A Journey on His Own: The Art of Mr. Mert Ergüden
A graduate of the Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts, Mr. Mert Ergüden, 25 years young, had done his craft good service. While he doesn’t have any considerable experience in the digital industry, let alone any affiliations apart from the university, Mr. Ergüden’s work is one of note. His attention to detail is amazing to say the least. His pieces on human likeness are uncanny.
Let’s get to know Mr. Ergüden and his solitary journey in the digital craft by learning and mastering ZBrush.
Xeno Creatives (XC): ZBrush technology brought a lot to the industry. What processes did you have to learn to be skilled in it?
Mert Ergüden (ME): ZBrush is an incredible tool which allows you to sculpt digitally with a feeling very similar to clay modeling. I’m a self-taught artist so after I learned my way around the program through trial and error and online tutorials, I had to create my own workflow with which I feel comfortable in when working with highly-detailed sculptures. Getting out of my comfort zone to practice anatomy was central in my progress as a character artist.
XC: What are specific ZBrush features do you employ in the production of your art? Has it helped you in improving your art better?
ME: A specific ZBrush feature would be using grab doc to create my own alphas and apply them to add some extra detail.
XC: How did you start being involved in the digital craft?
ME: I was amazed by CG mainly because of the cinematics made by Blizzard and Blur Studios. After some time modeling with clay in college, I became aware of the digital side of the profession and decided to get into CG by learning Maya and ZBrush in 2015.
XC: We got the chance to see your projects online. We gotta tell you, you have got a good eye for detail and an awesome sense of anatomy. Apart from your obvious talent, what do you think is your edge as a 3D artist? What do you think makes you stand out from the rest?
ME: Oh thank you, haha! I think my edge would be determination. I always have the motivation to work and I like stepping out of my comfort zone to push myself further.
XC: Whom do you do you consider your influence(s)?
ME: Rodin, Bernini, Rembrandt, and Caravaggio. As for modern-day digital artists I have, Magdalena Dadela, Mathieu Aerni, Marco Di Lucca, Alessandro Baldasseroni, and my friend Arda Koyuncu who inspires me in art and gives me perspective. He helps me see stuff that I would otherwise miss.
XC: So far, what were the challenges that you had encountered working in the 3D industry?
ME: The underdeveloped industry in Turkey makes it hard to gain professional experience and the high quality standard of art which is both a blessing and a curse.
XC: What is your most exciting project to date?
ME: I would have to say it’s my Charlize Theron likeness project. I learned a lot from doing a likeness study.
XC: Do you have any advice to aspiring artists?
ME: Don’t be afraid to post your work online and to ask for feedback. If you listen to people who’ve been where you are you can learn a lot from their experiences.
Want to see more of Mr. Mert Ergüden’s works? Follow the links below:
https://www.facebook.com/merterguden
https://www.artstation.com/merterguden
