Yuko Hwang

To be honest, when I first watched Frozen, I fell in love with the design of the environments and characters. I knew I wanted to create work like that. That was the moment that completely changed my career path. Since then, I have explored many movies and games that have also inspired what I want to make.

I’m a modeling and texturing artist looking to be in the games industry. I’m currently studying at Gnomon School of Visual Effects. Right now, I am enjoying modeling and texturing for both game ready environments and characters, but am also incredibly passionate about developing my skills as an overall 3D designer/ concept artist. I will be graduated at the end of this year, so I’m polishing my demo reel for future job hunting.

As you can see on my Artstation, I love experimenting with different art styles. During term 8 at Gnomon, I created a forest scene based on the original art by Allison Perry, drawing inspiration from "The Last of Us". Currently, I am working on a new environment - a cyberpunk room in Unreal Engine. Out of all the art styles, my favorites are cyberpunk and modern. Two great example artists in these styles are Artem Filippov and Billy Chitkiin.

In my opinion, a good design is not only visually appealing and intricate, but also conveys a story. To me, that is the essence of good art. An art piece that strongly communicates a narrative will always captivate people's attention. Also, while it is important for artists to stay updated with technological advancements, mastering the techniques of composition and lighting is what sets great artists apart.

In all of my works, I explore a variety of art styles. During my time at Gnomon, I was trying to discover my own unique style. What kind of art can people recognize as Yuko's work? For my environment pieces, I created a post-apocalyptic campsite and a modern style laundromat, among others- both of which are gritty and realistic. In my latest piece, "Prayer," the art style was inspired by "Elden Ring" and Billelis. It combines my favorite game and favorite artist, resulting in an incredible final look. I successfully captured the dark fantasy theme! In question four, I mentioned that Cyberpunk is my favorite style, so I am currently working on a new environment piece. The reference for this piece is from the artist [Red Hong](https://www.artstation.com/redhong). It is still a work in progress, but I am excited to share it with all of you once it is finished.

For my Prayer project, It took me five weeks on sculpting the body, and five weeks on texturing and compositing. This was my first time creating a dark fantasy style creature, and I received a lot of guidance from my instructor Jared Krichevsky, as well as ****Jared Chavez**** on YouTube. Sculpting this horrible look creature in Zbrush was a ton of fun. The sculpting part, check! The second step was texturing the body- for this part, I came up with the idea of giving the character a zombie-type flesh. I found a good 3D texture tutorial from the Adobe channel where an artist showcased a zombie texture demo. For this process, I started from normal human skin, darkened the skin tone, and added blood around the body as well as some signs of decay. The final step was compositing. I rendered and composited in Unreal engine, not only because of how good it looked, but also because it was super fast to iterate and see the final result. Doing this part in Vray would have taken much more time to render. Plus, I was able to use Unreal blueprinting to make the ring rotate by itself.

Movies, series, and games are the biggest inspirations for my work. When I discover a favorite movie, I watch it at least ten times to observe every scene and understand how they designed and created it. This process is one of the most enjoyable parts for me. Another source of inspiration for me is music. Lately, I have been listening to a lot of electronic and dance music, which has inspired me to create a cyberpunk-themed room for my current project.

Every year, new trends emerge in our lives. One of the biggest trends I believe is AI art- although this new technology also poses a threat to artists. Right now, Midjourney is the most popular AI art generator that people use. With just a few keywords and simple code, art can be generated within minutes. I experimented with AI art for fun, and it did inspire me with new ideas for my creativity. However, artists are well aware that it poses a significant threat to their careers, which is why we need to find a way to coexist with AI.

It was such a great honor that my creature character is recognized by the Vega Awards, and to let the whole world see my work- before this, I only really shared my work on Artstation and Instagram. This is my first time participating in an international competition, so really a big thanks to the judges for recognizing my work. It has definitely given me more confidence.

Like I said, I initially created this project during a creature modeling class at Gnomon. I found inspiration from watching various YouTubers play video games, with Elden Ring being the one that stood out the most. The game's art was incredibly impressive, combining elements of horror and royalty. With this in mind, I aimed to imbue my creature project with a sense of sacredness. After completing the sculpting phase, I dedicated time to texturing and compositing. This project is one of my most recent works and, in my opinion, one of the best in my portfolio. That's why I decided to submit it for the Vega Awards- I was hoping to gain recognition among other talented competitors.

When working on this project, I found that texturing the creature's body was the most difficult part for me. Creating a realistic zombie texture posed a challenge. Learning Substance 3D Painter itself was not difficult, but the real challenge was making my artwork convincing enough to appear real. As an artist, I am always eager to learn new things and embrace new challenges.

It for sure let me have more confidence in my creativity- winning this award reinforces my position as a professional as I enter the entertainment industry.

- Creativity with good story telling - Strong connection to other artists - The cool and humble people I get to work with

Taiwanese 3D artists incorporate a significant amount of Taiwanese culture into their artwork. A notable example is the horror adventure video game called Detention, which was created and developed by Taiwanese game developer Red Candle Games. The game is set in the background of Taiwan under martial law in the 1960s. The unique game design and cultural elements have attracted considerable attention from people of different nationalities. As a result, it can be said that we have introduced a new style in the digital industry.

One of the big changes in the industry is the ability to use AI for customizing design. Like I said, we will see the development of new AI tools sooner rather than later- whether we like it or not. This will definitely have an impact on the digital industry, but ultimately I believe that we artists will have to find a way to coexist with these tools and developments.

I am still a student, even though I only have one more term left. Submitting your work for the Vega Award takes a lot of courage, especially when you are new to the industry. So, here are two pieces of advice I can give: submit your best work and work hard. Make the most of your time and take advantage of the opportunities while you are still a student.

YouTube is always a good and free resource for anyone learning 3D- attending school is no longer the only option. Even though I am studying at Gnomon, I still rely on YouTube to solve technical problems most of the time. While searching for resources on your own is essential, I believe it's important to go outside and talk to people. This year, I attended Lightbox and had conversations with industry professionals. They provided me with valuable advice on job hunting and building a portfolio. Building connections is crucial for artists because the digital industry is a small community and we should always be willing to help each other.

I can’t wait to gradated from school and work professional team to make great game or movie.

My first inspiration came from my mom. She would take my sister and I to various art-related events, such as museums, movies, and musical shows. She has a passion for collecting fashion magazines and art books, which I sometimes read as well.

Hard work and continuous learning are the keys to success. Winning the Vega Awards means a lot to me and is a significant achievement before I officially enter the industry. The quote "This is the beginning of anything you want" resonates with me at this moment.

The last thing I will say is don’t be afraid to fail. It has happened to every artist at some point. When you fail, you will find what you need to improve and grow as a result. Also, never stop trying. This year is very hard for everyone, but keep creating and learning.