Our Dušan Ković featured in 3D Artist’s list of 100 influential artists

The respected CGI art magazine 3D Artist has just released its 100th issue featuring a list of 100 influential 3D artists today. Among the names on the list, you will find Dušan Ković. Dušan is a lead cinematic animator here at Eipix Entertainment, and he has captured the attention of the CGI community with his meticulously detailed, perfectly executed life-like renderings.

We are delighted that our colleague’s work has been recognized by the global arts community, and we’re giving you a chance to get to know the person behind the art. Read on to learn about Dušan’s background and his work, both in and out of Eipix.

Eipix: What’s your education background and how did you end up at Eipix?

Dušan Ković (DK): I graduated from the Faculty of Technical Sciences – department of graphic engineering and design. After that I ended up on graphic design master studies, which I never finished, because they were not all that interesting. I ended up at Eipix thanks to a faculty friend of mine, who is now a producer in Eipix’s free-to-play department. Back then he was a 3D Artist in the company, and he encouraged me to send my CV. I started as a 3D artist, and soon after Eipix formed the cinematic department, and the rest is history.

Eipix: In our company you work as a lead animator in the Cinematic department, making short animated films for Eipix games, while “in the outside world” you have gained your reputation through life-like computer graphics. Since both disciplines require a lot of skill and practice, how were you able to excel on both fronts? Which interest came first?

DK: My love for rendering came before I came to Eipix. When I was doing my graduation thesis, I didn’t have any rendering skills, so it ended up looking pretty bad. After that, I wanted to learn more about rendering and lightning, so I would never repeat the mistakes from my graduation. I started getting more and more interested in lightning, rendering, shading and photography. And when the cinematic team formed at Eipix, I had to learn animation and motion graphics. Since I was not that good at animation as I was at rendering, I continued to work on my rendering skills at home and work on animation skills at work.

Eipix: Has your personal work helped improve your work at Eipix and vice versa?

DK: Well, lately we’ve been doing some 3D stuff at Eipix, and my 3D skills were really beneficial on my work at the company. Also, while working at Eipix, I met a lot of talented people who opened some interesting areas in the field and gave me feedback on my personal work.

Eipix: Were you surprised by the art community’s response to your work, and how do you feel now that you’re a (sort of a) celebrity?

DK: When I did the Coffee Table (see image below), I never thought that I would get such a positive response from the community, that was a surprise. After that, I met a lot of good people from all around the world who gave me a lot of good comments, but also critiques, which I follow in order to improve my work. I never looked at myself that way, personally, I don’t think anyone should look at themselves in that way. I just do what I love, and I try to learn as much as possible while doing my personal projects.

Eipix: Do you have any advice for artists looking to follow in your footsteps?

DK: The only advice I can give younger artists is to work on their skills as much as possible. Just work, work, and more work… There are no shortcuts. If you want to be good at something you’ll have to sacrifice a lot of your free time.

To see more of Dušan’s work, visit his ArtStation page.