3D artist, Haj Jomehri of Lionbrush Studios, specializes in character development. His highly detailed and imaginative work reveals his strong foundation in artistic drawing, figures and forms, sculpture, and architecture. This background in the traditions of fine and applied art, along with a mastery of 3D modeling tools and techniques, enables him to bring his majestic creature concepts to life.
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- Artist Haj Jomehri’s Passion for Drawing
- Deciding to Create 3D Art
- Learning 3D Character Modeling
- Creating Robobeast
- Bringing Characters to Life
- Haj Jomehri’s Inspirations
Artist Haj Jomehri’s Passion for Drawing
Haj began drawing the people and animals around him at a very young age. Focusing on characters as his subjects, he began a formal study of figure and form. He always tried to make his characters real enough to jump off the page and always gave them a high level of intricate detail.
(The Nightmare. Creature sketch made with Photoshop.)
Deciding to Create 3D Art
Soon, he began to experiment, mixing people and animals to create his own original, fantastical creatures. The more life Haj was able to draw into them, the more real these creatures of his imagination could become. Excited by the possibilities, Haj came to feel, over time, that the 2-Dimensional world of pencil and paper limited the reality of his characters.
Learning 3D Character Modeling
He immersed himself in the world of 3D. Starting with sculpture, he soon discovered 3D modeling and animation, and there was no looking back. Using cutting-edge 3D technology and techniques, Haj found he could give depth and dimension to his characters. As the technology continued to evolve, he learned and evolved with it, constantly looking for new ways to bring his creations to life.
(monkeyBot. For this 3D Robot Design, Haj used ZBrush, Substance, and Photoshop.)
Creating Robobeast
With Robobeast, Haj won the Stan Winston School's first ever Robot Design contest. “His aesthetic really jumped out at me,” said judge Jason Lopes from Legacy Effects. “The contours of the mechanics in Haj’s design are stunning," he explained.
(Robobeast, created with Softimage and ZBrush. For this creature, Haj received ConceptArt.org and si-community.com Top Row Awards as well.)
(Different views of Robobeast. 3D printed at Legacy Effects.)
Bringing Characters to Life
In creating Robobeast, as with all his other creatures, Haj begins with a drawing - pencil on paper. He then takes these initial sketches and explores the characters further as concept art. In the concept stage, he often puts the character into a cinematic setting, using Illustration and digital painting techniques in Adobe Photoshop. In the final stages, he transforms the character into 3D, primarily using a combination of Maya and ZBrush to create the final character and creature rig.
(Skeel. 2D Creature Design Sketch at the Concept Art stage.)
(Sabretooth Attack on Bison. Haj created this commissioned piece for camcraft3d.com as a limited edition wooden sculpture.)
(Sphinx from 2010. For this 3D creation, Haj used a combination of Softimage, ZBrush, and Photoshop.)
Haj Jomehri’s Inspirations
Haj finds inspiration in the characters and stories that have shaped our world. He looks for that majestic and fantastical quality in the people that surround him in his daily life, as well as in the mythological characters and creatures whose stories help to define the human species. He stands in awe of the wild kingdom and the daily drama and struggle for survival that occur there. He looks to history, mythology, fable, and fiction to better understand how people of different backgrounds and societies originate, evolve,e and exist in their worlds. And his imagination morphs and mixes the results and possibilities into new characters with original stories.
(Gargoyle concept based on Frank Frazetta’s Gargoyle, made with ZBrush and KeyShot.)
(Caveman, created with Maya, ZBrush, VRay, and Photoshop.)
(Morlock. Haj used Maya, ZBrush, and Photoshop to bring this character to life.)
(Brain Child. 3D Character created with ZBrush and KeyShot.)
Using ancient techniques and contemporary technology, Haj brings fantastical creatures to life, delivering their often antiquated stories into brand new worlds. Story is the heart of everything he does. He uses his art to translate these stories into a new language for a new generation, helping both to preserve and to evolve them as culture moves forward.
Ultimately, Haj wants people to connect with the stories of his characters. Through their stories, he feels he can create a strong connection between his work and his audience. Haj is always seeking exciting new projects. He currently resides on the West Coast and is available for full-time, project-based, and freelance work.
(3D concept for Robobeast, Haj Jomehri's winning entry in the Stan Winston School's Robot Design contest.)
Follow Haj Jomehri:
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lionbrush
- Website: www.lionbrush.com