Meet Lasse, the Dutch physics student turned 3D art prodigy. Born out of boredom during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lasse's passion for digital creation has blossomed into a captivating exploration of extraterrestrial ecosystems. His recent entry in Pwnisher's "Kinetic Rush" challenge, which is sponsored by Fox Renderfarm, a leading cloud rendering services provider and render farm in the industry, is a mesmerizing tribute to the evolution of life on other planets, and has earned him a well-deserved spot among the top 100 artists.
Join us as we delve into Lasse's creative process, discover his inspiration, and explore the fascinating world he's brought to life through 3D animation.
Fox Renderfarm: Hi, Lasse! Thank you so much for accepting our interview! Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Lasse: Sure! So I am Lasse, I live in the Netherlands and am currently studying applied physics. I started creating art with 3D software during the COVID-19 period as a cure for my boredom. Since then I mainly do some personal art projects just for fun.
Fox Renderfarm: It's fantastic to see your work being recognized as one of the Top 100 in the Internet’s Largest 3D Challenge "Kinetic Rush"! Could you briefly introduce the work that you brought to the challenge?
Lasse: Of course! For this challenge, I was inspired by nature and specifically, its evolution. The artwork is a tribute to my curiosity about how ecosystems could look like on other planets. I wanted to create something that still looks organic, but also alien in some form or way. The astronaut is supposed to portray the same feeling of curiosity and intrigue as I have. The final result is this render.
Fox Renderfarm: How did you narrow down the broad theme of "Kinetic Rush" to create the specific concept of your work? What was the initial spark that inspired this piece?
© Lasse
Lasse: When I heard the theme was "Kinetic Rush", I first thought of a whole lot of scenarios where a character would do some sort of parkour or movement to escape some pursuer or danger. However, I realized that that is obviously the first thing most people think about when first hearing about the challenge. I wanted to try something different, a different motive, as a means to stand out. Thus the idea was born that my render should not intrinsically be about the movement of the character, but about the movement of the environment and ecosystem.
Fox Renderfarm: How did your creative process for your work differ from your other works? Do you have a standard working pipeline?
Figure 1 © Lasse
Figure 2 © Lasse
Lasse: The style I used for this artwork is a variation of what I normally do for my artwork. I always start with a block out (see Figures 1 and 2) to see if my idea works, along with some sketches on paper to further solidify some ideas that are floating around in my head. Then I start replacing the placeholder models for more detailed models, all while also texturing everything on the go. When deciding on colors and lighting I keep myself from sticking to one idea, so I usually try different palettes when building a scene. I almost always seem to go back and change some colors later on (see Figure 3, where one of the color variations is shown).
Figure 3 © Lasse
Fox Renderfarm: Were there any specific artistic choices or animation techniques that you experimented with or innovated for this project?
Behind the Scene © Lasse
Lasse: My style usually consists of simple shapes and cell-shaded objects that have very saturated colors. This time I went and added an extra layer of detail by drawing slim lines on top of all the objects that are meant to express the texture of that surface. This was a long and tedious task, but in my opinion, it really helped elevate the artwork and it gives the artwork more character.
Fox Renderfarm: What were some of the biggest challenges you encountered during the production of your work and how did you overcome them?
Lasse: I had a lot of trouble with time for this artwork, as the challenges usually have a tight schedule. When going for a stylistic render like mine, basically all assets, textures and animations have to be made from scratch, which takes a lot of time. So my biggest struggle was making a decently finished artwork, while also deciding which parts of my idea I needed to leave out of the final render.
Fox Renderfarm: What was your approach to the color palette in your work? How did the colors contribute to the overall tone and emotion of the piece?
© Lasse
Lasse: As I mentioned before I tend to change the colors a lot every time I work further on a project. I basically just throw some random colors at a wall and see what sticks. The colors in this piece are lively and bright to support the idea that the environment is a thriving ecosystem. I also wanted the render to have a light atmosphere, so that is why the scene is bright.
© Lasse
Fox Renderfarm: Are there specific natural elements or artists that consistently inspire your work? How do these influences manifest in your creations?
Lasse: I take inspiration from various animated media, such as movies, random YouTube videos, or anime. They help me understand better what is possible when going for a stylistic artwork and also help me decide on the coloring. I don’t really have one artist that I follow that constantly inspires me, it could be anything from an Instagram post to some street art in my city that will eventually lead to me getting some new ideas.
Fox Renderfarm: Have you had any experience with Fox Renderfarm's cloud rendering services in the past? If you have, what is your opinion of our cloud rendering offerings?
Lasse: I don’t have any experience. The main reason I shifted to a stylistic art style is that those art styles take a lot less time to render, so my low-end PC can still handle rendering animations. If I had access to a service like Fox Renderfarm, it could be possible that my art would have looked very different from what it is now, as I would not have been bound by the limitations of my setup.
Fox Renderfarm: Lastly, what advice or tips would you give to aspiring 3D artists who are looking to participate in similar challenges?
Lasse: I would really advise you to just start creating. Even if you think you are not good enough to make a render that is worthy of submitting to such a challenge, having a clear goal and timeframe because of a challenge really helps. It gave me a lot of motivation, and every time I participated I gained a lot of skills and insights. When I started doing 3d I would have never thought that I would end up in the top 100 of such a challenge, but here I am now.
Thanks again to Lasse for accepting our interview! Wishing new heights in you and your team’s professional career!
Lasse’s social media:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blend_inator/
