The fresh start of a new year can bring a sense of renewed enthusiasm. If you’re still feeling drained from 2021, jumpstart your 3D goals into 2022 with January’s Top 5 Artist Spotlights!

Marie Henry – “Alien Planet”

It’s not hard to see the Avatar inspiration behind Marie Henry’s, “Alien Planet,” scene in all its vibrant and glowing glory. For more otherworldly artwork, read our interview with concept artist Finnian Macmanus.

Arthur Devy – “Gilded Woodlands: Base Camp”

A tribute to the “Monster Hunter” series that takes stylistic inspiration from “Breath of the Wild,” Arthur Devy’s environment both makes us want to linger beneath the colorful foliage and explore far beyond the reaches of the base camp passage. Re-visit our interview with Florian Elie for a look at their stylized environment workflow.

Jeongbin Kim – “Japan Old Train Station (Kareigawa station)”

Jeongbin Kim demonstrates impeccable attention to detail in his depiction of one of the oldest train stations in Japan. Read about another realistic artist’s process recreating a historic location in our interview with Vincent Filhine-Tresarrieu

Rudy Lamotte – “The Whispering Forest”

“The Whispering Forest,” of Rudy Lamotte is replete with a biodiverse selection of shapes and colors presented within an ambient rainforest soundscape. Level up your environment design with a deep dive into modeling and biome building with Jonjo Hemmens

Jonathon Gregory Bick – “Towers of Golden Guidance”

Moody and painterly, the impeccable lighting of Jonathon Gregory Bick’s, “Towers of Golden Guidance,” generates a spellbinding composition. Hop over to our blog to revisit another scene of fabled proportions in our interview with Vitor Maccari

Alien Stalk
(Cinema)

While not reminiscent of the glowing vegetation on Marie Henry’s, “Alien Planet,” our alien stalks showcase the surreal possibilities of modeling in SpeedTree.

Clover
(Cinema | Games)

Groundcover is abundant in Arthur Devy’s, “Gilded Woodlands: Base Camp,” and the nitrogen-fixing clover is a solid standby to add texture and vitality to your landscape.

Crepe Myrtle
(Cinema)

The flowering trees featured along the railway in Jeongbin Kim’s, “Japan Old Train Station (Kareigawa Station),” resemble our crepe myrtle.

Kapok
(Cinema)

With a variety of tropical vegetation in the biome of Rudy Lamotte’s, “The Whispering Forest,” we couldn’t help but associate the kapok with this scene.

Zenii Magnolia
(Games)

While far from the zenii magnolia’s natural habitat, the thin trunks and rounded leaves resemble those in the foreground of Jonathon Gregory Blick’s, “Towers of Golden Guidance”.