Could you tell us more about yourself? What are you like normally as a person outside work?
Nicholas Caruana: Well I have a passion for art in general. In my free time I tend to do something art related, either working on some personal project or watching a video tutorial. When I am not doing one of those, I am either eating or sleeping lol.
What made you decide that this job best suits your qualifications?
To be honest I don’t think it’s the best fit for my skill set. I am more focused on 3D graphics and illustration. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of job opportunities as a 3D artist here in Malta, so I decided to work as a graphic designer. The good thing I found is that this job is quite flexible, this allows me to use 3D graphics in my artwork which help my work stand out.
Where do you live and how does your country value your job?
I live in Malta, as mentioned in my previous reply there aren’t a lot of opportunities here to work as a 3D artist. However I found that this skill gives me an edge over other designers.
Who or what inspired you to get into digital art? What Inspires you today?
I studied art at school, I always knew I wanted to do something art related. Graphic design seemed like best way to do this.
What software and tools do you use for work? Why do you prefer those?
On a daily basis I use Adobe suite, this is kind of an industry standard. And for my 3D work I use Autodesk Maya. The reason I use Maya is because It’s what I got into learning when I was young, I like it and kind of suck with it.
Which of your designs are you most proud of and why?
I did some work for Andrew Gordon, head of animation at Pixar, unfortunately I cant show this work because I am under NDA. I would consider this to be my best work so far, however I do have other work which I am very proud of. Usually my latest work would be the one I am most happy and proud of and hopefully my next piece will be better than the one before.
What are the advantages and challenges of working in the iGaming industry?
I love this industry, mostly because of the work environment. It’s a very flexible and fun environment. The work tends to become a bit repetitive, but I guess it’s up to us to take each artwork and try and make it as fun and interesting as we can.
Is there a specific type of 3D art that you enjoy doing the most? (Characters, Product, etc.)
I love creating environments. I enjoy vegetation, I think it’s more challenging to try and replicate nature because of it’s level of complexity.
What do you think is essential in becoming a 3D Designer? What are you continually trying to improve?
I think that a good 3D artist should be able to create anything he wants. This is why it’s important to know a lot of different applications, the more you know the easier it is to achieve your vision. At the moment I am trying to improve my skills in procedural modelling. I feel that this is the future of 3D graphics.
Who are your heroes in this industry? Why?
My hero would be Alex Alvarez, founder of the Gnomon VFX school. I pretty much learned most of what I know from there video tutorials.
Could you share any bits of advice for aspiring artists or practicing artists looking to get into the field of 3D art?
I guess we all have different ways of learning. Some people prefer reading, others watching Video tutorials or by practicing themselves. For me the best way is video tutorials. I found it really helpful to first watch as much as I can before I start my own projects. I see a lot of people who start learning something, get all hyped up and start creating there art work before finishing what they were watching. The problem here is that you still don’t have the full picture and don’t know all the tools available to you, the end result is that you end up limiting yourself. There is a big learning curve to become a good 3D artist, the key here is endurance and patience.
What’s the one thing you think is least known about working as a 3D Artist for casino games?
How it can be implemented in anything, Graphic design, Motion graphics and asset creation.
What are your favorite casino games and provider?I tend to look at games in terms of graphics more then anything else. In my opinion Yggdrasil gaming make some really nice graphics for there games. There are also some smaller new providers out there such as “Gaming Corps” which have some really nice graphics as well.