How to move from 2D illustration to 3D modelling - this artist did and so can you

Maciek Łazowski: I was never really interested in realistic and semi-realistic-looking 3D, but I’ve started seeing more and more people create very stylised artworks. Some of them gave me that jolt of “oooh, I’d like to do that”. But I thought to create 3D you needed expensive software and very powerful computers. When I realised that’s not the case at all, I’ve decided to give it a go.

MŁ: I started to pay attention to artists mentioning the programs they used for the artworks I’ve admired. I’ve seen that most people creating in style I was going for used Cinema 4D. I’ve also heard that it was a bit easier to pick up. Then I’ve learned it’s subscription-based and how much it costs and decided to go with Blender, because it was free.

I was pretty pleased with the mirror modifier, as it only requires me to make half the work. When I learned to use sculpting tools, I was pretty blown away with what can be done with them. And the rigify plugin - you mean I can adjust my character like it was an action figure? Honestly, lots of the tools feel like magic.

MŁ: I think it gave me a sense of direction. Before I started with the donut tutorial, I imagined in my head what I was going for, and I knew I was not really interested in making realistic cars or things like that. So I had to figure out what I needed to learn to create artworks I wanted to create. As there are millions of possibilities, it was cool to have a structure. Also, I think it helped that I’ve had some skills in composition and visual storytelling, so it was a few less things to worry about.

MŁ: Honestly, the whole learning process was a huge challenge for me. I thought I was too dumb to learn 3D and gave it up for a year. Then, after joining the Inkygoodness collective, I’ve tried modelling in FIMO for a passion project challenge and that made me want to try learning 3D again. This time around, I aimed for consistency. I’ve decided to do one hour of 3D a day, no more, no less. Marking it in a habit tracker and all. And slowly but surely, I started to sort of know what I was doing.

But I mentioned my struggles a lot, because I’ve felt like people weren’t talking about it. I was watching a tutorial on YouTube and the guy’s acting like he’s showing me the easiest thing in the world, meanwhile I’m like 'what the hell is happening here?', rewinding and pausing for the 15th time, wondering if I’m the only idiot that doesn’t get it.

MŁ: My style is geometric, so it lends itself to 3D in that way, but it took me some time to switch to thinking in 3D, if that makes sense. I would work on a piece, viewing it at a certain angle, then turn it, and it looked like an abomination that just crawled out of the deepest circles of hell.

MŁ: Yes, I started to be less precious and more loose with initial sketches. In 2D illustrations, my finals matched my sketches pretty accurately, so it was worth taking some time in fleshing these sketches out. Here, since I’m playing more with camera, perspective, etc., there are always noticeable differences, so I just don’t bother and make a quick doodle that captures the idea. It’s allowed me more freedom and made the process more fun.

MŁ: It used to be playing with materials and textures. I do it at the end, so being at this stage meant that I probably don’t have any major pitfalls ahead of me, and I can relax a bit. But as I gained some confidence in box modelling, I’ve started to enjoy this part more and more. All in all, I think my favourite moment is when I’ve done all the modelling, lighting, and texturing in Eevee and I’m switching the render engine to Cycles, and it usually looks much cooler!

MŁ: I think Womp is amazing. I’ve had tons of fun using it, and I recommend it to everyone that wants to try 3D as a perfect starting point. I don’t think its render engine can match Cycles yet, but I’ve seen amazing works made in Womp with some additional post-production. You can also feel the developers care about their program, as they keep improving it all the time.

MŁ: I was a bit nervous about doing it after learning for almost two years - what if the clients won’t care much for the way my stuff looks in 3D? Luckily, I’ve had lots of feedback along the way from friends and kind people online that this direction is worth pursuing, and the reaction from clients seems to confirm that. Phew.

MŁ: I think it’s the illustration I did for the BBC Science Focus about microbiome diet. It was for their digital issue cover, so that felt awesome, but also I was able to turn it into an animated loop for the article version. I was able to pull together a few techniques I was learning, and I’m quite happy with how it turned out.