vibe I was in at that moment and everything I wanted to learn and get better at.
After I finish a project, I do something like a post-mortem. I start asking myself: Am I satisfied? What does she lack? Did we achieve what we were looking for? Did I improve on that?
The first question is almost always no. I want to keep improving, and each piece helps me get better, both visually and technically.
Technical Workflow
Could you walk us through your technical workflow, from sculpting to rendering? What are your go-to tools and techniques for achieving that signature look and polish?
After selecting the concept, I start with sculpting the blockout. When it reaches a good point, I create a mood board and search for specific types of anatomy, expressions, materials, close-ups, cloth, and render ideas.
When I sculpt, I usually use the Move and Clay Buildup brushes to shape both the blockout and the initial details. A big help in achieving the stylized look is the Orb brush package, which you can find for free on ArtStation, along with personalized alpha textures that I make on the spot.
Then, when I have a blob of a mesh with good volume, I send it to Blender and start by building the lights in a simple scene. The lighting helps me better visualize what I want to achieve.
I love to see the character shift and change, which is why I enjoy taking many screenshots to create my timelapses. The shaders I make in Blender are simple diffuses, everything I do is mostly driven by texture.
Visual Storytelling
Each of your characters seems to carry a distinct mood and personality. How do you approach storytelling through sculpting and presentation?
I honestly approached storytelling only recently. In my group of friends, we are all artists, both 3D and 2D, and during my production, they give me feedback and remind me that even a character needs to tell a story. What is she communicating? What's the story around them?
To explore this side, I study what the character needs to tell the viewer. For example, a strong character needs to have strong muscles and a powerful pose. Someone more dangerous and mysterious might have an ethereal pose.
Colors can give a lot of information about the personality of a character. To match that personality, lighting and composition play a very important role.
Professional Insights
As a 3D Lead Character Artist, what are some of the key responsibilities that come with this role, and what do you find most rewarding or challenging about leading a team?
As a Lead Character Artist, I manage a small team of four, and each of us is from a different country. Because of that, we have entry and exit meetings every week, on Monday and Friday, to discuss tasks, what needs to be done, and what needs to be fixed. I need to know what everyone is working on and what stage they are at so I can communicate with other departments if any issues arise.
We don't have an Art Director, so my main role is to keep a clear constraint over the style we discussed with the client or producer, ensuring that all the characters look balanced.
Advice for Artists
What advice would you give to artists who are trying to bridge the gap between personal art and professional production work?
I find networking to be an important skill in this industry. During school or studies, it's wise to start entering the community. Discord, LinkedIn, and ArtStation are full of artists to connect with. This industry is quite calm and open; most people are happy to share their experience and help others get better. Get over the embarrassment and get in there!
If you want to enter a specific industry, your portfolio should be focused on that exact topic. Even a few hours of daily practice can help improve your skills. I tend to come home after work and engage in my personal projects. Over time, I found these moments very rewarding.
Also, we are human and need maintenance. Remember to stretch your whole body, with special care for your wrists, and be aware of tunnel vision.
Style and Rendering
Many of your renders have a painterly or cinematic quality. How do you approach lighting, color, and composition to achieve that effect?
For the composition, I take a lot of references from real life that match the personality of the character I am making. The same goes for lighting - I have multiple folders with renders that inspire me from different artists, as well as screenshots from films or animations that I find interesting.
A good limbo can help a lot during the search for the final render. I usually create my renders in Blender because I find it more intuitive and easier to use. I use Unreal when a project needs a specific shader or feel, to add a realistic touch, and to showcase my ability to use the engine, even if it's just for a character showcase.
Career Highlights
Are there any particular projects or collaborations in your career that have been especially meaningful or pushed you to grow as an artist?
During my game development school years, I had the chance to collaborate with a nearby studio dedicated to automotive VR. I didn't stay long because of Covid, but I learned a lot about how to work in a real team that shares information and tests everything inside the engine whenever possible.
The most meaningful collaboration was with a miniature artist called Gaspez-Art. He was patient enough to teach me how to sculpt a miniature for a 2 mm resin print. He even sent me examples to study, helping me understand how to make very small details readable, how to create that fine information in ZBrush, and how not to lose it during the printing process.
This commission helped me gain another collaboration for miniature printing later on, and not just that. Many of the rules I learned there I still apply during game production, especially when working to make my characters more readable from different points of view or camera positions.
What's Next
What areas of 3D art are you most excited to explore next, whether it's a personal project, a new technology, or a specific artistic direction?
I definitely want to get better at making realistic subjects, both in painting and in 3D. Since I find stylized art a more natural path (which I still want to improve at), I believe that getting closer to the realistic side can help me grow as an artist, and improve my stylized work as well.
I have a few busts that I want to complete as a personal challenge, and I hope to be able to show them one day.
I also want to become more confident in my concept art skills. My goal is to create my own characters, the ones I usually paint on my canvas and in oils.
Follow Emma Nosengo on ArtStation and LinkedIn to see more of her incredible work.
