Overview
Iván Gallardo Landskron, a Chilean 3D artist, won the Best AccuRIG Character award in the 2024 Reallusion 3D Character Contest with “Nyka”, a cyberpunk-inspired warrior with a post-apocalyptic flare. Developed during a mentorship at Libel Academy, Nyka was crafted using ZBrush, Character Creator 4, and AccuRIG, allowing for fast rigging, dynamic posing, and intricate sculpting.
Iván Gallardo Landskron
Hi, I’m Iván Gallardo Landskron from Chile. I’ve been working as a 3D designer since 2011, contributing to projects in VFX, animation, advertising, film, and TV. Over the past four years, I’ve specialized as a 3D artist for video games, a field that truly drives my passion. I look forward to continuing in this industry for many years to come.
In the video game industry, I’ve contributed to projects such as Nerf Legends, G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout, and Little League World Series 2022 Baseball, all developed at Iguanabee, a Chilean game studio. Currently, I’m working on Tormented Souls 2, a survival horror game, at Dual Effect, another Chilean studio.
I worked as a 3D artist on the following video game projects:
G.I. Joe Operation Blackout / Nerf legends / Little league world series 2022 baseball / Tormented souls 2 (work in progress)
The concept behind “Nyka”
I created “Nyka” thanks to a scholarship from Libel Academy, which allowed me to participate in 3D Camp, an intensive ZBrush Transition course led by Oscar Fernández. The program lasted several months in 2023 and provided valuable mentorship in character creation.
As students, we received a concept brief with the premise: a cyberpunk girl with katanas. While I stayed true to the core idea, I introduced my own variations. From the start, I envisioned a post-apocalyptic warrior from the desert, drawing inspiration from sepia tones and earthy browns instead of the usual neon purples of cyberpunk aesthetics. My focus was on her gaze and facial expression, ensuring they conveyed her personality with depth and intensity.
My Workflow
After establishing the concept art, I began by sculpting a blockout version to establish the character’s shapes, anatomy, and proportions accurately. Once the blockout was complete, I moved on to the high-poly version, refining details and sculpting clothing and accessories—all in an A-pose to simplify the rigging process later.
Next, I retopologized each element separately, ensuring proper UV mapping before painting the textures. With the mesh and textures ready, I exported the low-poly version to Character Creator 4 and used AccuRIG to generate a complete rig. After some adjustments to the skin weights, everything worked smoothly.
For posing, I tested multiple variations before selecting the best ones. I then exported them to ZBrush for refinement, like adding folds, extra details, and accessories. To complete the process, I rendered the character from dynamic camera angles, applying smoke, particles, and color correction for a polished final presentation.
Advantages of AccuRIG
The main advantage was how quickly I could generate a functional rig for my character. With just a few clicks, I could send the model to ZBrush for further sculpting, adding details, and refining poses. I also appreciated that each exported pose was automatically saved in a library using ZBrush Pose Tools, allowing me to instantly switch between multiple poses.
Making the Perfect Pose
Based on my experience in character design, several key factors are essential when posing a character. First, minimizing geometry improves performance, especially when painting skin weights in CC4.
Second, considering action lines and curves helps convey direction and movement, making the pose feel natural and dynamic rather than static and lifeless.
Third, eye direction and gaze are crucial, as they create the illusion of a world beyond the character, adding depth and storytelling to the composition.
Finally, it’s important to determine how the character will be presented—whether as a 360-degree model or a frontal view—since the pose should remain visually compelling from every angle.
Final thoughts and what’s next
Learning a new workflow for character creation in video games was a rewarding experience. I now have a much stronger grasp of the process, whether for stylized or semi-realistic characters.
My next goal is to refine my skills in creating realistic characters and continue studying—taking as many courses as possible.
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