Creating High-End CG Characters - Interview with Alessandro Baldasseroni

An in-depth interview with industry character artist Alessandro Baldasseroni. Full of tips for anyone interesting in making better art.
Specifically we talk about:
-Why you should embrace new software
-Upcoming automation in the industry
-How he got his first job at Blur Studio
-Why it's better to take action then wait for perfection
-Why you shouldn't focus too much on the technical
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ArtStation: artstation.com/artist/andrewprice
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[@blenderguru]

Since a lot of people seem to be wondering: I haven't stopped making tutorials. There are about 8 more interviews to go and then I'll be uploading more tutorials. I'm mostly waiting until Blender 2.8 is released, because it has an entirely new interface so it will make any current tutorials redundant :P

[@skylinestudiosrc]

cool.

[@Dem0nYT]

Do we need to redownload blender?

[@henriqueeloy2193]

I agree with the logic

[@theflaminglionhotlionfox2140]

Can I still follow your old tutorials when 2.8 comes out? I am currently watching the beginner tutorial.

[@skylinestudiosrc]

You'll need to reinstall the new Blender version when it'll come out..

[@tacticslc4805]

He has a good point : what keeps you from spending 3 months on a characters? Probably everyone can spend 3 months on video games or watching tv, but you should feel the same towards your art hobby, it should be fun.

[@simonlane2084]

Totally true. It’s your hobby have fun with it.

[@damianogiolitti3416]

@@simonlane2084 I think about art like an rpg game. Every fundamental is a boss and repetition is like grinding and finding better ways to approach a "boss". This might sound silly but I think this way because it's fun

[@sevengames9112]

@@damianogiolitti3416 same here actually

[@mrblonde7688]

its like he says, doing something shitty is better than doing nothing at all, do shit stuff for 1000 times and probably and at the 1001 time you are gonna do it so much better.

[@ph-vf5hx]

@@mrblonde7688 yeah you cant make good stuff without piles of bad stuff behind you

[@pixelsbyprince]

I started at Blur around the same time as Ale and he remains one of most thoughtful, humble artists I've ever met. Great choice for an interview!

[@arielvinda6624]

What a nice dude... I really like the way he manages himself

[@Tahldon-kun]

I just keep coming back to listen to this video while I work on my sculpts. I could listen to Alessandro's expertise and thoughts on this topic for ages. Just so insightful.

[@vfxeriksen8694]

"Most of the time, you only have to make pretty good looking pictures." That seems huge to me. We're always spread out between topology, shaders, concept, lighting, and a variety of things. I think it's important to focus on the end result, even if it means all the other pieces aren't perfect.

[@dayflaubert]

I am not even an artist and I watched the whole interview

[@cwidd1929]

Firstly, the interview series has been a *very* welcome addition to the channel, and I really enjoy watching them. Apart from having a higher frequency of interviews, it would be great to have a different series of interviews focusing on technical aspects of art production. Regarding the script, I really appreciate that Andrew took the opportunity to challenge the guest's opinion at certain points in the interview. I also appreciate Alessandro's emphasis on artistic merit versus speed or technical precision, however, it is a bit of a contradiction with his earlier comments that time is a major physical constraint in a professional work environment.

[@blenderguru]

Thanks! I was surprised to hear Alex's opinion on speed, as I always thought it was important for getting hired. But I see what he means as well: rushing *is* a common mistake prevalent in beginners. So yes, it's important to take the time to do it right. But I still think you should get faster over time.

[@theprogrammingshuttle2975]

Blender Guru maybe speed comes with proficiency ...

[@swearsoft]

He was talking about different situations. If you are a student you have the time - this is literally how you should be spending your time - to figure out how to do, try things out, figure it out for yourself. If you are in a professional environment you are expected to deliver something at the end of the day, which means if you can't find the 'best' way you have to do it the way that will work for you at the moment and deliver what you need to deliver. Being a student is literally when you are supposed to figure things out.

