We sat down with Tribe Member Ambre and talked a bit about the drawing sessions she started doing for the THU Community as a simple initiative to keep us connected between events. The conversation evolved to facing the imposter syndrome, navigating uncertainty as a 3D artist and how the right art community can help us create better. 

 

Can you tell us about your background and your journey into becoming a 3D artist?

I’m a classic example of the little girl who grew up with big brothers and started playing Tekken on the PlayStation. At the age of 6, I was defeating my brothers by just energetically spamming all the buttons. 

This sparked my passion for video games and led me to pursue a career in games. But for a long time, I wasn’t sure how to get there. I first studied graphic design, which taught me how to understand and respond to clients’ needs. To strengthen my artistic foundation, I then attended a fine arts school where I learned traditional painting and drawing techniques inspired by the old masters with the goal of becoming a 2D concept artist. However, after 3 years of intense practice, I faced a strong block with drawing. I decided to leave school and teach myself 3D and that’s when I discovered ZBrush and I completely fell in love with it. I practiced every day, becoming faster and more confident over time, until I reached a point where I could use it to create my concepts. 
 

What motivated you to join THU in 2022 and what keeps bringing you back?

The first time I went to THU, I was looking for a job. I didn’t leave with one but I left with inspiration and valuable guidance. The second time, I went hoping to find help with my drawing blockage but instead I discovered other ways to free my creativity.

As my path evolves, so do my expectations. I don’t always find what I originally came for but I always leave with something precious. And that’s exactly what makes me want to return each time. The talks are always high quality. I often try to attend sessions that are not directly related to my own skills or style and those are the ones that impact me the most. They give me something unexpected.

Among my best surprises, are the talks:

- Make What You Want from Emily Dean (THU 2022)  

- Entertainment Arts & Leadership Tips from Sunmin Inn (THU 2024)

- Giving Power to Objects from Red Hong Yi (THU Storytelling)

It’s sometimes difficult to have a clear view of what kind of artist you are or where you stand in your career. The talk from Simon Lee about storytelling and character creation also gave me really meaningful guidance.

THU is always a fun place to be. It feels like friends beeing on holiday together. But at the same time, it’s a powerful space to reflect on who you are as an artist and where you want to go next.
 

You’ve been creating speed art sessions via Discord. Can you tell us how those came to be and what you enjoy most about them?

On one hand, I’ve always enjoyed doing speed sculpts. They are a way for me to clear my mind at the end of the day and they also helpme become faster at concepting.
On the other hand, I often felt a bit sad when the THU events ended. I wished to carry a bit of that mood between the events. That’s where the idea came from: bringing together two things I love and creating a small creative bubble with people from the community.

It’s also a space to experiment. The topic is usually broad, so everyone can explore whatever they feel like. It’s not for work or portfolios, it’s completely stress-free.
I believe this kind of environment can sometimes lead to the best artwork.

 

Image from the last session on Discord themed From the Forest.

 

How do community and collaboration influence your work?

I used to be intimidated by the technical side of 3D. I didn’t think I was smart enough to wrap my head around it. But other people encouraged me to step outside the role of “just” a concept artist and let my curiosity run free.

That pushed me to explore environment workflows, have fun with unreal shader, do hard surface modeling and experiment with Blender geo nodes. It made me realize I could do more and be more than just one thing.

Another important benefit of being part of a community is not feeling alone during difficult moments. It brings support, reassurance and perspective, especially when fear and anxiety show up. Other people can offer advice, encouragement and help you stay balanced. 

 

Describe your art style

It’s a little difficult for me to define my style; sometimes I feel more like a chameleon.
I love designing scary, creepy creatures, but I really enjoy working on cute, bright and playful things. I think my work is strongly shaped by my inspirations, moods and emotions of the moment. 

I like to morph myself into the style of the project I’m working on.
 

 

Images from the horror game Species: Unknown created for Wanadev Studio. 

 

While I was working on the creatures for this game, I kept thinking: “This is what makes me happy. This is what I want to do with my life. This is where I belong.”

They weren't just sculptures - they were something meaningful and functional within the game and knowing my work had a real purpose gave me an incredible sense of satisfaction.

 

How are you coping with today's uncertainty?

To be honest, I sometimes feel completely overwhelmed by anxiety and fall into the trap of scrolling LinkedIn, looking for opportunities. But waking up at 5 am to endlessly look for jobs doesn’t actually help; it just leads to burnout. What I’ve struggled with the most is receiving almost no responses after sending so many applications. It makes you feel invisible. I was prepared to hear that I wasn’t good enough, but I wasn’t prepared to be completely ignored by the industry. 

When anxiety kicks in, I remind myself that having a job or not does not define my worth as a person. I did my best and it’s alright. Then, I force myself to step away and take a break. I sculpt to clear my mind. 

Speed sculpts feel like a little creative bubble where I can simply exist as an artist, doing something that brings me peace and joy. Sometimes I just go outside, get some fresh air or do a bit of sports. The problems will still be there tomorrow anyway, but it’s okay to give myself a break today. I think you should be strict with yourself when it’s necessary, gentle the rest of the time and supportive no matter what.

 

Share some books worth reading!

Anatomy for Sculptors series - I used to study anatomy at school, learning the names of muscles and bones.This book approaches it very differently: instead of focusing only on terminology, it emphasizes volume and how muscles interact with one another in three dimensions. My only wish is that they would also create a book dedicated to animal anatomy. 

Star Trek: The Art of Neville Page is a great source of motivation for me. The concepts are amazing and the text provides context and valuable insights on how this kind of production works.

Designing Creatures and Characters by Mark Taro Holmes guides you step by step in developing your concepting skills and building your portfolio. It does so in a very encouraging and gamified way, which makes the learning process enjoyable.

 

Where do you go for inspiration? 

When I’m actively looking for inspiration, I usually go to Pinterest. If I already have a direction in mind, I research specifically in that area. 

Otherwise, I just compulsively collect any images that catch my eye. I’m often drawn to real-life photography of materials or architecture. I feel especially attracted by shapes, textures, colours and surfaces. 

But I think passive inspiration is the most interesting part. Without even noticing it, our brain is absorbing information from the world's experiences, processing them, giving them meaning and later translating it into our art. We don’t even know exactly where these ideas come from. That’s the type of inspiration I love the most because it feels more personal and intuitive. Sometimes I spend hours staring at my reference board feeling guilty for not “working”. But in reality, something is slowly forming in my mind. And when it’s ready, it feels natural to bring it into my sculpture. 

I’ve also been deeply influenced by the video games I played growing up on the PlayStation 1 and 2. 

 

 Is there a project or direction you’re excited to explore next?

Lately, I’ve been trying to deconstruct and analyze my creative process to see where I can make improvements.
 
Right now I am exploring how constraints can actually unlock creativity. When you feel blocked and don’t know what to create, setting limitations might actually set you free. For instance,

- What if the creature is lit by a harsh side light? What kind of shapes would make it visually interesting?
- What if it’s trapped in a tight space and has to fill it completely? How would its body adapt?
- What if the character is experiencing extreme pain? How would that distort its face and what story would that tell?

This reflection has led me to start learning animation to see if it can be used as a starting point for concepting. Why not start with 2 sphère 3 cylindre, quickly rig them, and try to figure out how those shapes move before even knowing what kind of creature it will be. 

The goal is to create a creature, the concepting process is happening in our mind. The rest are just tools. So let's try different tools.

 

Learn more about Ambre.

The next speed art session on Discord is scheduled for May 1 and the theme will be Ancient Civilization.