There may be a lot of ways to get inspired but we reckon that 19th century art is up there with the best! We love to chat with well-educated people and France-based CGI studio Pixel 23 co-founder Léandre Hounnaké offers us sophisticated taste in art, experience of working in photorealism and love for adrenaline of completing his projects.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got into the 3D industry?
My name is Léandre Hounnaké. Following my law degree, my passion for drawing and painting lead me to the studies of arts at the Art School in Lyon. This opened the door to the world of graphics, especially the 3D world.
I’m a professional 3D artist and co-founder of PIXEL 23, CG Studio based in the Lyon region of France.
We create high quality 3D renderings for our clients. At Pixel 23, we consistently deliver client satisfaction with our 3D modelling and rendering services.
What kind of research process do you have?
Working in the field of photorealism, research is important in order to get as close as possible to reality. To research anything related to photos
How do you market your products? Can you share some tips & tricks?
Up to this point, I haven't attempted to sell my own 3D designs but that could turn out to be an interesting path to go through. One, that I believe could be well-worth it. Stay tuned!
What do you enjoy most about working in 3D industry?
A key motivation factor in my line of work has to be a variety of projects I get to work on. From the rendering of a corporate logo, to the 3D rendering of automotive, you are constantly on an adrenaline-packed mission where your ultimate goal is to cater to your client's requests.
What’s the hardest thing being a professional 3D designer?
Well, on one hand the technical difficulties related to meeting clients’ painstaking mandates. Each project requires specific tools and a precise work flow to get the work done and be as effective as possible.
On the other hand, from a business standpoint, crippling taxes can represent major business hurdles especially when it comes to making a decision about selecting clients that have a very tight budget.
What software do you use?
My first and primary tools are my eyes. Before I create an image, I seek to always inspire myself of the reality in order to gather as many references as possible on the topic through photos, drawings, etc.
Getting back to the software, I use various software and rendering packages to achieve my final products.
I use
What are you working on next?
As we speak, we're in the middle of negotiating design contracts with leather goods and motorcyclecompanies. Our object (with these contracts) is to go beyond the concept of static image, and expand our core competences in the animation field with the goal of dominating new markets.
Please finish the following sentences (being as honest as you can ☺)
My greatest inspiration is… impressionist artists such as Cezanne, Pissarro, Monet…
I abandon some of my works because… No Way! Every work I start, I finish. I never give up on any of my work.
When I catch myself procrastinating, ... It’s likely because something else more captivating grabbed my attention.
I’m most productive when … the project is a challenge both from a technical to creative standpoint.
I take a break from my work when … I’m on vacation.
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