[@whispermusic3522]

"I will be very intransigent about it" needed to google the word to got it haha i really love this guy and his awesome work and i love the way he sees things specially the part where he agrees on giving time for making good stuff Thank you so much Andrew for those precious interviews with such talented and hardworking people and also a big thanks to mister Alessandro Baldasseroni for his time and his very clear opinions and advises

[@gabrielegagliardi3956]

Yep some english words are rare and not common in english but not for foreigns, for example intransigent derives from the italian "intransigente" so he used a "strange" word in english that is incredibly common in italian, sometimes the easiest choice of words for us italian/spanish sounds like "wowww he knows this obscure term". Cheers :)

[@Kimera_Alternate_Realities]

Love the interviews with people in the industry, but this is the first interview that actually told me something that makes me feel like I'm not wasting my time by learning this. "I'm a firm believer that is better doing something even if is shit than doing nothing". Don't get me wrong, the previous interviews have all been great and I enjoyed them but is funny, just yesterday I was telling my BF that doing this makes me feel like a contestant in American Idol, you know the shitty singers who believe they can sing and end up just making fools of themselves in TV. Well my work might be just like that, as bad as American Idol shitty singers but... I can't sit down doing nothing, "When your work looks like shit, the good news is that you can only get better" =)

[@escapismgame2769]

Your absolutely right, every shit render you do is going to be a bit less shit than the previous one! Every great artist starts from somewhere.

[@Kimera_Alternate_Realities]

♥

[@MrBraianlc]

That's exactly how I feel. No matter what new level I reach, there is always thousands of people a level above. And this interview shows that even the greatest feel this way. I guess artists will always feel they are not good enough. :)

[@Ciprian-Amarandei]

You are my future competition :)))

[@ChaosWolfNinja]

Soo true!!! I grew up with this notion of it needs to be perfect from the start... but I didn't realise looking back I started out shit for all of and only became better at it over time.

[@randylange3530]

Wow, what an incredible journey. I feel the same passion that he has and the same background starting out. What an inspiration to me and others. Kudos to Alessandro Baldasseroni and to anyone else who is trying to accomplish their dreams. I am almost 55 and have been working with 3d animation for only a year and a half. I have made 2 very basic short animations for grandchildren, but I don't see myself working for PIXAR any time soon. So thank you Andrew for your hard work and dedication. For helping others to make their skills better and for their dreams to come true.

[@andrej2795]

I enjoyed watching all interviews but so far that was my favourite. Great job, great interview, keep it up !

[@PrashanSubasinghe]

This was my favorite so far. Seems super knowledgeable and gave some solid advice! Thank you!

[@escapismgame2769]

What a great guy.

[@akashsawant2816]

After watching this video, it changed my perception about CG and creativity this man has a real point and that is what a difference between in a successful artist and a learner.

[@aemanuelli42]

Hey Andrew! I've just seen the notification of this video and I wanted to thank you for all the amazing contents you've bring here on youtube. These interviews are so inspiring and I'm truly amazed by your will of making such professional contents! THANK YOU! I'll probably watch it tomorrow because here in Italy it's already 3 am and I really need to sleep after countless hours trying to understand Blender :D Sorry for my bad english!

[@escapismgame2769]

Your english is really good!

[@onyxkane]

Well his name is andrew

[@aemanuelli42]

Ayush Srivastava ahahah thanks! I told you I needed to sleep

[@aemanuelli42]

escapism game Too kind!

[@frowgbat]

Wow...that interview seemed so real, well done! The light refraction details on the bald head was perfect... everything looked so real, CG animation is crazy these days

[@nathanielwier8972]

FINALLY A CHARACTER ARTIST ANDREW I'VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG FOR THIS

[@WastedCheez]

What a great guy! Loved the interview and I wonder why I haven't seen it for so long. Baldasseroni is a legend in the industry and you rarely find any interview! Love it!

[@justVontadeh]

Please, keep these interviews coming! Thry're so good and interesting to see each artist story and point of view!

[@EmirUysal]

These interviews are great. Thank you so much for doing these. They're also great to listen in the background especially while you're working on something. I almost watched/listened to all of these and I can say that at least for me this is very good insight to take in. Also I like the intros in the begginning, a nice hook that primes us for what is coming and puts everything in the context. I hope there will be more interviews again in the future in your channel.

[@Jo-jv1pl]

His first time using Max resonates with me so much. I was so amazed and filled with wonder when learning Maya 4.0 at such a young age. These interviews are amazing, keep up the good work!

[@warrenzechnas]

I've learned a lot by just watching this interview with Alessandro. This is priceless knowledge.

[@marcialwar]

Andrew, thank you for everything you do, really helps.

[@shulk-oldaccount7295]

I love these interviews, I'm so thankful for them and love to listen while sculpting

[@andrewstanley]

Thanks for having this interview with him and posting it up

[@itshazy]

The inspiration I got from this video is crazy! Big thanks to Alessandro and Andrew for making this happen. Its so evident that the pure joy of creation exists in both of these people. Anyone thinking they're not good enough or x, or y, should definitely watch this video. All you have to do is start. There has never been a better time than right now. Thank you!

