Talking Shop with 3D Archviz Artist Yann Verbeke

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From photographer and film maker, to woodworker, to 3D hobbyist, to archviz professional; we talk with Yann Verbeke about starting a career in 3D career and all the lessons he learnt along the way.

‘Scandinavian Apartment 001’ by Yann Verbeke, created after following a tutorial by Johannes Lindqvist

Q. When and how did you get into 3D visualizations?

Yann: I have a background in photography and filmmaking. In 2020, I was living in Chile and due to - or thanks to - COVID, I had a lot of spare time. So I started learning woodworking - after a few months I had made a stool, a night table, a bench, some chairs and a table. I was always looking online for inspiration and one day, I saw a beautiful minimalist stool on Instagram. I contacted Santiago, the author of the post, to ask him what kind of wood he used to make it…to my surprise, he told me it was a 3D render!

I remember being totally confused - it seemed so real. That same day I Googled ‘realistic 3D renders’ for the first time…and that was the moment I fell in love with 3D. I immediately downloaded Blender and didn’t take long to find Andrew’s tutorials!

‘Matta’ by Yann Verbeke

Q. What inspires you, as an artist?

Yann: What inspires me most is nature and other artists. 

Nature is a visual playground. Between the tallest mountain peak, to the smallest insect crawling between the leaves, there is an infinite and incredible world that is a right there in front of us, waiting to be observed. On a daily basis, nature offers me various sceneries, different light moods, seasonal colors, compositions of tree branches, river beds, clouds, the way shadows cast in the woods, or on a sunflower field, the way wind creates movement… 

Artists inspire me because they offer me a continuous feed of creations and creativity. They help me to think outside the box - they make me see the world through their perspective, through their eyes, through their emotions. What drives me in life is to learn, and I love learning from others. They trigger my curiosity; I’m always wondering why and how they did certain things.

Q. What’s been the most important lesson you’ve learnt as a 3D artist, that you’d pass onto other aspiring artists?

Yann: When working in a virtual world, it’s important to never forget the real world. 

When creating an interior, it’s important to set up the lights and the cameras as one would in real life; I see so many renders online that have a good level of modeling, but don’t have that little extra touch that makes it truly photorealistic.

I also think it’s important to create spaces where you would want to live in; where the mood makes you feel good. Something that resembles who you are - that is in adequation with the person you are. I see too many quality renders of places I would never want to sit in and have a coffee, let alone live in.

If you spend time taking pictures in the real world, playing around with shadows, moving around to have nice framing and composition, I believe it’s going to be a huge help in making better renders. Having a background in photography has been an important asset for me jumping into the 3D universe. I’m used to concepts such as composition, lighting, framing, depth of field, opposite colors, etc. I'm used to looking around me when I walk on the sidewalk in a city, or on a dirt path in the woods. 

‘Scandinavian Apartment 002’ by Yann Verbeke

Q. How did you get your first job as a 3D artist?

Yann: As most of us know, Blender has an incredible online community. I remember asking questions all the time on its Facebook Group, which was also where I proudly posted my first renders. 

There was one particular person always answering my questions and giving me a thumbs up on my posts - Birk Kromann. We started talking daily and got along really well, discussing all things 3D - I learned a lot, thanks to him. 

A few months later, when I was familiar with 3dsMax and FStorm, he contacted me to create renders for a Danish furniture brand. And that was my first job in 3D…only a year ago, in April 2021!

Q. What were the challenges of starting a career in 3D?

Yann: The biggest challenge for me was that I literally knew no one in the 3D sector….which is no surprise, considering I didn't even really know or understand what 3D was. 

I was 36 and I had discovered an entirely new world. I felt excited, but also a bit overwhelmed by the amount of new information…and the feeling of endless possibilities. So my challenge was to keep faith, even when I felt all alone on a little island in the middle of the ocean, watching one tutorial after the other, not really knowing where I was going or even if there was a destination. 

A big help was the online community - Facebook groups and Instagram. But at the same time, these platforms can also have a negative effect and create an extra challenge. At the beginning, it’s exciting to follow more and more 3D artists. Everything is new and inspiring. But there’s a point where it doesn’t lift you up anymore; a point where you feel like a drop in the ocean, surrounded by thousands of other people doing exactly the same things as you, again and again. That moment can make you lose hope.

‘Olea Olive Tree’ & ’Industrial Loft 001’ by Yann Verbeke

Q. How did you overcome these challenges?

Yann: I believe that each of us feel and know when we are passionate about something. I remember spending days and nights watching tutorials - making the donut, then the chair, then the hammer. When I finally felt comfortable using Blender, I wanted to try out 3ds Max, and render engines such as FStorm and Corona. That led me to weeks of new tutorials, and weeks of trial and error. But even if nine out of ten of my renders were a total mess, the single one that came out nice gave me just enough energy and motivation to keep on learning, trying, working. 

When you’re passionate about something, you won’t let it go. It’ll make your nights sleepless and your days exciting. I love that feeling. I still have it today.

Q. If you had to choose, what were the 3 most important tools to reach professional standards with 3D?

Yann: Specifically for archviz, I’d say:

  • 3dsMax + FStorm (or Corona/Vray/)

  • Pulze.io - Scene Manager

  • Quality Assets (Poliigon, 3D Collective, Design Connected, Quixel Megasacans)

‘Bright Wemmel’ by Yann Verbeke

Q. Do you have any advice for aspiring artists wanting to make a career out of 3D viz?

Yann: Apart from what I’ve mentioned above about lighting, composition and photography, these are the tips I would give:

  • Find inspiration from books and magazines; leave the screens for a while. 

  • Take a camera and go shoot some pictures.

  • Follow tutorials. Tons of tutorials. It’s such an incredible opportunity we have these days. 

  • Hone your attention to detail.

  • Learn and know your tools.

  • Know when it’s good enough!

  • Be serious. Be serious about believing in what you do…and be serious with yourself. 

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