Editor’s observe: This publish is a part of our weekly Within the NVIDIA Studio sequence, which celebrates featured artists, gives inventive ideas and methods, and demonstrates how NVIDIA Studio expertise improves inventive workflows. We’re additionally deep-diving on new GeForce RTX 40 Collection GPU options, applied sciences and assets, and the way they dramatically speed up content material creation.
Taiwanese artist Steven Tung creates fascinating 2D and 3D digital artwork that explores sci-fi, minimalism and realism and pushes inventive boundaries.
This week Within the NVIDIA Studio, Tung shares the inspiration and inventive workflow behind his whimsical animation, The Given Fish.
Skilled-grade expertise, which was as soon as obtainable solely at choose particular results studios, is changing into more and more accessible.
“Visible manufacturing capabilities proceed to skyrocket, producing a rising demand for higher laptop {hardware} among the many normal public,” Tung stated. “The evolving synergy between artwork and expertise can spark limitless potentialities for creators.”
Tung makes use of an MSI MEG Trident X2 desktop, powered by GeForce RTX 4090 graphics, to speed up his inventive workflow.
“The improved pace and efficiency expedites varied processes, reminiscent of updating materials textures in Adobe Substance 3D Painter and rendering in Blender,” stated Tung. “The required specs and necessities align, enabling most creativity with out limitations.”
Beautiful Visuals Made E-fish-ciently
Tung’s 3D animation, The Given Fish, could look easy at first look — but it surely’s surprisingly complicated.
“GeForce RTX GPUs are indispensable {hardware} for 3D rendering duties. Sooner speeds carry important advantages in manufacturing effectivity and time saved.” — Steven Tung
Within the inventive world behind the animation, the stone fish depicted could be consumed by individuals. The idea is that when taken out of the aquarium, the stone fish transforms into an actual, residing one.
“I’ve a robust need to have an aquarium at residence, but it surely’s not sensible,” stated Tung. “The following smartest thing is to show that emotion into artwork.”
Tung started by creating idea sketches in Adobe Photoshop, the place he had entry to over 30 GPU-accelerated options that would assist modify and regulate his canvas and maximize his effectivity.
Subsequent, Tung jumped from 2D to 3D with ZBrush. He first constructed a primary mannequin after which refined essential particulars with customized brushes — including higher depth and dimension with genuine, hand-sculpted textures.
He then used the UV unwrapping characteristic in RizomUV to make sure that his fashions had been correctly unwrapped and prepared for texture utility.
Tung imported the fashions into Adobe 3D Substance Painter, the place he meticulously painted textures, blended supplies and used the built-in library to attain lifelike stone textures. RTX-accelerated gentle and ambient occlusion baking optimized his belongings in seconds.
To carry all the weather collectively, Tung imported the fashions and supplies into Blender. He arrange texture channels, assigned texture recordsdata and assembled the fashions in order that they’d be true to the compositions outlined within the preliminary sketch.
Subsequent, Tung used Blender Cycles to gentle and render the scene.
Blender Cycles’ RTX-accelerated, AI-powered OptiX ray tracing enabled interactive, photorealistic motion within the viewport and sped up animation work — all powered by his GeForce RTX 4090 GPU-equipped system.
RTX accelerated OptiX ray tracing in Blender Cycles enabled the quickest last body render.
Try Tung’s portfolio on Instagram.
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