For today's Autodesk Community Member Spotlight, we're excited to share the work of Milan-based 3D artist, Rino Rubino AKA "Signor Limone"! While his day-to-day responsibilities as a 3D artist involve a lot of mechanical and hard-surface work, Rubino's personal practice is defined by his eye for vibrant and whacky character designs. Whether he's modeling one of his highly stylized, original characters or reinterpreting an existing design, Rubino's penchant for the Pixar-esque are all lovely additions to the AREA Gallery.
Can you please introduce yourself?
Hi, I'm Rino Rubino (@signorlimone on social media). I'm a 3D artist based in Milan, Italy. I have a degree in graphic design and my career started in 1998 doing mainly 2D layouts for books. At the same time, I always had an interest in 3D graphics.
How did you get started in 3D?
My first introduction to 3D was Bryce 3 but I tried out basically every 3D software I could get my hands on until I had my first experience with Maya on a paid job. My job then was to render, and sometimes model, helicopter-related images for a Computer-Based Training software.
What tools do you use?
My main tools are Maya, Zbrush, and Photoshop. I also recently included Substance Painter in my workflow for texturing. I've done my fair share of box modeling within Maya but usually, I start by sculpting and remeshing in Zbrush. Then I export everything into Maya where I do everything else: unwrapping, stage building, lookdev, rendering, you name it. I'll then open the renders in Photoshop to add small touches here and there or to composite my render layers.
What are some of your recent favorite personal projects?
I usually choose which projects I want to work on by scouting Instagram for good character illustrations, and I love every single one of them. The artists who grant me permission to use their drawings as a base are my favorite, so it's really hard to pinpoint a single one. If I had to choose, I'd say ANNE. It's based on my own concept of a grunge-y girl singing cover from her favourite band while staying in her bedroom in the 90s (incidentally resembles my first crush from when I was really young... but that's another story).
'A N N E" by Rino Rubino (@SignorLimone)
How did you develop your style?
I have always loved stylized and funny proportions, so my natural inclination was towards cartoony characters. Sadly, in my career, I've never had the pleasure to develop characters since I always had jobs that were more mechanical/hard surface related. This, however, never hindered my will to learn how to develop funny quirky characters. My favorite subjects are goofy anthropomorphic animals and cranky old dudes!
What are some of your inspirations?
I'd say the 3D cartoon industry in general, with a particular focus on Pixar. There are also some artists that I really love; one in particular is Gabriel Soares. His understanding of simple volumes and characterization is top-notch and something that I really strive to reach.
What are you working on next?
At the moment, I'm working on a grumpy old man in a wheelchair that I call "Reginald", it's based on a fantastic illustration by Artsiom Khachatran.
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