An exploratory journey through 3D art

Hello, I'm Ilenia Di Maria, an Environment Artist who originally graduated in architecture. Although I began my 3D career immersed in architectural visualization, I soon realized my desire to tell richer, more interactive stories, leading me to transition into the dynamic world of 3D environment development. It's here that I've found my passion and purpose, crafting immersive digital environments that captivate and inspire.

Here, I present the projects I made during my time at Vertex School, a journey characterized by intense dedication and a desire to improve with each project.

Enjoy the journey and thanks for watching!

LOST IN THE JUNGLE

First, I am excited to present my latest project, 'Lost in the Jungle'.

This environment was created using Unreal Engine 5.3. With this project, I desired to explore new techniques and embark on the creation of an organic environment.

After extensive research, I came across a scene that captured my attention while watching the movie "The Lost City". I was captivated by its incredible landscape, which contained all the elements I wished to experiment with. I immediately knew this would be the setting for my project.

After gathering some images from the movie scene, I carefully analyzed each element, the spatial arrangement, and the distances between foreground and background elements. One of the things I typically do to analyze the project thoroughly is to sketch out the main elements of the scene in Photoshop. This allows me to focus on all areas and be more aware of the elements.

Afterward, I created an initial blockout to visualize this space within my 3D world using Unreal Engine, and I positioned the main camera. Usually, I build the environment around the main camera to guarantee the primary view. As the project starts taking shape, I integrate the elements to confirm their suitability from various angles.

Decoration Sculp

To sculpt the decorations, I used ZBrush. One of the quickest techniques to achieve a good and fast sculpt is by using the alpha mask. The process began with selecting an image of the desired decoration pattern. I then imported this image into Photoshop, where I refined it by converting it to black and white. This step was crucial for homogenizing the white areas, which play a key role in the extrusion process in ZBrush. 

Texture Temple

For the texture, I aimed to combine the RGB mask, the baked textures like Normal Maps and Curvature Maps from Substance 3D Painter, and the vertex painting in Unreal. 

In Substance 3D Painter, I baked the high-poly details onto the low-poly model, then painted my own RGB mask, applying additional stains and leakages. Afterward, I exported both the mask and the baked maps. 

The next step was to create the tileable texture in Substance 3D Designer.

The Tree

To create this tree, I used the software SpeedTree. Despite being the first time I used that software, thanks to the official SpeedTree tutorial, and after following some basic examples to familiarize myself with the software, I had the confidence to start creating my model.

 In my references, this tree popped out as majestic and served as a crucial element, as its shape helped to frame the composition on the left side, and together with the cave, it contributed to a sense of closure in the foreground.

The Water

 Here, I wanted to have the ability to adjust various aspects of the water, such as the color, fade distance, number of ripples, caustics, wave speed, etc. This shader allowed me to control all these settings and achieve the desired appearance.

Lighting and Post-production

For the general lighting, I employed a directional light, HDRI Backdrop, and Sky Atmosphere, and made adjustments in Post Process Volume. Once I had the general lighting set up, I focused on enhancing certain key points of the scene or areas that were poorly lit. I applied the technique of the three-point lighting, primarily on the temple, the tree, and the cave. 

I also set up another level with night lights to have the possibility to switch the mood.

After finishing the lighting, I added a LUT to the environment. Post-processing is all about personal preference, depending on the atmosphere and the mood you want to create.

The final step of the process involved performing post-production in Photoshop. Here, I further refined the appearance of the image by adjusting color levels, contrast, and brightness to achieve the desired effect.

Breakdown

RED NOTE PUB

In London, between Marylebone and Wigmore Street, in a not-too-crowded street, there is a pub that catapults you to the beginning of 1900, making you revive the first notes of jazz.

This was the second project I created at Vertex School and the first time I experimented with using a modular kit for an environment.

Inspired by London architecture, especially the Golden Eagle building.

Breakdown

GRAMOPHONE

This prop was my first project at Vertex School.

I chose this gramophone prop because I believed its modeling and texturing complexity would help me enhance my skills while creating something very elegant.

I modeled it in Maya and created the high poly in ZBrush. Then, I followed the High Poly to Low Poly process. After that, I baked and textured the prop in Substance Painter and finally rendered it in Marmoset.

Thanks for watching!

Portfolio: Artstation Link