Personal profile of Eugene Privalov
- Age: 24 years old
- Education: Minsk State Architecture & Construction College, architect
- Life motto: Nothing and no one can dim the light of the guiding star lit in the sky at the time of your birth
- Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
- Hobby: Sports, muay thai. I had been playing music for a long time in several bands, but then I began to develop myself as a solo musician
- Favorite music band: Two steps from Hell
- Favorite book: I like writers of the Russian Empire times. Lately I’ve been reading professional literature and various manuals
- Favorite movie: Documentary and drama. "The Pursuit of Happiness", "jOBS"
- What is "the atmosphere of a rendering” and what does it consist of?
- It is the "spirit" of 3D visualization. I believe that usual lighting and textures customizable in 3Ds Max at the initial stage of image creation cannot be “the atmosphere”. It involves a more refined setting with certain immersion in the history and location of the object. This process begins after the grayscale phase when the basic lighting settings and textures have been applied. The artist adds small details that impart vivacity and special feel to the image, like scratches and chips on furniture and walls, smoke or steam from industrial objects, puddles on the roadway and raindrops on the glass, crumbled leaves on the sidewalk, additional lights and characters. In addition, the rendering mood is set using the color palette and various tools during post-production, such as filters and plugins. If you dig deeper, it is the inner state and attitude of the artist during the creative process, which is projected onto visualization and the final image.
- The uniqueness of an architectural project – is it the task of an architect or a visualizer?
- Architects often strive to generate unique projects, but professional skills of a visualizer can always help in channeling the uniqueness. Until recently, we have observed lots of the same type 3D visualizations presenting architectural objects. Even today, despite broad technical possibilities, this problem is still relevant, so your signature style as a visualizer comes to the fore. If a 3D artist finds inspiration in the same place where everyone else in the field does, it will directly affect the renderings’ identity and diversity.
- What is the ratio of the 3D artist's freedom of action when working on the look and feel of the image?
- I think it would be ideal if the responsibility for this very aspect laid entirely with visualizers. Sometimes, technical specifications imply little or none freedom in choosing the mood of the rendering. There are clear boundaries, and even if you imagine a better way to present a project, you are told your limits. Here the customer is always right.
- At which stage of the process does the vision of the right “aura” come?
- This vision comes as soon as you open the 3Ds Max file, but at that point, it only exists in the visualizer's mind. We usually leave its creation to the later stages: first we dig into the project, its technical aspects, try to build a rendering algorithm, then we work with grayscales, build the geometry, and adjust the volumes. The next step is adjusting textures, materials and lighting. Finally, CG artists begin to create the spirit of rendering, which is afterward finalized in the post-production: setting up more accurate and physically correct lighting, adding various objects – pretty much everything that brings vivacity. However, it is important to be able to manage these solutions properly and monitor their relevance.
- Is there any kind of one-fits-all, foolproof atmosphere for any architectural project?
- I don’t think there is any. Our customers, as well as the objects we work on are located in different parts of the world, which means different climatic conditions, landscapes, national features. Therefore, everything is individual. In my opinion, customers are more likely to prefer a welcoming, joyful, fine day setting with a vibe that does not downplay an architectural object, but rather highlights the architect's idea.
- What is your favorite project?
LANE project. It does not fully reflect my professional skills, but if I am to show an example of my visualization made within Lunas studio, I would pick this one. This is an exterior visualization, which is an unusual experience for me. The atmosphere during the work was constantly changing, it depended more on the wishes of the customer and sometimes on my mood.
- Who is your favorite architect or 3D artist?
- These are four people whose work inspires me a lot. If we talk about painting, which I often turn to in non-commercial interiors, I like Nicola Samori - he has a very bold presentation of medieval stories. Alex Roman, who is considered a genius of architectural animation, creates an impressive vibe in his videos. I like the work of MIR studio former employee - Tamas Medve - all of his 3D renderings differ greatly in their moods but are always very high-end ones. Finally, I am inspired by Danish photographer Kim Høltermand from whom one can learn skills such as the use of light, shadows, frame and composition.
- What you dream of?
- To live in a place where it’s always hot in order to escape to the cold sometimes.
- Where would you like to live?
- I really like Scandinavian landscapes, but it's too cold out there for permanent comfortable living! Therefore, I would like to meet the dawn on the Cote d'Azur and watch the sunsets of California – sounds just fine for me.
- A funny story happened in the office
- There are so many of them! We have a great team, there is no tension, everyone feels free. Sometimes, I miss out funny moments, because I'm just sitting in my headphones, all immersed in the process, then raise my eyes, the guys are all crowding, laughing, having fun: something has just happened, and I did not notice.
