Mr. Claudius Dsouza: From Childhood Hobby to True Calling
Failures and frustrations shape us more than triumph and success.
Feelings of inadequacy push us to better ourselves—to become more. Mr. Claudius Dsouza knows these by heart; he holds on to his childhood passion and wears his failures like a badge of honor.
Relentless in his efforts to become more than just a kid with a hobby, Mr. Dsouza holds his own as he finds his own identity in the industry. And his works are evident of genuine talent and discipline.
Here we get know his experiences and the ropes he had to go through to be where he is.
Xeno Creatives (XC): Zbrush technology widened artists’ platforms for expression, thus opening up a great deal of possibilities for style and technique. When you first got involved with it, what processes did you have to learn to be skilled with the software?
Claudius Dsouza (CD): When I started learning ZBrush it was the end of 2013 and I was still studying at that time. I started practicing anatomy from face to body, various parts of it day-by-day, step by step. From that day onwards I used ZBrush for almost every character that I’ve done. Going through online tutorials helped a lot especially videos from YouTube. Looking at other artist’s speed sculpt gave me insights on the various possible tools I can use.
XC: Did ZBrush help you in furthering your art?
CD: Yes, it did. Modeling in 3D really helps you understand a form from different angles and thus improving your drawing.
XC: When did you decide to use ZBrush as your medium of 3D creation? How did it come about? Do you want to expand to other media or do you want to just focus on it?
CD: It was during my schooling as it was a part of my program but upon further researching about it I really loved using it and started practicing using it.
I do use other software but ZBrush is one of my most used ones.
XC: Were there other media that you used prior to ZBrush? What were these?
CD: I did use Maya to model at first and I still continue using it as it has its pros as compared to ZBrush—especially for hard surface objects.
XC: Is it necessary to be good at human anatomy when working with ZBrush?
CD: In my opinion organic sculpting is one of ZBrush’s main feature and knowing anatomy is key to sculpting Human figures or even creatures. So YES to me anatomy is very important for creating organic characters using ZBrush
XC: Was your art a real passion from the get-go or just a mere job to you?
CD: I loved drawing since I was a kid. Though Art was my passion, it was also a weakness. There was a time in school where I failed an art test in painting. I also did participate in various competitions both online and locally, and didn’t win any in particular. But I kept pushing because art or drawing to me was my passion and I didn’t want to give it up even though I failed a couple of times.
XC: Do you see yourself in the movie and television industry?
CD: I do work at 3Dsense Media School as a Mentor but if you are talking about pure production houses I do hope to get in the game industry or the movie industry soon
XC: Your works on Facebook and ArtStation are simply amazing. The concepts are completely original, vibrant, and awe-inspiring. All of them are just really good. Do you have any favorite works? What are they and why?
CD: The concepts for most of the 3D models are conceptualized by other talented artists from around the world. I don’t really have any specific one but ArtStation is a good place to see great talented artists’ works and be inspired. I do prefer artworks that have a Korean style to it. I really love artworks that have “feeling” and convey stories.
XC: Who or what can you consider as your influences? What attracted you to them?
CD: I do consider Scott Robertson, Ben Mauro and many more artists out there who helped me learn the basics and shared their knowledge via online tutorials and books. I got to know them from friends and surfing the net. Their years of experience and vast knowledge attracted me to them. And also how humble they were despite being the best in the world.
XC: What other pieces do you still want to create?
CD: I do plan to create more female models in the future as I find them very challenging and something that will be aesthetically pleasing to a viewer.
XC: Do you see yourself engaged in Game Character Design as well?
CD: Yes, I do enjoy the entire game character process creation. It is fun and rewarding for me.
XC: If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what could you possibly be specializing in instead?
CD: I wouldn’t prefer doing anything else in my life right now except for what I am doing. I love what I do. But yes if given a choice I would like to ride a super bike, fly a jet plane and much more just for fun 😀
XC: What advice or message can you give individuals wanting to enter the craft/industry?
CD: 1. Love what you do. Don’t go for the money itself. Happiness isn’t solely in having money. Find your passion and follow it!
- Look at the bigger picture in life. I find many young artists giving up just because they failed numerous times or their artwork isn’t good enough from the start. Practice makes perfect; all the great artists out there didn’t practice for just 1 day but practiced almost every single day their craft. SO NEVER GIVE UP HOPE
- Be appreciative of what you have—whether it be in life or at work. Be happy!
Mr. Claudius Dsouza we truly appreciate your generosity. We wish you all the success in the industry. We shall be looking forward to your future projects!
Want to see more of Mr. Claudius Dzousa’s works? Click here!
