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!

In this episode of Pixel Peeps, I talk with Omid Moradi about the relentless work it takes to stand out as a character artist today.

We cover portfolio building, artistic identity, online visibility, taking risks to grow faster, and the mindset required to build a long-term creative career in the game industry.

A conversation about discipline, momentum, and the years of effort behind artistic breakthroughs.

Use code JHILL20 for 20% off Gnomon Workshop http://bit.ly/3IAnkE0

🔗 Omid's Work here

🔗 Character Class

In this episode of Pixel Peeps, I sit down with character artist and art director Claudiu Tanasie to break down his striking painterly 3D style.

We take a deep dive into his piece Broken Faith, exploring how he blends sculptural brushwork, stylized textures, and experimental rendering techniques to create characters that feel like living illustrations. Claudiu shares insights into his workflow—from simplifying scan data and sculpting expressive forms, to building complex hair systems with XGen and pushing Arnold far beyond its typical use.

We also talk about the bigger picture: developing a personal style, why great work often looks effortless (but isn’t), and how personal projects can shape your career more than client work ever could.

If you’ve ever wondered how to stand out as an artist—or how to make 3D feel more like painting—this one’s for you.

Juan Hernandez made this amazing cinematic quality fan art of Stitch all in blender! Link to his work: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4NP6o4

►My Game Character Class - http://www.characterclass.com

►Join the Character Art Team: https://www.youtube.com/c/artofjhill/join

The Discord - https://discord.gg/NqdhCBJ

My Skin Brushes - https://www.artstation.com/a/1551330

My Work - https://www.artofjhill.com

CONNECT:

◆ Website: https://www.jhill.com

◆ Instagram: https://instagram.com/artofjhill

◆ Setup: https://kit.co/artofjhill/my-setup

Dev Mehta shares how he created this detailed Elf Knight game model. view the full work here - https://www.artstation.com/artwork/OvlJk6

► My Game Character Class - http://www.characterclass.com

► Join the Character Art Team: https://www.youtube.com/c/artofjhill/join

_________________________________________

💬 Join the Discord community:

https://discord.gg/NqdhCBJ

📓 subscribe to my character art notes

https://www.characterclass.com/newsletters/character-notes

🤝 Become a member

https://www.youtube.com/c/artofjhill/join

https://www.patreon.com/c/jhill

Subscribe to the channel:

https://www.youtube.com/artofjhill

🌐 My website: https://www.jhill.com

🔗 ArtStation: https://www.artstation.com/jhill

◆ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@artofjhill

◆ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artofjhill

◆ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artofjhill/

◆ Setup: https://kit.co/artofjhill/my-setup

_________________________________________

Check out this awesome work up close - https://www.artstation.com/artwork/QnJLoZ

Artstation Learning - https://www.artstation.com/learning/courses/g38/references-and-advice/chapters/Q5Xo/introduction

The Discord - https://discord.gg/NqdhCBJ ►Join the Character Art Team: https://www.youtube.com/c/artofjhill/join ► Join me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/jhill/membership My Skin Brushes - https://www.artstation.com/a/1551330 My Work - https://www.artofjhill.com My Website -https://www.Jhill.com CONNECT: ◆ Website: https://artofjhill.com ◆ Instagram: https://instagram.com/artofjhill ◆ Twitter: https://twitter.com/artofjhill ◆ Setup: https://kit.co/artofjhill/my-setup