In this episode of Pixel Peeps, I sit down with Swann Valenza, one of three artists behind the French creative collective Coup de Foudre, to break down their incredible animated project La Nuit Rouge.

We dive into how a tiny team developed a unique style that mixes low-poly 3D, hand-painted textures, Grease Pencil, matte painting and cinematic filmmaking techniques—all while designing the pipeline to be fast enough for a small independent team.

Swann walks us through their Blender scenes, character workflow, 2D/3D facial setup, camera-projected environments, procedural tears, animation, and the creative decisions that helped La Nuit Rouge reach millions of viewers online.

We also talk about building an independent animation studio, prioritizing emotion over technical perfection, working with friends, and why small teams can create things today that would have once required a much larger studio.

Watch La Nuit Rouge and see more from Coup de Foudre:
https://www.coupdefoudrecollectif.com/lanuitrouge

Hope you enjoy the conversation!

— J

In this episode of Pixel Peeps, I sit down with veteran sculptor and character artist Rishikesh Nandalaskar to break down his incredible painterly Wolverine “Sculpketch.”

With more than 20 years of experience working at studios like Rhythm & Hues, Framestore, and Sideshow Collectibles, Rishikesh shares the workflow he’s developed to create expressive “3D paintings” that blur the line between digital sculpting and concept art.

We dive into his ZBrush-only workflow, painting directly on the model, creating expressive brush strokes, rendering entirely inside ZBrush, and why personal projects continue to be one of the fastest ways to grow as an artist. Along the way, we also discuss trusting the creative process, time management, and how quick sculpt sketches have influenced his professional career.

You can see more of Rishikesh’s work here:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/9892Va

If you’d like to learn his workflow yourself, check out his Wolverine Sculpketch ZBrush Tutorial:
https://www.artstation.com/a/52218122

Use code SCULPKETCH_J_40 for 40% off.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!