Interview with Yamagsumi: Immersion in the fascinating world of 3D

Let's get to know YAMAGSUMI , a name that is increasingly recognized in the exciting world of 3D creation. This 20-year-old Parisian, initially a video editor, made a remarkable transition to 3D and Photoshop 2 years ago.

What started as a simple means of diversification quickly transformed into a consuming passion, making 3D his main field. He has always had a penchant for sharing what he is passionate about and 3D has become the ideal vehicle for this.

How did a video editor find himself diving into the three-dimensional world of creation?

Today, YAMAGSUMI has agreed to share with us his journey, his experiences and his perspectives in the captivating world of 3D creation.

How did you first discover Blender and what inspired you to use it for your 3D creations?

So, I discovered Blender via YouTube and tutorials like those from Blender Guru, etc. I turned to it because it was the first one I heard about and above all it is completely free. This is the one that seemed the most accessible for a complete beginner like me.

What motivated you to make the jump from video editing to 3D and Photoshop? Was there a particular moment that made you switch?

As for what motivated me to move from editing to 3D, it was initially the desire to diversify. Originally I just wanted 3D to be an additional skill in what I can offer. I didn't want to be "simply an editor" and "stay behind" , one of the triggers was also when I was able to attend the Motion Plus Design festival, that was the trigger, I discovered the world of Motion that I knew very little and therefore discovered a way to mix the areas I knew with others.

So I was already trying to make small video edits in the same state of mind as what I can currently do with 3D, but I had to constantly look for music, video rushes, etc. It wasn't really very practical and I told myself that directly creating my own 3D rushes would be simpler.

For example, I always wanted to do photography but between the lack of means for a camera or the lack of technique, 3D allows me to compensate for that, by allowing me to create visuals that I could not do otherwise.

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How did your interest in 3D turn into a real passion?

So as I progressed in my learning of 3D and in what I experimented with, I discovered that it really became a source of fulfillment for me. Before that I didn't have the impression of being someone who was necessarily creative, but when I'm in front of my software there's a feeling of "naturalness" . I became more and more invested in my creations to the point that over time I more or less abandoned video and almost only did 3D, even if I still try from time to time. time to do some editing, motion or photoshop.

How do you use your personal experience and your interactions with the world around you to fuel your inspiration in your 3D creations?

When I watch a film or play a game, I very often stop at shots or set elements and say to myself "Wow, that would make a great 3D scene" . I've said it several times before, but I always try to give a cinematic look to my creations and apply the rules of photography composition.

I also spend a lot (or perhaps too much time) on the networks and I almost only consume creative content. I am initially greatly influenced by the close circle of artists but also by people with work very different from mine. A few months ago I was very struck by a video by ALT236 , it allowed me to look at the work of more "classical" artists, such as: Böcklin , Dalí or even Jean François Millet of whom I I also used one of his paintings with my creation “L’Angélus by Daft Punk ” .

On a personal level, I have also been fulfilled in my life for a while. I think it greatly influences my approach and the emotions that emerge from my creations. So I use a little of all these things to try as much as possible to provoke a reaction in the person who will see my work.

You mentioned that you like to share the things that make you tick. Can you give us examples of 3D projects or creations that particularly excited you?

When I say that I like to share what I like, it is generally often linked to an emotion/atmosphere or music, a film/video game universe, etc. I always draw inspiration from everything I consume and I love being able to share that through my creations. What illustrates this best are my animations "Fitter Happier" and "2001 SPACE ODISSEY" , I consider both to be my most accomplished projects, visually and technically.

For "Fitter Happier" , I chose to base all the animation on the music of the same name by Radiohead (which is my favorite group) and that the references be to my creations as well as to other works that can be find there, the atmosphere of each room or others, I am very proud of the final result.

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And for "2001 SPACE ODISSEY" the approach is more or less the same beyond being a tribute to the film, what I found the most interesting and what makes me particularly happy is the fact of having been able to collaborate with eyeto8 . Being able to collaborate with an artist to compose custom music is really something that I love and that I plan to do very regularly in the future.

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What challenges did you encounter while learning and perfecting your 3D skills and how did you overcome them?

And finally for the last question, a challenge that I have set for myself for a while is to be able to both continue to progress technically while trying to do different things but also to find "my style" . With each project, I try to do things that vary, to sometimes test different styles (for example by moving away from realistic 3D or by making 2D illustrations on Photoshop).

For all of this I don't necessarily have a miracle solution, but what works well for me is first of all to constantly: look for inspiration, see what is being done elsewhere and by others, 'surround yourself with creative people. But also and above all I try to push myself with each project so as not to stay in my comfort zone, I am constantly learning and that is why I find it pleasant and exhilarating to realize that I am still at the very beginning and that There is still so much to discover.

As an artist, what message would you like to convey?

I always have trouble defining myself as a true "artist", I create out of passion but as I said I feel that at the very beginning of things, I still have so much to discover creatively whether on me or what I do.

I am still in a period where I am searching for myself but in the future I would like to be able to define myself as such, but it is not necessarily something negative if I had to give advice it would be not to be in a hurry, to create is something that takes time, when we see that even one of the greatest like Dali took 20 years to find his style, that calms down .

Someone who is starting out must understand that if they want to progress in their art, they must demonstrate a lot of patience, rigor, attraction to things and passion. We also have to be very attentive to everything around us, for me it is impossible to progress if we stay in our bubble without being curious.

I don't have ONE message in particular , but what I try to do each time with what I create is generally to create wonder. As I said, I draw a lot of inspiration from cinema and video games, I always try to transcribe that “Wow” that we have all already felt when watching a striking film or while playing a game. The more successful the immersion, the better!

I really like creating this sense of wonder by inserting characters into landscapes which often take over, sometimes it tends more towards childhood nostalgia like with my creation Dreamcatcher and sometimes more towards fascination with ghibliesque universes (with my created Friendly Giant , Wu-kong , Forest Spirit ). I also really like going into more distressing and solitary atmospheres like with Fitter Happier , Wandering , VOID or Icarus .

If I had to summarize, my creations would all be linked to feelings that I try to transmit and share, we can see it as a kind of introspection. The key word would be: “Amazement” .

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Written by Yeazzy.