Archive translation. This workflow and interview were published in 2023. Software features, links and availability reflect that period; verify current Character Creator and companion-tool versions before production use.
Introduction
Hello! My name is Yunji Jung, also known as Little Gold, and I live in Seoul, Korea. I am a 3D artist working to turn my hobby into a career. I sometimes help create game environments, but mainly model characters. I now work as a character modeller in the games industry, which was my childhood ambition.
After several years in games, I saw 3D technology evolve daily and increasingly accessible tools reach the market. I enjoy trying new things and explore tools featured on YouTube in my free time. Character Creator (CC) lets me work intuitively and efficiently without complicated tutorials, so I use it frequently.
Part I: Winner Workflow
Step 1: Gather references
Collecting the required references takes time and is an essential first step. Before starting, I decide exactly how the character should look and which celebrity will inspire the clothing.
For the head, I look for front, side, 45-degree, top and bottom views. I then decide on materials and the overall impression of the costume. K-pop idols were the main inspiration for this project. Like many colleagues, I organise references primarily in PureRef.
Step 2: Edit the 3D face and body
I used the body supplied by Character Creator as my starting point.
Beginning with the head, CC makes facial shape changes intuitive. Deformation can be controlled manually while using GoZ to connect with ZBrush. I also purchased and used the Headshot plug-in, which enabled more detailed head design.
Step 3: Refine the head, then add hair and clothing
I continued refining the head. Before posing the character, it helps to test hair and clothing from CC to develop a clearer sense of the character.
Step 4: Create a character pose
After assigning hair and the dress, I posed the character. A body can look different once clothed, so posing at this stage reveals where additional body adjustments are needed to achieve the intended dressed silhouette.
Step 5: Model the clothing
After posing in CC, I imported the edited body into Marvelous Designer. There I established the garment’s overall silhouette and the direction of its folds.
Step 6: Add detail in ZBrush
ZBrush provided further deformation, surface texture and stitching. I retained the broad silhouette created in Marvelous Designer, then added details that were difficult to produce there: hem lines, small folds, seams and fabric texture through the ZBrush workflow.
Step 7: Render to Texture and texturing
The character was not yet intended for direct game use, so I did not invest heavily in final topology at this stage. I nevertheless carried out low-poly preparation and UV mapping for texturing, then textured the outfit in Substance 3D Painter.
Step 8: Facial expression and make-up
Finally, I added a facial expression and refined the make-up in Photoshop so the character read as a K-pop idol.
Step 9: Final polish
After the competition, I improved elements that did not yet meet my quality target. I refined the make-up and head, then added hair and accessories to lift the overall result.
Part II: Interview
Thank you for sharing your workflow. Your entry “A Lovely Girl” features impressive character and costume design. Whether she ties a ribbon or eats an apple, you capture subtle moments that reinforce her aesthetic. How did you approach the project, and how do you choose the angle that best reveals a character’s personality?
I had always wanted to create an attractive female character. During “A Lovely Girl,” I realised that attractive design was less straightforward than expected. It is also a common professional requirement, so I intend to keep developing the skill. I wanted to test whether I could move from concept through modelling to rendering a character with the desired qualities within two months.
About 80 percent of the beauty-shot plan and overall look was decided early. Many clothing materials, hairstyles, poses and expressions can emerge from one character. I gather extensive references and test dummies until I find a look I like. CC’s easy pose and expression changes shortened that process.
Q: You said working in games was a childhood dream. What started that ambition?
I have drawn since primary school. Among the fields I considered, game art was especially attractive because I enjoyed games and admired their graphics.
Before I understood the distinction between 2D and 3D, I saved illustrations I wanted to reproduce or bought illustration collections and practised by copying them. From the age of 19, I specialised in a related discipline and in 3D. Today I have the honour of working with artists whose illustrations I once copied.
Q: What is most interesting about the profession, and what challenges do character designers face in the Korean games industry?
Character modelling is complex: faces, hair, clothes, monsters and hard surfaces are all demanding. That difficulty also makes the work satisfying. New concepts excite me, and achieving a result I am happy with is rewarding. The work of a 3D artist is distinctive and compelling.
The Korean games industry is strongly focused on globalisation. For a game developer and character designer, the challenge is continually increasing realism. Korean game companies are prepared to invest in capabilities such as next-generation engines and 3D scanning to achieve more realistic results.
Q: Is speaking Korean, English and Chinese an advantage in Seoul’s games industry, and how does that multicultural background influence your characters?
Speaking three languages is valuable, although most colleagues are Korean, so there are relatively few chances to use the others in person. The ability to understand material without subtitles still helps: most instructions for new tools are in English, and I can contact developers directly by email when problems arise.
Most artists I follow on YouTube also speak English. They function almost like teachers, and I am glad to understand them. I also expect multilingual skills to create more opportunities in a global industry.
Q: You sometimes contribute to environment design as well. How do you learn new techniques while delivering demanding game work?
Before beginning the day, I research and purchase references or bookmark new work and articles for inspiration. I draw on this library when needed, and the routine helps my professional work.
When technical problems arise, I ask colleagues or search international articles and YouTube. The volume of information can make research inefficient, so careful selection matters. I often scan artists’ thumbnails and open the videos that appear most relevant.
Q: How did you discover Character Creator, and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
I first saw an advertisement on ArtStation. Curious whether head shapes could really be defined as intuitively as claimed, I downloaded the trial. It was easier to learn than expected, particularly because GoZ let me replace the starting model with a base of my own. I used that capability effectively in “A Pretty Girl.”
Q: “Indian Girl in Saree” is highly photorealistic, while “A Lovely Girl” has a clearer CG style. How did Character Creator, Marmoset Toolbag, ZBrush and 3ds Max produce those different results?
As mentioned, both works share the aim of modelling an attractive woman. I personally like a photographic look, but a purely photoreal model may not be the best fit for the games market. My goal may be to combine the two approaches.
Some contemporary K-pop idols appear almost as unreal as game characters. I want to create someone realistic yet still cool and appealing. That requires studying and analysing a great deal of material, continuing to learn and identifying what is still missing from my work.
Q: What three things inspire you most at the start of a project?
Contemporary K-pop idols are my strongest inspiration. I am sometimes struck by performers who seem more beautiful than 3D characters. I also collect images that are well drawn and executed. It is important to remain open to new things, so in my free time I deliberately watch science-fiction films on Netflix.
Learn more
- Yunji Jung (Little Gold) on ArtStation
- Yunji Jung (Little Gold) on Instagram
- Character Creator
- Reallusion
Before production use, verify current CC, Headshot, SkinGen, GoZ, ZBrush, Marvelous Designer and Substance 3D Painter versions, licences, topology requirements and export compatibility.
