Belarussian Pioneer.

… somewhere very far in the USA the heated battles have recently cooled. The world contest “Comicon 09” has come to an end and the respectful jury has announced the results. How does this touch us? Well, 2D and 3D art plays a significant role in our work process; then first time in the history our compatriot, home grown Petr Nasirov became the world champion; and lastly and most importantly – this outstanding 3D artist, whose talent has been acknowledged all over the world according to Comicon 09 is our colleague and your tutor of Steel Monkeys seminars. Congratulations Petr!
 
We offer for your attention his creation – the winner in the “3D” nomination, also the interview with the champion and the quotation of Joe Madureira – the Art Director of Marvel Comics Legend Company and the Head of the Jury.

«Holy crap this piece is awesome! I love all the detail that ez5k put into it. He Just feels so evil and yet comical at the same time! It is a winning piece that could grace the cover of a magazine! I could find no Fault with this piece, which is why It got first place in my book.» Joe Madureira. Art Director. Marvel Comics Legend

Steeel Monkeys – Hallo Petja! You have won the “Comicon 09” competition. As far as I am aware this particular work took part in “3Dpolygon” contest in Russia and won this competition. What happened next?

Petr Nasirov – Hi.  “Comicon 09” opened in summer 2009, in the month of July. The competition entries could be submitted up to August, 31. By this time I had already completed and submitted my entry work. Meanwhile, there was another contest of a smaller scale in Russian Federation, so while the Comicon jury was evaluating the entries of the contestants I decided to participate in “3D Polygon” competition. The requirements of the competition were: all entries should have been created in 2009 using any of Autodesk products. As it turned out, my character fitted all these requirements so I submitted it. The evaluation stage of the Russian contest took less time so during winter conference CG Event the award ceremony took place. My character was the winner. Comicon was still in the process of assessing the entries . The jury came to a conclusion in the middle of January and the winners were declared – I took first place in this competition.

Steel Monkeys – Did the fact that you were the winner of the Russian competition give you a confidence boost? Be honest – in the back of your mind have you started cherishing the dreams of winning any prizes in America?

Petr Nasirov – I actually did not expect that my character will be the winner in the Russian competition because the contest was tough and there were some other serious competitors! The entry that was my favorite took third place. I understood that I had underestimated my work and that I had all chances to win the contest.

Steel Monkeys – Petja, you did see the comments of the Art Director of Marvel, didn’t you? (see above) How did you feel about it?

Petr Nasirov – It became clear to me that the way the work was presented mattered a lot. He looked at it from the perspective of an ordinary person, a viewer and what he saw was an attractive picture. He did not go into the technical details – how much effort and time was put into it, the complexity of the model and the textures. He simply looked at a fine picture, he liked it and he gave his comments on it. I was glad to hear his comments because he spoke sincerely mincing no words ).

Steel Monkeys –  Petja, and now the standard question – what were the reason  that you became an artist? How did it all begin?

Petr Nasirov –As a matter of fact the story is quite simple. I draw my firs texture when applying for a job in Steel Monkeys. I did like my creation – it was a house ). I was walking around my block taking pictures of the buildings. The next step was texturing the petrol station…I would like to re- iterate, I enjoyed the process itself, it was quite interesting. I got a job in the company. Then later I was transferred to the Character Design group. Working there was even more exciting and I had an amazing mentor, Vadim Makarenko, who was the head of the Character Design group at that time. He was guiding me and I was texturing outside working hours, at home creating new drawings, participated in some minor competitions. With time my interest was transformed into experience and I started obtaining the desired results. As soon as an idea started lingering in my mind I already knew how to implement it in terms of technical details. After that I started getting the rewarding satisfaction from my work :). 

Steel Monkeys – Well, your professional level is the result of hard work, your persistency and the lessons your first mentor taught you?

Petr Nasirov – Yes, he adopted a rigorous approach. He is an experienced artist and never let me slack off :).

Steel Monkeys – Petja, now you are in a way taking his place – you are teaching our seminars. What does this opportunity mean to you?

Petr Nasirov – For me it is a way to interact with people and to share my knowledge. It is my investment into the CG development in Belarus.

Steel Monkeys -  This year out of twenty prize winners you are the only person from Belarus, and even more so, you took first place! You are a pioneer! You proved that everything is possible. Are you willing to guide and mentor a new wave, a new generation who will follow in your footsteps?

Petr Nasirov – Of course! It is much easier than it seems, it is not a fantasy. Determination and tenacity are the prime factors you need though. We use the same software as our colleagues abroad, the hardware is the same and the information is easily accessible. One just needs to work hard and at the same time enjoy their work. To be honest, our guys are reckoned with. Last spring a Russian artist won the Dominance contest. We are taken seriously there :) .

You can get your fair share of the treasure trove of value information and to acquire the knowledge to become another Petr Nasirov, or maybe even to perform better than him and other Steel Monkeys employees by joining our seminars. You can find the relevant information on our website.