[@dongiovanni1993]

Thank you both! Alessandro is right person to listen to. He said a lot of right things.

[@sturvinmurvin9408]

As someone who runs a niche game add-on development company, I find these interviews to be very inspiring! I love this series. You Sir Andrew are a genius!

[@Azuniite]

I really liked this artists reasoning concerning time spent on projects. Great interview!

[@freed3131]

Thanks for making these interviews Andrew, always happy to learn stuff

[@Rheyndraziel]

I have a lot to thank you for the tip of the tutorials and the video lessons paid and the free ones, my work has evolved very quickly, thanks a lot for your tips.

[@cirocardoso3v]

This guy is a fighter. Very inspiring interview. You should do more like this Andrew. Good Job

[@VickGaza]

I love this guy ! What a legit honest dude. Thank you for interviewing him and for posting this online :D

[@criticalphil3677]

i really enjoyed this interview, Alessandro Baldasseroni is very inspirational, great job!

[@MurphyArtPrints]

Wow fantastic interview. A lot of real down to earth information on so many aspects of the job.

[@SiggEye]

Love your questions, Andrew. Also, great interview!

[@kravvat4796]

I got so many valuable answers to questions I didn't even ask... Great interview!

[@hannardee]

I really appreciate these interviews. Thanks Andrew!

[@SongMachina]

This is what an interview should look like, very polished production, and great methodology.

[@mouizeddinekisma4226]

Andrew, i just keep loving your interviews serie keep going

[@happytimelogan]

Possibly the most enlightening interview I've seen so far in regards to 3d

[@mequable]

Lovely interview. I enjoyed a lot of the advice, especially the part where he says you can put whatever time you like in something you enjoy, in search for the better outcome. Overall very interesting.

[@ChritsianBucic]

As always those episode are pure gold! Thank you Andrew! Super interesting interview! Even I am graphic designer and almost never touching 3D project, I can feeling that I passed somewhere beside real goal.

[@aivislinde]

Great interviews and amazing information! Can't wait for more of this!

[@gentil8838]

That is some next level modelling and animation of Alessandro Andrew, keep it up !

[@ikervideira2559]

I really Love this interviews. I check them while working in my first 3D job and they really motivate me

[@sethjg3d]

I find these interviews extremely helpful and inspiring... I am about to study animation... I have been using blender for years but, I am having to turn to online schools because of money... It's awesome to get these nuggets.

[@SephTheTraitor]

It was great meeting you at the KZbin meetup! I'll definitely be going to more of them. I learned so much!

[@Itchy-Pixel]

Great interview and I completely agree, when starting out make things you like even if you struggle and it's bad, It's a passion that gets you good and it's those problems you come across that makes you go learn how to solve things!

[@MANIAKRA]

Love this interview. A real CG pro not caught up in the fuss of social media fame but emphasizes doing it for the passion of making cool art. Love what he says at 1:06:34 about bute force, glad to know even pros feel this way.

[@avirads]

Craft first, technicalities follow... Great talk..

[@Adrian-uc4ox]

Thanks, love Guru videos. Alessandro is a Digital Renaissance man

[@SowedCastelli]

I like this guy! So down to earth and humble in his own way.

[@kuichib]

Finally watching this, and there's such great advice here! Thanks for the interview :)

[@EvanG3D]

I love these interviews you have been doing! Keep em coming!

[@EvanG3D]

Hi Anja! Yup that's me :), Its nice to meet you.

[@EvanG3D]

I sure can :) Ill try to make something this week.

[@KadeMarkoux]

Thanks for posting this, it's extremely inspiring!

[@mmgbtv]

Loving the interviews on your channel.

[@BrianLife]

Loved this interview,! Alessandro, you're awesome! So humble, smart, real, and humorous! Pro!

[@thadnutting1032]

So much of his experience with early CG had me nodding my head and remembering the early days. The thing that hooked me was this laser disc my middle school had. Into the Minds Eye. Soon after I found a CD with Pov-Ray and started making CG via code. Crazy to have seen the transition from typing up code for Pov-Ray to amazing GUIs like Blender.

[@Domzdream]

What a great interview! Loved it x 100

[@weeliano]

Amazing Interview! This should be required watching for all Modeling students!

[@JoaoSilva22222]

I´ve been following Baldasseroni since his beginning.

