Wacom's Deep Dive | Interview with Henry Vargas

This time, we had the pleasure to talk to a very acclaimed character artist, very much loved on Instagram: Henry Vargas.
Henry is a digital 3D Artist / Character Artist.  Let’s deep dive into his world through an interview that the Wacom team prepared for you.
 


Hi Henry, thanks for having us. We love your work, tell us a little bit about your development and studies.
– I graduated from Digital Animation at Universidad Veritas, Costa Rica. During that time I learned aspects of design and 3D animation. This helped me develop a bunch of artistic skills such as digital painting, 3D modeling, rendering, texturing and animation. Since I finished my studies in Universidad Veritas I wanted to improve my skills in 3D Modeling/3D Sculpting, lately, I had been sculpting a lot in ZBrush using my Wacom Cintiq Pro 16” with one goal in mind: I want to create characters, creatures, and worlds that bring people joy.
 

How was it Diving into the world of 3D?
– Previous to this, I always had a passion for stylized art in media, I remember when I was a child the first time I looked at a 3D animated movie something inside me changed, I wanted to be able to create characters and tell stories just like that.
I believe the 90’s media and culture inspire my work daily, that’s why lately I have been posting a lot of fanart in my Instagram, especially Pokémon. (yes, we kind of realized it a little bit hehe)
 

 
What can you recommend to other upcoming artists to start their projects?

– I believe fanart is an amazing artform where the artist can find joy by doing original art from the movies, tv series, games and books that make us want to become artists in the first place.
What inspires you?

– Japanese pop culture has always been a huge inspiration in my art especially the “kawaii” aspect of the culture. One of my main goals as an artist is to be able to create appealing characters in which the audience can almost feel empathy and affection by just looking at them, that’s why most of my art could be considered cute or kawaii.
 



What is the secret to making things look KAWAII?
– My secret to achieving cuteness is by working with simple shapes for creating a base for a 3D model, then just play with the proportions of that shapes until you get a good silhouette with an emphasis in the roundness of the model.
What is another thing that inspires your work?
Also, I grew up loving toys, which I consider most of them extremely cute and powerful tools for storytelling when you’re a kid. As an only child, toys helped me to develop my creativity in forms that I consider impossible in any other way. That’s why some of my artwork has that toylike aesthetic that people resonate with, it is a unique look that is appealing to people from all stages of life.
 

Ok, cool!
Tell us about your favorite music: what do you listen to when you are creating?
I’m an old soul when it comes to music, I love hearing 60’s and 70’s best hits, but I usually don’t hear music when I’m working in my art. For some reason, music changes my mood and sometimes change the flow of my creative endeavors, so I usually hear podcasts when I’m working. To be more specific I listen to comedy podcasts like “Dynamic Banter”, “The Adventure Zone” and “My Brother, My Brother and Me”. I find it comforting to hear people talk, as well I like to laugh when I’m working it brings delight to me and my artwork.
 

How do you manage your creative process? Any creative blocks suggestions?

Since I was born in Costa Rica, nature has always been an important factor in my life, it has always surrounded me and been a constant stimulus of my artistic formation. I feel a deep connection with nature, from time to time if I have an artistic block there’s nothing like walking outside to help ease the mind and make the creative juices flow.
I recommend to upcoming enthusiasts in 3D art, is that for you to improve your skills and feel comfortable with the medium, base your work on things you like and bring you happiness.
 

 
Any last comments for our readers, Henry?
If you find an obstacle it’s okay you will learn from it, but never stop doing your art with joy.
In the end, the joyfulness will show in your work and will be conveyed to does that behold your art.
 
Thank you so much, Henry.

 
Go follow Henry
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