Pablo Marín is a 3D artist I discovered on Instagram several years ago. He creates vibrant and clay-like 3D art, I love his work and I am honored that he gave me the chance to ask him some questions about his career.
(Josiah:) Hi Pablo! Can you tell me about your background and what led you to 3D?
(Pablo:) I started using blender back when I was studying graphic design in college: one of the classes touched on 3D software at a surface level, it piqued my interest and I decided to study it more in-depth. Initially I thought of it as a way of creating mockups and substituting photography for assignments, but I soon started creating proper artworks in Blender. So far I’ve been more successful as a 3D artist than a graphic designer, and it’s been my full time career ever since I graduated.
(Josiah:) How long were you using blender and building up a portfolio before you got your first paying client?
(Pablo:) By the time I graduated I had been using Blender for around two years for college assignments and practice, but I built my proper portfolio in a 3 month spree shortly after. My first client contacted me via social media around the end of that period.
(Josiah:) Were you nervous when your first client reached out to you?
(Pablo:) I was! I didn’t know how to proceed with the negotiations and I ended up working way below minimum wage, and that’s even before I took taxes into account! which are a huge percentage. At first I always assumed the best case scenario, but eventually I learned to predict how much time things will take and I put a limit to revisions. I also became better at noticing when clients didn’t really know what they wanted.
(Josiah:) What is your job now?
(Pablo:) Currently I’m creating artworks for a metaverse focused company, I mostly focus on making 3D models and renders rather than animations. I still work from home so my current job has a great balance between freedom and stability, and I’m very happy with the team.
(Josiah:) Any thoughts on the metaverse? Is it the future?
(Pablo:) I heard lots of promising things! I mostly focus on the art side of things though, so the intricacies of it are lost to me.
(Josiah:) Almost 17k followers on instagram is a great milestone! Do you find that it helps you with generating leads?
(Pablo:) Thanks! It was immensely helpful, most of my clients and employers until now discovered me through social media. These days I don’t have as much time for personal artworks and self promotion, though, but I would love to resume uploading artworks every now and then.
(Josiah:) Any advice for 3D artists just starting out?
(Pablo:) I would tell them to not get stuck on learning all the software’s tricks and spend some time developing their art style. I think a lot of beginners are too focused on following software tutorials and achieving realism, but learning to create compelling images and developing a distinct art style is just as crucial, if not more. Also, it’s important to find your niche and have a focused portfolio instead of displaying too much range. Consistency helps a lot when growing your audience in social media.
(Josiah:) Lastly, what is an underrated or unheard of software or trick?
(Pablo:) If you are starting out and/or taking your first commissions I think the non-destructive, procedural approach to modeling is one of the best ways of using Blender. If we’re being specific, you can get neat bevels and normals in low poly meshes by using the Weighted Normal modifier.