[@motionology3667]

Character design can be a tricky illustration beast to tackle. You may know how to draw dynamic characters, but designing your own character from scratch involves a lot of creative thinking. Although many of the classic characters familiar to us all through cartoons, movies and advertising look simple, that simplicity usually belies the many hours of work that have gone into their development.

[@andyhakim1970]

motionology Definitely. That's why concept artists exist.

[@SVI_graphics]

I think so, I was trying to create a character for my final degree project and the hard part is to think, not to model. The result ended up good, but the design is not what I wanted.

[@mikkelmelby]

YESH, more interviews! keep em rollin,

[@AlienFreak69]

Thank you for doing these interviews. They've helped me a lot.

[@3dvfxprofessor]

Thanks for your time and effort for the community to enjoy your exciting and amazing channel.

[@ViniciusAlvesLima]

Incredible!!! Alessandro Baldasseroni is the guy! Im a huge fan of his work! Thx :D

[@cerocero2817]

This was really enlightening for a self taught artist, this series is great! In every one i find some point that really speaks to me

[@fourseven6202]

Ok this interview made me a fan of him as a person as well and not only his work! Thanks for making this interview, really interesting topics and answers :)

[@keithtam8859]

great vid. thanks!! he is very composed and concise!!

[@Minecraftgueeck]

I love these interview they are so good Please dont stop doing them.

[@komadachi]

Thanks for this interview! Alessandro is Amazing! His insight really helps how to approach learning as a novice 3D artist. Really valuable info thanks again.

[@rashmisherchan2860]

Thank you so much...... You know my aim is to be character designer.... ... By seeing this interview I am so inspired..... Thank you again....please keep taking interview of great person... Love to watch......

[@dopplegangerdavid]

What Alessandro says about paint overs and matching the reference speaks well to my own experiences. I had the exact same problem with my first job.

[@3DMIRROR]

Alessandro (a mio personalissimo parere) è il migliore in assoluto in questo settore dell'industria VFX, ma non tanto per le "acrobazie tecniche" nel premere i pulsanti di un software piuttosto che l'altro software, ma per la sua sensibilità ARTISTICA che trasmette nei suoi "lavori", cosa che, ahimè, è veramente rara da trovare in questo inflazionato settore.

[@robby7025]

I keep rewatching this interview to really make the advice bake into my brain.

[@federicodebona2842]

Yeee! un italiano!!

[@shooooooooopi]

Sì cazzo!

[@drewknight91]

non un italiano ma L'italiano

[@ArtwithAmarBrisco]

It so crazy how I see on your channel or elsewhere who started the same I did using 3D applications as a hobby then move into that field. All I did was modeling makes me feel like I did things all wrong. Oh well I will keep curning for myself I know if I apply myself I should be able to do the same level of artwork in less than a year. Key thing I do see is they were more passionate to do it as a career. Thanks again for another great interview.

[@riccardobancone3761]

That was a great Interview! So many useful advices..

[@DigitalArtcast]

I would love to get Alessandro on the podcast! So many awesome tips and advice!

[@aleVar87]

Amazing!! Thanks for this content!

[@treehuggerx331]

Hi Andrew! I want to let you know how incredible your tutorials are. I very randomly stumbled upon one of your videos through video suggestions, and decided to give it a try. I had never touched 3D software prior. I have been using Blender for hours nearly every single day since then, and that was 5 weeks ago. I am addicted to Blender and to learning all of its capabilities. You explain everything so thoroughly, are charismatic and make the 1.5 hour tutorials feel like 20 minutes. I’ve spent a good 100+ hours on Blender now (Mot even kidding, I will binge watch hours of tutorials and I dream about it too lol I’m determined, what can I say!) and because of you, I could definitely teach someone else how to use it (basically of course). You’ve opened up a door for me, and now my dream is to become an animator/ 3D artist. Thank you so much, really. I had no idea that this was a passion, I have never stuck through something for so long. And side note, I’m half Korean and all of your comments about living in Korea are hilarious and I 100% relate as I had just lived there for a year teaching English. Anyway, always looking forward to your videos and hope everything is well with you and your family!!

[@Ali-Britco]

> You've opened up a door for me... And you have convinced ME to pick this up too. Here's to us crossing paths soon (friendly competition maybe? My Ryu to your Ken? :P ). Keep on keepin' on!

[@christiansanchez7448]

Seeing stuff like this makes me want to change career paths and actually do what I love, but it’s such a huge leap it honestly scares the shit out of me

[@Ali-Britco]

I've started but holy shit are you right. There's no way I'm leaving my job just yet though so I just dedicate like 10~20 min a day. Everything looks like ass to me but I guess it will take its sweet time.

