Introduction

Hello! My name is Yanely Villanueva, and I’m a first-generation Hispanic artist currently studying at Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood, CA. Growing up in a creative household with artistic parents, I feel very fortunate to have been in an environment where art was accepted and encouraged.

I always knew I wanted to pursue the arts from a young age and was especially passionate about traditional painting and drawing. At 7 years old, I realized I wanted to become a 3D artist after watching the Pixar movie Cars and realizing that people could do this for a living!

As I got older, I began exploring the digital side of art, experimenting with tools like Photoshop and Illustrator. In my first year of high school, I was introduced to Cinema 4D and Maya, which really sparked my devotion to creating in a 3D space. Since starting at Gnomon, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate on group projects, where I’ve focused on developing a more organic approach to modeling and sculpting.

Conclusion

Creating this project was a really fun and valuable learning experience. I challenged myself to create a full rock kit and aim for a more realistic look throughout my environment. The entire project took around 9 weeks to complete, and one of the main challenges I faced was learning how to sculpt large-scale rocks, as well as understanding the complex architecture of flying eaves in Chinese and Japanese culture. It pushed me to think more critically about the silhouette and how smaller details come together to create a cohesive scene.

I believe that challenging myself and experimenting with new approaches in each project is what allows me to grow as an artist. One of the biggest factors that helps me improve is actively asking for feedback, whether it’s from friends, teachers, or anyone willing to give a fresh perspective. Getting that fresh perspective after staring at a project for so long, really helps me see areas for improvement that I might miss.

With that, I’d like to thank my teachers at Gnomon, Jon Arellano, for his detailed and constructive feedback on my scene, and Anton Napierala for always answering my technical questions about Unreal Engine. I’m also extremely grateful to my friends for constantly offering insight, fresh perspective, and encouragement to keep pushing forward!

Yanely Villanueva, 3D Environment Artist

Interview conducted by Amber Rutherford