23 Dec 2015
Interviews
Over the past couple of months we brought you a number of interviews with designers creating vehicles or other mechanical subjects. Today, we had the pleasure of interviewing a designer from the other end of the spectrum - Jesus Alberto Linares Olmos.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Hi! My name is Jesus Alberto Linares Olmos. I learned sculpting in my hometown, and since then I have worked as a 3D Generalist. Although, I consider myself more experienced in 3D modeling specifically.
How did you break into the industry? What helped you get your first job/sale?
I began to work on this bit by bit, doing 2D drawings and graphic design and later I was introduced to 3D models during my work. I guess you could say perseverance and a wide variety of skills definitely helped me.
What do you think are the most important skills for a designer to have?
I think that depends on the work you are going to do. If you need someone to do trains, planes or something similar, you need people more dedicated on engineering but if you have to do a bust or human model you need a sculptor. All of them need creativity, not only to imagine something amazing but to come up with different situations.
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?
First I have the idea what I want to do, if I imagine a soldier fighting, I create a pose for that model and later search on the web for all the information about that soldier (kind of war, time of war, weapons that he needs, clothes...etc.). So, in essence I do things methodically, to create something genuine to the idea.
How would you best describe your projects in three words?
High Poly Characters
What tool would you consider indispensable for your work?
I use two tools - Blender and Zbrush. I think that Zbrush is the best for my kind of models, which are, in large part, characters.
What would you recommend a beginner to start with and what to avoid? What would you have told yourself when you were starting out ?
Patience and a lot of dedication. When you do a model you think how many hours you need to finish it, but when you are working on it the time spent is greater than you thought at first. Always put in the necessary work, because the end result is what matters.
What/who are your influences in life?
Greek sculptures, Renaissance and Baroque sculptures. Something more recent are Pixar and Blizzard entertainment works.
How do you take a break from work? What are your hobbies?
My work is my favorite hobby, but I also do other things in my free time like sports to keep my body healthy and movies for the imagination. I also like to read books, but I don´t ever seem to find enough time to go through all the books that I want to read.
Are there any future projects you can tell us about?
Currently I’m working on my own TV series for children, but there is still a long way to go before it’s finished. Another thing is a comic done with 3D software. These projects sap any sort of free time I have, as they take a considerable amount of time to make. I have been considering making a short film too, but that’s for a later time.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I don't quite know yet… the industry growing and changing all the time, so it’s hard to tell what I might end up working on. Actually, there are a lot of videogame companies, but games have been shifting to tablets and mobile over the last five years or so. Everything is possible, maybe a game will be next, you never know.
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