28 Dec 2015
Interviews
With the festive season in full swing, there is nothing better than to sit back, grab a hot beverage of your choice and play some games. And what would our games be without characters? So, today we take a look at the work of one such designers - Dennis Jacobsen. You might recognize him from our game character challenge!
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Hi, my name is Dennis Jacobsen, I'm working as a software developer for industrial control systems. I live in Germany with my family and love to create models at evening in my spare time to relax myself and get lost in a fantasy world. Next to this, I'm creating a video game with a small group of really passionate teammates.
How did you break into the industry? What helped you get your first job/sale?
Sad to say, but I never really break into the industry. I never had an artist job till yet, I just had a few sales here on CGTrader. I think it would help a lot to create stuff that people really need, like furniture or car models. Game character models are hard to sell because normally they need to be created for the concept of the game, so general designs usually don’t cut it.
What do you think are the most important skills for a designer to have?
I would say that the important skills are fantasy, imagination, fun, patience, talent and good research. It is very important to get a concept of the model you like to create, sometimes your imagination and general knowledge is enough but often you need to do research to get detailed information about your subject.
What kind of research do you do before you start a project? Do you go with the flow or have a very good idea how everything goes?
Most of the time, I have a picture in my mind of what I'm going to create. This picture is a bit blurred so I do some research to clarify some parts and figure it out as I move along with the project. Normally I use Google with some keywords to see what other artists made to get inspiration or I look how parts are made in reality. Also, I do a lot of surfing through galleries nearly every day, so my subconscious often knows what I need.
How would you best describe your projects in three words?
Imagination, implementation, education.
What tool would you consider indispensable for your work?
My PC, for sure! I can't choose a software because there are so many tools that are great. Every software has an important part to play and I need all of them on my PC to create different kinds of models.
What would you recommend a beginner to start with and what to avoid? What would you have told yourself when you were starting out?
I would say, start with box modeling - it’s a good way to learn much about topology and low-poly modeling. Read a lot, watch video tutorials and work out every single part step-by-step. It isn't enough just to use it, try to understand why you need to do what you do, if you know how something works you can use it to its full potential.
How do you take a break from work? What are your hobbies?
I spend a lot of time with my family, at evening I'm working on models or watching a movie, it depends on my mood mostly. I also do some Archery too, and am currently developing a video game. I think I should do more sports, good New Year’s resolution for year 2016!
Are there any future projects you can tell us about?
Yes of course, I'm working on a video game called AI - Hostile Takeover, it’s a remake of a really old arcade shooter called paradroid. We totally revised it, hope it will rock at the end.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
At home at my desk doing some great models for my new company, next to me a hot cup of coffee and some snow outside. That would be awesome!
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