Emmanuel Nguema Omeme: On Knowing His Place in the Industry and Exceeding Himself
Mr. Emmanuel Nguema Omeme definitely knows his place in the industry. He had gone through all the necessary processes and learning, making him no just a master of the craft, but also a vanguard that would ensure its survival and further development.
But what really strikes us is his high regard for concept and character creation. He doesn’t just aim at creating them. He wants them to live. And isn’t that the true aim of all genuine artists–to give life to their creations? Indeed, Mr. Omeme is on his way to reaching his highest potential and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
So let’s get to know Mr. Omeme’s journey into becoming the artist that he is today and be inspired to become best at doing what we love.
Xeno Creatives (XC): ZBrush technology brought a lot to the industry. What processes did you have to learn to be skilled in it?
Emmanuel Nguema Omeme (ENO) : I learned 3Ds Max and other software at school. My practice in ZBrush was mainly autodidacte. I learned depending on the project that I was working on by watching YouTube videos workshops and reading articles.
At first, the most of the skills required was anatomical as I was modeling the rest in 3Ds Max. These past years I tend to do most of my props in ZBrush even if I still have to work on hard surface skills.
XC: As a dedicated artist how did ZBrush help you further your art?
ENO : I have a 2D background and a traditional animator so my goal was to work in the animation field. At that time, I had no intention of learning 3D as I didn’t see the point of it. Because of the circumstances, I found myself studying Game development. However, my perspective didn’t change that much. It’s only when I first tried ZBrush that I could finally see the bridge between my drawing practice and the 3D production process. And it has been a big change for me. I could finally see how 2D and 3D influence each other during the process of creating a character. Today I’m not satisfied anymore by simply drawing a character as I feel the need to see it alive in 3 dimensions. ZBrush helps me through that process.
XC: Was your craft really a passion to begin with, a hobby, or a mere job?
ENO : I always had the desire to design characters and bring them to life. ZBrush helps me give form to my ideas, make them involved, and eventually helps me finding my place in the industry by creating characters for a living. However, it is clear that all of this started as a passion and it remains until today.
XC: Given your experience in the industry, what do you think is your edge as a 3D artist?
ENO : With the small experience that I have so far, what I would describe as my edge might be the ability to keep in mind a relatively clear image of the results I want or that I was asked to achieve. As creating a character can be a very long process, I think It’s important to not be tempted to jump into facilities and always remember what you wanted when you’ve first started the project.
I also love to put myself into the kind of situation where I actually don’t know how I’m going to end up with the result that I want. This ensures me that the work will be challenging and that I will definitely learn a lot.
XC: Whom do you do you consider your influence(s)?
ENO : As an African artist raised in Gabon (Central Africa) and trained in the continent, I would say that my influences are mostly close to my culture. Since those past years, I have come to realize with wonder the wealth that it demonstrates in terms of shape, color, and designs. One of the exercises that I love the most is to take the time to observe a sculpture or a mask and try to bring some organic shapes out of it, ending up with a base for a character or creature. Reading is also a great way to get some new ideas as it has inspired me most of the themes that I developed in my projects.
XC: So far, what were the challenges that you had encountered working in the 3D industry?
ENO : So far I think the biggest challenge that I have encountered was making peace with my expectations lol. You have to make peace with the fact that as a 3D or 2D artist you might not always work on the things that you love. It’s your job, however, to find a way to love or at least appreciate what you are doing. I guess the thing is to learn how to see every situation as an opportunity to get something that could be applied not alone to your project, but also to you main goal.
XC : What is your most exciting project to date?
ENO : I think the most exciting project I have worked on is « Meenlah : Quest of the Stolen Spirits » a video game project produced by one of the first video game studios in Cameron. I cannot say much about it cause it’s still in production. However, I must admit that it has been a challenging experience artistically. It taught me a lot about game design and game mechanics and I made a lot of progress being surrounded by some talented people.
XC: Do you have any advice to aspiring artists?
ENO : As I somehow still consider myself as an aspiring artist, I know it might be complicated to get the chance to prove yourself in this industry.
So the only things that I would say to those who find themselves in this situation is to keep working hard. Being open-minded positive and capable of focusing the time and energy that are necessary to get the results they are looking for. And mostly remaining themselves throughout the practice of their art.
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