Dominic Maximilian Foong

Review

Tell us about yourself: Who are you, what do you love to do and where are you from?

Hi I’m Dominic and I run a storyboard and illustration studio, Pen and Paper Studios. We’re based in Singapore. We help our clients build their brand story through the use of visuals. Be it a web commercial or a themed attraction, we help clients sell the features and also align the visuals with their core brand values. One of our most fun projects right now is the visualising of a themed attraction that is in development in Singapore. It is exciting in scope and will be a world-class park when it opens.

Massive Rome

This was my first image with Chris. We used several still from old Roman-themed films to establish a color palette and build up the composition using 3D assets. Chris has also taught me how to build assets for this image.

What were the biggest problems you faced when you started as an artist?

As with any artist that is starting, finding the right fit for a job is the hardest. Coming from a small economy like Singapore, art-related jobs are few and highly sought after. Every artist who wants to work in the entertainment industry wants to be a concept artist or character designer but these opportunities are very limited. After all, there are only a few AAA game companies on this tiny island.

Why did you choose our concept art school and not other art schools?

Chris is a very patient mentor. He was very helpful in guiding and leading me to learn the pipeline. One of the reasons I chose Chris over an online training school, is because this format allows me to interact directly with the mentor and he can answer and cater to my questions and capacities more effectively.

Rome

This piece focuses more on the drama of the shot. We worked with a ton of reference pictures to compose this picture with the evocative feel of the “Gladiator” film.

What did you do during the mentorship and what helped you on each task?

I was planning to use some 3D in Blender in my pipeline to help create visuals. The project that I started with Chris was to visualize a snapshot of life in a Roman city. Learning Blender has been very useful to block out a composition. The ability to rapidly make simple buildings allowed me to create a city in moments. Very fun.

How was the mentorship for you?

It was very helpful! Overcoming my hesitation to build in 3D was a big plus point. Learning Blender through Chris has made me see how easy it can be to use 3D in my workflow and how efficient it can be to design massive cityscapes.

What would you say when you recommend us to someone who needs help?

Be clear about what you want to learn because that will allow the mentor to diagnose and prescribe the right exercises for you to push yourself. Be humble and patient with yourself. It takes time to learn a new package before you feel comfortable enough to wield the tools to a high level of proficiency.