Interview with the Winners of 3D Printed Miniatures Challenge

Control your hype and try your best to give a round of applause for the two winners of 3D Printed Miniatures Challenge – Daniel and JaeHoon. Their works are amazing and so are they for giving us a small interview on their everyday life and challenges they’re facing.

CGTrader: How did you get started in 3D modeling?

Daniel: I always wanted to work on something related with video games and 4 years ago I found out about the first video game course in my hometown. I singed up and after a couple of months I knew that 3D modeling was going to be my key to get a job. Later on I saw other possibilities such as 3D printing and augmented reality.

JaeHoon: I believe there's a certain attraction which stimulates one's creative instinct in 3D modeling. I got started in 3D modeling as I've always thought that there's no other ideal solution as good as 3D modeling.

CGTrader: What are the main challenges you are facing in modeling?

Daniel: The real challenge for me is not to get bored. I try to deal with it all the time. I need to work fast to see fast results, otherwise I get bored and I start to get nervous. This is a problem that I try to solve leaving the computer for some time and saving the progress. There is nothing better for me than coming back from a break and seeing that I've made some meaningful progress even if I didn't notice it before.

JaeHoon: I am concerned about qualities of the actual print. So the question I need to find the answer to is how can I print a model of an excellent quality with the printer I have.

1st runner-up Admiral Yi Sun Sin by JaeHoon

CGTrader: Why have you decided to try yourself in this challenge and how have you came with the ideas for the models for this challenge?

Daniel: I'm working on the opening of my own video games company these days, so I and my partner were discussing what kind of art we want for our first game. We both decided to try out low poly. I started to play with it and I took some of my old classic models and some new ones. I turned them into low poly. and we loved the result, but I left them on the storage for the future. After some time I saw the challenge and I thought it could be a great idea to print them, so I prepared some of models to be printed and uploaded them on the website. If I hadn't seen the challenge I'm pretty sure that I would have never prepared them to be printed.

JaeHoon: I occasionally printed my model with the personal 3D printer and I thought it would be wonderful to create a cool miniature which anyone can easily print for themselves. This is why I've decided to try myself in this challenge. So I decided to make a character out of historical figures. Therefore, my favorite hero General Yi Sun-Shin has naturally become my modeling character.

CGTrader: Where are you searching for the daily inspiration?

Daniel: Well, I try to be updated all the time on what's going on in my town, I read tech and video games news every day, I search Facebook groups and Zbrush central, I also download almost every game I can find on play store. All of this mixed with some real life interaction like a cup of coffee with some peers or an evening walk makes me take my phone and write some ideas that I will develop later on.

JaeHoon: I don't think I'm different from other people for the daily inspiration. I've been inspired through various mass media channels, thinking by myself and meeting other people. It seems that my emotions are different each time even if I experience the same things and meet the same people. I get the insight as well as inspiration from everything I see, hear and even from the invisible things which I can't recognize. What really matters is how I can figure out to show my inspiration I get from all these things in my unique way.

Best portfolio Portfolio by Daniel

CGTrader: Any advice for those who are just about to start their career as a 3D designer?

Daniel: Always be prepared for anything. I mean anything. This industry is always evolving and you need to evolve with it, and that‘s the best and the worst side of it. I like to imagine it as a roller coaster: at the beginning there is a slow learning climb – that‘s what all of us have to do, but the fear gets bigger as you go up. But once you are on the top and see everything from there, you realize that it's going to be fun. So buy a ticket and enjoy the ride!

JaeHoon: Cheaper 3D printers can print the models with reasonable quality. More expensive product can print more precisely and delicately. That’s what beginners in 3D printing must keep in mind. I'm convinced that you can be much better 3D designer if you practice as much as possible to combine your content and imagination.