[@fahtfakcarl7695]

Eyyyy another interview

[@shoshaka]

Very honest and insightful interview. Most of the artists always put that demotivating inclination in their tone that "the industry" is so damn hard to break into and so forth. Well, every industry has its own ways to take its toll but it is CERTAINLY not that hard to get a job as an artist. As long as you start off with reasonable expectations, you can just begin with an indie company, polish your skills, learn from others and then build up to higher end studios, if that's your goal. Thanks, Blender Guru!

[@hypersonicmonkeybrains3418]

Most kids on the internet actually try to dive straight into character art for 3D. But characters are the absolute hardest thing to draw in 3D, so unless they have extreme natural talent or are already experienced drawing characters then they will fail. And then they have to texture, rig and animate it, which is also hard. You see this is why i render bathrooms.

[@elitefew8537]

I disagree, i'm fairly decent at 3d animation and sculpting after only 6 months. See my work @legendarydonn on Instagram. its all up to preference

[@thsuperelite]

Would you post your bathroom renders ? I now have a desperate* urge to see your bathrooms...

[@hypersonicmonkeybrains3418]

correction, i have one bathroom render. I just do 3D for fun, i dont even earn a passive income from it, as of yet... Sure i will post some renders not sure if youtube allows links tho. www.imagebam.com/image/ca97d5906612634 www.imagebam.com/image/415130906612684 www.imagebam.com/image/3cd0fb906612704 This is not an idealistic render like yous see with those Vray kitchens,, its just a mockup of my bathroom for my own purposes so that's why it does not look idealized or polished.

[@Dome794]

That’s not right. The cg industry is overblown by character artists which makes it the most competitive job category. Check that with the amount of jobs that are available for character work. The outcome is of course that becoming a character artist is very hard. Thing is you have to pay your bills right? So sooner or later you have to take what you can get. After that you have way less time to push yourself if you haven’t got an job as a character artist. Most ppl end up here as a generalist which is not bad at all. So the peeps who still have the courage to keep pushing themselves will end up to get where they wanna be. Well that’s my view of the situation. There are so many factors that decide how your career will go on. Just enjoy the journey

[@starinsky2873]

Human are hard to create but humanoid are easiee for me

[@Kim-learns-to-fly]

Really great interview!

[@williansilva4150]

Nossa, esse cara é um assombro. É cada trabalho magnífico. Eu já conhecia os trabalhos dele, muito boa a entrevista S2

[@eitapoh]

Sim

[@Loug522]

Eu não conhecia o trabalho dele, mas a entrevista foi do c... Esse tipo de video ajuda bastante naqueles momentos de ansiedade e desespero que sempre vem na cabeça quando estou estudando 3D ou outros idiomas.

[@cassiosculpts]

Mano até me emocionei cm essa entrevista, acompanhava o trampo dele mas não sabia que ele era tão foda assim

[@Radicalshikami]

Loving this interviews

[@technofeeliak]

Great, I've just started watching this video and already I'm hopeful about the type of information within.

[@lougvar]

Great Interview!

[@marioCazares]

Never saw this interview before but it's very good thanks for uploading

[@riggsmurtah2788]

One of my favorite artist!

[@Meteotrance]

This guy is really an inspiration to me, im kind of outcast in cg like him but im not as good as him, i begin cg in 2003 alone whitout support, and discover blender substance designer lately, is right about 3d scan, my Xperia Phone is already able to do amazing face and object scan.

[@anodyne5368]

Meteotrance, wow really? That's bad ass :)

[@FreeKanal]

I like Alessandro beginner story so much :D

[@guchfun]

Thank you, Andrew, for producing these videos! The widsom Allesandro shares is so valuable and have helped me to make some decisions on how to approach building my portfolio.

[@fernandopaello7546]

He is Alessandro BADASSERONI! Just the best!

[@Marokai99]

This is great. Thank you for videos like this, I hope there will be more! :D

[@DarkAutumn3D]

Same as me really back in 2000. A time when there were very few tutorials at all so you had to teach yourself. I had a friend give me a copy of 3DS Max but I had always been more of a traditional pencils, inks and pastels kind of artist. I had dabbled in digital art and thought it would be something I'd always do. But then I started to use 3DS Max as I was playing this game where you could create your own maps, weapons, vehicles, etc. and I REALLY wanted to do that! It's been 19 years and now I use a multitude of software packages to create things for games engines.

[@Officialjadenwilliams]

Awesome. (: