Interview with a 3D Sculptor. Meet Greg!

Meet Greg! He’s an outstanding 3D sculptor, a key member of the DakkaDakka team, and an all-around fun person. Today, we’re going to ask him a few questions. If there’s anything you’d like to know, feel free to write your questions in the comments—Greg will be happy to answer!

 
— How old are you?
— 30 years old.

— How many years have you been sculpting?
— I graduated from university as a linguist/interpreter of the Chinese language and worked in this profession for about five years. Then the pandemic happened, and there was little work. I decided to change something, and during quarantine, I took courses in 3D modeling. After that, I quit my job as an interpreter and joined a very young company, Dakka.Dakka Store. In the first couple of years, I was mainly involved in preparing models for printing while also making small vehicles and terrain pieces. But then, I completely switched to creating models for our Patreon.

— Which models have you created?
— Over such a long time working here, quite a few. Mostly vehicles. Full Metal Brotherhood was my first big project. I also took part in The Crimson Wings campaign as a secondary 3D artist and worked on some Rock Head gangs and Machine Cult, among others.

— Which of your models are you most proud of?
— I'm not used to being proud of my work; the main thing is what you learn and how you can apply it in future projects. From this point of view, big campaigns are always a tough challenge for every artist—but also a great teacher.

— What’s the strangest item you’ve ever used as a reference while sculpting?
— There are a lot of photo references where half-naked people with Nerf guns are trying their best to look epic. It's hilarious to me, but they're actually great anatomy references for posing minis.

— If your miniatures came to life for one day, what’s the first thing you’d ask them?
— Most of them are Grim Dark stuff, so I’d probably just run like hell away from them.

— What’s the weirdest feedback you’ve ever received on a miniature?
— That they have too small butts and feet. It’s kinda confusing.

— What’s a common misconception people have about 3D sculpting for wargames?
— There are a lot of artists who come to miniatures from game development and try to make characters the same way they did for video games. But it doesn’t work that way. Miniatures are SMALL, and when you add a lot of fine details in your 3D viewport, it might look sharp in a render—but in real life, no one will ever see those details. Plus, painting something that small would be a nightmare. So always remember: size is the first thing to understand.

— What advice would you give to someone who wants to start learning 3D sculpting?
— Your choice of 3D software doesn't really matter. Your understanding of silhouette, composition, and storytelling through miniatures is the key.