Artem Lutai | INVIZ Studio

Tell me about yourself. Why did you choose 3D graphics?

Hi, I'm Artem. I live in the beautiful city of Lviv, Ukraine. I’ve been drawing right from childhood, therefore I chose 3D graphics. There is a fetish in the atmosphere when you paint pictures in oil, for me it was always a cult.

I graduated from art school in my hometown of Zhytomyr. The process of studying 3D graphics began in 2008. A friend of mine suggested using Archicad with its visualization as a draft, since all coursework should be in manual graphics, the software used as tracing paper. Soon I began to master Artlantis.

After graduating from college, I had two options, to enter Kharkov or Lviv. The second turned out to be too beautiful and lovely for me. Then I was still thinking about high architecture, how successful and popular I will be. But, over time, delving into 3D graphics, for me everything else faded into the background. And I think it's great. Before you opens a wide range of diversity and opportunities. After graduating from the University, Lviv Polytechnic already knew that I would become a 3D artist.

First work at 3ds max.

The first serious 3d modeling.

How was your study of 3d graphics?

My training in 3D graphics was very interesting. After I met Archicad and Artlantis in college, I already completely mastered these programs at the university, but, as one person behind the scenes said, let’s do it again..

I saw what 3ds max is. It was something very cool for me, deity. How cool the interface looked, how many different buttons, and when I found the kettle, the smile was from ear to ear. I decided that I would do all the visualizations in 3vmax. At the hostel, we began to study Vray hard throughout the room. Many unanswered questions; I had to intuitively study everything. The study of the course on interior visualization on the Internet also began. I was starting to feel Vray seeping into my bloodstream.

And so I already knew that in the near future I will focus on the visualization of interiors and exteriors. At first, Evermotion scenes became a source of inspiration and drag light into their scenes, over time I wanted to create my own scenes completely .

Here all kinds of errors and crashes in 3ds max began. Sometimes the scenes were not saved. I understood that 3ds max wants to tell me something. He did not like the way I collect the scenes. After that, he emphasized the optimization of scenes at work. Both he and I were pleased, but the errors still remained.

Towards the end of my studies, I met Corona Renderer. It was my first 3D love.

Why did you choose a job in the studio, Not freelance?

In the last year of the university, after another eviction from the hostel for poor visualization (a joke), it was necessary to search for housing again. Friends with whom I lived and studied, left for my hometown of Zhitomir to engage in freelance work. But Lviv didn’t let me go, and I decided to graduate and stay to work here.

A roommate suggested freelance. He worked as a manager between a person who was also a manager and spoke directly with a manager who spoke directly with the client. I decided for myself that freelance would be a good experience, lay the foundation at least some.

This is a 3D architecture of simple (standard) cottages, with an emphasis on the atmosphere and good quality. After repeated lack of sleep, long work, dragging greens from Evermotion scenes and edits, the work was completed. Then it was enough for me that I completed it. I didn’t think about any prices for visualization. This project has become such a checkpoint for me, the first work. But they tightened the money, we constantly took it in parts, in the end we got only half. It was sheer hell..

After that, one person began to write to us directly. My neighbor and I worked for a long time, I won’t say what was bad, there was some discomfort in the work, this is how, for example, the stomach twists. Sociability was poor, a large number of unpaid edits. We said stop! But you can do something of your own to communicate with the client yourself, then there will not be such chaos. So they did, four musketeers gathered and created their project, code-named INVIZ.

How was your job search in the studio? What pay more attention when applying for a job? What do you advise to pay attention to when looking for work?

Since I work in the studio, I did not look for work, I can only say that the most important thing is the portfolio.

The main emphasis on quality and the desire to move forward.

And I’ll say it with a quote from Lewis Carroll - You need to run as fast just to stay in place, but to get somewhere, you must run at least twice as fast.

Communicability, calmness, quality and a great desire to develop are important for working in the studio.

Do you freelance in your free time?

Not now. There was a time when I started freelancing on various sites, but I did not feel myself fully working myself.

Working alone, it is very difficult to perform all the functions. I wanted more, to do really cool projects, to have my permanent good client base and to develop a studio. So that everyone in the team has their own mission. For each member of the team to play a role. Right now in this direction, we are running with the guys.

Tell us about your team of 3D artists. How many people work with you? how do you get along?

Our team is very friendly. I think this is a success. Four co-founders. Manager, exterior specialist, interior specialist. I position myself as an art director and, on the other hand, a universal specialist in two parts of visualization.

Three more guys are working with us. Modeler, exterior designer and interior designer. There were also those who came and later left. Some in deep design with visualization, some in architecture, there were people who now work in visa studios abroad.

What projects do you like to do the most??

Most of all I like projects where I feel complete freedom. When the client is not against your design or artistic look. Especially when additional angles later appear, and you continue to detail the project more and more. You show the client additional visualizations and he says - I’ll probably buy this couple of additional angles. You understand that everything was not in vain.

Where are you looking for inspiration for your work??

For myself, I created a list of world studios that are moving faster in the visualization field than anyone else. Inspiration comes when I look at nature or listen to it. Pexels is a very nice site with stock free images. Also, without Pinterest, nowhere. I make thematic collections. Be sure to turn on the sounds of the forest in the headphones. It makes me peaceful and interesting thoughts come very quickly.

Do you continue to improve your skills? Level up? How? Lessons, conferences.

I try to introduce something new every day. Now the goal is to come to the revitalization of statics, to do something more than just 3D visualization. It could be time-lapses or the same animation. The plans for the development of the Unreal Engine, may be in the cinema, game industry. Something more creative and unique.

What is a full-time 3D artist in Ukraine?.

If you work in a foreign market, that's cool. Full-time employees in such companies feel morally good. If the Ukrainian market, in most cases it is stagnation, depression, nerves, nuances in the organization of the process, short deadlines. It reminds me of some kind of slavery. Our 3 people have great potential, which needs to be freed. The main thing is to filter out those customers who will not let you open in the future.

Have you had any suggestions to leave to work abroad? If so, why stayed.

Of course there were proposals. But there is our common cause, our studio, which in the future I want to develop to the maximum extent in Ukraine and abroad. Therefore, I’m not going to leave anywhere.

How do you prefer to spend free time from work? Sports, travel.

I like to spend my free time away from the bustle of the city. To think over new projects, ideas, mostly free time is spent on the portfolio, but there is a great desire to go on studies.

What do you strive for in your work. What peaks, results?

Do only high-quality projects. The work must have contact with the viewer. Deeply embedded in the details of the project. I'd like to shoot an animated film in the future. Try the movie industry. To move away from boring static visualizations towards liveliness and realism.

Wishes, advices and parting words to the audience.

Eat right, don’t overeat, eat only delicious pictures, adjust your eyes so that your work is unique, fill the visualization or any 3D with your soul! Thank you all and good luck!

Instagram author profile: instagram.com/artem_cg/

Link to the author’s portfolio: behance.net/lutay923364