Stepping Out of His Comfort Zone: Mr. Micael Oliveira
More often than not, we like lavishing in our comfort zones. It’s safer there. We all know that risks will always bring about complications. But for artists, staying within bounds of a specific subject or tool, trying to replicate what he or she had already done successfully over and over again is tantamount to death.
Mr. Micael Oliveira knows this all too well. He recognizes that his art won’t thrive if he gets too comfortable. Evident in his works is his discipline and desire to push his art further, even if it means inconvenience.
So let us get to know Mr. Oliveira better through this short interview by Xeno Creatives and find out how, as stewards of the digital craft, we can chart paths less travelled.
Xeno Creatives (XC): Given your experience in the industry, what do you think is your edge as a 3D artist?
Micael Oliveira (MO): My strong point as a 3D artist is always wanting to evolve in each project. I always strive to look for something that makes me leave my comfort zone, so I can evolve either technically or artistically. For example, I am now working on “likeness” which is a very difficult sculpt to do, but I am doing my best to make it good.
XC: Whom do you do you consider your influence(s)?
MO: My influences are certainly the top artists of the industry. My teachers Rafael Souza, Danilo Athayde and Bernardo Yang who helped me a lot in my development.
My great friends are also very important. They are always by my side helping me and motivating me to improve. I just want to thank Gabriel Bona, Gabriel Dionisio, Alex Renner, Victor Kallahan, Andre Castro, Fabio Nishikata, Felipe Chaves, Eduard Oliver, Elisa Moraes, Gabriel Maciel, Gustavo Medeiros, Luana Bueno, Marcello Zibetti, Ricardo Luiz Mariano, Bruno Zorzi—they are always helping me achieve my goals.
XC: So far, what were the challenges that you had encountered working in the 3D industry?
MO: I think the biggest challenge was working only with 3D, dropping my fixed job to become a freelance artist, it has been a year already and I do not regret it
Another challenge was the production deadlines. In the beginning it was hard, but now I got used to it. However, I do recognize that there is always something to beat my brain up a little.
XC: What is your most exciting project to date?
MO: I think Kratos is the project I like the most in my portfolio. I was very happy with the result. Of course, there are many things that I would like to fix today. However, I really enjoyed doing it because of the challenge of sculpting a character on a super high level. And, well, I really love the God of War franchise.
XC: Do you have any advice to aspiring artists?
I think the focus is the most important, you have to always be studying and improving your artistic eye. Look for projects that make you evolve.
Another tip is to look for people who are studying the same things you are studying. Join them at Hangouts, Discord, or Skype. Having a friend on your side, chasing after the same goals will help you a lot.
And for those who want to work with characters I advise studying anatomy because it is the base of a good character. Also, don’t just focus on sculptures, try to learn polygonal modeling programs like Maya, 3Ds Max and others.
Want to see more of Mr. Micael Oliviera’s works? Click here!
